Our interview today is with Kathryn Elizabeth Jones the author of Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones. Her book is rated 4.7 stars on 7 reviews. Before we get to our interview with Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, here is a brief description of Conquering Your Goliaths: David gathered 5 smooth stones to meet and defeat Goliath. What did these stones represent and how can you use them to conquer Goliaths in your own personal quests? Ms. Virginia Bean will show you how.Travel with her on her own personal journey. See what she does. Learn how she grows. Discover what she becomes. “Conquering your Goliaths—A Parable of the Five Stones” is for anyone desiring to travel beyond mediocrity, pain and fear. Learn of the great power within you, a power given to you from God, a power that must ultimately be unleashed to conquer the Goliaths in your own life. Come to an even deeper understanding of God and what he wants for you. Come…
Interview with Kathryn Elizabeth Jones
1. What makes “Conquering Your Goliaths—A Parable of the Five Stones,” different from other self-help books out there? There are many self-help books that direct a reader to improve their life or gain a closer relationship with God, far fewer that teach by fiction in a way that doesn’t preach, but allows the reader to consider his/her life and make corrections as he/she chooses.
2. What specific themes did you emphasize throughout the novel? The five stones are a good starting point: Listening to God, Trusting in him, having Optimism in your life and Tenacity, especially when things get difficult. Constancy in God throughout your life keeps you on that straight and narrow path; it also increases your self-esteem and your ability to forgive yourself and others.
3. To what extent do the characters in “Conquering Your Goliaths” remind you of yourself or someone you know? Ms. Virginia Bean may be a fictional character, but she’s a lot like me. She has some of the same quirks, the same needs, the same desires for her life. Though a parable, “Conquering Your Goliaths,” is more than a feel good story; it’s a story that can initiate change in an individual. A few writers have told me that they’ve gathered their own five stones to help them to remember what they’ve read—this tells me that they are living beyond the story.
4. How do your characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes? Ms. Virginia Bean doesn’t realize that she can not only talk to God, but that he actually hears her and answers her prayers. She doesn’t at first see her potential; but God does.
5. In what ways do the events in the book reveal evidence of your world view? I believe in God and all that can be accomplished through not only believing in him but ACTING on what I believe. Because Virginia acted on what she’d learned, she was able to grow stronger spiritually. She was able to help others come to God. I know I can help others do the same thing.
6. Did writing certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before? Yes. So much of writing is coming to a deeper awareness of yourself, others or the world. For example, it’s hard to talk about making mistakes. There were times I wanted to hold back, not say it all, but skimming across the surface of life leaves out all the joy that can be found underneath the ocean.
7. Was there a basis for your story? A previous experience? Something else? One day my husband received an email from his nephew who is serving a mission for our church. His nephew spoke about how great it would be to read a book about David and Goliath and the five smooth stones David collected to meet the Goliath in his life. My husband told me about the email and the story of “Conquering Your Goliaths” was born.
8. What research did you have to perform to back up your story? Any research which really opened your eyes or gave you new respect for a topic or profession? I did quite a bit of research on the Bible story itself, along with additional words like “winepress” and “Gath,” (the area where Goliath lived). I found that these key words, and others, gave greater depth and understanding to the story.
9. What is your method for writing a book? A certain amount of hours every day? A certain routine? I write every day, even if it’s only my blog. I don’t have a specific time to write, but I make sure I get the time in. My new business, “Idea Creations,” keeps me pretty busy, too. I mentor new writers, help with editing issues, and give positive support to writers whenever I can.
LINKS:
Website/Blog— http://www.ariverofstones.com
Follow on Twitter: #Kakido
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