Interview & Giveaway! Carol McCormick ~ Author of The Missing Piece!!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Carol! Will you tell us a little about yourself? 

Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here. My husband and I have two adult daughters, one son-in-law, and one grandson. I homeschooled my girls from kindergarten until their junior year of high school, while also working a few hours a week as a hairstylist. Besides writing, I work part-time in a busy salon and babysit my energetic grandson. I’m a certified personal trainer and a lifestyle and weight management coach, and I’m using this knowledge to write a book about health and wholeness, and how it applies to weight loss. I have also been a speaker for Christian Women’s Club (an affiliation of Stonecroft Ministries International) for over 15 years.

What is The Missing Piece about?

The Missing Piece is an inspirational love story of hope and redemption with a touch of spunk and a hint of humor. The novel is not only a love story about a man who loves a woman, but also a love story about God who loves mankind. After only a few months of marriage, Lorraine left Dylan on a wintry night after he'd spent one too many nights out with the guys. Unable to cope with the loss, Dylan escapes the painful feelings by drinking them away. This decision costs him a year-and-a-half of his life after he stops in a little mountain town and ends up in the local jail. When he's released, he returns home in search of a job to get his life—and his wife back.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

When I was 18 years-old, I read an upbeat, fun book about how to improve relationships. At that time, it was different than anything I’d ever read before, and I remember thinking, I’d like to write a book like this someday. Years later, I read a ten-page story my grandmother wrote about growing up in the early 1900s. Her stories were so fascinating to me that I made up my mind right then and there, to write down my own stories for my children to read someday.

How many books have you written?

Other than The Missing Piece, I have written a non-fiction booklet called, Your Special Gift: A Preteen Primer to the Facts of Life. The eBook uses the analogy of a gift, a lock and a key to define terms and questions regarding sex. I also use scripture to define true love. I also wrote a short story for a children’s magazine that is used in the public school system as a teaching tool.

Which is your favorite?

I’d have to say The Missing Piece, because it’s a story of hope and overcoming obstacles. There are also quite a few humorous parts in the novel, especially when Lorraine and Dylan meet again, after having no contact for a year-and-a-half. There are also so many things that I love about Dylan, but to tell would spoil the story. I also believe that the people who relate to the characters will come away richer after reading.

Where do you get your information and/or ideas for your books? 

I have lived a very full life and I have a powerful testimony, so I remember and can relate to many things. But most of my ideas come from everyday life. I can hear a particular word or read an interesting quote and turn it into a paragraph or scene. I think that once you know the basics of what you want to write about, you begin to see and hear things everywhere that are applicable to the story. When that happens, I write everything down immediately. If I can’t write down the idea because I’m walking or driving, I record the thoughts on my cell phone video then transfer them to my laptop. (I have many videos of my steering wheel and the sidewalk.) I never lack for ideas this way. I am also very perceptive and sensitive to my surroundings, which I feel gives me insight as to what motivates people.


What would you say is the best and/or worst part about being a writer?

The best part is that you can make a difference in someone’s life. A man just emailed me today saying that the story had such a deep and moving impact on him that he had to put it down often to reflect and pray. Writing is also a form of immortality, because your words live on after you’re gone.  It’s also fun creating an alternate world where you can control the outcome.

The least fun part is the organization of all my notes. I can also spend so much time “in” my book scrutinizing a paragraph or chapter that I’m oblivious to my surroundings and then stay up way too late. It’s also very uncomfortable sitting so long.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to walk and bike. I also have a two-and-a-half year old grandson who is a riot! I also like to treasure hunt at household sales, and take day-trips in the autumn to see the beautiful fall colors.

What are three things you wouldn't want to do without (besides the Bible, food, and family)?

One would be my heath in every sense of the word: Spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, the whole shebang. The next would be my friends, because they add a whole different dimension to life than family does. And third would be my writing (flashdrives and hardcopies). My “life,” all my thoughts, lessons, history, mystery, and future books are on my flashdrives, in my notes, or in my journals.

Is there a place you’d like to visit, but haven’t yet?

Heaven…seriously, but not quite yet. I love to read books about people who have died and gone to heaven and back. I love to study the teachings of Jesus about heaven and John’s account of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. I even wrote a scene in The Missing Piece that takes place in heaven. But on this plane, I would love to visit England and Scotland . I am a descendant of the Sinclair (St. Clair) family lineage, so I would love to visit both countries to see the beauty and history of the lands.

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie? 

My favorite song is “Amazing Grace,” because it sums up my life before I came to Christ. My favorite movie is Faith like Potatoes. It’s a true story about a Scottish farmer in South Africa whose amazing conversion and inspiring faith accomplished miracles in the lives and the lands that he touched.

Do you have any favorite authors? 

My favorite fiction writer is Leo Tolstoy (after he became a Christian). His work has so many great lessons that coincide with Biblical teaching. My favorite non-fiction writer is Hannah W. Smith. Besides the Bible, her books have helped me more than any other in my Christian walk.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

I have so many that I love, but the first verses I ever memorized were Proverbs 3:5-6 (about trusting the Lord with all your heart and he will guide your paths). But the one I find myself returning to over and over again is Mark 11:22-24, because I believe that nothing is impossible and that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you tell us a little about it? 

I have one 50 page rough draft of a novel that is set in the early 1900s, but it is on hold, because I’m working on a non-fiction book about overall health and wholeness and the underlying reasons why people struggle with weight issues. I also have about 200 pages of my autobiography in rough draft form, 175 pages of another self-help book, and ideas for more books that have to do with dating and relationships.

Thanks so much for being here! Where can we find you on the web?

There are a few places. One is on my website at www.carolmccormick.com. My author page on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/carolmccormick. And on my facebook page at
www.facebook.com/carolmccormick.themissingpiece

Thank you, Melanie. This was a lot of fun!

Book Giveaway!





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