Today we welcome author Carol James to The Diamond Mine!!
Hi Carol! It's great to have this time with you. Let's begin the interview.
Can you tell us a little about your book?
My most recently released novel is entitled Always and Only. It's a story about a young woman, Aurora Prentiss, and a young man, Caleb Daniels, who dated and fell in love in high school but broke up at her father's demand because he insisted Caleb was not good enough for his daughter. Years later three paths cross when they begin working for the same company. Caleb has just gone through a messy divorce and Aurora is putting the final touches on her plans to wed a wealthy man chosen by her father. Let the fun begin.
Sounds very interesting!! How did you get your idea for this story?
Ideas are all around us. This one, as many of mine do, came to me as I was listening to a song entitled (you guessed it) Always and Only. It's a beautiful love song to Jesus. I took the idea of eternal love between us and Christ and wove it into the novel.
What a wonderful inspiration for a novel. What made you decide to be a writer?
For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed making up stories, but I didn't start putting them on paper until my boss asked me to proofread her novels. (I'd been an English major in college and loved grammar.) Her work inspired me to try my hand at crafting novels.
What was your first story?
My first release was entitled Rescuing Faith. It was an Amazon number one best seller.
Wow! That's so awesome! Good for you! I'm curious. Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?
Both, I guess. I like to use a Bible verse or two and a worship song for my inspiration. I don't use an in depth outline, but generally try to hit three or four major plot points. This gives me the flexibility to adapt the plot to any additional inspiration I have as the story unfolds.
Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?
Yes. My novels all revolve around Isaiah 43:18-19:
Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
That's such a beautiful basis to build upon! I always want to ask this of authors: Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?
The one character that appears in all my novels is Josh Lewis, a pastor. He reminds me very much of one of my previous pastors. In fact, sometimes Josh even (unknowingly) quotes my previous pastor's sermons.
Do your characters ever surprise you?
Yes! That's one of the things I like about having some "wiggle-room"in my planning. Sometimes the characters do or say things I could have never predicted before the story begins.
I always love it when that happens!! Do you have a favorite character in your books?
Sometimes I feel like a parent... I love them all equally. But if I had to choose one, I would say the pastor, Josh Lewis. The first time he appeared in one of my novels, he was in his early twenties and had just returned from the Vietnam war. In my most recent novel, he's a grandfather.
That's so interesting, to have an ongoing character in your novels. Last question: What are you working on now?
I am working on a romance novel about emotional healing. My central concept is the idea of kintsugi. For those who may not be familiar with kintsugi, it's also called Japanese joinery. It's a process by which broken pottery is repaired by using gold, making the mended piece more valuable and beautiful than it was before the breakage. A true commentary on how God takes our broken lives and repairs them for His glory. Thanks so much for letting me share today.
It's been an honor to spend this time with you and hear your answers. Thanks so much, Carol!
And readers, here's a short bio about Carol:
As an Air Force brat, the longest Carol James ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that's why, when she and her husband bought their first home forty-two years ago, they stayed put. she lives in Lilburn, GA with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe.
Loving intriguing stories with happy endings, she writes Redemptive Romance. She has had five full length novels and five Christmas novellas published. Her debut novel, Rescuing Faith, was an Amazon number one best-seller.
Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter and get a free short story: https://www.carol-james.com
When she's not walking Zoe, Carole enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, as well as traveling. On Sundays, she loves serving in the production department at her church. And most days, in the late hours of the night, you'll find her bringing her newest novel to life!
