Looking Out The Window: Introducing Following the Sparrows, A New Book By Karen Malley, a Scientist By Day and Writer By Night
A Warm Welcome to Karen Malley
Hi Karen, first, tell us a little about yourself.
Sure! I’m a scientist by day, and a writer by night. I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania with my husband and two teenage sons. I love spending time with my family, especially outdoors. We enjoy camping and hiking. We also spend a lot of time playing board games. When I was in graduate school, my husband also went back to school and we didn’t have much money. Because of that, we spent a lot of time playing games, since it was free entertainment.
Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read?
Oh, definitely. I’ve always loved to read. In elementary school we used to have readathons where you’d go to the neighbors and they would give you a donation for every book you read, and the money went to support multiple sclerosis research. My neighbors learned after the first year not to pledge more than a dime per book, since I was known to read about 100 books!
As a child I enjoyed Dr. Seuss, The Berenstain Bears, and then graduated to the Little House on the Prairie books, Harriet the Spy, Judy Blume and then the Lois Duncan thrillers. In the summer I would ride my bike to the library, check out ten books (that was the maximum), and ride home with my bike basket full.
Why do you write?
I write to bring books with a wholesome encouraging Christian message to the world. Because books have been such a big part of my life, it’s only natural to want to give back. Life is full of stories. I have a folder full of story ideas, but only so much time in the day! I know I’ll continue to write as long as I’m able.
Tell us about your latest book.
In Following the Sparrows, Kathryn, a workaholic scientist, has her life interrupted by the death of her husband. She’s running from a troubled past, a secret she’s shared with no one, and as a part of that, she’s running from God. She meets Adam, who has had his share of problems in the past as well, and they develop a friendship. Through lots of twists and turns and some amazing friends, they both learn to grow closer to God and seek His will for their lives.
What inspired you to write this particular book?
It’s funny how the book developed over time. It was natural for me to write about a scientist because I can relate, but I never knew exactly how the book would turn out when I started it. I knew I wanted the characters to find faith in the Lord, so that was a given, but new characters were added and the story grew and changed.
What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?
I love the characters. So much so, that I’ve now written three books in the series. Kathryn and Adam play supporting roles in the second and third books, so I was able to flesh out more of the stories of the secondary characters. I hope readers will tell others they were encouraged by the book, that they felt closer to God by reading it, and that they couldn’t put it down!
What themes do you write about?
There are two main themes in Following the Sparrows which wind their way through the story. The first is finding God’s will. I hope the readers will see through the course of the character’s lives that the only way to find peace is to follow God’s plan for your life. The second theme is forgiveness, and I hope the takeaway there is the healing that exists once you forgive.
Does your faith affect your writing? How?
Absolutely. I pray I’ll write the story God wants me to tell. All of my writing, from my books to my blog posts, focus on a faith-based message. You won’t find sex scenes or obscenities in my books. There are flawed people who’ve made bad choices, but these choices aren’t glorified. At the end of the day I want to write a book that I believe will meet God’s approval.
Do you put yourself in your books?
In bits and pieces, yes. Kathryn has had some experiences in her scientific career that mirrored some things in my career, but I’m more like her friend Anne, who is always baking chocolate chip cookies. (My family is glad of that!)
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The only difference between aspiring writers and writers is words on the page! If you want to write, write. Write the story that God puts on your heart. If He wants it written, he’ll direct your path, and He’ll make sure the people who are meant to read it will. Read books in your genre. Reading making you a better writer. The other advice is to learn to edit. Read books on editing. You’ll be surprised how much better your story can be once you know the common mistakes.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Thank you so much, Gail, for interviewing me for your blog. It’s been such a pleasure.
It's my pleasure to have you.
More About Following the Sparrows
Kathryn Baker is trying to escape her past...
After the tragic death of her husband, Kathryn throws herself into her scientific career. She hopes to right the wrongs of her past before they catch up to her. But when she runs into a handsome stranger, she discovers that he just might hold the key to her future.
Adam Harrison is tired of running from his past ...
After losing everything he worked for in life, Adam is finally ready to follow the path God has for him. When a series of chance meetings brings him to Kathryn, he considers the possibility of loving again. But Kathryn is still on the run from God and from her past.
Can Adam convince Kathryn to stop running and trust him with her secrets, or will her fear make it impossible for them to have a future together?
Enjoy An Excerpt from Following the Sparrows
As the day drew to a close, she couldn’t shake her unease. The feeling grew and swelled in her stomach, as if she swallowed something she shouldn’t. She stretched out the kinks in her back and stepped away from the lab bench. What a long day, even by her standards.
It wasn’t fair. Work usually afforded a haven, a place to tune out everything else. This was where she could forget about perfect Christian Robert trying to make her into something she wasn’t. Forget about Charlie and everything that happened in California. She scowled at the flasks in her hood and her pile of dirty glassware. It would keep until tomorrow. She wouldn’t be able to get anything else done tonight anyway. It was time to face the music with Robert. She peeled off her gloves, shed her lab coat, and headed out.
The summer heat hit her full in the face when she opened the door. The air was thick and heavy. By the time she reached her car, the hairs that had escaped her ponytail clung to her neck. After turning the key in the ignition and throwing the car in reverse, she bucked in her seat as she shifted to drive too quickly. She forced herself to drive cautiously out of the parking lot, all the while anxious to get home and leave the dread behind.
As she pulled up to a traffic light, Kathryn glanced at the car next to her and froze. She sank in her seat and shoved her sunglasses against her face. A honk from behind jolted her—the light turned green. Stealing a glance to the right, the car was gone. Hands trembling, she made it the rest of the way to her neighborhood on autopilot.
She sat at the stop sign at the edge of the development until her breathing returned to normal. She talked herself down, her eyes glued to the rearview mirror. “Be rational. It’s been three years. How can he still wreak this havoc?”
Buy Following the Sparrows on Amazon
Bio:
Karen is an author of Christian fiction. She lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time. When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.
Learn more about Karen on her:
Comments
It's my pleasure to have you!
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT