Welcome to Wahoo Wednesday!
Today we're sitting down for a fascinating Interview with guest author Katy Pistole (Pssst ... there's a giveaway involved, too. Details below.)
Hi, Katy, thanks for being willing to spend some time here on Whispers in Purple. So, tell me . . . How long have you been writing?
I began
writing when I was three years old. The name of my first novel was The Turtle and it was about … a turtle.
I painstakingly cut out the construction paper cover and my mother stapled the
binding. I still have that little book, some 53 years later. It reminds me that
I have always loved words. My mother still helps me with my books. She is
nearly 80 years old and is my best editor.
What a cute story! How do you go
about finding names for your characters?
The names for
my characters are often given to me by Jesus. In my most recent novel, Jubilee The Love Story, the name of the
horse (Jubilee) was delivered before I recognized the significance. It was not
until I read the story through the first time that I realized that the horse
leads my hero (Clay) to his father’s house 49 years after Clay’s last visit. I
re-read Leviticus 25: 10-12 with pounding heart and teary eyes.
"You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field." [NASB)]
That's quite an interesting parallel, Katy. I like the symbolism.
Moving on ... besides
writing, what other hobbies do you enjoy?
I love
horses. I jokingly say that I have loved horses since I could see. I love the
way Jesus shows me His heart for me through my horses. When I was 12 years old,
my parents bought me my first horse. Black Jack was everything I had ever
dreamed of. Around the same time my folks purchased Black Jack, they also
received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They wanted me to join them in their
faith but I felt no need for Jesus. I had a horse! What else did I need?
Black Jack
contracted a fatal illness and was dying. Now I had a need. My mother suggested
a prayer meeting and I had no other option. I agreed. The next morning I raced
to the barn to find my horse healthy and eating hay. The veterinarian had no
explanation. But my little girl heart knew at that moment. I knew that Jesus is
real. Jesus is powerful and good. He has remained faithful to me my whole life,
even when I was not aware of His goodness or presence.
Today horses
continue to serve me as a modern-day Good Shepherd/sheep metaphor. I
incorporate rescued horses in my ministry. One of the questions I love to ask
my students is, “if I have rescued Scooter, how rescued is he? If Jesus has
rescued you, how rescued are you?” This question is a great way to begin a
discussion about the very real pain and suffering this life often brings. Where
is God in all of my pain? This is a question that must be grappled with.
AGREED! Switching focus again ... What is your
typical writing day like?
I am an early
riser so when I am working on a writing project, I am often up by 4:00. I love
the quiet sunrise, and when I home-schooled my children, the early mornings were
often my only time alone. I finished Jubilee last summer and logged over 1000
hours in 14-weeks. I was very grateful for the summer and wanted to make the
most of it. When deadlines loom large I am up early, writing until around 10:00
AM. Then I run to the barn to feed the six ministry horses. I race back to the
house to work until lunchtime. After lunch, I release my ancient pony (Dreamsicle
is about 45 years old) from his stall because it takes him about 4 hours to eat
all of his feed. Then I am back at my desk until 4:00 when I try to rush
through barn chores and evening feed time. I will eat a bowl of salad for
dinner and crash by 8:00 PM. When I have a book in me I spend every second I
can on it. I am very grateful for the time to focus on writing projects.
All right, now let's talk about your book.
Retired horseman, Clay Westin, has suffered terrible loss and turned his back on God. His only connection to life is his son's horse, Jubilee who has been lost on Clay's vast drought-stricken ranch for the past year. Can Clay find Jube before it's too late? Will Clay find peace in the process?
Is there a
theme verse that holds this story together?
The theme of Jubilee, The Love Story is Romans 8:28
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (NASB)
As a Bible teacher and pastoral counselor, I often speak with
folks who are in great pain and angry with God. This verse, in particular,
sounds trite and irrelevant and they are often sick of hearing it. I LOVE
helping them see the Heart of The Shepherd. I love helping them find healing in
His Words. I love walking with them into wholeness.
What can we
expect to see from Katy Pistole in the future?
My next book
is called Having Joy. It is the story
of a woman who has struggled with abuse and pain her whole life. Everyone, from
her mother to her ex-husbands, has attempted to make themselves whole through
her. She finally has a personal encounter with Jesus who helps her make sense
of what it means to belong to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
About the Author
About the Giveaway;
Katy is offering a free copy of Jubilee, the Love Story to one of my readers of this post. Winner's choice of an autographed print copy (US Residents only) or an eBook. (Non-US folks, if your name is drawn, will receive the digital copy. To enter, leave a comment in the section below with your name and contact information. The contest will run for one week, ending next Wednesday, May 1, at Midnight, CDT, Winner will be drawn Thursday and notified via email,
Thank you, Katy, for being my guest today. This book sounds amazing. In fact, I've already downloaded the Kindle version. Can't wait to start reading. God bless you and your writing ... and your horses!
ReplyDeleteWell, since mine is the only comment on this post, looks like we won't be giving away a copy of Katy's book this time.
ReplyDelete