Looking Out The Window: Carol James Talks About Trusting God And Her New Book, The Waiting. Gives Away An E-book

A Warm Welcome to Carol James

Carol will give away an eBook of The Waiting. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.

Hi, Gail. Please let me begin by thanking you for having me here. I appreciate the opportunity to share with your readers.

It's my pleasure to have you. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am the wife of one, the mother of two, and the grandmother of five. Retired, I enjoy spending time with my husband and Zoe, our Jack Russell “Terrorist.” I have a BA in English/Education and have taught children from kindergarten to high school age. My last job was in the international sales department of a medical device manufacturer.

Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read?

Oh, yes! I read everything I could find. I particularly enjoyed mysteries and tales of adventure. We lived in England during part of my childhood and got hooked on the Fantastic Five series. Two of my other favorites were Heidi and Robinson Crusoe.

It's always interesting to find out what motivates people to write. Why do you write?

I never aspired to be a writer, but I’ve always enjoyed reading. I majored in English in college because I liked grammar. Not writing. (Weird, I know.) God laid writing on my heart as a ministry much later in life. My desire is to create streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19.

Tell us about your latest book.

I’d love to! My latest book is The Waiting, and the release date was January 18, 2019. It’s a story about learning to trust God’s perfect timing in our lives.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

Over the years, I watched young women follow a formula to find a husband. They believed if they did A, B, and C and checked all the boxes, God would bring them the right man, their One. Not that God can’t, but when they’d done everything and He didn’t, they’d become discouraged.

What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?

I love the story of hope and of God’s provision when we step aside and trust Him. My prayer is that readers will see how God can take our mess and make it beautiful.

What a nice premise. Where do you get ideas for your books?

Everywhere. LOL Sometimes the stories come from situations I’ve observed, as in The Waiting. Often, I’ll read a scripture or hear a worship song, and a phrase will explode in my heart, and a story line will begin to develop.

What themes do you write about?

My favorite themes are forgiveness and redemption. None of us is ever so far away that we can’t be forgiven and redeemed.

What is your writing schedule and where do you write?

My favorite time to write is early in the morning. It just seems my mind is fresher then. I write in my home office and also in bed. I’m sitting in my daughter’s kitchen right now writing. I do love my laptop!

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

Ah, yes. The big question. I happily confess I am a plantzer. Minimal plotting. I usually know how the story will begin, the black moment, and the ending. The rest is all written by the seat of my pants. I’ve often found I can be in the middle of writing a scene, and the characters will take me someplace I could have never plotted. I love to let them be creative.

What are you working on right now?

My current manuscript is entitled No Longer Captive. It addresses the issue of forgiveness and moving beyond childhood abuse.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Yes! Write, write, write. Join, join, join. And enter, enter, enter. The most important part of writing is striving to perfect your craft, and that comes through practice and education. Author’s groups (like ACFW) are a perfect setting to meet other like-minded writers. For me, entering contests was a valuable tool. You receive unbiased feedback about your work, and if you final or win, your entry is usually evaluated by an agent or a publisher. A great way to get your work moved to the top of the pile.

About The Waiting

When Katherine Herrington was a teenager, she made “The List” and believed God would bring her the husband she desired. That faith helped her to keep life under control just the way she likes it. But then Katherine loses her mother, her job, and her boyfriend, and after years of praying, she accepts the probability that God’s answer is, “No.”

A professional soccer player, Sam Tucker has lived the life of a celebrity in the UK only to discover that, despite all the wealth and fame he has acquired, his life is empty. He re-turns to the one place where life last had meaning, and goes in search of the one woman he’s loved since he was a teenager—Katherine. He wonders if she’ll remember him after all these years… And fears she just might.

As God weaves together a rejected proposal, a mission trip, and a devastating storm to turn their hearts toward Him and toward each other, Katherine and Sam will have to let go of their fears, find forgiveness and trust, and realize that their future together was worth the wait

Buy The Waiting on Pelican Book Group

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Bio: 

Carol James is an author of inspirational fiction. She lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.

Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of inspirational fiction.

Carol enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with friends, and serving in the production department at her church. And, most days in the late hours of the night or the wee hours of the morning, she can be found bringing her newest novel to life.

Connect with Carol at her website
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