Carousel of Questions

Rejection is never easy. It's debilitating. It's a doorway for doubt and insecurity to creep in, and when they do, they haunt you with questions. These questions hit you below the belt, forcing you on your knees. While you're down, they circle you, mocking you until your confidence is broken.  

Sure it sucks, but it was in the grasp of rejection that my manuscript found its title: Carousel of Questions.

When a publisher rejected my manuscript, doubt and insecurity came rushing in. The manuscript I was so proud of quickly became garbage. It wasn't good enough, so I wasn't good enough. Before I knew it, I was caught in a dizzying carousel ride of questions. I was spinning faster and faster. There was no end in sight. And then it hit me: this is what Francis is dealing with!

Recently, Francis Maggiano has felt disconnected from his family and his Church community. He's done everything he's supposed to do. He stayed out of trouble, made good grades, and remained active in his youth group. However, he continues to feel isolated and different than everyone else. It's now the second semester of his senior year. Instead of walking down the halls of Dreux Creek High School with confidence, he is lost in the crowd wondering who he is, where he'll go to college, and what he'll do for the rest of his life.  

When a new youth minister starts working at Our Lady of the Creek, Francis does what he can to survive until graduation, even if that means being one of two seniors in his youth group. Francis doesn't complain though. Elizabeth, at first, isn't too bad, and the other senior, Adam Jackson, is the captain of the swim team, is in all AP classes, and has confidence Francis can only dream of. The carousel of questions gets faster when Adam asks Francis to Adoration. Can Adam help Francis answer the questions of life? 

Have a great weekend!

JG