Author Jill Eileen Smith is best known for her Wives of King David series. However, after reading Sarai, the first in her new series Wives of the Patriarchs, one has to wonder if her true notoriety as an author has just been discovered. Sarai is rich in biblical history as well as character development, but Smith’s fans have learned to expect that from her novels. What they might not anticipate is that her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and more predictably, that she enjoys learning about how women lived in Old Testament times. She freely speaks of the experience in writing the Wives of King David series, while peppering our interview with personal tid bits (her favorite place to write) and what intrigued her the most about Sarai. 

MN-Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.

JES-I’m wife to Randy (best husband ever!), mom to three wonderful adult sons, servant to two sweet but sometimes demanding kitties...aspiring Bible scholar, amateur historian, musician, and above all- a disciple of Jesus Christ. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading for pleasure, bike rides to the park, and getting coffee with friends.

My writing journey began in my teens with some sappy poetry, which didn’t go very far. In my early adulthood, I set writing aside and tried my hand at every handicraft that interested me, but nothing ignited my passion. A Bible study on King David led to the desire to read a novel on his life. When I couldn’t find one that satisfied, I sat down to write the book I wanted to read. My artistic passion was born. Twenty years of learning the craft and many trials later, The Wives of King David saw print.

MN-You just released a new book.

JES-Sarai, book one in the Wives of the Patriarchs series is the story of Sarah and Abraham.  Here’s the back-cover copy:

He promised her his heart. She promised him a son. But how long must they wait?

When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing—that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even Sarai’s father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return—to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.

But as the years stretch on and Sarai’s womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram’s patience last?

MN-Did you have any experiences that prompted your love of biblical fiction?

JES-When I was in my teens, I read Two From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes. It was a love story of Joseph and Mary, which brought the biblical story to life for me. I closed that book and thought, “These people were real!” The Bible became a living, breathing book to me and its characters people I wanted to get to know.

MN-Describe for us your writing process. How long does it take you to write a novel?

JES-I start with research into the biblical account of the story. Then I pour over books on culture, geography, history, and the life and times of each era. I study maps and calculate ages and distances traveled. One little word in the biblical account can lead to a day of research. I’ve studied everything from the history of silk to how long sheep carry their young. As I write, the need to describe things can make me ask questions like, “How do you climb a date palm tree?” Since I don’t have one in my backyard, YouTube videos are the next best thing!

Commentaries can be helpful and frustrating because they will focus on the basic points of a verse and not comment on that one little word that suggests something I need to know! Research takes at least a month or more, and I continue to research throughout the months of writing.

Research also includes making an idea board with pictures of my characters, writing character sketches, and paragraph summarizing of the story. The book goes through at least three or four rewrites, is read by one or two critique partners, and is read aloud by me to listen for rhythm before I finally turn it into my editor.

It is very important to me that I get the biblical part of the story as close to the Scriptures as possible, so I take care to not rush into an opinion on how things might have been without study and prayer.

MN-Where is your favorite place to write? Do you have a designated office space?

JES-I love my laptop and a Lazy-Boy recliner, which is where I do most of my writing. I have a desk that is ergonomically better than the recliner, but I don’t use it as often. My office is a converted wet bar off our family room.

MN-Can you share some of the fictional qualities you chose to give Sarai and why you chose to portray her this way?

JES-I see Sarai as a woman whose desire for a child overshadows her faith. While Sarai does believe in Abram’s God, she has not met Him face to face. Her servant Hagar has that privilege years before it comes to Sarai, who has not personally heard His voice nor the promises that He has given to Abram. While she is normally a strong woman, in this one thing that she cannot control, she wavers.

This lack of trust in the promise that God will indeed give Abram a son and heir, leads her to do some things she would not normally do if she weren’t so tempted and so desperate. In more than one instance her lack of trust leaves her with deep regrets.

While I cannot know whether Sarai did some of the things I portrayed her as doing, I did so to show the greater grace of God. Sarah, like each one of us, was born in sin and needed forgiveness and redemption. I attempted to think as she might have thought in the culture of her day, faced with the idolatrous practices of those around her. Not everyone in Abram’s camp believed as Abram did. As is true for us today, each one of us must choose. Sarai was no different.

MN- Do you have a life verse or a mission statement that guides your writing? If so, will you share it with us?

JES-“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.” Psalm 115:1 NKJV

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another ...” Isaiah 42:8a ESV

MN-What’s coming next? Can you give us a little preview?

JES-Rebekah, book two in the Wives of the Patriarchs will release next year. This book could end up being one of my favorites, but it was by far the hardest book I’ve ever written. In the end, I saw Isaac and Rebekah in a whole new light. I can’t wait to share the discovery with readers!

Learn more about author Jill Eileen Smith by visiting her website or connecting with her on Face Book.

By all definitions of the word, Stephen Van Zant is a successful man. He is the fourteenth in his family to become an attorney, co-owns a 60,000-square-foot sports facility with his wife, Kelli, and is the father to four children. Many would ask what possessed an industrious businessman to pen a young adult novel; one based on the human aspects of divorce and acquiring too much responsibility too soon. “I hope readers will gain added insight about how divorce requires resolution and healing of deep issues.” 

But Van Zant doesn’t stop at merely dealing with familial issues. He approaches an even broader social element when he confronts the question “What if the way that prejudiced adults responded to school integration ended up putting young teens in danger?” 

He strongly believes that slavery has been this country’s national sin and doesn’t shy away from introducing the reader to his uncomfortable but probably theory.“Even though we have made huge strides to remedy the mistake, success comes in small increments.” If images of a John Grisham novel written for the coming-of-age generation fill your imagination, you would be pretty close to accurate. 

The prospect of leading the teen generation to contemplate core central truths makes this interviewer ask, does he write from personal experience or from the perspective of parental understanding? With a degree in English, why haven’t we seen more from this author? And most importantly, as busy as he is, how in the world did he find time to write a novel? 

MN-What would motivate an attorney to write a young-adult novel? 

SVZ-On the morning of June 12, 2008, I sat in the lobby bar of the Galt House hotel drinking coffee between hearings at the Jefferson County courthouse. At the time I struggled with a nagging feeling that life was somehow passing me by. At the time, I was in my fourteenth year of practicing law as the fourteenth lawyer in my family. I was trying to find satisfaction in my law practice, and I was also feeling the financial strain of what appeared to be a failing business venture—a sports facility. I spent some time journaling that morning and penciled in my notebook, “Write the book.” 

My immediate response was “What book?” But as goofy as it sounds, while I gazed at the gray Ohio River flowing past me, I was flooded with ideas. After that, it was kind of a compulsion to try to create a town called Colgate and capture its story on paper. 

MN-When did you first consider yourself to be a writer? 

SVZ-I’m not sure that I do yet. But I suppose there are clues in my background. When I was eight, my picture appeared in the Edmonton newspaper with a caption that said I would like to be a writer or a singer when I grow up. I am not sure where the singer part came from. Also I can remember my seventh grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Fawcett, asking us to write an essay about the explorer Cortez and his party’s search for gold in Mexico. I wrote a little piece with a bit of play on words stating that they did find gold but it was not the riches they sought but the gold of new friendships established through the adventure together. She liked the piece a great deal and read it to the whole class. I remember the expression on her face. As a 13-year-old boy, I thought it was pretty cool that I could write something on paper and someone could later read it and be moved by it. That is still the most satisfying part of writing Far from Good today—to be able to tell a story that will mean something to a person later. 

MN-You have an English degree, but you haven’t done any writing since college. How did you manage to put together a novel? 

SVZ-No writing except little deeds and wills for my clients. I knew some very basics. I knew that a good story needed to have a plot, a beginning, a conflict, and some resolution. So I had the basics down. 

MN-Do any of the book’s events come from real life, and did you include any real locations? 

SVZ-I use several experiences from my own childhood in the book. For example, as a child I had a steel ring which depicted the USS Aircraft Carrier Yorktown. I won an award for reading the most books in elementary school and had the dubious distinction of being the only boy to have ever done so. The scenes in the book concerning Bates being chastised by a black made for being in a white neighborhood and a family member telling me that a black boy can’t be a spend-the-night type of friend—those are all true stories. Mrs. Legg’s statement concerning the theory of evolution was said by one of myteachers. And, I think Coach Bedford is a composite of all the worst characteristics of all the football coaches I ever had. As for locations, across the Ohio River from the Galt House, on the Indiana side, is the old Colgate toothpaste plant and an extremely large clock, second largest in North America, I believe. It just seemed natural to name the town Colgate. It is based not only on my home town of Elizabethtown, but also on two other Kentucky towns, Edmonton and Columbia. They are actually smaller than Elizabethtown and are where my grandparents are from. I spent a lot of time in those towns during the summer and over Christmas breaks. Kidron, the name of the county where Sam lives, is a valley outside of Jerusalem. While the book’s characters are all fictional, my childhood friends certainly inspired how I developed some of Sam’s friends. 

MN-You must be a busy man—an active law practice, married, four children, and co-owner of a sports complex. How did you find the time to write the novel? 

SVJ-Thank goodness for laptops. This book has probably been written in more places than any other book in history. Because of my schedule, I didn’t have many long opportunities to write. Rather, I simply stole moments here and there as I could. Parts of the book were written in the basement of the federal court house in Louisville, others while sitting in my car during lunch. But I was always thinking about the book. I joke in the acknowledgment that my family probably thought I was doing an impersonation of a schizophrenic as I wrote notes to myself on scraps of paper for several years. It took a year tofinish the first draft, and then I tinkered with it for another year before submitting it to some publishers. 

MN-In Far from Good, you seem to have captured very accurately the pain and distress of adolescence. Did you receive that insight from being the father of four children? 

SVZ-I’m sure that helps, but I think all of us remember childhood details. They are usually just beneath the surface if we are quiet and still enough. My own junior high years were very important, so I remember them vividly. 

MN-The novel deals with the themes of racial reconciliation and the long-term effects of divorce on children and families. Why did you choose those particular themes for a teen adventure novel? 

SVZ-While I wrote a fast-paced story so readers could have an “escape” experience, I also want readers from broken homes to be able to identify with Sam as he struggles to deal with the effect of divorce. My hope is they will come away with added insight concerning the deep issues that remain after divorce so they can find resolution and healing. With regard to race, I believe that slavery has been this country’s national sin. Even though we’ve made huge strides, success comes in small increments. The story illustrates some of the benefits and difficulties of school integration.

Learn more about the book by visiting Stephen's website or connect with him on Face Book!

Amy Roloff is best known as the Mom who holds the Roloff family together on the television show Little People Big World. Mark Crutcher is known as the whistler blower of the abortion industry. What could these two activists with seemingly opposite agendas possibly have in common? 

They were both consulted for the writing of Hush, Little Baby in which author Deborah Piccurelli reveals truths involved in several key social issues including life as a little person as well as exposing the happenings inside the abortion industry. 

She uses fictional characters Amber Blake, her estranged husband Evan, and Dr. Albert Hines to tell a compelling tale so dark and haunting, it would be easy to deny the underlying principle. However, it is Piccurelli’s intention to shed light on the challenge involved in sanctity of life issues through her novel and not merely use sensationalism to sell it. It is obvious there is a depth to her spiritual walk that has become the catalyst to her success as an author. 

Like her readers, Piccurelli loves good books, enjoys movies, family time, and friendly get-togethers. She has her Good Friday and Easter traditions, as well as reasons for writing about issues other authors avoid. She even has a great argument for fiction and how it can inspire readers on their spiritual journey. Although introspective and at times, a woman of few words, don’t let her fool you; that doesn't mean she is superficial. It just means that Piccurelli  proves the old saying true that states ‘Still waters run deep’. 

MN-Your first novel, In The Midst Of Deceit, came out in 2004 with your sophomore novel Hush, Little Baby being published most recently. Tell me about some of the things you were able to accomplish between the writing of the two books. 

DP-Soon after In The Midst of Deceit was published, I worked on a screenplay with a Christian film producer that was loosely based on a manuscript of mine. I finished another romantic suspense novel that I shelved (for now), because it's not the same type I'm doing now that are woven around today's tough issues. But, who knows, someday I may try to sell it. But what I really accomplished during that time was the sharpening of my craft, which made all the difference in Hush, Little Baby. 

MN-Hush, Little Baby is a great book for fans of medical fiction. I happen to be one, and that was what lured me into reading it. However, from an editor’s point of view, it was your amazing writing that hooked me. You did everything right to make this novel a page turner, but I loved how you capitalized on ending each chapter with such suspense, it’s virtually impossible for the reader to put the book down. Does your gift for writing come naturally for you, or did you have to work at it by attending workshops and conferences that taught the mechanics? 

DP-Thank you for viewing my writing as a gift. I think I'd have to say it's attributed to a mixture of both. Having been an avid reader for most of my life, I kind of picked up on the basics of story arcs, and things of that type. As for the little nuances that are hard to pinpoint, those I had to learn and work hard at getting right. I worked on Hush, Little Baby for five years, revising over and over, with each new technique I learned. 

MN-Tell me about the concept of Hush, Little Baby. Was it born from your involvement in sanctity of life advocacy, and how did you become so involved in pro-life issues? 

DP-I was always against abortion, euthanasia, and similar issues, but as I researched for Hush, Little Baby, I discovered more issues and organizations to support. In fact, I am donating a portion of the proceeds of this book to Life Dynamics, an organization that works to stop fetal harvesting, and where I acquired most of the information about it that I used in my book. 

MN-Your main character, Amber, is a little person. I was fascinated to learn that your research involved interviewing Matt and Amy Roloff, Matt being the President of Little People of America. He is so motivating and such a powerhouse of energy, were you inspired in any way as a writer by interviewing him? 

DP-I actually interviewed Amy more than Matt, because I decided to order Matt's book, Against Tall Odds. It encompassed his entire life, thus far, and it really was awe-inspiring. I believe that anyone who feels depressed because of life circumstances should read that book, and they're thinking and way of life will change forever. My conversation with Amy helped me with a woman's perspective of dwarfism. 

MN-There was a controversial conversation between two celebrities recently that involved unfavorable statements regarding little people. Do you think in general, society misunderstands them, and do you believe by reading your novel, it could help shed light on how human and normal they really are? 

DP-I do believe that little people are sometimes misunderstood, but I also believe they are sometimes viewed as novelties. As you've said, I hope my book does shed light of how human and normal they are. 

MN-Part of your research included interviewing Mark Crutcher, author of Limelight. I read his book many years ago and was appalled at how the whole abortion industry operates. I think I was most surprised by the fact that it’s a machine driven by money. It proves how greed will literally cause some people to do anything. In doing your research and being involved as a pro-life activist, what are some of the facts you have learned that has shocked you or changed your initial views regarding abortion? 

DP-I never knew about some of the things that go on in abortion clinics, such as how they are killed or disposed of, should they be born alive. I also never thought about the partial-birth abortions until I read about it on Mark Crutcher's website for Life Dynamics. 

MN-I love how real your characters are. It helps solidify the argument that fiction can mirror reality and as a reader, we can be inspired along in our spiritual journey. What would you say to critics of fiction that say it offers little in the way of spiritual meat to grow on? DP-I believe readers can learn from the mistakes a fictional character makes, or be inspired by their good choices. 

MN-Easter is around the corner as we kick off Lent. Do you participate in any annual tradition related to Lent and Easter? 

DP-Just to go to church and have Easter dinner with family. 

MN-Good Friday means different things to different people. Many capitalize on the spiritual aspect when Jesus was crucified and placed in his tomb. For others, it kicks off planting season and they make sure their garden is in the ground by the time the sun goes down. For yet others, between noon and three PM is a time of intense mourning. Tell me what significance Good Friday holds for you and what you are most apt to do this year. 

DP-I'm one of those people who tries to stay silent for those 3 hours. 

MN-As a wife and Mom, what is your greatest accomplishment to date? DP-I have three: First, that I am a born-again child of God. Next, that I have been married to my husband for 34 years, and lastly, that I am the mother of our two lovely sons.
To learn more about Deborah and her book visit her website, connect with her on Face Book or Twitter @DebPiccurelli

Last month, we were introduced to Michael White, author of A Time For Everything, a book detailing the incredible story of Kevin Zimmerman. Although the process was difficult, he admits that  “The finished product bears true witness and evidence that God was indeed involved every step of the way.” As we continue our interview with White, it is evident that his ambition is motivated by an energy common among leaders. His influence is far reaching, impacting a broader audience than just his readers. Although founder and editor of Parson Place Press, Chaplain for the Alabama Army National Guard, and preacher of the gospel for nearly 34 years, his effectiveness does not reside in those titles alone. He is driven with the predictability that with God, all things are possible.

MN-As founder and managing editor of Parson Place Press, what does your company have to offer authors that other publishers lack?

MW-As the sole proprietor of Parson Place Press, I offer first-time authors, in particular, the opportunity to have their work considered for publication, although I will certainly consider previously published authors’ work, too. I established Parson Place Press back in April 2006 for a couple of reasons. First, I was tired of receiving rejection slips of my own, and second, after I browsed a number of other Christian publishers’ Web sites, I learned that they had effectively shut the door in the face of first-time authors by limiting the proposals they would consider to those who were either current clients or recommended by a current client or represented by an agent! That for me was kind of “the last straw,” so to speak. Therefore, I wanted to restore the freedom and hope of unknown and/or first-time authors to at least have their work considered before they were turned away from their dream of being published. However, I’ve spent so much time publishing other authors’ works that I haven’t spent very much time writing my own books!

MN-I noticed that you have created a website for Perry Thomas. Is this service something you offer your authors or a separate business all together?

MW-HTML programming is a self-taught skill I learned back in 1995. I have created several sites both for myself and for others over the years. I’m not exactly an expert, but I am somewhere in the mid- to upper-intermediate level, I think. Since Perry Thomas didn’t have a Web site, I offered to create a somewhat simple one for him, as a personal favor, you might say.

Referring back to your previous question, the personal touch (like this) is another benefit authors can expect from Parson Place Press. However, if more authors request my help with this in the future, I may begin to charge a nominal fee to offset my time expenditure. Though I don’t have a separate business for this, it is something I might consider starting.

MN-As a homeschooling Mom looking over the website, it appears as if a lot of the books that have been published by PPP would be ideal for homeschoolers since they are based on the biographies of Christians, or accurately depict history. Would you consider the books published by PPP to be family oriented and possibly advise using them for schooling or family devotional purposes?

MW-Some of Parson Place Press’ published titles most definitely lend themselves very easily to the academic setting, including homeschooling. In fact,Louisa, the very first book I published (initially in hard cover, and then in paperback a year later) has an accompanying teacher’s guide called The Resource Book for Louisa: A Guide for Teachers. I even have a special order page for educators. It has been recommended by Bethany LeBedz,  a homeschooling Mom, who also blogged about it on her blog. She helped me make a couple of other homeschool periodical and review contacts. Before that, I had purchased an ad spot in The 2011 Home School Magazine Business Directory.

I’m currently urging Perry Thomas to write a teacher’s guide for his recent publication, From Slave to Governor: the Unlikely Life of Lott Cary. Furthermore, Louisa and The Resource Book for Louisa are currently under consideration by the Board of Education for the State of Alabama and by the Director of Education for Catholic Schools in Hawaii as a potential curriculum for middle school students. Say a prayer that these will be approved, because that will open the door for others to do the same!

MN-Tell me about your military career and how it led to your service as an Army chaplain.

MW-I publicly answered God’s call upon my life to preach the Gospel just two days before I turned 17 years old. I enlisted in the Army as a Chaplain’s Assistant in 1981 at 20 years old, and then I got married as soon as I finished all my initial entry training. Basically, since I needed two more years to complete my undergraduate degree at the time, and I didn’t want to wait to get married, I joined the Army to support my new wife (who is also an “Army brat,” by the way).  While serving as a Chaplain’s Assistant, I got to observe firsthand what chaplains do. After some thought and prayer, I sensed God leading me into a career in the Army as a chaplain. I have spent the next 27 years since then either preparing for service or actively serving in both the active duty component and in the Alabama Army National Guard (and even six months in the Army Reserve) as a chaplain. It has been a lifelong journey, but I will be officially retired from the Alabama Army National Guard with just under 31 years of service as of 28 February 2012.

MN-Many believe that unless you are on the front lines, military life isn’t all that stressful. True or false in your experience?

MW-Naturally, stress can come from a variety of sources. While combat stress and post-traumatic stress may be more intense than other sources, it does not negate the effects of stress in other areas. I have both counseled Soldiers and personally experienced stress from a wide variety of causes ranging from meeting physical training requirements to meeting other regulatory standards and trying to keep your superiors satisfied with your job performance. It’s also somewhat stressful just knowing that you’re at the beck and call of your country every time a new hot spot opens up in the world. In all my years of military service, I have somehow missed being deployed to a combat zone, but I have experienced other stresses of training for combat and, once I became a chaplain, of counseling Soldiers who had participated in combat.

I would say that military life is stressful in general, and that stress just increases exponentially in preparation for, participating in, and recovery from combat service, whether you actually have to engage the enemy personally or not. It’s very hard on families of troops, too, because of long separations and missed holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc. Military service as a career requires a special dedication and commitment by both the service member and his or her family to see it through to the end.

MN-You have been a minister for over thirty years now. How have social situations and family issues changed over the course of three decades?

MW-It seems to me that families have gradually grown less cohesive over the past three decades, with everyone pretty much doing his or her own thing. Parental discipline of children is much different now than 30 years ago, too. I’m still a firm believer in carefully controlled and measured corporal punishment as outlined in the Scriptures (Proverbs 22:15; 23:13-14; and 29:15), both at home and in school, but parents are afraid to do that nowadays lest someone report them and have their children taken away from them. As a result, children are far less well-behaved and self-disciplined now than in previous generations. Even God chastens those He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Social situations have changed even more noticeably. Crude, obscene and profane language and gestures that used to be reserved for “R” and “X” rated movies have crept further and further into the protected realm of “family-friendly” viewing, both at the theater and on television. It’s sometimes a challenge nowadays to watch even a newscast without being subjected to at least one of these assaults on sensibility. In fact, even the annual Super Bowl has to deal with this threat every year during its infamous half-time show. While most Americans, and that certainly includes a large chunk of the 75% of Americans who claim to be Christian, have grown so accustomed to hearing/seeing these things that they don’t even notice or flinch, the few of us who are still insulted and offended by it must continue to suffer through it. Moreover, the sensitive issues discussed in commercials for everything from certain pharmaceuticals to personal hygiene products makes watching them in mixed company quite uncomfortable. Therefore, I’ve quit watching anything on secular TV except the news and an occasional home improvement show, which my wife enjoys and invites me to watch with her. Even then, you’re likely to hear certain profane words that are now considered socially acceptable on TV. I watch mostly Christian TV programming now, or else I just turn off the TV altogether. This is only scratching the surface of both social and family cultural changes in my lifetime, of course, but these are the first things that come to my mind in response to your question.

MN-I have noticed just over the last twenty years that a major problem the church faces is in teaching morality to the youth. Society dictates morality is a personal choice and because it imposes tolerance, unless you break the law of the land, morality is an option instead of a mandatory code of ethics. What can parents and church leaders do to instill a strong sense of morality in the next generation when they are bombarded with the message that it does not matter and is not relevant in the real world?

MW-The people of God have faced this onslaught against their religious and moral underpinnings since the earliest biblical times, because our enemy remains the same. Satan is our enemy because he is God’s enemy. We shouldn’t be so surprised at this. The only antidote to the social pressure to relax personal moral standards is the Word of God. While social norms strain away from the standard of conduct God has outlined in the Scriptures, godly Christian people, both in the home and in the church, will continue pointing to and using the Bible as the moral standard for living, not only for the children they train up (Proverbs 22:6), but for their own lives, too. If we ever leave off the continual reading and obeying of God’s Word, more than just our religious and moral convictions will fall by the wayside. The reason both our Christian homes and our churches are falling apart or drifting away from God’s standard these days is because we as a Christian culture have abandoned the Word of God as our fundamental standard for living.

MN-Not only are you the founder of a successful publisher, minister, and former servant to our country, you are also an author. Tell our readers about your books.

MW-I have longed to be a published author almost my entire life. I remember reading books as a young elementary-age student and being so drawn into the fictional and biographical stories I read that I wanted to participate in writing stories of my own. I have yet to publish a fictional work of my own, though I am presently working on a collection of my poetry for release later this year.

As I grew older and became a minister, I have felt drawn more towards non-fiction writing. I have thus far published one non-fiction book titled Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It, Too! (self-published first in 2004, then revised and expanded and republished in a second edition by Parson Place Press in April 2011); one biography of a living retired Army medic titled A Time for Everything: the Kevin Zimmerman Story (published first in 2008 by Parson Place Press and then updated for a second edition and republished by Parson Place Press in January 2012); and my latest non-fiction book, Seven Keys to Effective Prayer, which I will be releasing in March 2012. I am very excited over each of my published books, and I have high hopes to write and publish even more books in the future, in addition to continuing to offer other authors the same joy of being published by Parson Place Press.

Besides these books, I have also authored a number of articles and devotional thoughts through the years, which I’ve collected and published on my personal Web site at www.parsonplace.com. Also, one happy spin-off from one of my books is a monthly column I now write for Christian Computing Magazine, in which I address a variety of ways to do digital evangelism. The column is titled, aptly enough, Digital Evangelism.

MN-I laughed when someone once told me that being a writer was a job for lazy people. Their perception of a writer’s life was that you sit at the computer drinking coffee and eating junk food while words flow effortless on screen, and the manuscript is always picked up by the first publisher. Tell the truth. What is the life of a writer really like?

MW-I’m sure the experience is both different and alike for every writer. By that I mean that it is different for every writer because each writer has his or her own style and approach to the writing process. It is alike for every writer in that every writer must wrestle at some time or other with writer’s block, the distracting demands of life (such as paying bills, raising children, acceding to the wishes of family and friends, and so forth), and rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting until the words sound “right.” After you feel you finally have the writing right, the next step may prove to be the hardest of all: finding a willing publisher. Unless or until a writer lands a contract with a publisher which has global clout with the reading public, to include the media (and that usually requires several years and plenty of marketing savvy to build), and unless or until that renowned publisher happens to succeed at getting the cooperation of the media in promoting this newly published work, so that it funnels in tons of cash in sales, writing is likely to be a fairly low-key, low-paid proposition/profession, assuming the writer can even land a decent job (usually in journalism) which pays enough that he or she can actually rely upon it as an income-producing profession.

Writing sounds glamorous, but that is true only, and I do mean only, if the writer lands that one-in-a-million success story, like J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I use her as an example of surprising financial and media success only, however, and by no means do I condone either her stories or her lifestyle. Truly, the life of a writer is most often anything but glamorous and hugely profitable. It may permit you to pay your bills, but it likely won’t enable you to live lavishly. It’s very hard work, and those who think it’s a lazy person’s profession should simply try their hand at making a living at it for just six months or a year. That should disabuse them of such a ludicrous notion!

MN-We have now entered the season of Lent-the time period leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. Do you have any personal Lent traditions you follow annually?

MW-In years past, when I was the full-time pastor of a United Methodist congregation, I usually conducted an Ash Wednesday Service and encouraged my people to join me in both solemn reflection upon the passion and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in the practice of fasting. If they were unable or unwilling to fast, I encouraged them to give up something important to them for the duration of Lent. I would then conclude the Season of Lent with a Good FridayTenebrae Service, which included commenting on the seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross, singing a correlated hymn for each saying, and nailing with small spikes our personal (anonymous) confessions to a full-sized wooden cross. I removed the confessions immediately after the service, prayed over them collectively, and shredded them into the trash. Then on Resurrection Sunday, I conducted a Sunrise Service and a regular worship service which included flowering of the cross (the same cross that bore our sins just two days earlier).

Since I retired from the United Methodist Church in December 2011, with the intent of establishing a new non-denominational ministry at God’s behest, I am presently waiting for the Lord to reveal to me the location here in Mobile, Alabama, for this new ministry. As I respond to your questions, today is Ash Wednesday 2012, though I have done a little revising on the next couple of days following. Nevertheless, I started Ash Wednesday with prayer and Scripture reading, as I do nearly every day, and I spent the remainder of the day in fasting and carrying on my normal routine, as Jesus charged us to do when we fast in Matthew 6:16-18. I will probably choose at least day one per week during Lent to fast as a personal sacrifice in acknowledgement of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for me. That is pretty much my personal tradition.

MN-Complete this sentence. Without God......

MW-Without God nothing would exist, because God is the Source of all things. It goes without saying then that I would have no hope, joy, or peace, since I would not exist either.

A Time For Everything: The Kevin Zimmerman Story is a real time depiction of biblical promises. 

The question "Does God still work miracles today like He did in biblical times?"compelled Kevin to commission the writing of the book. 

Dedicate to our military service members but applicable to all, A Time For Everything tells of the miraculous navigation of not just one, but two heavily infested mine fields while serving in the US Army. 

Author Micheal White continues to preach the gospel through this inspirational tale of miracles and God's hand in our lives. A Time for everything  is a spiritual and much recommended pick for Christian readers and all who seek inspiration.  

You can purchase the book by logging onto www.ATFEKZ.com. The book can be purchased at all major online book distributors; such as Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Booksamillion.com 

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick's death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.  Information gathered from article located at History.com 

Image borrowed from Catholic Forum.com.

St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church, located on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets in Manhattan. It faces Rockefeller Center.  Information & Images from NYC Architecture.com  

A visionary is someone who sees into the future, Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. 

Hailed by her peers as  “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique”  Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. 

The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society.  Can the love of God and the power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives? 

Find out in…The Visionary ~ Where the awesome power of God’s love heals the most wounded of souls.

Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. Since the earliest times of the Church, there is evidence of some kind of Lenten preparation for Easter and by the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and that prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises. Of course, the number "40" has always had special spiritual significance regarding preparation. On Mount Sinai, preparing to receive the Ten Commandments, "Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating any food or drinking any water" (Ex 34:28). Elijah walked "40 days and 40 nights" to the mountain of the Lord, Mount Horeb (another name for Sinai) (I Kgs 19:8). Most importantly, Jesus fasted and prayed for "40 days and 40 nights" in the desert before He began His public ministry (Mt 4:2). Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40. Moreover, an emphasis must be placed on performing spiritual works, like attending the Stations of the Cross, attending Mass, making a weekly holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, taking time for personal prayer and spiritual reading and most especially making a good confession and receiving sacramental absolution. Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate joyfully the mysteries of our salvation. *Information gathered from Catholic Education.org. 

Mary is an avid reader, writer, editor and self-proclaimed advocate for the authors that make Christian publishing the great industry it is. 

She supports publishers by interviewing authors and promoting their new releases, as well as upholding a standard of ethics that defines the word “Christian”.  

Her passion is to see the publishing business excel by promoting literature that speaks to our generation without compromise. She is the host of Marysworld Internet radio talk show, maintains a website affiliated with several publishers, and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association. (EPA)

                                 Mary's World Blog       Friend Mary on FB