Welcome back, Carol. How
did you come up with the idea for this story? For several years, I’ve
worked with addicts. The solution to their problems sound easy for the
uninitiated. However … I’ve seen devoted Christians with an ear to God’s tender
voice fall victim again. Without good support groups, they have nowhere to go
but back to the conditions that caused them to be addicted.
This is the second book in the Treasured Lives series. Book
1, Borrowed Lives, introduced us to
the protagonist, Pearl.
I wanted to show the conditions and thought processes that plunge us into
darkness. Even though she thinks life stinks, her “perfect” family battles
their own issues.
All my books involve the concept of redemption. None of us
have fallen so low that God can’t pick us up. The book’s not a downer, but a
hope-filled journey of despair, love and redemption.
Oh, also humor. I cannot write without my trademark humor
poking through.
If you were planning
a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would
you invite and why?
Without a doubt, the first person on my list would be Lisa
Wingate. I haven’t read a book of hers I didn’t like. Her style and
presentation are elements I’d love in my work.
Deb Raney would be on the list. She knows how to set up a
character with complex problems with no way out. Plus, her sweet personality is
a delightful counterpoint to my pessimism.
Linda Rondeau has mentored me, encouraged me, and opened
doors in my writing career I’d never open on my own. Linda’s my doppelganger. We
tease each other (both of us space cadets) that we’re the blonde leading the
blonde.
Steven James’s writing work has schooled me in this craft. He
once had a launch party where the name of someone who attended would be the
victim in his next novel. He would be invited under the condition I’m the
murdered woman.
Angela Hunt. I’m not a fan of her historical fiction, but I
love her contemporary. She holds me spellbound and is an author I’ll pick up
without perusing the details of the novel too deeply.
Lynette Eason rounds out my list. I’ve taken classes from
her at BRCWC. She taught me so much. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone
write so much and win so many awards.
Now let’s do that for
a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you
invite and why? Janette Oke’s work filled our library when my daughter was
young. We’d sit for hours and read. After she went to bed, I read ahead because
I couldn’t stop the story.
Francine Rivers covers so many areas of historical fiction
from Appalachia to ancient Israel.
Plus, she such a universally loved author, billions of other people would come
to my party. Peruse any recommended reading list, she tops the names multiple times.
If we could resurrect the dead, Catherine Marshall. To this
day Christy resonates in me.
Tessa Afshar. She’d been in one of my writing groups, and I
loved the book I read of hers.
Henry McLaughlin had been in one of my earliest writing
groups. He was an excellent critique partner and a delight to be with. We need
a man in this party, and who doesn’t love a good Western?
Many times, people
(and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What
is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?
The hardest part is coming up with something new and fresh. Prodigal
Lives is second in a series. As I complete this interview, I’m struggling
with Book 3. I started Book 3 once and abandoned it after thirty-thousand
words. I’m now on a roll, but book launch, editing for Elk Lake,
and caring for family eats so much of my time, I shunt writing aside.
Tell us about the
featured book. Have you ever fallen so low you know there’s no way up?
This is Pearl Solomon’s life. Jealous of her sisters who
remained with her foster mother after Grandpa Guy adopted her, Pearl makes every wrong decision possible.
Little does she know, life throws roadblocks in her foster
parents’ and her sisters’ lives, too.
Life keeps piling problems on Meredith Jaynes. She loses her
second foster child—one she was scheduled to adopt. Then Parker Snow refuses to
marry her. With only her goats and artisan soap to support her, life will get
no better.
If she is honest, though, she still has Crystal. Her funny, happy, loveable toddler
makes the sun shine and reminds her of the never-failing love of God.
Pearl Solomon loves her life with her grandfather Guy, but
every one of her triumphs is overshadowed by her sisters’ lives. With Mama
Meredith, they live a life she envies. Because of her jealousy, she refuses to
contact them.
Years later, life for both families twist down paths they do
not wish to travel. Pearl
knows she’s lost what was most precious in life but has no means of fixing
things. Left to her own devices, she spirals out of control.
Meredith finds it harder to mask the despair infertility has
brought to her life.
Both families believe they must reconcile themselves to
their fates as reality shatters their dreams unless they dig deep for the
promise of love.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Nothing ever
happened as promised. The warm March
day mocked
Meredith Jaynes. A pale sun in a pastel blue
sky shone on
her as she clung to Parker Snow. The soft
breeze stirred
the redbuds like a scene she’d imagine on
her Hallmark
movies. Unfortunately, this was not happily
ever after.
Meredith and
Parker stood on the side of the road
watching the
social worker’s white car carry her foster child
away.
Breathing came hard as her heart squeezed her lungs.
They stood for
a long time after Roxie disappeared—gone to
live with Lisa
and Todd Simpson. Lisa—the aunt who swore
she only
wanted to meet the girls before she signed away
parental
rights. Then changed her mind. The Simpsons
would not only
take Roxie to Kentucky.
They’d fly her to
Korea when the army transferred Todd.
Roxie left,
and Olaf stayed. Another broken promise.
The kitty had
been Roxie’s lifeline and should’ve gone
with her. Lisa
complained cats irritated her boys’ allergies.
Roxie, though,
loved her cat with the orange stripe along
his nose.
Didn’t love endure all things?
Meredith’s
throat dried. Breathing became impossible.
If Roxie
stayed with her, she’d have given the sweet pixie
unicorns and
mermaids—or, at the very least, Olaf. Why
couldn’t Roxie
stay?
The stupid
law.
How can readers find
you on the Internet? My favorite places to connect with readers are the
following—with my website the best.
On carolmcclain.com
you can sign up for my newsletter and blog. You can find out where I’ll be with
books and my glass work (I am a glass artist, also).
On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/author.Carol.McClain
BookBub is a great place to connect. https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carol-mcclain
Finally, Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash
Prodigal Lives, at
the moment, is only found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60750069-prodigal-lives?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=91KT6OzXsA&rank=2
Thank you, Carol, for
sharing this new book on my blog.
Readers,
leave a comment for a chance
to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in
the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory
or country if outside North America. (Comments
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The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on
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will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook,
Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment
if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/05/prodigal-lives-carol-mcclain-one-free.html
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