Interview with Kathi Macias - Author of "Deliver Me From Evil"

ABOUT THE BOOK ———————

http://youtu.be/Fy_37Tf54dc

Deliver Me from Evil introduces readers to Mara, an eighteen-year-old girl who has been enslaved for nearly ten years, having been sold by her parents in Mexico and then smuggled across the border into San Diego where she was forced into sexual slavery. Readers will also meet 18-year-old, Bible-college-bound Jonathan and his 16-year-old sister, Leah, whose paths cross Mara’s and who become involved in her dramatic rescue.
Interwoven between the stories of Mara, Jonathan, and Leah is the heartbreaking story of another young woman in captivity in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, whose past life mysteriously connects to the young people in San Diego.

AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHI MACIAS ———————

How did you come up with the idea for Deliver Me From Evil and the Freedom series?

It actually came out of a phone conversation with Andrea Mullins, the publisher at New Hope. We were discussing the Extreme Devotion series (about the persecuted Church), which I was still working on at the time, and we began to consider topics for a second series. Andrea was the one who suggested human trafficking, and it really struck a chord with me. The more I researched it and worked on the proposal, the more excited I became about joining forces with others working to abolish modern-day slavery, which is exactly what human trafficking is.
What was your favorite scene to write in Deliver Me From Evil?
This book/series has been the most difficult I’ve ever written, simply because the subject matter is so dark and heavy. More than once I had to walk away and clear my thoughts before moving on from one scene to another. But interspersed between the heartache and tragedy are several lighter scenes (written and incorporated into the book out of necessity), dealing with a pastor’s family and their Bible college-bound son who inadvertently discovers the human trafficking ring and becomes involved in the heroic and dramatic rescue attempt. Any scenes revolving around the absolutely functional and loving life of the Flannery family are my favorites.
What was the most difficult scene, and why?
There were many difficult scenes in this book due to the subject matter, but the hardest had to be when the main character, 18-year-old Mara, realizes that one of the younger girls is being tortured and killed in an effort to extract information and punish her. Though the actual violence is done offstage, Mara experiences each blow and muffled scream, as does the reader.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? If not, how did you catch the writing bug?
Oh yes, I never wanted to be anything else. From the time I discovered the power and allure of words, I was hooked! I was an avid reader before I started kindergarten. A short story I wrote in the third grade was turned into a play for the entire PTA, and I won all sorts of awards for poetry in high school. I even told my then boyfriend (now husband) Al when we were in our early teens that I was going to be a writer one day.
How do you go about writing your fiction books? Which comes first for you, plot, characters, and/or theme?
I usually get what I call “a niggling in my soul,” which eventually emerges into the very basic theme of the book. I hate outlining and writing proposals because I do NOT develop plots or even characters ahead of time. I start with a couple of main characters, a starting and ending point for my story, and just let the rest unfold as I go. I know. We’re not supposed to do it that way, but it works for me, and I so enjoy the surprises as the story develops and my characters take over. So much fun! So long as they don’t try to lead me away from my pre-determined ending. Then I have to reign them back in a bit.
How do you get your ideas for your books?
I have ideas coming out of my ears! I am a seriously addictive idea person. You want ideas? You can have my overflow! My challenge is to figure out which ones are worth pursuing. Not every cute or fun or even meaningful idea that pops into our head is meant to be a book. I pray, think, study, bounce them off people, etc., before committing to moving ahead with one of them. For the most part, however, nearly all my book ideas are, to one degree or another, born out of some moral or social issue that I care about.
How can we find out more about you, The Freedom Series, and other books you are writing?
Please visit my website at KathiMacias.com.

MEET KATHI MACIAS ———————

Kathi Macias

“Kathi Macias is an inspirational speaker who motivates her listeners to draw into a closer walk with Jesus. Her humor, wit and story-telling will have you laughing, contemplating, and crying, all within a matter of minutes. Her truthfulness and transparency as she tells of her life adventures causes her audience to desire to be real about their spiritual journey. They better learn to draw their strength from the Lord, as Kathi continues to encourage them to walk close to Him. Having heard her speak at both one-day events and weekend retreats, I can honestly say she leaves everyone wanting to hear more…” ~ JoAnne Provost, Women’s Ministries, Nuevo Community Church

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

Mom's Checklist for the New School Year

It is hard to believe that our summer is over so soon. Our county does start school quite early, August 1st. It is a time for new beginnings for my girls, Amelia in 10th grade and Alivia in 8th. It is also a time for me to get back on track in some areas as a Mom. As much as I dread getting back into the routine of the "school schedule", there is something that I love about starting over and new beginnings. Getting to bed early, new clothes for the girls, new notebooks and binders, new routines. As a God-fearing Mom that is not about to stand by and allow Satan to get my kids (you know that that is his goal), there are some very important things that need to be included in our routine.

• Start the day with prayer. Before my girls went out the door this morning, I prayed with them and for them. I prayed that they would be a blessing to the people that they are around today, that they would have a mind for learning and that they would sense the Lord's presence with them all through the day. God is with them, but it is a good thing for them to be reminded that He is with them all throughout the day.
• Expect Excellence. I want my girls to be the best that they can be, not anything more, but diligent in giving their best in all their task.
• Great Attitude.  My husband and I often tell the girls that their teachers will not likely remember who gets the best grades in their class, but they will remember the kid with the best attitude.
• Love One Another - Home is the Fortress, the Safe Place. Other people may be unkind, they may beat us down, belittle us, make us feel second rate. Home is the safe place, the place that we get encouraged and are loved unconditionally. Home is not the place for belittling or being rude.

There are many things that are important that should be included in this "New School Year". You can assess what is best for your family. I encourage you to give it some thought and most importantly, spend time with God. We all need our armour on (Ephesians 6) to fight off the Devil.

"My job as parent is a temporary responsibility with eternal consequences." -Tim Kimmel  

Make it a great 2011-2012 School Year!

Your Unique Design - Accepting Who You Are

I often think about Eve. The woman that God created to be the help meet to Adam, I believe, his soul-mate and his partner. I think about how beautiful and perfect that she must have been, for God to have so carefully formed her, breathe life into her. No doubt, everything was just the right size (whatever that is), her skin the perfect shade, no wrinkles, cellulite or grey hair. But really? Did God not take the same amount of care to create me? to create you as well? I have come to the realization, as of late, that there is nothing about me that is an accident. Not one part of my DNA is an uh-oh. From the size of my feet, to my thick blond hair, my sensitive (I cry easily) nature, my personality, my gifts, my talents, my one-of-a-kind me. God formed me, oh so carefully, just as He did Eve. He knew all the things that I would need to fulfill His plan for my life and He created me with that plan in mind. I can praise Him and proclaim... "I am fearfully and wonderfully made". God knew me before the beginning of time, and breathed life into me.


God knew you as well. You were not an accident, you were not happenstance. You were CREATED by the great Creator. As Robert Lewis said, "You are not just a finely tuned machine, you are the special artistic creation of the CREATOR Himself." Be thankful today for the way that God made you. Seek to find His purpose for your life.

Psalm 139:13-18
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
 

Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee...

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Friendship

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand."  ~Henri Nouwen

There are some that would love to give their solutions and their advice, but, there are those that come into our life that make us laugh, lend a hand and most of all relate to what we feel. These friends share our pain. They cry when we cry, mourn over our losses and rejoice in our victories. The silence is not awkward, although, with my real friends there is not a lot of silence. My dearest friends and I do not get to spend that much time together, and when we do... the talking is non-stop (usually until the wee hours of the morning). Most of my dearest friends are spread across the nation;  from California, Nevada, Kentucky, Texas to Florida. I have friends in Romania, Kenya, Morocco, Iran and England. Most of my friends are in the ministry and understand the loneliness that occasionally comes with being a Pastor's Wife.



"Friendship is unnecessary, it has no survival value; but it's one of those things that gives value to survival" ~ C.S. Lewis

Great Expectations

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath

 prepared for them that love him." 

I Corinthians 2:9

There have been times that I have had great expectations. I counted the days to my wedding. I've anxiously awaited the birth of each of my children. I've eagerly looked forward to vacations, get-aways and retreats. Mission trips have been bathed in prayer and we've made each of them with great expectation that God would do something miraculous. In those mission trips we have experienced the million people gathering in Manila Park in the Philippines, with thousands coming to know Christ. Orphanages have been opened, Ladies Conferences held in the Middle East, clothes purchased for children living  in the slum in Africa, medical clinics, feeding programs, sports programs, preaching and singing in public schools in places like Romania and Kenya. I have personally witnessed these miracles with my own eyes.  We embarked on these adventures with great expectations, but God exceeded anything we could have ever imagined or thought.

Christmas is a special time at the home of my mom and dad. The opening of gifts is not pandemonium as I expect it is in some homes. All of the family find their seat (we turn chairs around, grandkids pile on ottomans and in Nana's lap or sit at a parent or Aunt's feet), the Christmas gifts are passed out. But, before anyone opens a gift, we share audible gifts with one another. We speak blessings into each other's lives and tell how each one is special. Each year is different as the battles for the different families are marked by the time and the testimonies are reflective of how we've encouraged one another and loved unconditionally through the hard times. We cry over the losses and rejoice over the victories. We share our testimonies of personal salvation and express our gratitude to the One who has blessed us with all things. After we've read the Christmas story from the Bible and had prayer, the youngest in the family begins to open their gifts one at a time, with a hug after each one. All attention is given to the person opening their gifts. This is our family tradition, and as large as the family has become, it takes a good bit of time to experience the gift giving. We do not usually buy lavish gifts, it is a time to provide some of the needs that we have. A few years ago, my sister received a sewing machine, per her request. I've received pots and pans or a new purse or a robe. Of course, I'm thankful for these things and happy to have something new, but sadly, there are many years that I wouldn't be able to tell you what I received. But, I will never forget the Christmas of 1998.

I  had joked for several years that I would like to have a mink coat. I would occasionally come into contact with a very attractive lady that would be wearing her full length mink coat. I thought she looked so classy. For several years, when my Dad would ask me what I wanted for Christmas or a birthday or anytime I could randomly throw it in, I would reply that I wanted a mink coat. It was a preposterous answer. I had never been to a furrier, I had never even tried on a lavish fur. I said it in jest, never dreaming that I would have a mink coat of my own.  In 1998, things were tight for Roy and me. All of the Christmas gifts that we gave to extended family were homemade gifts. It was a stretch to buy the four girls the things that they wanted and needed for Christmas. When we celebrated Christmas with my parents, sister and her family, I was so completely surprised to find that my Daddy had gone on his own and purchased me a beautiful mink coat. I must say that it was beyond anything I could have imagined or thought. I was surprised beyond words and amazed that my Daddy would buy me something so outlandish. I will probably never know the joy that Daddy had as he did something for me that was so unexpected. A young wife and mom that had nothing lavish, nothing excessive and all of a sudden, I had a mink coat. I felt special and rich.

I am so thankful for the promise of II Corinthians 2:9. There are times in our lives that we almost have no hope because we cannot figure out how a situation is going to work out.  We cannot even imagine that something will be good again, or that there will be a recovery. There are times that we don't even know how to pray because we don't even know what the answer should be. Times when we feel as though we have nothing lavish or any excess. Our Father has MORE THAN ENOUGH. He became poor that we might become rich. When we don't think we have enough, when we don't know how we will make it through, He wraps us in the clothes of His Righteousness and reminds us that we are very special.  Eye hath not seen and I've not even had it enter into my heart what God is preparing for me. I can be assured that there are wonderful things in my future. God is planning things for me right now that will be a wonderful surprise, no one has seen or heard or even had it enter into their heart all of the things that God has planned for me. I'm so thankful that God is the one that is planning my life. Someone that knows me, understands me and has my best interest in mind... all for His glory.

Enjoy this Christmas season and look forward to 2011... God has some amazing things planned for you!

Unemployed... what will we do? Will God do anything?

My husband and I visited with a couple today. He has been out of work for seven months, his wife lost her job two weeks ago. It was indicated in our visit that they have never been in a position like this before. My heart hurts for them and all of the emotions that they are dealing with right now - fear, anxiety, anger, worry, dread. While I hate this for them, I am excited to watch God work. While a couple has a steady income, a happy marriage, a healthy family there is no cause for their faith to grow. Someone that does not need a miracle will not see one. I look forward to seeing how God will love this family through this experience. I reminded the sweet wife of Jeremiah 29:11. When she lost her job, God did not say "uh-oh". Oh no, He has a wonderful plan for their lives, and all of these circumstances is part of his perfect, orchestrated plan.

I shared with this dear couple a bit of mine and Roy's story...
When Roy and I had only been married a few years we desired to move to Kentucky where my Father was pastoring at the time. We would go visit my parents most weekends and we loved the church and wanted to be more involved. Roy looked for a job, but in this depressed town, there was nothing. One Monday before we headed back home, I received a call asking if I was looking for a job. I hadn't been, but was interested if there was something available. I went on an interview that morning and was hired on the spot to be a bookkeeper for a local clothing store chain (I'm pretty certain that this was before quickbooks, but everything was on computer - ha). Roy and I decided that we would step out on faith and make the move, even though he did not have a job. He met someone in our hometown the week before we left, that told him that a frozen fruit manufacturer was looking for distributors in the area that we were moving to. It was a lead. We packed up everything that we had in the back of Daddy's pick-up truck, a horse trailer, my car and Roy's car and we were off on a "God adventure". We had, at the most, $50. We planned to stay with my parents until we had a steady income.

After we arrived in Kentucky and I started my job, Roy drove to Nashville, TN to meet this company with the frozen fruit products. They indeed were looking to grow their business and would like to have a distributor in the area that we were living. In Roy's mind a company was developed and named on the spot, and we were in business - if this company would give us credit for a load of glorified popsicles. Indeed, they were happy to have us add their product to our distributing company (little did they know that we did not have any active accounts). In an oldsmobile, Roy set out with an ice chest in the back seat filled with frozen fruit to attempt to set-up accounts with the convenience stores in our area. Some convenience stores were large corporate chains, some mom-and-pop shops and some not much more than a bait shop. Roy would walk in, ask for the owner, take the wrapper off the popsicle and hand it over. "When I come by here on my "route" would you like me to stop and deliver you a case of this frozen fruit?" The product was a hit and we were seldom told no. The only problem was, we did not have an ice cream truck. We had to be able to keep this product frozen to deliver it. In our church were car dealers. We were living in the "used car capital of the U.S." with a car auction every week..  Roy told a car-dealer friend that we needed to buy an ice cream truck. "In all of the years I've been going to the car sale, I've never seen an ice cream truck come through."  On late Thursday night, someone pulled into the driveway and blew the horn. We walked outside and there was our friend with an ice cream truck. - Miracle. He told us, "I figured since I've never seen an ice cream truck at the auction, and you needed one, that God must have sent this for you - so I bought it. I hope you like it." God was at work and I don't think we even realized at what capacity until later.  There was one issue with this truck, while it did have an ice cream box on the back, there was no freezer unit to cool the box. I would have to admit that it was probably more of an issue of ignorance than it was great faith, but we were moving forward. While Roy was in another town, probably about 50 miles from our new hometown, he was looking for the headquarters of a large convenience store chain in our area. Not being familiar with anything east of the Mississippi, Roy made a wrong turn and was lost. Turning around on a country road to right his wrong, Roy saw out in a field an old dairy's ice cream truck bed with a freezer unit sitting on top of it. - Miracle. Roy found the owner of the truck and he agreed to sell him the freezer unit and allow him to pay him for it over the next couple of months - Miracle (for those of you opposed to credit, I'm sorry). The unit would have to be installed, and yet another miracle, the man that sold him the unit had a son-in-law that could install it. Over the next week, Roy drove the Oldsmobile hundreds of miles into little towns around our hometown, setting up his accounts. He picked up the first truckload of "popsicles" and had two weeks to get them sold so as to make the payments. I know that the point I'm making is that God provides and does miracles. There are so many things that God did in our hearts while we took a faith-walk and learned to trust on Him. As Roy would deliver that product, he tells that he would bend down on one knee to open up the box before putting the product in the freezer, and he would pray that God would send people into that store to buy our product. We were blessed to sell over $90,000 of "popsicles" that first year -Miracle. We learned to pray and wait. We dealt with disappointment when it seemed that everything was going to fall apart. We learned about giving and making God our partner in business. And, then we learned to let it all go when God called Roy into ministry.  God has a plan.... He always has a plan.

I shared two particular points with the young couple today:

1- God doesn't always answer prayer the way that we think He will. He doesn't always provide the way that we think that He should provide. We may think that we need a job, but, God may intend to provide for us in other ways. You don't have to have a job for God to provide for you. Don't get disappointed in God when He doesn't do things YOUR way. Be careful to not get disappointed in God. Give Him time and space to work all things for your good.

2- Do not make an idol of your problem or your undesirable circumstances. You see, when we think and fret more on our circumstances, we have made our situation an idol in our life. We think more of our self than we do of God. This may be one of the hardest things. Satan must get so much pleasure out of seeing us so self-focused. In this recession, America is so self-focused and selfish that we have no time for God and we certainly seldom put Him in first place. As Christians, we may be in church and even serving, but we are virtually useless because we cannot quit focusing on our self.

Matthew 6 is our reminder that when we seek His righteousness, the other things will be taken care of.

And, to continue mine and Roy's story... "And they lived happily ever after" - NOT! I've enjoyed thinking back at how God did work miraculously in our lives. If anyone is interested in hearing more, I will share if I have any comments asking to do so. It may be that this is an encouragement to someone. It may be that it is just another story and no one really cares :-)

Hurry, hurry! So much to do...

I feel as though the clock is ticking and it is getting louder by the minute. It is a constant reminder that I need to hurry; there is so much to do. Yes, it has even got louder since I began this writing. I confess, I’m used to being in a hurry… I so often run late. I specialize in pulling things together at the last minute, I often procrastinate.

The Holidays are coming up and I will admit that I’ve not bought a turkey, made no travel arrangements, purchased no gifts. I haven’t even made a family Christmas photo, but that isn’t why I hear the clock ticking.

Next week about 25 people will be in my home for lunch. I’ve not written out the menu, not done any shopping. Some pansies should be planted, some pine straw strewn in the flower beds and I would love to sew up the curtains for the windows, a new rug would be great for the living room… but that is not why I hear the clock ticking.

I need to visit my loving family and give them my time. It’s been too long since I’ve hugged that sweet Daddy of mine. We need to sit around the table after a wonderful meal and talk about how good our great God has been.  Right now, there just isn’t time, but that is not why I hear the clock ticking.

My daughters are growing, life is so busy. They’ve outgrown their clothes and their hair needs a trim. The dentist is calling, their teeth need a cleaning, I must get them in. Running here and there, there’s so much to do, but that is not why I hear the clock ticking.  

My Saviour is yearning, He is putting out the call… “Who will go for me? Who will be my voice? I died so that the person you pass in the grocery store can have forgiveness. I bled so that your neighbor can have eternal life.  I had a crown of thorns placed on my head so that the teenagers that live in your county, the ones that seek material goods and sexual pleasure to find satisfaction, so that they will know that I am the only thing that satisfies. I was beaten so that the battered and bruised woman with a broken heart, the one that you just passed on the street, so that she can know that a man loves her and gave His life for her. Won’t you tell her?  I bear the scars so the weak, feeble lady with cancer that is enduring chemo treatment, you know her – you see her at church, so that she will know that by my stripes she is healed. Would you please remind her?  I allowed men to spit in my face so that those who are hurt, bitter and angry can find forgiveness for their soul, you see them every day. Won’t you tell them?” He tenderly says to me, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on…But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Matthew 9:37

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  Matthew 24:38-42

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16-17