Elizabeth Maddrey – Real Life Romance – Part 2 of 3

Shannon here: Contemporary romance author, Elizabeth Maddrey shares her very personal story of infertility and adoption. Comment on any post dated Sept 9 – 13 to get your name in the drawing for her latest release, Serenity to Accept. Deadline: Sept 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Elizabeth:

Our Expanding Family

When we got married, Tim and I had the normal expectations that we’d wait a couple of years and then, as you do, start a family. So when we’d been married three years, we decided it was time to at least entertain the possibility of a family and started working on that new addition. Being young, in love, and excited about the idea of a baby, we told a few people what was going on and over the next year began fielding questions about whether or not there was any news. After a year, it was pretty clear that things weren’t working as normally as they should be. And that kicked off 8 years of various treatments, none of which were even marginally successful.

When our ability to handle any more intrusive medical procedures was long past its limit, we began to discuss adoption. We’d kicked around the idea several times during the infertility treatments, but there was always one more thing to try – and we hadn’t been able to agree on what type of adoption to pursue. I was set on an international adoption because it was guaranteed – you fill out your paperwork, pay your money, wait an undetermined amount of time (but even then, there were averages and it was a first in, first out situation) and you have a child. Tim was much more interested in domestic adoption. And so we’d tabled the discussion and continued medical treatments and taking breaks, trying to figure out if we ought to just decide on a life without kids. But now we were serious about adoption. And we’d flipped our preferences. I now wanted domestic and Tim was thinking international.

Thankfully that didn’t take long to straighten out and we soon had our paperwork put in with Bethany Christian Services and had begun the wait for birth-parents to choose us. We’d gradually tapered off telling anyone about what we were trying because it got too hard to keep telling people that nothing was working. But with adoption paperwork, you have to have references and letters from people – so we’d let our families and friends know what we were up to.

Through a few twists and turns and absolute God appointments, we ended up also submitting paperwork with some private adoption attorneys. And it was through these attorneys that we had the first possible match. We called everyone and asked them to pray…and we weren’t chosen. So we called everyone and told them. And it was just as hard as saying that, no, the latest round of treatment hadn’t worked. So the next time we found out about a possible match we kept things close – telling only our immediate family and asking for prayer. The week between being presented to the birth parents and finding out their decision was long. But one Sunday night, I got an email from the attorneys letting us know that we had been chosen! At this point, I think people heard us rejoicing in the next state over. We called and emailed everyone and asked for continued prayer – because with adoption there’s always the possibility that minds will change and decisions be revoked.

Three months later, we got to email pictures of us with our new son to everyone and thank them for their prayers, rejoicing in God’s provision. We have pictures of us with his birth mother too that we treasure and keep just for him and it’s our prayer that he grow up always knowing what an amazing woman his biological mother is.

About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. Her debut novel, Wisdom to Know, Book 1 of the Grant Us Grace Series, was released in January, 2013. Courage to Change, the second in that series, was released April 8, 2013. Book 3, Serenity to Accept will be released September 9, 2013. She is also the co-author of A is for Airstrip: A Missionary’s Jungle Adventure, a children’s book based on the work of a Wycliffe missionary.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of WashingtonD.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey.

About the book – Serenity to Accept: Is there an exception to every rule?

Karin Reid has never had much use for God. There’s been too much pain in her life for her to accept that God is anything other than, at best, disinterested or, at worst, sadistic. Until she meets Jason Garcia.

After his own mistakes of the past, Jason is committed to dating only Christians. He decides to bend his rule for Karin, as long as she comes to church with him.

As their friendship grows, both will have to decide if they’ll accept the path God has for them, even if it means losing each other.

Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Accept-Elizabeth-Maddrey/dp/1938708237

Come back Sept 13th for Elizabeth’s character interview!