Look back at 2014 and be inspired for 2015

As I leave 2014 behind, I must say it was a good year.  No, it wasn’t without trails, but with the Lord’s grace, a remarkable year anyway.  One of the things I enjoyed was an interview for our local newspaper. Juli Bates, is a fellow writer, and she scribes articles for the Courier Tribune in Asheboro, NC.  She interviewed me for the faith section. It was great to be able to share with everyone why I write Christian fiction. Below is some of the article that appeared last February. 

Mary Ball. Christian fiction Writer

Tell me a little about yourself. I live in Randleman NC and write Christian fiction. I keep my grandson around the school schedule. When I’m not writing or helping the family in some way, I enjoy singing gospel songs with my husband, fishing and reading. 

 Some of you books are romance. Why do you write romance novels? I scribe novels with romance because love in any form, is the sweetness that keeps the world focusing on the good things. Romance comes in all sizes from, a lavish night out to the spouse bringing you that first cup of coffee in the mornings. My husband leaves for work early every morning, but before he goes, he fixes a pot of coffee so that when I get up all I need to do is pour a cup. Romance is often those little acts a person does each day.   

How does your faith impact your writing? I write fiction, dealing with all types of subjects. Faith is always a force in my books. I try to show readers that with hope and faith, life can be fulfilling and you can reach your goals.   

Christian Faith is an integral part of all your stories. Why do you believe this is important?  Becoming a Christian begins with faith. It is the anchor that keeps us grounded. The world can be a cold place sometimes with situations we have no control over, but faith gives us a hope to grab hold, and see past the chaos in the world.         

All of your characters face crisis in their lives, some such as alcohol or abuse. Many writers shy away from such painful topics but you don’t. Why is that? It tells us in Matthew 5 that it rains on the just and the unjust. Regardless of who we are, we will face hardships. By writing about challenges, I can also interject my characters dealing with trials from a Godly prospective.        

Hope seems to be a central theme in your books. Your characters find hope even when life seems devoid of it. How important is it for people to realize there is hope in seemingly hopeless situations? Very important! Without hope, all is lost. Without hope, life can seem like a dead-end. People can even succumb to depression, if they don’t have hope within themselves. Hope is the link to having a happy life   

Family and having a place to call home also seems important. In modern society, do you believe having roots is minimized? Yes, it is. With our hectic lifestyles and families living far apart, we can lose that personal connection to our heritage.     

 Why is it important to have Christian novels on the market? Book lovers have a lot of reading choices out there and I believe Inspirational novels are important because they show the reader a kinder way of dealing with life. These novels open up the mind to a world of hope and guidance, which Jesus Christ can bestow on each of us.

 What do you hope people find when they read your books?  I want folks to see a way to live each day in life with knowledge that through faith we can overcome.  

 You have a new book coming out soon. Can you share anything about it? The title is Redemption in Big Fork Lake. This story goes back to the fictional town of Big Fork Lake (my first novel, Escape to Big Fork Lake.) Some of the characters in Redemption in Big Fork Lake are the same, but this novel focuses on a character in the first book that has an addiction and struggles with overcoming or falling deeper in into his bad habits. This is the blurb.  

 What happens when an addiction takes over?

Only after Robert Turner attempts to hurt someone does he realize how much of a hold alcohol has on his life.  

 For Robert, a chance meeting with an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor offers hope. A new devotion to the Lord and a relationship with Belle McBride gives him expectations for a better future.

His life appears to be on the right track, until he comes full circle with his past and faces the one mistake that haunts him daily. Can forgiveness-free Robert? Will he return to the life he once had? have 

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As 2015 begins, I know we all have a plan for the things to come. Something about the beginning of a new calendar brings about the hope to continue and forge ahead.  I think too, that we look back a little and expect to makes changes toward the positive.  

As they say, “hindsight is twenty-twenty.”  For me, it's often true. Many things I wish I had done differently, situations where I now know I didn’t listen to the Lord guidance as well as I should have.  All that can change in this New Year.

I forge ahead into 2015, determined to be a better person, a more talented writer, and to become more attune to the guidance in my life that the Lord offers.