C. Kevin Thompson's Blog, page 8

The Author Behind the Story series - Kathy Collard Miller

As we gear up for summertime, with all of its heat and humidity, vacations and lazier days, we here at ckevinthompson.com want to wish everyone a wonderful beginning to this season of more time with the kiddos, hopefully more outdoor time with the family, and a safe and happy Fourth of July!


However, before we jump to conclusions, literally, I first want to welcome to the Florida front porch another writer about whom you will learn a little. And I hope this series has been helpful to our readers in finding authors they or someone they know may like. Many of these folks you may not hear about through normal channels like the Amazon Top 100 or the New York Times Best Seller List, but they may write something that could resonate with you. So, our hope here at ckevinthompson.com is to help our readers find other writers. 

Also, just so you know, I post additional writers and his or her website on my Facebook Author Page on the first Saturday of each month. Just another way to get the word out about writers I know or have read (or both!).

So, please help me welcome another author in this growing list of great authors. Please welcome Kathy Collard Miller!

Kathy, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Kathy Collard Miller?


I was a child abuser and thought God didn’t want to help me. Now I see God’s hand in every experience through marriage, parenting, grandparenting, writing, and speaking. He’s helped me write over 50 published books and to speak in over 30 U.S. states. I’m amazed at his generosity. 
Wow! You got our attention. :-) Are you married? Single? Have kids? 
I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart, Larry, since 1970. I hated him by the time we’d been married seven years. I even prayed for the plane he was flying to crash. He worked two jobs as a policeman and real estate agent, and also flew planes for a hobby. He was far from being the Prince Charming I expected. At that time our daughter was two and our son was a newborn. Larry didn’t help me, and I became increasingly angry and depressed, blaming everything wrong on him. I took my anger out on our two-year-old toddler and feared I would kill her in one of my rages. That terror caused me to consider suicide. I was a Christian at the time and thought God had given up on me. But He hadn’t. He just had a different plan and method. In time, He gave me patience with our daughter and restored the love in our marriage. That began my ministry of sharing my story and writing about it. Now, our family includes two grandkids, and we all love and value each other—something I thought could never happen. And my beloved husband is my best friend, most supportive encourager, and loves me unconditionally! We are even lay counselors!

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
I love all my books. Of course! And it is hard to choose, but my women’s Bible study series is very special to me because of the way God orchestrated the open door for the publication of those 12 books.
I’d always wanted to write a Bible study book, but felt I wasn’t qualified. I didn’t even finish college, and I’d never served in ministry. How could I know enough to write a Bible study? I did lead a women’s Bible study in my neighborhood, but I used an organization’s studies. I didn’t anticipate ever writing a Bible study.
Then one day I received a rejection letter for a book I’d proposed to a publishing company. But the editor included in the letter that the company was thinking of publishing a women’s Bible study series. They wondered if I would submit several ideas for that—if I was interested. If I was interested? Wow! That was exactly what I’d wanted to do but had been too scared. I quickly wrote out some ideas, they were accepted, and I began writing what ended up being twelve books in my Daughters of the King Bible Study Series. Those books sold really well but after almost twenty years went out of print. Today, I have a new publisher, Elk Lake Publishers, Inc., and I am rewriting and expanding each one. So far four have been published: Choices of the Heart (godly choices), Whispers of My Heart (prayer), At the Heart of Friendship (friendship), and Heart Wisdom (Proverbs). I’m so glad God opened that door and pushed me through it.

When the words aren’t flowing, what is your favorite comfort food and why?
When I’m feeling stuck in uncertainty about my writing, I go for carbs: bread, desserts, and, of course, chocolate. If something isn’t available, I can at least find some pancake mix and have pancakes with syrup or blackberry jelly. Yum. Of course, with a hot cup with English Breakfast tea with honey, sugar, and a little half-and-half. Yum Yum. (Kevin, just thanks a lot. Now I’m going to have to go make some.)
You're welcome. Now, for all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any? 
Right now there’s a nest of doves with two babies on the heater in our patio, and they are our pets. Of course, we’re not petting them, but it’s been so fun calling them our babies. Other than that, we had two cats, Oscar and Cody, when our kids were growing up, but no animals now. My husband, Larry, and I travel too much, often ministering overseas, so we can be gone a month at a time. Plus, our kids live at a distance so we would be leaving animals too much of the time. We do love being grandparents to our friends’ dogs. When our friends are traveling, we welcome our temporarily adopted canine friend into our home. For quite some time we hosted a lovely blonde lab. What a sweetheart. She’s gone to dog heaven now so we miss her.
Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?
One item on my bucket list is to be in a public place and seeing someone reading one of my books. I can picture it now: I get their attention and say, “What do you think about that book? I’ve heard of it.” Then if she likes it, I’ll offer to autograph it. Of course, she’ll say she loves it, right? I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes I’m the author.
Another bucket list item is going to Switzerland. I love to travel, and I’d love to go there. I studied that country all the way back in junior high, and I’ve never forgotten my desire to see it in person. Anybody have a chalet in Switzerland they would loan us for a few days?  I was there when I was thirteen. One of those whirlwind tours. Seven countries in fourteen days. I was just old enough not to appreciate it. I'd love to go back.
Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it is special to you?
I’m so glad you asked that question. I think mine is rather clever. It’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are our only hope.” Of course, from Star Wars. I quote that to myself and others but substitute God: “God, you are our only hope.” Thankfully, CP3O doesn’t have to be involved for God to hear my plea. And thankfully, God doesn’t respond, “I haven’t heard that name for a long time.”
Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?
I was having lunch at a restaurant with a pastor’s wife and director of women’s ministry of a church who were considering me for speaking at their next women’s retreat. As we chatted, I realized a woman who had walked up to our table was standing there, and she wasn’t the waitress. All three of us turned to her, and she looked at me and said, “You’re Kathy Collard Miller aren’t you? I just finished reading your book (and she named it), and I loved it. Thank you for writing it.” I shook her hand and thanked her for saying so. She turned and walked away. I looked at the women across from me and said, “I did not plan that!” They laughed. I really didn’t arrange it, and I did speak at that women’s retreat. I’ll never forget that lunchtime connection with that reader. I still don’t know how she knew me. Maybe the photo on the back of the book?  And that's your story, and you're sticking to it, right? Did you tell the lady. "Here's your five dollars"? Just kidding.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on.
Right now, I’m writing a devotional book potentially entitled “100 Questions God Asked in the Bible and What They Say About His Nature.” Of course there are more than 100 of His questions in the Bible, but I’m going to limit it and also include questions Jesus asked—because He’s God!
This idea came to me as I studied the Bible and noticed the variety of questions God asked. I also noticed the different responses of the person who was being asked. Seeing those fascinated me because it was obvious God wanted to draw something out of the heart of the hearer, and He also wanted to reveal Himself. So each of the devotions will focus on those two aspects. I’m very excited about the project.  Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?
For someone wanting to write a non-fiction book, consider writing an article or several articles about your topic. A published article will be read by more readers than a book. Your impact will be far more. As you write the articles, think of each one as a chapter for your book. Not only will you have more people reading your material, you’ll also be able to show book publishers how the articles made an impact. You might receive letters from readers and that would reveal the topic’s popularity. Plus you are proving to a potential publisher/editor that you can follow up on projects.
Good advice! If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be? 
Although I don’t write fiction, or at least haven’t yet (although I have half a novel written), I would like to spend time with Francine Rivers. I think it would be fascinating to hear how she envisions biblical historical characters and crafts a fabulous plot and character development. Maybe talking to her will help me write and finish my novel, which by the way, is about a cop’s wife whose husband stages his own death so that he can go into the drug culture. Not for undercover work but because he’s greedy for money. Of course, there’s a man, a cop friend of her husband, who becomes the love interest. Together they find out the truth and in the end, she has to shoot her husband who threatens her life. Wow. Now I’m inspired. I’ll have to finish it. Or Kevin? Want to take it over?
Hmmm...sounds interesting. If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?
I want to interview Eve. What in the world, (I guess I should say what in the garden) was she was thinking? What were the emotions and thoughts that went through her mind, and how did the temptation begin to look so wonderfully attractive? Of course we know some things but not everything. And she could also tell me why she didn’t ask for Adam’s help. I also could hear descriptions of the Garden and what it was like to walk personally with God. I’m so glad I have heaven to look forward to, knowing it will be even better than the Garden.
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
Sky dive! I’d always said I’d wanted to do it but most likely thought I would be spared from it because the opportunity would never happen. Then my sister-in-law talked about wanting to sky dive, and I spoke up: “Me too!” So we planned to do it, and my grown son and another friend joined us. We did it! The most amazing part was the total silence right after jumping out the plane. (By the way it was a tandem jump). There is absolutely no noise even though you are falling through the air.But the weirdest part was watching my son jump out of the plane with his tandem partner before me and in front of me. Somehow that was freaky. Although I’ll never sky dive again because I became very sick, I’m glad I did it. But don’t ask me to bungee jump. That’s too scary! LOL
We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life?
I read Finding God by Larry Crabb, and it changed my life. Well, of course, the Lord caused it to change my life. Dr. Crabb’s insights helped me to identify the underlying causes of my ungodly reactions. It was ground breaking for me. I had to read it as assigned reading for a seminar I took in counseling. My husband and I thought we were only attending so that we could give better advice when we spoke at marriage retreats. Instead, not only did we learn counseling, we were given “soul care” ourselves. As a result, we were transformed, and then God sent us people to whom we could counsel. Reading Dr. Crabb’s book prepared us for this unexpected ministry. We’ve given over 1,500 hours of help to many. It’s been an incredible journey, and it started with reading Finding God and also being trained by John and Patti Cepin through their Journey Companions Ministry (www.JourneyCompanionsMinistry.org).
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
I shared earlier how I was an abusive mom and my ministry began because of God’s healing work. My daughter whom I abused was transformed as well. She loves God and serves him in her church. She is a wife, mother of two, and a fiction writer! But what I love most is that we have a fabulous relationship, and she loves me. I had feared she would never love me and never love God. But God did the work I can’t do. I’m so grateful.
Kathy, thank you for stopping by and taking the time out of your busy ministry schedule to share with our readers. Dear readers, if you're interested in finding out more about Kathy's writing, you can find her at these web locations:
www.KathyCollardMiller.comwww.Facebook.com/KathyCollardMillerAuthorwww.Twitter.com/KathyCMillerInstagram: KathyCollardMillerAmazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kathy-Collard-Miller/e/B001KMI10S?

Until next time, May God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God.
Kevin




And don't forget to check out Kevin's writings! The latest installment of the Blake Meyer Thriller series is out! Book 4, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen.

For Whom You Write (A Seriously Write Blog)

I tried my hand at some poetry this go around. Maybe I'm a poet and don't know it, or maybe not, but it was fun, nevertheless. Hope you enjoy it. 

Kevin


___________________________ 




There have been people in the hills,
in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they say,
talking and thinking about
what they should write.

How they should write,
when they should write,
where they should write,
were the topics of delight.

But the day has now come,
the day is now here,
when they must go home,
and face their fears.
To the hustle and hurry,
the obstacles and worry,
the joys and the strife,
of what we call “life.”

But understand fully, My introverted friend,
this group is not unique.
There have been many before them.
There will be many who come after.
Experiencing the enchantment.
Experiencing the exhaustion.
Experiencing the camaraderie.
Of like-minded folk
who fantasize similar dreams.



For the rest of the poem, click HERE!

A Chat with...well, Me! (A Christian Authors Network Blog Post)

Greetings from Marti Pieper! It’s May, and that means we’re already having temperatures in the 80s where I live in Mount Dora, Florida. My friend and fellow author C. Kevin Thompson knows that, because he’s basically my neighbor and fellow Lake County resident. Kevin is also an ordained minister whose background no doubt assists him in his present position as an assistant high school principal. As you may know, Kevin has posted many of our author interviews, but this time, we get to turn the questions around and point them at him instead.Welcome back to the CAN blog, Kevin! Tell us about your book, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen (a Blake Meyer Thriller – Book 4). C. Kevin ThompsonAt this stage of the story, Blake laments his past, how it is infiltrating his present, and how the future may irreparably harm his family. He has a lead on his family’s whereabouts, but they are still captives. Pawns in a deadly game of vengeance. And the plan to release the contagion that threatens to infect America with its own version of the Black Death is being modified by those responsible, making it harder to defend.Thriller indeed! What inspired you to write this book?The title, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen, is a modified title taken from a line in the novel From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. In Hardy’s work, to signify a crazy time that made little sense, the clocks were striking thirteen (I know this phrase is also used in the opening line of George Orwell’s classic 1984, but Hardy’s work came out about 90 years earlier, if memory serves).

To see the rest of the story, click HERE!

The Author Behind the Story Series - Julie B. Cosgrove

It's that time of year when Moms and Dads all over the United States prepare to usher their children into the real world. No, we're not talking about the birthing process. We're talking about high school graduation. Some will go off to college. Some will get a J-O-B. Regardless of your situation, we wish all the graduates congratulations for staying the course all thirteen years and reaching this milestone. One day, like us older people, you'll look back on those days and say to yourself, "Man, am I glad those days are over! Wouldn't want to be eighteen years old again for any amount of money." Trust me. One day, you'll understand.


Maybe some of those graduates will become writers...which brings me to our next guest on the Author Behind the Story series, Julie B. Cosgrove!

Welcome, Julie! Have a seat on the Florida front porch, where it is currently raining. But just give it five minutes, and the sun will be shining, the roads will be steaming, and the humidity will be as comfortable as a sauna. 

In fifty words or less, tell our readers this: Who is Julie B. Cosgrove?

I am the third daughter of the third daughter (Mom) of the third daughter (grandmother) of the third daughter (great-grandmother). And yes, I broke tradition and had one son. That, of course, was before I had fifteen faith-based novels published and became a digital missionary.
But you could have worked at having a third daughter, right? Just kidding. Probably not the best reason to have children. (This is where Tevye steps in and says, "Tradition!")

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?
After getting my degree in Humanities and Religion and studying in seminary, I became a medical office manager for three decades, then turned freelance writer, then digital missionary for CRU as well as an award-winning author. Frankly, I wanted to be a ballet dancer, religion professor, or interior designer, but none of those were God’s plan. Now I dance inside when a plot comes together, I profess my Lord in all of my main characters’ lives, and He has been redesigning my interior since my teens. I hope my writings help others get redesigned as well.
I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite. 
Favorite Song of All-Time: Shout to the Lord because it came out right before Katrina hit, and I was in that horrid time. It gave me hope.Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado, because I relate to his style of writing, and he says profound things I know are Spirit-driven.Favorite Bible Verse: Matthew 6:25Favorite Movie: The List of Adrian Messenger – a quintessential British murder mystery with an amazing surprise ending.Favorite Actor or Actress: Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery (after 007 years) because they were both so very versatile in their acting.Favorite TV Show: Midsomer Murders, because it is set in England, a mystery and at times humorous, though a few are a bit racy.Favorite Novel (other than your own):  The Ivy Tree, because it hooked me on suspense mysteries and to British novelist Mary Stewart…the next answer.Favorite Author (other than you): Mary Stewart (deceased), Mary Daheim because of her humorous cozy mysteries.Favorite Sport: Swimming. I am a river rat, was with a synchronized swimming team and taught it as my high school job. Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): I really don’t have one, sorry. (What? No futbol teams? Cricket?)Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: English because I love words, their meanings and wordsmithing.Favorite Subject Now: Does reading count? (It does these days. It usually has the word "Intensive" in front of it.)Favorite Teacher in School:  My college professor Dr. Garcia, a Cuban refugee who was fluent in seven languages and yet had an amazing sense of humor and great laugh.Favorite Time of the Year: Spring, in Texas because the weather is mild, and the wildflowers blanket the meadows.Favorite Place to Vacation: What’s a vacation?Favorite Drink: Vanilla Chai Tea for the taste and aroma.Favorite Food: Tacos…I am from Texas. 
For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any? 
I’ve always been a cat person. I got my first one at the age of three, and throughout my life, except for when I was in the dorm in college, I have always had at least one. Until recently, I was the servant of two old house cats, one 19 and one 10, who were my joy in my widowhood the past eight years. But I’ve lost them both in the past six months. Now, I only take care of me, and to be honest, it is rather nice. I may get a Guinea pig, though, since I live in a small apartment. I love their chortle and whistle.
What makes you cringe?
Hearing someone say a snarky or cutting remark to another person.

Uh-oh. Maybe I should go back a delete a few things... :-/

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
Freed to Forgive is by far my favorite because my publisher asked me to write the biography of a minor character in one of my other novels. She is a trafficked teenage immigrant who learns that her anger shackles her far more than her captors ever did. Hers is a story of triumph, one I wish more traffic victims experienced.  I researched the topic heavily and Marisol tugged at my heart strings. She still does, four years later, which is why I am asked to speak on the topic to civic and church groups even now.
I love cozies, though and enjoy writing them. The Bunco Biddies Mysteries were my first series about senior sleuths in a 55-plus community. Now I have switched to thirty-something genealogy buff ladies in the Relatively Seeking Mysteries, who are close friends yet each very different in personality and background.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 
I just finished the third in the Relatively Seeking mysteries and turned it in to my publisher for editing. It’s called Leaf Me Alone and will release in February 2020. She is interested in me continuing the series, but after fifteen novels, I’m taking a break. 

Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?
Take several years to learn the craft through critique groups, writing conferences and how-to-books, then once it is written, EDIT, EDIT, EDIT! Pay for a seasoned editor. It is well worth the money. Too many indie-pubbed books out there are rough drafts, and poorly written with tons of typos. It hurts all of us, and it will hurt you as well.
Has your writing crossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?
I am also a devotional writer and have steadily written for several publications for over nine years as well as being a writer/editor for CRU’s digital ministry, The Life Project. My own devotional blog, Where Did You Find God Today?, has readers in over fifty countries.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be?
I’ll have to wait until I get to Heaven, but my maternal grandmother. I never really knew her. She died when I was 2, but everyone who knew her says I resemble her.
If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?
The Prophet Amos. He had audacity to speak out, and listened to God’s instructions far more than I do.

Why do you live where you live? 
I live in Fort Worth because this was the last place we moved before my husband died, and I was tired of moving every few years for his job. I wanted roots. I am a native Texan, and so I relate to the folks here.

We lived in the Fort Worth area for six months back in 1993. In the Watauga/Haltom City area. We loved it there.

If you had life to do all over again, would there be any changes? If so, what would they be?
That is a dangerous question, because I truly believe, and have witnessed the truth of Romans 8:28. God uses our messes to grow us and does work things for the good. My knee-jerk reaction would be not to marry the man I did because it was not a good marriage, especially the last twelve of the 35 years together before he passed. But during that time, God molded me, and my faith strengthened tremendously. I think it helped me to become a writer as well.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
All my novels are written to not only entertain but to educate. My characters are real with real issues and problems, and each book covers a social issue, or two, that I want people to become aware of because until we are, how can we be Christ’s hands and feet in our world?
Oh, and by the way, today is Launch Day for Fallen Leaf, the second in the Relatively Seeking Mysteries. To celebrate, my publisher has priced the e-book on Amazon at 99 CENTS TODAY ONLY!! It will then be $1.99 through May 10th.

Congratulations, Julie! New releases are so wonderful! It's like a huge blessing and a huge relief all at the same time.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be a part of our ABTS series! May God bless your writing ministry.

Readers, if you wish to find out more about Julie, you can stop these locations in the web!

Visit her blog: Where Did You Find God Today?  http://wheredidyoufindgodtoday.comWebsite:  www.juliebcosgrove.com
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/juliebcosgrove/
Amazon: Julie B Cosgrove
Twitter @JulieBCosgrove
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliebcosgrove


Until next time, May God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God!

Kevin



Just a reminder, Kevin's new book, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen (A Blake Meyer Thriller - Book 4) is now available! Are you caught up with Agent Meyer?

Kevin is a Guest on Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog: A Christian Writer's World: Characters Who Grip Your Heart

Today, Kevin is a guest on Lena Nelson Dooley's blog, A Christian Writer's World: Characters Who Grip Your Heart! They did interviews on the first three books of the Blake Meyer Thriller Series. last year, and you can find them in the Blog Archive section in the right sidebar, located in April and May of 2018.

Now, we celebrate the release of Book 4, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen! So, grab a glass of whatever you prefer, have a seat in your favorite chair, and enjoy the perspective of Kevin's little Christian writer's world.


Welcome back, Kevin. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?When I write fiction, I like to have an overarching theme (sometimes two) that covers the story from cover to cover. For The Serpent’s Grasp, it was the question of “What is Truth?” I looked at this from a scientific perspective as it relates to creationism versus evolution. One of the main characters, Dr. Evelyn Sims, wrestles with this dilemma as a Christian in the world of science, dominated by evolutionary theory, throughout the book.
For my Blake Meyer Thriller Series, it’s the question of “What is True Peace?” Blake has spent his life “protecting and serving” his country in various ways to make sure all Americans can live in peace. However, as his personal world gets turned on its head, he starts to see how peace can never be had through guns and laws and wars and alliances. He’s got to look somewhere else to find true peace, and his friend, Harrison Kelly, will help him in the end “get his God thing” going.
In my upcoming standalone novel, The Letters, it deals with the topic of abortion, but it’s more about how interwoven the physical and spiritual worlds are around us…much more than we tend to think or believe, even as Christians.


To see the remainder of the interview, click HERE!

The Legacy of Writing (A Seriously Write Blog)

Robin Patchen beat me to it. I was going to write a post that would have been eerily similar to hers, so I’ll refrain from stirring those roiling waters of writing for yourself versus writing for your readers again. (You can read her post here…after you’re finished with mine, of course!)

One part I was going to include in my post on that subject was how your writing will, whether you like it or not, become your legacy. What do I mean by that?

One evening, we visited my oldest daughter and her family. As soon as we walked in, my nine-year old grandson informed me that he had pestered my daughter incessantly until she finally caved in and allowed him to utilize her computer (keep in mind she was in nursing school at this time, and deadlines were approaching). He wanted her laptop so he could “write a book.”



You can read the remainder of the article HERE!

Interview for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I recently was invited along with seven other authors to answer some questions for an upcoming article that will appear in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine . The article, geared for teens, tackles the
Me wearing my granddaughter's
sunglasses
at a Bar-b-q restaurantage-old question, "So, you want to be a Writer?" Once the article appears, I will post the link below. In the meantime, I thought it would be good for you, my readers, and the teen readers of this article to see my full responses to the questions asked.


When did you know you wanted to be a writer?It really kind of grew into a passion. There really wasn’t one “Aha!” moment. No shooting star, skywriting finger of God, message in a bottle, nothing like that. I just started getting ideas, and the urge to get them down on paper would not relinquish.
What is your educational background? I have a B.A. from Houghton College (Houghton, NY) in Bible, with a minor in theology. I have an M.A. in Christian Studies from Wesley Biblical Seminary (Jackson, MS), and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from National-Louis University (Wheeling, IL). I also have taken several courses from the School of Hard Knocks. J
How long did you write before you considered yourself professional?I still feel that’s an ongoing pursuit. My friends and fellow writers probably see me as a professional, now with five books published, three more on the way and contracted, and a literary agent. However, there is always room to grow, learn, and gain perspective on your own writing, for you’re never quite as good as you think you are.  
What were some of the milestones on the way?I currently have Book 4 of my Blake Meyer Thriller Series available in pre-order! It releases April 25. I also have the last two books of the series and another standalone novel contracted. All three will be out between Dec. 2019 and the fall of 2020. I have also submitted the first two novels I wrote (The Serpent’s Grasp & 30 Days Hath Revenge) to contests, because I wanted to see how my writing measured up. The Serpent’s Grasp was my debut novel, and it won the 2013 Selah Award at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for First Fiction. My second novel (30 Days) was a Silver Medalist in the 2013 Reader’s Favorite competition in the Christian Fiction category. So, with that success, I’m planning on submitting my standalone novel, The Letters, to any and every Christian contest out there when it comes out in January 2020.
What is the most rewarding? Most rewarding? To see my grandchildren take an interest in reading and writing because “Papa T” is an author. That’s better than any review I could receive, although good reviews are like the dessert!
What advice do you have for a high school student who is considering a career in writing?   Pay very close attention in English class. As an assistant principal in a high school, I know what I’m talking about. The writer’s tools are words. His nailing, her sawing becomes the sentence. The sentences are pieced together to make a structure we call story. However, the story is the blueprint, from which all the other parts are derived. So, listen to your English teachers. Learn the language. Subjects. Verbs. Strong verbs. Weak verbs. Direct and indirect objects. All those things that cause your classmates’ eyes to glaze over are the diamonds, the pearls, for a budding writer. Then, pay attention in your other classes, too, for you never know what bit of information from a science class or a history lesson may spark something in your imagination that causes a story to emerge.
Please give a brief statement of the kind of writing you do and who you write for.  I write suspense thrillers. The Serpent’s Grasp is a Jurassic Park meets Jaws kind of book. The Blake Meyer Series is for those who love the TV show 24 with Jack Bauer. Yet, my upcoming book, The Letters, is set at Christmas, and has been called “A Christmas Carol-esque” by some readers with a strong, redemptive message. As for who I write for, I write for everybody. But mostly, I write for me. It’s what I love to do. Some people like gardening. Others like fishing. I like writing. 


Until next time!Kevin

Author Behind the Story - Sandra Glahn

I was recently in a classroom wherein the teacher asked the students, who were all standing in a circle (participating in what is called a Restorative Practice circle), to describe their spring break in three words or less. Since I was in the room, I thought it would be fun, so I participated at the teacher's request.

Several answers were similar and could be summed up with these three responses: "Boring." "Went to Beach." "Stayed at home." When it got to me, my answer was, "Busy. Busy. Busy." We had just helped our middle daughter's family move three hours away in preparation for a new job (ministry) adventure. This coupled with writing, family life, yard work, and that thing called sleep, there was little time to to do anything else but be busy...on of all things, a break.

Enter our next guest. I'm sure she knows all about being busy with life's requests, demands, and everyday requirements. So, pull up a chair, have a sit, and let us welcome to the Florida front porch professor and author, Dr. Sandra Glahn!

Hi, Sandra! Give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Sandra Glahn?

I’m a seminary professor, author, journalist, Hufflepuff, Enneagram 9 who loves to advocate for thinking that transforms, especially as it relates to art, literature, gender, and first-century backgrounds/history.

I have to admit, I had to look up the Enneagram 9 thing. I had never heard of it. Now that I know what it is, I'm an Enneagram 45 (that's all of them added together, because I can identify with at least one of those descriptions in each of the nine categories. Probably not how it really works, but I've learned I don't always operate as designed, either.)  
Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life? 
When I was in the sixth grade, my teacher believed I could write. So she gave me a personalized assignment: I had to write her a new story daily. She never made corrections, but rather exclaimed about how brilliant I was. Third grade came as a shock when I had a teacher who corrected me. But by then it was too late—I had the writing bug.
Still I had missed something essential. When I was in sixth grade, my family moved from Keizer, Oregon, to an urban setting two miles outside of Washington, D.C.  I loved that I finally had friends to hang out with in the neighborhood. So I set out to gather the kids on my block to present a play I was going to write. And I got enthusiastic response. So I sat down at my parents’ typewriter, whipped the paper in… and stared at the page. In that moment I realized words would not simply form a plot by themselves. A story had to have characters, setting, and action that led somewhere. I had never noticed someone had to create all those elements—and in drama, they had to happen without the background info a story can provide. I went to the library and found a play we could use so I wouldn’t have to produce one overnight. And I started paying attention to “story” and how it worked.
What educational background do you have? 
I started high school in Arlington, Virginia. But in April of my junior year, my mountain-climber dad took early retirement from the government so he could return to the Pacific Northwest. I wore my cap and gown in Albany, Oregon. But ASAP I headed back to the DC area to college and my boyfriend. After we married and finished our bachelor’s degrees, we moved to Dallas so my guy could attend grad school. And I got hired by a big financial-services corporation and assigned to a boss who believed I could write—even though I had no formal training. He sent me to get some training on the company dime. And I became publications editor for an in-house magazine and started freelancing on the side. 
When the company sold, I opened a writing business and started taking writing classes at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS)—which has an arts and culture program. I had no intention of getting a degree. But if you “enroll and pass” enough times at a grad school, turns out you’ve earned a degree. So I got a master’s in theology with an emphasis in Media Arts and Ministry. And I began teaching writers there on the side, thanks to my portfolio.
Then I started my PhD at the University of Texas at Dallas in the Arts and Humanities—Aesthetic Studies. An Aesthetic Studies degree requires a three-part emphasis—art, philosophy, and history. For history I chose Ephesus from BC 100 to AD 100; for art I chose literature/the novel (by then I was publishing medical suspense); and for philosophy I chose the history of ideas about gender. Today I’m interim chair of the department at DTS where I started taking classes, working to help students integrate the arts/culture and theology.
I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.
Favorite Song of All-Time: The Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music.” Greatness. Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Gospel Women is an academic book that looks at the named women in the Gospels. Seeing how badly we, especially in the West, have misunderstood some of them influenced my decision to serve as general editor of Vindicating the Vixens.Favorite Bible Verse: I love Lamentations 3:22–23 at its most poetic in the English language—rendered in the King James Version (KJV): “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Plus the hymn that puts these lines to music.Favorite Movie: Three Days of the Condor, Robert Redford version; I love mystery + espionage. There’s no actor who can pull off subtlety like Redford. Favorite Actor or Actress: I’m partial to Harrison Ford. Star Wars is the gold standard.Favorite TV Show: My current favorite is Madame Secretary. I love learning government and civics via story vs. listening to lectures. And I appreciate that the show has a character who quotes Aquinas like it’s no big deal.    Favorite Novel (other than your own): I adore The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. I once read the Amazon reviews—there were hundreds of them—and many reviewers claimed the book had moved them from atheism to belief in God.    Favorite Author (other than you): Eugene Peterson, best known for translating “The Message,” has, methinks, the best pastoral helps in the world. Like…his book on Jonah, Under the Unpredictable Plant, is witty and wise. His stuff on subversive spirituality…so much great content. Favorite Sport: I live in Dallas. Duh. Football.   Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level):  I’ve been a Cowboys fan since long before I moved to Texas. So I come by my fandom honestly.    Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: Whatever had the best teacher. Seventh grade, English. Eighth grade, Science. Ninth grade, Yearbook. Seeing a pattern here? Nope? Yeah, it was the teacher, not the subject.  Favorite Subject Now: Give me history—those reclaiming women, especially. Even an academic book like Gender and Jim Crow. History and English are the best preps possible for a writer—the learning of the rules and the introduction to endless stories. Favorite Teacher in School: My second-grade teacher at Keizer Elementary, Miss Fikan (later Mrs. McLaughlin), believed I could write. I wish I could find her to tell her how she inspired me.Favorite Time of the Year: I love Thanksgiving with sweaters after the long Texas sweat-fests called July and August. No pretense or obligation to give in that holiday—just show up with great food to eat more great food and enjoy people you love. (We lived in the Fort Worth area for six months. Everybody said it was a dry heat. They lied.)Favorite Place to Vacation: Grand Teton National Park is the most beautiful place on earth. Dornan’s for breakfast outside looking up at the range; hiking around Jenny Lake; dogsledding in the winter; powder-blue birds; elk drinking water while steam rises around their ankles.Favorite Drink: Tall soy mocha, no whip. Favorite Food:  I adore dark chocolate. But there is also this carbonara served by a restaurant in Orvieto, Italy, that makes me swoon.  
Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it is special to you?
I love the part in The Velveteen Rabbit about becoming real. And the “grace” scene in Les Mis when the old man hands over the candlesticks to the thief. But even more than these, I love the scene in A Wrinkle in Time where Meg realizes that perfect love casts out fear. I remember where I was standing as a sixth grader when I read that, because the truth of it hit me with so much force. It was several years before I realized L’Engle was weaving in a line from Scripture. The Tale of Two Cities had the same effect on me when one man laid down his life for another.     Don't you love it when literature takes Biblical truth and weaves it into the story, bringing it alive? Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?
I love to sing. And I love to teach—but not in the conventional lecture format. Immersive learning. One course I created for DTS is “Medieval Art and Spirituality,” held biennially in Italy. We stay in monasteries, learn to read visual encyclopedias (i.e., cathedrals), and have long, deep conversations with scholars surrounded by local wines and pasta. The whole world is our classroom as we explore Aquinas and Dante and Catherine and mosaics and Roman ruins.
On the even years, I take students to the UK to explore “British Authors, Biblical Themes.” Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Donne, Herbert, Lewis, Tolkien, Chesterton… I can hardly wait to teach these courses every year, because I love seeing my students’ eyes light up learning the content in embodied ways. For my Creative Writing course, I deliver a workshop in live time across the world—so now students don’t have to move to Dallas, but we still get that great in-the-moment, face-to-face feedback. I seem to have an inner GPS that helps me find the intersection of what people need to know and how they can best learn it. Also, I am good at discerning the difference between lousy and great chocolate. And I have a talent for finding good coffee shops.   
Hmm...I need one of those kind of jobs...
Tell us about what project you are currently working on.
I co-teach a seminary course on sexual ethics that looks at gender issues (e.g., male/female norms and stereotypes, LGBT issues, trans-sexuality), porn, and all sorts of other challenges related to life in the body that ministry leaders need to better understand. I’m working as a general editor on that compilation, with each chapter written by someone whose expertise lies in the subject of the chapter or in Biblical Studies relating to the topic. So I’m more curator than writer—though some writers do need more help with prose than others. The book has the super exciting title, Sexual Ethics.
Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?
I start the day with a cup of coffee, and I try to complete a few pages in a published Bible study—rather than a devotional. I like the straight-up text, not a commentary about the text. In addition to deepening my faith walk, Bible reading affects the syntax and meter of my prose. Often after reading, I head for the gym, where I listen to Audible books while sweating. I listen to a wide range from The Nightingale to Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility to a Great Courses option on the Middle Ages. All of this I consider part of the writing process.
Mid-mornings is my peak butt-in-chair time. And I’m terrible at writing in snatches. I need blocks of uninterrupted time with no technology except my laptop—often offline. Not easy to pull off. I answer endless e-mails; these force me to write but suck the soul out of me. Though sometimes I copy what I’ve written to someone in an e-mail and use it in other prose. After dinner, I get back to the laptop to create.
That’s daily. But weekly, I work hard always to have one day off from doing any work—including writing. The day is generally Saturday evening to Sunday evening. That Sabbath for down time in my life is key to both my sanity and my writing creativity. A friend once observed that the thing that makes lace beautiful is the holes; and like lace, I have to have holes in my life, or my life and what I produce lack beauty.
Has your writing crossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?
I’m probably my agent’s nightmare, because I don’t stick with one genre (though he never complains). But my writing students love that I can connect them with publishers and editors I’ve worked with producing Bible studies, academic works, trade books, corporate publications, magazines, and websites. From my start with a corporate publication, I branched out to freelance non-fiction. From there I added books. I wrote a couple on infertility and pregnancy loss (When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden [Kregel] and The Infertility Companion [Zondervan]); and one for married couples—Sexual Intimacy in Marriage (Kregel), due out soon in its fourth edition. One of my coauthored novels, Lethal Harvest, garnered a Christy nomination. And my most recent novel was Informed Consent (Cook).
I especially love the non-fiction compilation I mentioned, Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible (Kregel Academic). Profits on that benefit the International Justice Mission. The book was released last year in the height of #MeToo and #ChurchToo, even though I’ve been working on it for ten years and had nothing to do with the timing. It was thrilling to see God use the work of sixteen scholars to help readers revisit the stories of a select group of women whose old, old stories we need to see through less prejudiced eyes. And in the middle of all these projects, I’ve written the Coffee Cup Bible Study series, which has eleven titles. The most recent is Earl Grey with Ephesians. I love variety more than I love one genre. Can you tell?
If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?
In terms of my writing and academic life, time with the apostle Paul would certainly help solve some mysteries in his writing! But in terms of simply hanging out, I’d go for the woman at the well in Samaria. In the post-Reformation West, we picture her as this young, flirtatious thang. But prior to the Reformation, she had a reputation as a solid widow. She even has a name and a post-script to her story in the Eastern Orthodox tradition: the martyr Photina (Svetlana).
Every Easter preachers remind people that women in Palestine were not a happening thing in courts of law. Yet when we teach John 4 about this woman, suddenly we say she dragged five men into divorce court before shacking up with #6. Since the number-one cause of death for men at the time was war, it’s much more likely this woman had her heart broken multiple times by men killed in action before she had to share a husband as a concubine in order to eat.
Jesus is so subtle about his identity, refusing to answer John the Baptist directly when he sends his people to ask if Jesus is the actual Messiah. The Lord keeps deflecting or telling people not to tell everybody when he heals them—the crowds are big enough to impede him as it is. But to this woman who is holding out hope that when Messiah comes, he will explain everything, Jesus comes right out and says it: Ego eimi. That’s Koine Greek for I AM (John 4:26), the very name of God (Exodus 3:4). With her, Jesus is willing to risk his disciples wondering why he would bother talking to a woman (v. 27). So I’d love to talk to her myself—or rather, listen to her tell her story.
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
I backpacked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back when I had not worked out to prepare. I was 27 years old and considered my body indestructible. My dad and father-in-law, both of whom were over 65 years, handled that trek better than I did. Oh, the arrogance! It was so dumb. Months went by before I could go down stairs without pain in my knees. 
Why do you live where you live?
I’m a fifth-generation Oregonian living in Dallas, Texas. What is up with that? Do I get beauty withdrawal symptoms? Absolutely. I’ve lived in “Big D” for more than thirty years, and sometimes I still experience culture shock in this gun-totin’, gas guzzlin’, chaw-chewin’ place. When I recycle, sometimes people look at me cross-eyed. And when people insist, “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” I mutter “except mountains and rivers.” But we love our jobs and the people with whom we’ve established decades of friendship here. And our daughter is Texas-born and -bred. So we hoard frequent-flier miles like squirrels with nuts and travel as much as possible.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover? 
I love to write. And I’ve found when it comes to biblical content that writing helps me clarify what I believe. Someone once asked Madeleine L’Engle if her faith influences her writing, and she said it’s the other way around—her writing influences her faith. The same is true for me. If my prose lacks clarity, it’s usually because I myself have some fuzziness in my thinking, so I have to go back and figure out what I actually believe.
I love the flexible hours and spaces of writing. If I wake up at 3 am with an idea, I can write. If I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Italy, I can do my work. I can write in my jammies. I can work from a hospital bed. I can do work I love virtually anywhere in the world—once on a boat in the expanse of ocean between the Galapagos Islands, where my father-in-law wanted to take a bucket-list trip. I could write when I stayed home with a young child, and God willing, I’ll still write when I’m old and frail.
I love this quote: "If my prose lacks clarity, it’s usually because I myself have some fuzziness in my thinking, so I have to go back and figure out what I actually believe." I'm in that very boat right now as I contemplate writing a non-fiction work on The Sermon on the Mount. 
Sandra, it's been a pleasure! And I'm sure our readers will wish to look up your writing ministry online, so where can they find you?
They can find me here:
Website: www.aspire2.comLatest Book, Vindicating the VixensTwitter: @SandraGlahnFB: https://www.facebook.com/aspire2/


Thank you, readers, for stopping by today! Feel free to share this interview (and any of the others on this blog site) with family and friends. Who knows, you may "turn them on" to a new author they may have not known existed otherwise. :-)

Until next time, 

Kevin
www.ckevinthompson.com/


(And don't miss Kevin's new release, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen (A Blake Meyer Thriller - Book 4! It's out in pre-order now...Release Date is April 25th!)

May This Blog Haunt You Pleasantly - Part 3 ( A Seriously Write Blog)

We’ve arrived. Part 3 completes this blog trilogy revolving around my reading of Les Standiford’s The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits (You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here). As I stated before, if you want to learn about the writing life and how other writers who have gone on before us have endured the trials and tribulations therein, reading about them is just as important as reading about the craft itself. For one thing I found when learning about Dickens’s life was how universal some things are. It truly is a small world.


To read the rest of the article, clock HERE! And don;t forget to come back and check out other articles, author interviews, podcasts, and more!

Mat This Blog Haunt You Pleasantly - Part 3 ( A Seriously Write Blog)

We’ve arrived. Part 3 completes this blog trilogy revolving around my reading of Les Standiford’s The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits (You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here). As I stated before, if you want to learn about the writing life and how other writers who have gone on before us have endured the trials and tribulations therein, reading about them is just as important as reading about the craft itself. For one thing I found when learning about Dickens’s life was how universal some things are. It truly is a small world.


To read the rest of the article, clock HERE! And don;t forget to come back and check out other articles, author interviews, podcasts, and more!