Author Interview – Karen Ferguson – picture book
Guide to Categories – Author Interview – an interview with an author, if there is no review from me, I have not read the book and cannot speak to its appropriateness for a school library
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About the Book
Book: Guess Who Is in God’s Family
Author: Karen Ferguson
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Release date: June 24, 2024
When Lucy comes across some old family pictures, she has a lot of questions for Papa Joe.
- Who are these people?
- Why doesn’t she look like them?
As Papa Joe tells Lucy about her family, he shares with her the uniqueness that God created in each of us from the very beginning, all the way back to our first ancestors, Adam and Eve.
What follows is a wild adventure through the Bible, where Lucy and her papa discover God’s love and faithfulness for all people throughout all of history.
In this second book in the Questions for Kids series, discover how much God loves diversity and how God created your family in the most beautiful and perfect way.
Click here to get you copy!
About the Author – Karen Ferguson
Karen Ferguson is a freelance writer and children’s book author with a background in K-8 education. A grateful wife, mom, and grandmom she is passionate about writing stories that grab and hold young readers’ attentions, while teaching them all about God’s unchangeable truths, and His unchanging love for them. She wants every child to know their life matters. Her first children’s book, Guess How Much God Loves You, was published through Ambassador International in 2022. Now a seven book series, her newest book, Guess Who Is in God’s Family released June 2024.
Author Interview with Karen Ferguson
- When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
- I’ve wanted to be an author since middle school but kept it a secret until I was in my forties. Writing has been a part of my work in various forms for most of my life, but I never truly acknowledged my author dream until a career crisis in 2010. It’s a long story, but after several years of career unrest, then being laid off in 2010 due to the Great Recession, I asked the Lord if He had something different for me. After much prayer and contemplation, including a few fleeces I put out much like Gideon, I was confident God gave me the green light to pursue my writing dream. Fast forward to 2017, and I self published my first book, a wellness devotional. Three years later, I pitched my children’s book idea to Ambassador International, and now I’ve signed on for a seven book series, with this second book just being released.
- When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
- I’m a wife, mom, grand-mom, dog-mom, and dog-grand-mom 🙂 I adore each of these roles, and feel blessed to be in a season where I am able to focus most of my time on family and writing. I also love to travel and explore new places. Our family relocated to Tennessee from the Pacific Northwest in 2021, so we’ve had plenty of opportunity and so much fun finding and visiting new attractions, vacation spots, and entertainment venues. One of my favorite local attractions is the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
- What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?
- This has changed somewhat over the years, but my longest standing favorite is suspense. This includes mystery and thrillers. I’m drawn to them because I find the mysterious and adrenaline laced plots very exciting. I’m pulled in by the tension in the storyline that keeps me waiting on the edge of my seat for the next surprising twist.
- What is your favorite thing about this time of year?
- Summertime is my favorite time of year. Blue skies and sunshine really brighten my days and my outlook on life. My favorite place to vacation is the beach, and the ocean is where I find refreshment and inspiration like no other. I could live in flip flops and shorts.
- Young Author’s Days were an important part of my work as a school librarian. What advice would you give to a child or teen who wants to be a writer?
- The first thing I would advise is do your research. Read stories of successful writers, and find out how they got their start. Look into the different career options available to writers, and narrow it down to a few that interest you. Also, read many books and in multiple genres. Define what you like (or don’t like) about each story and the author’s writing style. This will help you to settle into your own unique style. And of course, write every day. Consider it like exercise for your body; in order to build your writing muscles you must move them every day. I find that the best tool for this is a personal journal to record experiences and writing ideas. Finally, and most importantly, commit your desire to the Lord. Psalm 37:4 says that if we delight in God He will give us the desires of our hearts. I interpret this to mean that if we seek Him first, and submit our desires to Him, then He will transform them to match what He desires for us. So bring this desire to Him on a regular basis and if it remains strong, then be expectant to see the opportunities He will surely bring your way.
Thank you so much for joining us today – it is fun learning more about authors.
More from Karen Ferguson
Did you know the cherubim that guard the Garden of Eden have four faces – that of an ox, human, lion, and eagle? You’ll find their description in Ezekiel 10:14, and it’s quite different from most angels you’ll see in traditional children’s books. But you will see them beautifully illustrated in this second installment in the Questions for Kids picture book series, all about the First Family in the Garden of Eden.
You see, my mission from the very beginning has been to present accurate biblical accounts to young readers that are foundational to increasing their understanding of the Bible and growing a solid faith in God. Kids are bombarded with so many counterfeit messages these days that contradict the Bible, and it’s leaving them confused and hopeless. Is truth relative? Absolutely not! The real Truth lies in God’s Word, and I am grateful to play a part in counteracting the lies of our culture by presenting Truths straight from the Bible, in a fun and dynamic way.
In this book (and book series), you won’t find a regurgitation of Bible facts (that never worked for me as a child). Rather, you’ll find a young girl with many questions about God and life, much like our own children and grandchildren. And you’ll find her loving grandpa who is happy to answer those questions by pointing her to the Word of God. Their adventures into unique periods in Bible history, driven by some serious 7-year old questions, will help pull young readers into the narrative and connect the Bible to their world. It’ll also open doors to faith-building conversations with parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers.
The hardest part of writing these books? Keeping it short enough to fit into the picture book category ;).
I pray you and your young reader will be blessed as you journey with Lucy and her Papa Joe into the Bible to discover God’s power, His faithfulness, and His never-ending love.
Views expressed in this interview/guest post do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog host.
Blog Posts
Blossoms and Blessings, August 24 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, August 25
Beauty in the Binding, August 26 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 27
Guild Master, August 28 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, August 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 29
A Reader’s Brain, August 30 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 31
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 1 (Author Interview)
Labor Not in Vain, September 2
Fiction Book Lover, September 3 (Author Interview)
Cover Lover Book Review, September 4
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 5 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, September 5
Artistic Nobody, September 6
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed hardcover copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5423
Read my Kid Review of Guess Who is in God’s Family
Read more Author Interview posts
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This looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing and hosting this tour.
Cover cute
I liked the interview.