C.J. Chase - Interview

 

C.J. Chase is the author of Redeeming the Rogue (Love Inspired Historicals, August 2011). I was blessed to meet C.J. through our local Tidewater Area Christian Writers group when it got started several years ago.

C.J., welcome to Overcoming Through Time.  Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

Well, like most people, I haven’t breezed through life unscathed by difficulties, but the one that stands out most was when our second son was born, and we learned he has Down Syndrome. That just wasn’t in my plans! I was one of those type-A perfectionists, and a child with intellectual and physical disabilities was a blow to my hopes, dreams, and ego. Now 13, Nathanael is a sweet kid who loves books, country music, and baseball. There will always be a bittersweet quality to our joy, but looking back, I can see how God has used him to change me. And I don’t think it was at all coincidence that the hero of my debut book has a younger sister with Down Syndrome. (CFP note: This is also referred to as Down’s Syndrome.)

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

For you created my inmost being,

        you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

        your works are wonderful,

        I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

        when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the

        depths of the earth,

        your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

        were written in your book

        before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: 13-16 (NIV)

As to the why, I think most people can guess, based on my answer to the question above. It’s a comfort to know God has a purpose for us, even the least of us.

Is your book available in audio format?  Are any available as e-books with audio capability?  Large print?  (Thank you – we offer this information to our readers with difficulty reading books in regular print format.)

No audio, and at this time, Love Inspired Historicals are not published in large print. However, they are available for the most popular e-readers (Kindle, Nook).

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

I’ve discovered that many of the same questions and issues I hear people ask about God (i.e., how can a supposedly loving God allow evil) – often as excuses for shutting out God or denying God’s existence – apply to people across all times. I hope exploring these issues in past times will help modern readers grapple with them.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Well, each book I write reveals something new to me about God and myself. I’ve come to believe that my time isn’t wasted, even if a book doesn’t sell, if I strengthened my faith during the course of writing.

Thank you C.J. for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Giveaway:  Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of C.J.’s new book.