INTRODUCING AUTHOR AND FRIEND, LINDBERG CORNELL!

AUTHOR LINDBERG CORNELL

Lynn, I’m thrilled to have you on The Rough Diamond Mine blog today And please thank your wife, Beverly, for encouraging you to write! She was right—you are indeed a writer—an excellent word weaver! So, let’s get on with this interview so all the folks can find out what I already know—your first novel The Color of Redemption is beyond Five Stars! I’ve included my review of your book at the end of this interview.

Q. Readers want to know, beyond the back-of-the-book biography, about the authors they read. Will you share a little about yourself and your family?

Thank you DiAne. I’m glad to be visiting with you today. As for me, I’ve been a Christian for forty years and have a passion for teaching verse by verse through the entire Bible. I’ve been married for twenty-four years to my second wife, my first wife passed away. We have five children and thirteen grandchildren. I’m an avid cyclist when not writing.

Q.  With thirteen grandchildren I don’t see how you have the time to cycle and write. LOL. I have three and when they were little they wore me out! When did you know God called you to paint a canvas of words? How did you know and tell us about your journey?

My wife encouraged me to write. Of course, as a typical man, I blew her off, but she kept encouraging me. Finally, and I don’t remember why, she signed me up for a Write to Publish writer’s conference in Wheaton, Illinois. That’s when the writing world opened up to me. From that time, I began the process of learning to write. Of course, now, I don’t have enough time in the day to write everything that’s in my heart. I will say to new writers…learn the craft of writing first. That’ll save you yards of time in rewrites. I had written the entire first draft of The Color of Redemption without knowing how to write.

Q. Don’t think you’re alone. I finished the first draft of Roped (then entitled Silver Buckle Dreams) before knowing I had no clue. And my first conference was Write to Publish in Wheaton also. Small world! I’ve read and reread The Color of Redemption and must ask, is this, in part or whole, about a relative or someone you’ve known?

No, I wrote the book because of current race relations I saw in the church—among Christians in the modern church. I was surprised and saddened how Christians thought and felt ethnically, both black and white Christians. And I was saddened the one place that should have been a refuge for me was actually a place I had to be guarded among my heavenly family. I was surprised how much one’s culture trumps their faith. I guess that might make The Color of Redemption a fantasy book. LOL!

Q. Your characters leaped off the page and into my heart. This novel is a timely and riveting account of life’s reality—then and now—fear, prejudice, tribulations, hate, forgiveness, and love…God’s love for us…in spite of our faults. Do you have a life verse that brought you to and carried you through writing this powerful story?

1 Corinthians 11:17-34. I realized as we celebrate the Lord’s table, we don’t all recognize every believer as partakers of His body and blood. This scripture, of course along with many others, should wake us up that we all have one source of eternal life—Jesus!

Q. In my early teens I read a new book in our church library entitled Red Like Mine. And I know exactly what you mean. The church librarian must not have read the book. My own mother asked what I was reading and when she heard and I returned the book, it suddenly disappeared out of our church library. Shameful! And that book has remained with me all these years. I grew up in the deep south—in the ‘50’s…a few years before Katie’s story and know firsthand the need for telling Katie’s story. The bondage, white hoods, and burning crosses were as despised and feared then as they are now. I saw them. And the silence of multitudes who disagreed, yet feared speaking. What is your purpose in writing The Color of Redemption? What do you want the reader to take away from this incredible story?

I was naïve to think I could walk into any church and be welcomed as a fellow believer. But sadly, this is not true. Blacks speak disparately of whites and whites avoid blacks—not all, of course. But the divide in many churches is too wide and shouldn’t even exist. My hope is Christians will one day realize we should be bold examples to the world of God’s love abd what a unified body looks like.

Q. And finally, a very selfish question…well, not so much a question as a hope…please tell us there’s going to be a sequel. Or at least a WIP? And, how long do we have to wait for more from Lynn Cornell?

Interesting! I could have written a three-book series focusing on Katie’s life in the south. In earlier drafts, I explored her husband’s journey and the town they lived in. And I have enough in my head for a sequel, but at present, I have no plans for a sequel.

I have finished two first drafts—God’s Pearl, Man’s Find—just a working title. This story is about a gold-digger who finds God’s worth in her and finds love God’s way. In God’s Honor—the second book tells a story about a zealous Muslim (a female Paul), an Iranian secret police officer who comes to faith, falls in love, and marries the Marine who smuggles her to America.

First drafts, hmmm? That means at least another year to wait? Well The Color of Redemption was certainly worth waiting for! Do you have any closing comments for your readers? Oh, BTW, Lynn is giving away a signed copy of his marvelous novel. So be sure to leave a comment to toss your name in the hat for this copy.

DiAne, I’d like to close by urging Christians to pray for our nation. Pray for our President. Whether we agree with him or his politics, God has placed him as head of our nation. I pray God would give him wisdom, grace, mercy to lead our country. And I urge everyone to pray for the victims of the shootings in Las Vegas and for all the victims of the hurricanes that have hit our country hard.

Thank you for having me on The Rough Diamond Mine. Sure hope your followers will read The Color of Redemption and leave me a review.

Lynn, the pleasure is ours. Thank you for sharing your heart with us. Consider yourselves reminded, folks. After all, that's the way you all can let us know you've enjoyed our writing. 'Cause writing can sometimes be a very lonely occupation. And don't forget to leave a comment here so you can be entered in the drawing for a signed copy of Lynn's book!

Lynn’s book is available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.dovechristianpublishers.com. 

You can contact Lynn at his blog site:  http://journeythroughthebibleversebyverse.lynncornell.wordpress.com

And here's my review of this spectacular book...

"Scrolling through FB friend invitations I found Mr. Cornell’s request and looked at his page. And as I clicked through his posts there was a picture of his book, The Color or Redemption, and the voice in my soul whispered You must read this book. So I purchased it.

The rest is history. After reading the first page, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m sure part of the attraction was the period and place in history. I grew up in the deep south during this time. And while some of Mr. Cornell’s words were gritty and difficult to read, I know first-hand they are absolute truth. Evil has been with us since the Garden, but certain times in our history have screamed the ugly reality of evil more clearly than others—and such is the time and story of The Color of Redemption—and such are our times.

In light of the current national and world crisis of anger and hate, this book should be on everyone’s must-read list. Mr. Cornell weaves a story painting pictures you can touch, smell, and feel, other scenes there is nothing to do but weep. And still in other chapters the Spirit of God touched areas in my life God desires to change.

Mr. Cornell understands and writes about real solutions. Eternal solutions…for anyone with ears to hear and a heart to forgive in Jesus name. God gave us the answer, but that answer requires the humility of dying to self and living in complete obedience to Christ because He died for you and me.

How does that play out in everyday life? Read The Color of Redemption, an inspired up-close and personal searching of my heart. Wish I could give ten stars! Five is all they allow. Great book. Thank you, Mr. Cornell."

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO READ!