The Writing Porch Q&A: Author Chris Fabry

Author: Chris Fabry is an author and radio host who lives in Colorado with his wife and 9 children. [This is not a typo.] His daily program is Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio.

Most Recent Book: Dogwood - Will returns from prison to the small town of Dogwood, West Virginia, and faces more opposition than he can imagine. The town, family, and the past catch up with him. Ruthie Bowles, an aged sage, helps him try to make a breakthrough. The story is also told through the character Danny Boyd, who lost his sisters in a tragic accident. Tyndale House (2008) Softcover/350 pages http://www.amazon.com/Dogwood-Chris-Fabry/dp/141431955X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213456173&sr=8-1

Why this book? This story has been with me ever since I had the idea to write an adult novel. I've written in different genres, but never adult fiction. My friend, Jerry Jenkins [The Left Behind series], always says, "Write what will bring you to the keyboard every day." This is the story that did that. In fact, Jerry offered some time at his cabin in the mountains and it was there that I wrote a lot of this story.

What was the biggest challenge for you about this book? Keeping the truth veiled throughout the first 3/4 of the book. There are some pretty big reveals as you reach the end.

What do you love about this book? The way this book shows the persistent love of God in the face of indifference.

What are you hoping readers find interesting about this book? I hope readers fall in love with the area that I grew up in. West Virginia is a gorgeous state with wonderful, funny, and complicated people. It's not the caricature you may have seen in the news.

What advice would you give other writers? Persistence is the key. Write as much as you can. Find ways to get published that will be stepping stones. I wrote a column for our small, local paper and got much of my ideas on the page every week. Also, find a friend who is a published writer who can answer any question you might have. And read lots of books from Writers Digest.

What projects do you have coming up? The non-fiction book this year is The Winners Manual, written with Ohio State head football coach, Jim Tressel. I'm also working on the second of three novels written around the setting of Dogwood. That should be out in 2009.

Other books by Chris Fabry: The Winners Manual (With Jim Tressel), Left Behind: The Kids, Spiritually Correct Bedtime Stories, Red Rock Mysteries, The H.I.M. Book, At the Corner of Mundane and Grace, The 77 Habits of Highly Ineffective Christians. (More than 60 books published.)

The Writing Porch's J. Louise Larson is a Texas-based writer whose work has appeared in major magazines and newspapers. She is the author of The FabJob Guide to Party Planning. She is the editor of The Ennis Journal and a contributor to The Waxahachie Daily Light.

The Writing Porch's J. Louise Larson interviews authors for other writers to watch, listen and learn from. To be considered for a Writing Porch Q&A, contact J. Louise Larson through the Comments feature: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=518671822507077211&postID=5145601248816180676