UNCONDITIONAL - Eva Marie Everson - One Free Book

Welcome, Eva Marie. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I have a book due the first of the year which releases—I think—in early 2014. Another book—the third in the Cedar Key series, titled Slow Moon Rising—releases in May 2013. And, I just signed a new contract with Broadman & Holman for a book not due for two years. Can you believe that? J

That’s wonderful. Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I live in a lakefront house (we call it The Lake House) with our two dogs. We have children and grandchild with another grandson on the way next month.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

It actually has made it more difficult. I often find myself reading as though I’m editing the work. Which means I read sooooo sloooooowly. I have to remind myself to let go and just enjoy!

What are you working on right now?

A work for Abingdon Press titled The Last Will in Testament.

What outside interests do you have?

Knitting. I love walking trails. I love travel. And I’m a pretty good photographer.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I really don’t. They choose me.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Besides Jesus, of course (well, we spend a little time together every day anyway…) I’ve been researching my family history. There are quite a few of my great-greats I would love to sit down and talk with. To find out why they did what they did. Moved where they moved. Chose what they chose. I have learned that my family is full of interesting characters. I also have a better glimpse into who I am because of this research.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

That one day it would be more about the business of writing and less about the writing. I would have enjoyed that time when all I had to do was write.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

So many lessons. I’m constantly being reminded to trust Him. “I’ve got it,” He says. Every day.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Write well.

Be willing to learn.

Pray hard.

I totally agree with each of those. Tell us about the featured book.

Unconditional is the novelization of the movie by the same title (www.UnconditionalTheMovie.com ). This movie (and book) tells the story of a man named Papa Joe Bradford who, with his wife Denise, gives hope and a future to the at-risk children of our country. They started their ministry, unbeknownst to them at the time, in Nashville. But that influence has extended far.

The movie’s screenplay was written by a talented man named Brent McCorkle. Brent also directed the movie, edited it, and I believe he wrote some of the music for the film. Truly a brilliant work. Being a part of it—even as small as my contribution was—has been such an honor.

Writing the book from the screenplay and the screener meant I had to do more than just tell what I saw on the screen. I had to think outside the box. What we see on screen—no matter if all the questions are answered or not—we don’t question so much. But in a book, we do. So, I got to answer questions like “What made Papa Joe sick?” and “How did Samantha and Billy meet? Fall in love? Why didn’t they have children of their own?” I also was able to dive into the emotions, much like the actors have to do in order to play the character. The whole experience was marvelous. And cathartic.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

Life used to be so beautiful. So full of magic and possibilities. Wonder and excitement. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. Couldn’t be. Couldn’t go.

When I was a child, I would sit for hours drawing and dreaming up crazy stories to tell all my friends. Multi-colored crayon tales etched by wild imaginings. Stories about a place where the sun always shone. Or a place where a tin man could carry a little red-headed girl to the farthest point of the universe, way above the earth, on feet made of fire. Or, in another story, set on a lonely island way out in the middle of the ocean, where a deer and a platypus lived in disharmony. They sat back to back on this tiny piece of land, never acknowledging each other. Until, one day when they were both thirsty, the deer climbed up a coconut tree so they could share a drink. And after that, they were the best of friends.

I thought my stories would inspire the world, make it a better place somehow. I was such a dreamer. And for a while it seemed that all my dreams would come true.

Billy Crawford was my world. The man of my dreams. The man I promised to love and honor and cherish until “death do us part.” Believing, of course, that death would never really come. Or, that if it did, it would be a long way off in the future. Too far away to worry about today. Or even tomorrow.

Billy worked for the power company. I used to proudly brag, “Wherever it’s dark, Billy brings light.” Billy would laugh and say, “But only if there’s a switch to flip.”

While Billy made the world brighter, I wrote children’s books, letting all who would read know—one story at a time—that the fairy tale did exist. Everyone and anyone could have all they wanted and more. All they had to do was believe in their dreams.

But how quickly dreams can be shattered. In one second. With one gun. One bullet cracking the silence of one night.

A dragon had come to slay my knight.

But, that killer didn’t just take Billy’s life. He took mine, too. Like Rapunzel, he locked me in a dark, cold tower, where I lived alone, unable to climb down to where the world was green and warmed by sunshine. Colors had faded to black and white. The places that—once upon a time—had freely been mine were now barred to me.

Very lyrical. You have me hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.EvaMarieEversonAuthor.com

Thank you, Eva Marie. I'm thrilled to learn about this book and the movie it's based on. I know my readers are too.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Unconditional: A Novel - paperback
Unconditional: A Novel - Kindle


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