KATHRYN'S FOUNTAIN - David J Claassen - Free Book

This is a new author to me. Welcome, David. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Most of the characters carry something of my DNA, some much more than others. In my novel Kathryn’s Fountain one of the characters, Ed, is an elderly pastor. I’m a pastor and seem to keep moving toward the elderly age range, so I think Ed’s much the kind of elderly pastor I’d like to grow into. Kathryn, my main character, deals with some of the same questions and self-doubts that I have.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I do it on a regular basis! I dabble in ventriloquism and have a little buddy named Ricky. Ricky and I regularly entertain (and seek to teach) the children of the church. In the process Ricky often pokes fun at me. Why I put up with him is beyond me!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I never remember a time when I did not want to write. As a teenager I took our old Underwood typewriter (yes, it was already an antique back in the 60s) and sat at our picnic table under the shade tree on our Iowa farm and typed away. I received my first reject letter from a magazine publisher when I was still a teenager.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I read mainly non-fiction in an effort to keep myself fed, mostly in the field of Christianity. I enjoy real “word crafters” such as Eugene Peterson, Calvin Miller, Philip Yancey, and Kathleen Norris. I also enjoy the devotional classics. I’m currently reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. Nowadays I tend to listen to fiction (while driving) more than read it. I just finished a Stuart Woods novel. I also enjoy Clive Cussler, Louis L’Amour, and Sue Grafton with her alphabet series. I like variety.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

Object Lessons for a Year is a book of children’s sermons using common objects to illustrate the main point. It was published in 1986 and is still in print, having sold, to date, just over 60,000 copies. I was delighted when I found out it had been translated into Japanese a few years ago. Silent Words Loudly Spoken is a collection of over 700 outdoor church sign sayings and came out in 2005. I’ve also self-published, using a print-on-demand publisher, several other books including Journey to the Emperor’s Throne, a children’s story, and a couple of non-fiction books: Exploring the Christian Faith which is an overview of the Christian faith and The Comparison Game, which addresses the struggle we all have with comparing ourselves to others. I’m also re-writing a science fiction novel I started at least fifteen years ago titled Moon’s Mercy. There are several other manuscripts piled high in the closet including His Yoke - My Yoke, The Adventures of the Treeples, Hello from Bedford, and others that slip my mind at the moment.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I take a walk every morning. It’s my prayer time. No matter what the weather (and it can get quite cold here in Michigan!) I’m out there walking. God’s creation not only helps me stay connected to God but it’s very comforting and restorative. I also have several hobbies including photography, raising white homing pigeons, and maintaining a planted aquarium and a small fish pond.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

It’s strange, but many times they just pop into my head. The character has to have that particular name. It feels as if I’ve not created the characters but only discovered them, having met them when they entered my story and so, of course, they already came with a name!

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’ve pastored the Mayfair-Plymouth Congregational Church since graduating from seminary in 1975. I’ve been amongst these people for over 33 years as their pastor.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

An albatross! No bird can fly more effortlessly, and I would love to be able to fly.

What is your favorite food?

Apple pie ala mode – warm!

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Finding time to write. I’m a full-time pastor, so I solved the problem years ago by determining to get up early Tuesday through Saturday and spend just forty-five minutes to an hour writing each day. I have to re-navigate this roadblock every morning when the alarm goes off at five and face the decision to get up or hit the snooze button. It’s amazing how many pages of material you can turn out over time when you write just an hour a day.

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

You MUST rewrite and you MUST have someone, or a couple of people, read your material after you’ve rewritten it! My wife Diann and our church’s secretary, Susan, edit my writing. They make me look good!

Tell us about the featured book?

Kathryn, the main character, is a resident of an assisted living facility called Victorian Manor. Kathryn was resigned to living out her last days uneventfully. The fountain in the manor’s garden changes all of that.

The story unfolds with what appears to be a series of miraculous events that begin at the fountain. Kathryn finds herself involved in a plan to rescue a street child named Jasmine who is often left alone by a neglectful mother. A murder and a developing romance force Kathryn to make the most difficult choice of her long life. Love and sacrifice take on new meaning as she struggles to understand what she is called to do.

Kathryn’s Fountain takes the reader on a journey which explores the distance and alienation often separating people of different generations. I wrote it for all ages but believe the story will resonate in a particularly powerful way for those who find themselves marginalized from the normal activities of life because of their senior citizen status. The story celebrates the gifts the generations can bring to each other.

Another message of the novel is the unique contribution we each can make to the grand scheme of things. A character in the novel puts jigsaw puzzles together, and the imagery of a puzzle piece symbolizes this theme.

The novel also tackles the issue of miracles. I believe in the reality of the miraculous in our lives, but I also believe it often goes undetected. You could say God does miracles by stealth. They often fly under the radar of our daily observations.

I, too, believe in miracles. Please give us the first page of the book.

“Do you believe in miracles?”

Kathryn’s intense blue eyes were locked on mine. Without taking her gaze from me, she reached for the handkerchief that was always stashed beside her in the wheelchair and wiped her wet, arthritic hands. She replaced the handkerchief and waited for my reply.

When I had arrived moments earlier for one of my regular visits to Victorian Manor, I found her as usual in the garden by the fountain. She had just returned the day before from an extended hospitalization; she’d been treated for pneumonia and other pulmonary complications. It didn’t surprise me that she looked weak and frail as she leaned over the side of the fountain, a little lady almost lost in her large wheelchair. Her white hair seemed to glow; her face, etched with wrinkles, was lightly dusted with makeup.

I paused to consider. She wasn’t looking for a theological answer. She had been building up the courage to ask the question; I’d seen that as she swished her hand around and around in the fountain. Her question wasn’t really a question. She was probing, getting a sense of whether it was safe to say what she wanted to say. Could she trust me?

I leaned forward in the wrought iron chair, put my elbows on my knees, and folded my hands. “Yes, I believe in miracles.”

She shook her head. “Not just the miracles of the Bible; I know a preacher should believe in those. I mean…” She paused, nervously stuffing the handkerchief more deeply into the space between her hip and the chair. “Do you believe that miracles happen today?”

“Yes,” I said.

She gripped both armrests and leaned forward; her blue eyes sparkled with intensity. In a voice not much louder than a whisper, she said, “Then I have a story to tell you.”

And so began the unfolding of a tale that took several visits to be told. It is one of the most amazing accounts I have ever heard, in years of ministry, before or since.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web site is located at http://www.daveclaassen.com/ and I also have a blog at www.blogsmonroe.com/faith

Thank you, David, for spending this time with us.

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