Welcome back, Chris. God has really been
moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
I want readers to have changed lives because of my stories.
Sometimes that happens in small ways, just a slight shift in their perspective.
I’m getting feedback from those who enjoy the characters and plots that come to
me, but even better are the emails of people who say, “You helped me see my
life and my relationship with God in a real way. That’s the best thing on the
horizon.
Tell us a little
about your family.
My wife and I have been married for more than 30 years. We
have nine children, one dog, one bird, and a high electric bill. We went
through a toxic exposure in Colorado that made
us lose just about everything we owned and now we’re living in Arizona and recovering.
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
I read more technical books on writing now and enjoy the 808
section of the library. I also read to understand how an author I enjoy reading
does something well—a flashback or writing from different points of view. But
writing has not changed my love of reading, getting into a story, getting lost
in it, and exploring new areas of the heart. That’s the most fun about reading.
It can take you anywhere in the galaxy, but it can also take you deep into your
own heart.
What are you working
on right now?
I completed Every Waking Moment, a story about a
girl named Treha who has a special gift to bring people with dementia and
Alzheimer’s “back.” It’s out now. But I realized after writing it that the
story isn’t complete, so I’m working on the “rest of the story” of Treha’s
life.
What outside
interests do you have?
I love sports, film, and reading. My writing and my work on
the radio (“Chris Fabry Live” is on the air two hours, each weekday on Moody
Radio) take up most of the rest of my day, plus, marriage is work as well.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
Setting is so important—the characters pretty much determine
that for me. I write about wherever they live and try to do it authentically.
The book I just finished is set in Tucson ,
near where we live now. The next book will take readers to Tennessee .
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Obviously, Jesus. No question. But if you pinned me against
the wall and made me choose one other person, I would pick Mary. I think it
would be fascinating to hear more of what life was like in those silent years
of Jesus’ life.
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
The meaning of success. Most define it with sales,
readership, popularity, expanding platform, pick your poison. Most writers will
never succeed in terms of wild popularity and readership, and then the numbers,
money, contracts that follow. For me, success is being faithful to the story
that’s chosen me rather than the story I choose. In other words, the pain,
struggle, problems, roadblocks in my life right now are part of the story I’m
telling. I don’t tell it well by going to a deserted island and by pushing
everything hard away, I tell it through the swamp that is my life. Life is not
the absence of struggle, but the presence of it. Success cannot be measured by
externals.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
The new lesson is an old lesson, and it comes through Every
Waking Moment. The question, “If this is as good as your life gets, are you
okay with that?” is ever-present. Am I going to fight and scrape for something
just beyond my grasp, or will I cultivate contentment with what I’ve been
given. That’s a hard, but good, place to be.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Thinking about writing, talking about writing, is not
writing. Only writing is writing. Sit down (or stand) and write. Don’t wait for
someone to validate you and tell you that you are a writer, believe it and act
on the belief. Listen to the editors in your life for they want your book to
succeed as much, if not more, than you do.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Every Waking Moment is about a girl who has fallen through the
cracks in life. And everyone she comes in contact with is asking that same
question, “If this is as good as life gets…” Her name is Treha, and through the
book you discover her gift, her wound, and her destiny. These three things are
at the heart of each of our lives. As her past and present unfold, you’ll have
hope for your own life.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Treha imagined it like this: A summer afternoon. Her
mother’s satin dress billowing. Fully leaved, green trees swaying. Crossing a
busy street.
“Keep up with me, Treha,” her mother said.
Looking into the sunlight, she saw the silhouette of her
mother’s face with beads of sweat on her lip and the wide-brimmed hat casting
shade. Her mother not quite smiling but showing dazzling teeth. Deep-red
lipstick. Like a movie star with a hint of concern on her face.
Momentum carried them to the sidewalk and the corner shop
with the tinkling bell as they passed the red bricks and moved into the cool,
sweet air smells and bright colors under a sign that said Ice Cream.
Her mother led her to the glass case that held the
containers. Treha stood on tiptoes but wasn’t tall enough to see over the edge,
so her mother picked her up and held her, letting her hover above the colors.
She pointed out the ones with dark specks and those with pecans and pralines or
cookies or M&M’s.
“Which one would you like? The orange? Yellow? Don’t take
all day now.”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
www.Chrisfabry.com
Thank you, Chris, for sharing this new book with us. It sounds really interesting. I just received it yesterday and hope to start reading it this weekend.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Every Waking Moment - Christianbook.com
Every Waking Moment
- Amazon.comEvery Waking Moment - Kindle
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