Witty Clarice G. James Highlights Her Book The Least of These

Humor always makes life a little more bearable. This week I have an author whose posts always strike a chord of humor for me and many others. Clarice G. James (website here!) is here to focus on her book The Least of These. Jump on in the interview and discover more about this witty lass and her books. 

PT: As always, our readers want to know what drew you to be an author?

CGJ: Over the years, teachers, family, and friends often suggested I should do something with my “gift.” After my children were grown-up and gone, I took their advice.

PT: Many readers are glad you did! So, what genre do you write in, and what genre do you prefer to read in?

CGJ: I write women’s contemporary fiction and read mostly in that genre. I do enjoy historical fiction as well.

PT: Where is your favorite spot to write? An office? Outside? Coffee shop? Other?

CGJ: No noisy coffee shops for me. I need a quiet space to write, and I’m blessed to have a spacious office. But, as with all writers, I’m always writing in my head no matter where I am.

PT: I definitely agree with the quiet space. Have you always lived in the northeast or have you lived in different places?

CGJ: I have lived in the Northeast my whole life. Though I was born in Rhode Island, my family moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts when I was a toddler. I lived there until I moved to New Hampshire twenty years ago.

PT: I'll be honest, I always think of you with a splash of humor, since you're so gifted in putting up such amusing posts. Does your humor find its way into your books?

CGJ: I love to laugh—alone and with others! So, yes, you will find humor in my stories.

PT: Do you ever have a book inspiration in an inconvenient time or place such as in the middle of the night or in the middle of the grocery aisle? Do you jot things on a scrap of paper or napkin or use a phone or other electronic device to record your ideas?

CGJ: I have to write ideas down or I will forget them! To the right of my laptop now is a “slush pile” of sticky notes, lists of character traits, snatches of dialogue, and plot ideas for my current work in progress.

PT: I confess I have a bit of a sticky note obsession myself. Do you have a Biblical principal or concept when you start to write, or does that slowly develop as you progress through the writing process?

CGJ: Not always. Sometimes the storyline gives me the Scripture passage as I’m writing.

PT: Do you outline your books or fly by the seat of your pants?

CGJ: My style is somewhere between the two. I start with a loose outline and character sketches, but seat of the pants writing often takes over.

PT: Tell us your current favorite Bible verse.

CGJ: “Whatever you do, whether in word or dead, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

PT: All right, let's have you spill the dirt. Tell 5 things about Clarice G. James that have nothing to do with writing.

CGJ:

1.            I’m not competitive. I don’t even win when I play Scrabble by myself.

2.            As a little girl I used to soak the family toothbrushes in Lestoil.

3.            If I ever invite you on a road trip, say “no.” I once got lost in a beach 

               parking lot.

4.            Every day, I find reasons to laugh—often at myself.

5.            As a young Catholic girl, I once wet my pants in a confessional booth

              —and didn’t confess it. Yes, I’m Protestant now.

PT: What was the inspiration and setting for your book The Least of These.

CGJ: A friend of mine suspected that the kind, generous physician she worked for was defrauding the Medicare system. She needed to get away before she was implicated.

I wanted the story set in a small town. Since my brother owned a vacation home in Andover, Maine, I was able to stay at his place while the friendly locals helped with my research.

Nurse practitioner Carley Rae Jantzen blows the whistle on Philadelphia physician Dr. Harrison Nichols for Medicare fraud. While waiting for the FBI to complete its investigation, she must work side by side with Dr. Nichols—without letting on what she knows or what she’s done.

So, when Carley receives an invitation to become a live-in assistant for Geneva Kellerman—a great-aunt she didn’t even know she had—she jumps at the chance to run off and hide in Andover, Maine, population 826.

Great-aunt Geneva soon learns that receiving help is not as easy as giving it. And Carley discovers the “assistance” her great-aunt had in mind has nothing to do with nursing but all to do with passing down a legacy of caring for the least of these.

PT: Oooh, juicy. Based on a true story? Intriguing. What's your next writing project?

CGJ: I am two-thirds finished writing my novel, The Longing Soul. The main character, Avalea Madigan, is a 53-year-old widow (twice over) who longs for God to lift her grief and fill her life with new purpose … or with another husband … or both. She and three friends meet weekly to learn how to better apply the Word of God to their lives.

PT: Boom! Another riveting Christian author bringing the goods! Clean, Christian entertainment. If ya can't wait to get your sweaty paws on this book, go here: The Least of These and snap that puppy up! Or you can take your chances on our drawing. We need 5 people to comment or leave info on our contact form. And as always, thank you, Clarice, and thanks to all of you readers who stopped by!

*******

Clarice G. James~

Clarice was raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She married early, and she and her husband were blessed with two sons and a daughter. In her early thirties, Clarice began a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. She says, “My life has not been the same since—thankfully.”
While raising her family, Clarice squeezed in a few English literature and creative writing courses. She continued along that path, writing articles for local publications, marketing copy for her employers, and newsletters for her church.When her husband Terry died, she continued writing as part of her healing process. Eight years later, she remarried and moved to southern New Hampshire. “David was a keeper,” she says, “and all grown up when I got him.” Sadly, she was widowed again just shy of fifteen years of marriage.
Clarice has written five women’s contemporary novels. Her stories are woven together with colorful threads of humor, faith, romance, and surprise. In 2022, she added Say Grace: A Scriptural Field Guide to Weight Loss to her list of published works.
Clarice says, “I credit my father for showing me the power of dreams and my mother for teaching me the value of working to achieve them.”

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR CAROL JAMES!!

 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!

Interview and giveaway with Author Clare Revell!!

 Today at the Diamond Mine we welcome author Clare Revell to tell us about her book, Unchained Melody! She is offering a free copy to whoever wins the drawing. All you have to do to enter the drawing, is to scroll down and click on the "leave comment" button at the end of the interview. 

So now, let's get started on the interview with Clare! But first, a bit about her book!

Unchained Melody is the story of Raven Faulkner and Isaiah Beringer.

Candlewick is the only home Raven Faulkner has ever known-- one her family has run from 1820. When the bell--which according to legend, rings to warn of danger--chimes just before a tree falls on the lodge, Raven tells herself it's a coincidence. Just as well, because Raven doesn't have time to decipher supernatural messages. Her biggest worry is keeping her family's legacy alive.

Fame and fortune are not all they're cracked up to be. Just as well, after Isaiah Beringer's meteoric music career nosedives. He's sure God wants him on the mission field, but every mission society he's applied to thinks otherwise. Needing someplace secluded and peaceful to lick his wounds and figure out what God wants of him, he books into Candlewick. The problem? The woman who runs the lodge turns out to be his biggest fan.

Rising repair costs and failing health make the future uncertain. Unless Raven and Isaiah can work together to write a new ending to the unchained melody of the Lodge.

Wow! Sounds super interesting! Clare, how did you get your idea for this story?

This one had been floating around for several years. The characters changed names several times before finally ending up as Raven and Isaiah. The actual Lodge itself came from a pub in a village we drive through quite a lot. My mind immediately turned it into a hotel and dropped a tree on it purely because I could. And the tree came from a book I read as a kid. Although the main characters were sent away at that point and not left with the clean-up. Raven just has to get on and deal.

And that makes the story true to life! I'm curious: What made you decide to be a writer?

I've never wanted to be anything else. Creative writing was my favorite subject at school and I used to spend all my free time as a child writing stories. Still have some of them around somewhere.

Wouldn't it be fun to read some of those again? What was your first story?

First one ever written or first one published? First one written was called Island in the Sun as part of a school project when I was fifteen. Handwritten with a proper fountain pen and ink and illustrated by my sister. 

First one published was called Season for Miracles by Pelican Book Group back in November 2010. Island in the Sun has since been much revised, polished and published by Pelican as a three book series called Signal Me---November Charlie, Delta Victor and Echo Foxtrot.

I think it's pretty cool that your first story has grown into a series! Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

Both. My basic outline gets much manipulated and changed as I write. The characters take over, change their names, occupations, do stupid things that I have no idea how to fix. Sometimes I get inspiration from TV shows, or dreams, just real life stuff I put my own spin on. 

I love how you describe the way your characters take over! I find that so interesting, and mostly fun and challenging when that happens. Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?

No matter how bad things get, no matter if we can't see a way forward, God knows the answers. He always has a plan, even when it doesn't match ours.

Well said, and so true!                                                                             Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

Dad always says he can see a little of me in all my books. A turn of phrase, characters who hold hands in church, somewhere we visited on holiday one year, or a story they'll tell each other.

Can you share with us more of the ways your characters have surprised you?

They pick their own names. Isaiah for example was originally Sam. Easy to spell, but no, he had to change it to something I still struggle with now. I think the spell checker actually changes it automatically now.                                                                                                           I had one character I had to threaten to delete after she completely ruined the storyline. That actually worked, surprisingly enough. I had one decide he was no longer a carpenter, he was a Lord and lived in a mansion. That change I did keep, even though it demanded an entire rewrite.

That's so humorous!! I love it!                                                               Do you have a favorite character in your books? 

That's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Is it a cop-out to say it depends which book I am currently writing? In Unchained Melody I think my favorite is Raven. But don't tell the others that!

I won't! :)                                                                                                What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on a series of three books called Midanbury. They are all handwritten and I am typing up book two. Think angels and demons and spiritual warfare and a town standing on the brink of destruction with only a single pastor and a few prayer warriors between the town and the evil surrounding it.

Sounds intense and very interesting! Thanks so much for the interview Clare. I found it quite delightful!

Okay readers, I'm going to include a short bio of Clare, then her social and purchase links. Remember, if you want to be in the drawing for a free copy, click on 'leave a comment' which will be after the links, and leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!

Clare is a British author. She lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her now grownup children. Writing from early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting or doing the many piles of laundry the occupants of her house manage to make.

Her books are based in the UK, with a couple of exceptions, thus, although the spelling may be American, the books contain British language and terminology.

The first draft of every novel is handwritten.

Links: 

Pelican - https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=1714

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unchained-Melody-Candlewick-Lodge-Revell-ebook/dp/B0DW8Z8Q4Y

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Unchained-Melody-Candlewick-Lodge-Revell-ebook/dp/B0DW8Z8Q4Y

Interview and Giveaway with author Kristen Joy Wilks!!

Today we welcome author Kristen Joy Wilks to The Diamond Mine! She's an award-winning writer of romance and children's books. If you want to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of one of her books, please click on "leave a comment" link at the end of the interview, and include your email address, and you'll be entered! So, here we go with a couple introductions to her children's series, followed by the interview!

Faith-filled frolics with furry friends!

Book one of the series, which is perfect for 6-10 year-olds, is available now:

Phooey Kerflooey wants to stay on the farm with Jessie. But when Jessie chooses a different puppy, Phooey is thrust into the arms of another family. 

A family with all boys. Boys who make traps, write lists of dangers, and shout Shakespearean insults at rodents. A family that likes scary things like shiny kitchen floors, wheelchair races, and battling attacking squirrels. 

A family that doesn’t know she cannot drink unless it is from a fancy, fancy teacup! Can Phooey find the china teacup she needs and teach her boys how to become the family of her dreams?

Theme verse: Philippians 2:4–Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. NLT

 Phooey Kerflooey vs The Battle Squirrel (releases June 3rd)

Phooey Kerflooey has finally found a home of her own.Too bad a raging squirrel found it first!

Rasputin the squirrel spends his time stealing snacks, pooing on the counters, and biting tender noses. Phooey’s perfect home has become a perfect storm of chaos!

Phooey will do anything for her boys. Almost step on the shiny floor. Mostly go potty outside. Bite a baby carrot in half. Maybe two carrots, or even three!
The boys want Phooey to chase Rasputin and save the day, but it’s hard when so many scary things stand in her way. If only Phooey had her pink dolly to boost her bravery.
Can Phooey find her courage and chase that bad squirrel out of their lives forever?

Maybe tomorrow.
Or the day after that.
For sure by next week.
Phooey will be very brave . . . someday.

Theme verse: Isaiah 32:18--My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

These sound delightful, Kristen! Now for the interview!

When did you decide to be a writer?

When I was in first grade, my teacher sent me to a young writers conference. She must have seen something in me that I hadn’t dared to look for myself. I heard Steven Kellogg speak, bought a copy of A Rose for Pinkerton with a rare $5 bill my parents sacrificed to send with me, and let myself dream big dreams. 

Wow! That was one wise teacher to spot your talent so early!

What was the first story you wrote?

The first story I remember writing was penned in preparation for that young writers conference. The cover was laminated construction paper cut into the shape of a large guinea pig and I illustrated the interior with horrendous ineptitude! It was about Fluffy, my brother’s guinea pig, and her victory over our dog Inky when he attempted to eat her. I recall my mother’s concern that my illustration of her chasing Inky with a broom during the attempted murder made her look as though she was holding a pitchfork, ha!

I bet it was cute! What inspired you to write children’s books?

My first published books were Christian romcoms, however, I have a long history with children’s ministry and books for this age group. My degree is in early childhood education, and I took two different online courses about children’s writing. My husband and I have been in full-time camping ministry for over twenty-five years and I grew up at an off-grid Bible camp that hosts many retreats for children and teens. Plus, books for kids can have all the zany fun and delightful insanity that one could wish for!

That's true! What’s your favorite part about writing?

Fast drafting! I write my rough drafts during National Novel Writing Month in a glorious cloud of hastily penned madness! 

I haven't done that challenge for a while. I forgot how much fun it was! I should do it again!

Do you work from an outline, inspiration, or both?

I outline carefully before jumping into my crazy rough draft. In fact, I spend the entire month of October taking my story idea through four to six different outlining tools to make sure that it has a solid skeleton. However, once I start typing, sometimes new chapters, events, or even characters appear. I often get inspiration for new story ideas during worship at my church. I write them down on the bulletin and then put them into my story idea file on my computer. When October rolls around, I choose the ideas I like best and then start outlining. 

That's an interesting process! What do you want the readers to take away from your stories?

I would love for my readers to be able to see God’s deep and mind-boggling love for them when they are living a really hard day. I want them to know God seeks them, is reaching out for them, and longs for them every moment of every day. 

Oh, that's beautiful, Kristen!

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

Phooey Kerflooey is such a favorite! She is so big and so very afraid of every little thing. I find her hilarious and heartwarming and so delightfully bumbling. 

Do any of your characters share traits with you or any other real person or animal?

Marcus (the older of Phooey’s boys) shares many traits with me. He tries so hard to make the world safe for his younger brother Conner. But Conner is a rowdy young daredevil, even though he uses a wheelchair. Paintball wars, wheelchair jumping, insane squirrel traps! Conner loves them all and their neighbor Nia is just as obstreperous. Poor Marcus has his hands full with those two, plus their large and scaredy puppy, and the attacking squirrel. Phooey Kerflooey was originally based on our own Newfoundland dog, Princess Leia Freyja. Leia was 114lbs and afraid of haybales and bags of chicken food. She refused to drink unless it was from her own mug and loved our family full of boys very much. Strangely, our current Newfoundland (Nessie Grace Karu) has many traits in common with Phooey. She is very large for a female Newfoundland, weighing 130lbs at just one year old. Also, I wanted to choose a toy that Phooey loved but her boys wouldn’t like. So I used my grandmother’s TP doll that sat over the spare TP roll on the back of the toilet for inspiration. The doll is a bit spooky and has a frilly pink dress that covers the TP. Well, Leia never bothered my grandmother’s doll but Nessie loves her! She sneaks into the bathroom and takes off with that TP doll at a full gallop! In fact, the doll is looking quite ragged with both feet chewed off and decidedly mangled arms. Both Nessie and Phooey love their pink dollies even if the rest of us find them to be somewhat alarming decorations, ha!

My husband and I enjoyed our family full of five boys! What fun we had along with the happy chaos. :)

Do your characters ever surprise you?

Yes! Since I fast draft, sometimes they just start to do something crazy as I’m typing but I don’t stop to change anything. If it’s a bad idea, I’ll change it when I revise. I had no idea that Marcus would be struggling with finding peace in a house full of chaos in Phooey Kerflooey. Or that Phooey’s quest for a fancy teacup was really a search for belonging in Phooey Kerflooey vs The Fancy, Fancy Teacup. Marcus and his longing for peace closely mirrors my own struggles growing up in the craziness of camp ministry. I didn’t think about it though, not until Marcus lived out that longing on the page. 

I always learn something about myself when writing, too.What are you working on now?

I currently have two projects. One fiction and one non-fiction. 

Phooey Kerflooey vs The Deep, Deep Dark is the third book in Phooey Tales: Spring, my chapter book series from Phooey’s POV. This book takes place after Phooey and her boys move to an off-grid Bible camp very similar to the camp where I live. The camp generator breaks down. Since it provides electricity for the whole area, this plunges Phooey’s world into darkness. Her boys read her a Bible story about the plague of darkness in Egypt and Phooey is sure that all of the other plagues are coming for her! She vows to fix the camp generator with helpful nose pokes before the plague of death comes for her and all the people she loves! This story is due to come out in September.

The Rough and Rowdy Devotional: Finding God in Family Tales is a

children’s devotional book that uses stories that my dad and

grandparents told me to point kiddos toward Biblical truths. There

are some crazy stories in this one, from Grandma Autumn riding a

wild burro to Grandpa Del story about how his dad shot flies off the

wall with a pistol when he was courting Del’s mom! This book will

come out in July.

They both sound really great! It's been a delight to have you on The

Diamond Mine, Kristen. Thank you!!

And readers, here's a bit more about Kristen, as well as all her links.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email for the drawing!

Short Bio: Kristen Joy Wilks writes from a remote 

mountain meadow that alternates between quiet and chaos. 

The mom of three sons, a cat named Whisper Persnickety, 

and Nessie Karu their giant Newfoundland puppy, she lives 

with her camp director husband at Camas Meadows Bible 

Camp. Kristen has witnessed a plethora of crimes 

committed by squirrels. Snacks destroyed, chickens 

attacked, fires started in the woodshop! Despite these 

many trials, her stories highlight the humor and grace God 

gives amidst the detritus of life. When she’s not battling 

squirrels, Kristen can be found tucked under a tattered 

quilt at 4:00 a.m. writing a wide variety of implausible tales 

or at www.kristenjoywilks.com.

 

Website  https://kristenjoywilks.com

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/kristen_joy_wilks_author/

BookBub  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kristen-joy-wilks

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/booksdogskissesandfrogs

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@kristenjoywilks

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/kristenjwilks7/

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Kristen-Joy-Wilks/e/B016FREUPM?ref

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14422377.Kristen_Joy_Wilk

 Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D4118H93

Amazon paperback: Available June 3rd

Barnes and Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel-kristen-joy-wilks/1147001594

Kobo ebook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel

Apple ebook: https://books.apple.com/us/book/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel/id6742045841

The paperback will be available at other retailers on June 3rd.

Free Phooey Kerflooey Coloring Pages: https://kristenjoywilks.com/fun/coloring-pages/

Coloring Prompts from Phooey Kerflooey vs The Battle Squirrel: https://kristenjoywilks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Phooeys-Coloring-Prompts-Phooey-Kerflooey-vs-The-Battle-Squirrel.pdf

Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Phooey-Kerflooey-Fancy-Teacup-Spring/dp/B0D9M25J1Y/

Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Phooey-Kerflooey-Fancy-Teacup-Spring-ebook/dp/B0D9JBMX83

Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup-kristen-joy-wilks/1146054159

Barnes and Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup-kristen-joy-wilks/1146021659

Kobo ebook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup

Apple ebook: https://books.apple.com/us/book/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup/id6553835259

Free ebook with Kristen's Newsletter: https://kristenjoywilks.com/quarterly-newsletter/

Free Phooey Coloring Pages: https://kristenjoywilks.com/fun/coloring-pages/

Coloring Prompts from Phooey Kerflooey vs The Fancy, Fancy Teacup: https://kristenjoywilks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Phooeys-Coloring-Prompts-Phooey-Kerflooey-vs.-The-Fancy-Fancy-Teacup.pdf

Interview with author Kirsten Clark!!

Today we welcome author Kirsten Clark to The Diamond Mine! Her wonderful Holiday Book "A Christmas Cup of Joe" will be out this November!  Here's a little taste of it. 

He’s a lost soul. She has faith. God has a plan for them both.

Simon Jenkins is a lost soul. Struggling to process a deep loss, he survives one day at a time on the freezing streets. So when a beautiful woman with ruby-red lips thrusts a blessing bag into his arms and shares a message of faith, Simon is dubious. But her eyes twinkle with the promise of hope and love.

Sandra Williams leads a life of faith. She has a great job and a cozy apartment, but her life hasn’t always been this way. And, to be honest, she’s lonely. So when she’s called by God to take a blessing bag to Dickensfield Park, she’s taken aback by the handsome man she meets, but is also excited about God’s plans.

That sounds wonderful, Kirsten! Now here we go with the interview:

Can you tell us a little more about your book?

Sure! A Christmas Cup of Joe is a cozy Christmas romance, but one that doesn’t shy away from exploring meaningful themes.

Simon and Sandra are brought together by nothing less than divine intervention and a cup of joe thanks to their local coffee shop, Holy Grounds. Can Sandra convince Simon that he’s worthy of giving God’s love, and their budding relationship, a chance? You’ll have to read on to find out 😉

How did you get your idea for this story?

When I decided to write Christian fiction, I challenged myself to write a story with a character that truly personified what it means to withhold judgment and offer grace. Sandra is that character.

 How interesting! What made you decide to be a writer?

At age four, I was inexplicably drawn to the light-blue boxed set on the top shelf in our basement that was the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I convinced my mom to read them to me. At first she tried to explain that I wouldn’t like the books because there were no pictures, and she was right: I didn’t like them. I loved them!

While I didn’t explicitly want to be a writer then, those moments spent listening to my mom read established a deep, abiding appreciation for the power of storytelling and literature as the foundation of my innermost self.

Those books were my favorites, too. I not only read them to my children, but have reread them periodically as an adult! I bet a lot of writers had them as favorites.

What was your first story?

I wrote a terrible story about a brown calf with a heart shaped mark on his forehead named Valentine that was (you guessed it!) born on Valentine’s Day. While based on true events on my Grama and Grampa’s farm, it lacked a plot of any kind.

It does sound cute, though! :) 

Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

I’m a huge planner. But once I’ve set out the important plot points, inspiration always takes over. 

Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?

I think it’s important not to write didactically, but I do hope A Christmas Cup of Joe makes readers think about trust, hope, worthiness, and what it really means to be a Christian.

Well, those are beautiful goals! 

Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

Ohh! That’s an interesting question. My Dad is a grumpy guy, so maybe some of those traits found their way into the version of Simon we meet at the beginning of the story.

Do your characters ever surprise you?

I don’t know if surprise is the right word. Sometimes I ignore my characters and write them into situations that just don’t work. When I pull a manuscript apart looking for the problem, I always learn that I should’ve leaned into the character’s motivations and listened to them more closely. They know.

That's a very astute observation. They do know!

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

That would be like picking a favorite child! I have a soft spot for each of my characters. Bridgette the barista with her clicky-clacky nails is such a fun character.

Yes, some characters are such fun to write!

Tell us what you're working on now.

I never want to lose momentum, so I’m always moving forward to new projects. Currently I’m working on a full-length novel, as well as the next installment in the Holy Grounds series.

Well, I hope you have plenty of stories in you! Thanks for the interview, Kirsten!

And now readers, here's a bit more about Kirsten, and her links, too!

Author Bio: 

Kirsten Clark developed a deep and abiding love for stories at a young age, and has been plotting how to become an author ever since. When not writing sweet romances, she can be found in the classroom teaching at her local college, curled up with a cup of coffee and a good book, or baking chocolate cake while listening to podcasts. A graduate of the Universities of Alberta and British Columbia, she lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband and two children, who keep her on her toes.

Purchase Links: not available yet - Release Date: November 1st, 2024

Social Media links: 

Website - https://www.kirstenclarkauthor.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560555721535

Instagram - @kirstenclarkauthor 

Author Staci Stallings's New Book Hits the Shelves

Drop that phone, abandon that tablet, toss that brush on your dresser, hide that bag of fireworks, and set that caffeinated drink aside my friendly reading multi-taskers! Author Staci Stallings has got you covered for the next few minutes. She's a multi-tasker extraordinaire, and she's pumping out book after book while keeping all those other plates spinning. (So jealous as my plates crash and burn!)  And in a few weeks, her newest release Chasing Hearts will hit the shelves. Let's find out more!

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PT: Welcome back Staci! We love to see what you’ve been up to. Remind us of your background and how you landed as an author of Christian Fiction. 

SS: When I first started writing fiction around 1996 after I had my first child, I was told, “Write what you know” and “Read what you want to write.” So, I set out to read contemporary Christian romance, and people in the bookstores laughed at me saying, “You mean historical, right? There’s no such thing as CONTEMPORARY Christian romance. That’s not even a thing.” I realized pretty quickly that what I wanted to write (what I knew in life) wasn’t even a thing in the real world. 

Shortly after that, I had decided to write but maybe not write Christian; however, in my first novel, my character was in freezing water after a plane crash with a wrecked leg and nowhere near the shore. What would I do in that situation? I would PRAY! So, even though there was no evidence that anything I wrote from that point forward would ever sell or even be marketable, I found that ultimately, I had to write what I knew, and what I knew was I don’t want to walk this journey without God. 

PT: I so understand! A person’s faith journey is just ingrained in your life. Inseparable. So, you write in several different genres. Tell us why and what your favorite is. 

SS: Part of me wants to say, “My favorite is whatever I’m writing at the moment.” Part of me says that’s a lie. 😀 I think I don’t really write genres or ages so much as I write the characters that show up. I don’t really have hard and fast parameters of what I think a particular character “should be.” I’ve had characters that were 15 and barely in high school and some that were in their 40’s and trying to find life again after a divorce or death. I learn and I’ve learned from every single one. I think that might be the answer... it’s not my favorite genre... it’s that I get to learn about life from many different perspectives and from each perspective that I write. I’ve never been in an abusive relationship, but I had to learn to navigate one in my book Always. I’ve never been a big city cop, but I had to learn what that was like for I Know What I Love You Means. Each character, each situation teaches me something I couldn’t have learned any other way. That’s what I love about what I write. 

PT: I love how you put that! We readers become that person and live their experiences. Ground us and tell us what region do you live in and do you like to set books in the areas you lived or visited or somewhere totally new? 

SS: I live in the Texas Panhandle, the flattest, driest (other than the actual desert) area on earth. I don’t actually have many books set here although I do have a few that look a lot like Lubbock which is an hour and a half south of here. For settings, they usually just happen naturally. I “see” mountains, or I “see” ocean. Then I pick out an area that’s close to what I’m seeing, give it a name, and go for it. I have written settings of places I’ve visited. For example, I went to a family party in Kansas once, and I wrote that area into the story The Long Way Home.

My dad called when he was reading that book and said he thought he recognized the area, but he’d gone to look at a map and couldn’t find the town I mentioned. I was like, “That’s because I made it up!” I find it much easier to have a general setting—say North Carolina. Then make up a town so that I don’t have to worry about if I named a street the wrong thing. I can make it look like whatever I need it too. I have learned to let my imagination override practically everything else, and I don’t really want to beholden myself to whatever is actually there. 

PT: Since we are so near Independence Day, are you an all-in fireworks planner, a few-sparklers-here- and-there, or do you hover in your house, covering the dogs ears (or somewhere in between?). 

SS: Well, my area LOVES fireworks. For a while, I was allergic to the smoke, so I was a stay-inside-and-try-not-to-die kind of person. Then my son and daughter, who do Christmas light shows started doing a 4th of July show at my house to test out whatever crazy thing they were planning to do for Christmas. So, I’ve had pixel sticks, a screen on my roof, and even a mega-tree in my yard one year for 4th of July. That meant I could go out and sit in a car and watch the show every night for like ten days. I don’t know why that cleared up the breathing thing (or what happened in there to help it), but now I can go out and watch all the fireworks again. Strange how life works like that. 

PT: Let’s get bookish. How many books do you have out now, and what are you working on now? 

SS: Right now I have 71 books on Amazon. Some are nonfiction, but most are fiction. I finished up a 12-book series last year and decided to put out a book I wrote in the early 2000’s. The problem was that with that book when I wrote it, I had truncated the story to get it to end “all nice and neat and tied with a bow.” Unfortunately, I’ve grown so much as a writer and author that it really felt wrong because the characters had found love but not healing. So, I went back and revised the ending of that one and added a second book that is more about the characters healing through their trauma. Those two books were The Love Series , I Know What I Love You Means and Moving Mountains.

Then, last year like a bolt of lightning, the idea for a spin-off series from that one where Pete and Abby the main characters in The Love Series are kind of mentors for Pete’s niece and three nephews as they start to go off to college and have to navigate life showed up. There was a LOT of trauma that was dealt with by Pete and his brother in the first two, and it’s been really interesting to see how the parent’s trauma affected the kids without us probably really realizing it when we were reading The Love Series. So, the new series is called The Perspectives Series as each child comes at life and healing from a vastly different perspective. The first book in that series is Chasing Hearts, and the book I’m working on now is the next book in that series called Picking Wildflowers. 

PT: Tell us a little about Chasing Hearts and where the idea for this book began.

SS: In The Love Series, I really enjoyed the character of Justin, the oldest son. He was very much like my own nephew—very steady and wanting to do things right. Last year as I was finishing up The Love Series, I happened upon a picture of an actor (don’t remember which one now), and I thought, “That guy really looks like Nick (the second brother).” I was a little bored so I wondered if I could find a picture of Justin, which I did, and then of course, I had to find one of Bailey. Once I had those three, I couldn’t leave Noah out. I started thinking about what a book about the siblings might look like, and all of a sudden I knew the story of Chasing Hearts and the title which I didn’t even understand until ¾ through the book. 

When I first started, my biggest challenge was getting the other three siblings—especially Bailey to BE QUIET and let me write Justin’s story. Bailey was the most excited character I’ve ever experienced in my head. She kept showing me pictures and pieces of her story. “Ugh! Bailey, STOP! I have to write this story first!” Now that I’m on her story, she’s so funny because she’s so shut down as a character because of things that have happened to her. However, I know her secret. That is NOT the REAL Bailey. She’s in there somewhere. I’ve just got to find her! 

PT: Oh, know all about bossy characters—Rhapsody—in my head too! And it is SO hard to write someone else’s story while they are yelling to you in your head, LOL. Does Chasing Hearts have a Bible theme or verse that accompanies the storyline? 

SS: Although not Biblical per se, the theme is how we so often try to live our lives to make others “happy,” and how that just does not work. It is finding God and letting Him be your center, your rock, the One Who gives you love so you can give love to the world—rather than trying to get love from other people and the world. It’s a huge rethink that has made so much difference in my life and in many lives around me.

PT: That is a great concept to center on. What Bible verse speaks to you currently? 

SS: I have a verse from The Message Bible on my wall that is 2 Corinthians 13:10: “The authority the Master has given me is for putting people together, not taking them apart.” Recently I’ve really been on a quest to help people learn to heal trauma and set them on a good path where they aren’t fighting their past so much that they can’t face the future or even live in the present. So, right now, that one’s speaking pretty loudly. 

PT: Tell 5 things about Staci Stallings that have nothing to do with writing. 

SS: 

1. I started teaching middle school and high school a few years ago after about 28 years of only teaching Sunday school. I teach some English writing, Life Skills, Creative Writing, Personal Finance, Quantum Growth (how to gain and use personal growth tools and couple them with Christian living), and this coming year, I’m scheduled to teach a Classic Film class. In the Quantum class, I get to help juniors plan their college journeys and get them set up for that. It’s awesome to be there as they learn to “adult” in a way that empowers them rather than stifles them. 

2. I have a YouTube Channel @StaciStallingsAuthor where I share stories on audio. Okay, technically that is about writing too, but if you had any idea all of the stuff I’ve had to learn to be able to do that, and NONE of it has to do with writing! Right now, I have three full books on there for people to listen to for free. I’m in the process of putting a fourth book with plans for the fifth to start in a couple of months. 

3. I love to read. Nonfiction is by far my favorite, and I’m reading three different books right now. Two on the toxic achievement culture monster we’ve created in high schools and the other about How We Heal. 

4. I have three wonderful young adult kids and one wonderful husband, and we just celebrated 33 years of marriage in June. My kids are out there making the world a much better place. My oldest daughter is a campus minister at our local college. My middle daughter is a Cranial-Sacral therapist, and she also helps my son who owns his own Christmas light show park and now a drone company. They are my inspirations! 

5. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I own two businesses and do all of the bookkeeping for each one. As the guidance counselor at my school said one day, “Do you ever sleep?!” To which I replied that I feel like all I do is sleep. If I didn’t have to sleep, I could get so much more done. 😀 (Probably God put that whole sleeping thing in place to force us to slow down at least once a day. At least that’s my theory!) 

PT: Whew! That's an amazing list. And, you have an amazing list of books. Thanks so much for stopping by, Staci.

SS: Thanks so much for the opportunity to visit! God bless everyone!

Staci is graciously offering one blessed reader (who leaves an email or leaves your email on our contact form) a copy of I know What I Love You means. Please don't miss this opportunity! Leave a comment and your email or enter on our contact form.

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