Interview With Author Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am proud to say I’m a Southern girl from Columbus, Georgia and Larry is a mid-westerner from Dubuque, Iowa, transplanted to Illinois. We were married in 1978 and have combined our careers and life experiences to bring a unique blend to our writing. We love to travel and have visited all seven continents and all fifty states, connecting with individuals across the world. We also enjoy mentoring young adults, whom we fondly identify as our “children.” Our only “child,” Casey, was a delightful, smart, and loving cocker spaniel, who we enjoyed for 14 years and still enjoy in our memories.
When asked about our greatest honors, we brag on each other: Carol was the recipient of Presidential Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, which led to a meeting with President George H. W. Bush at the White House. Larry was named an All-American Softball player who pitched his team to third in the nation. He also served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era.
Now living in Daytona Beach, Florida, we enjoy boogie boarding, playing pickleball, studying the Bible, encouraging others, and collaborating on our writing projects. In Search of My Heart is our first novel and the first of the In Search series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The concept for In Search of My Heart grew out of a small-group study of The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. We were discussing the fact that God chose women to discover the empty tomb of Christ and deliver the unbelievable message to the disciples. This was a most unusual choice by God, since women in that culture were not highly regarded, except by Jesus, of course. I recalled saying, almost under my breath, “I wonder what the women were thinking and feeling. I wish we had biblical events written from a woman’s perspective.” I later woke up in the middle of the night, tossed and turned for two hours, finally got up, and after a short Bible reading, I suddenly felt the inspiration for what has become In Search of My Heart sweep over me. At that moment, the idea for a story told by Miriam, a young Jewish girl in first-century Israel, was born.
We have both been inspired by other storytellers, such as our favorite authors above, but primarily by the Holy Spirit, who has truly guided our writing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
We’ve known many authors who outline their story from start to finish and have a clear path for their writing. In our case, the inspiration for In Search of My Heart came to us and the only pre-planning we did was extensive research. Since our In Search novel series takes place in first-century Israel, Larry spent over six months researching every aspect of that time period, including Jewish culture and customs, biblical writings, foods, customs, feast days, the Roman occupation, geography, climate, flowers, government and politics, and everything in between.
Once the research was complete, I began writing not knowing where Miriam’s story would take me. I had heard authors talk about their characters telling their story in some “out-of-body-from-the-author” manner. I thought these authors were a little strange until I experience that very thing with Miriam. As I would go to a friend’s cabin at the lake or isolate myself in my bedroom office to write for hours at a time, I allowed Miriam to share her story. She led me through in a way that is difficult to explain. I love spending time with her.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Liz Curtis Higgs, Francine Rivers, Melanie Dobson, Brock and Bodie Thoene, Chuck Swindoll, and Elizabeth Musser
What are you working on now?
The second book of the In Search series: In Search of My Soul.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We had the help of an amazing website developer, Sheila Slick, to develop our own website: https://mcgehebooks.com. Our website has been a perfect vehicle for promoting our book, since potential readers can learn all about our book, our own stories, additional feature articles about the research and writing, and how to order the book.
Clearly opportunities to gain exposure with Awesome Gang should be a boost!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing and publishing a book is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash. For us, the research and writing were a joy, even exhilarating. We knew that the “business” of publishing and marketing would be hard work, but we had no idea how consuming that aspect of the project would be. If you want your story to reach readers, buckle up for the ride to get your story out there. Don’t be afraid to ask for help anywhere you can find it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Complete a Myers-Briggs profile on your main characters. This may surprise you, but my personal profile was different than my main character’s, even though I completed the profile for both of us! Once you know a character’s profile, you can be sure they remain consistent in their reactions and responses to situations throughout the story.
What are you reading now?
Elizabeth Musser’s Secrets of the Cross series. This is an older series, but one I just purchased, having read the rest of Musser’s books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing the writing for the In Search series
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Attributes of God by A.W. Tozer
In Search of My Heart by C.A. and L.K. McGehe
Author Websites and Profiles
Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe Website
Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe Amazon Profile
Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe’s Social Media Links
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