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: The Orphan Carpenter: Orphaned at birth. Adopted by God. A tale of hope and a future.

Author: Kenneth Ian McQuarrie

Genre: Spiritual Growth/Memoir

Release Date: November 22, 2022

“Ok Lord, I sure hope you have this under control, because from where I sit things aren’t looking so good.”

When I came into this world, there were no baby showers, no celebrations, no father handing out big cigars, or first photo being passed around the office. Grandma, grandpa, aunts, and uncles would not be visiting, pinching my chubby cheeks and saying how cute I was. You see, I was an orphan. Unwanted, cold, hungry, and alone … or was I?

Have you ever wondered where God is? How can this be happening? What did I do to deserve this? Have your circumstances led you to question your faith? Does God care? Does he even exist?

My core beliefs had been shaken. To make sense of what just happened, I went back and examined my own life. So many times, the odds were heavily stacked against me, life and death situations. Yet, somehow, someway, God always showed up.

From orphan to carpenter and beyond, the pages of this book are my life stories. But the book is not about me or my story. It’s about God.

As you read these true stories of my life like parables, may they be a testament that God loves you and has a plan to give you hope and a future.

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About the Author – Kenneth Ian McQuarrie

An orphan from birth with serious medical complications, Kenneth went into foster care at three months old. Eventually adopted by his foster family, he grew up in a small northern Canadian city. Being raised by loving Christian parents and mentored by his carpenter grandfather, he dreamed of becoming a carpenter himself one day. The Lord had different plans for young Kenneth. Plans that would take him on an incredible life journey to the pinnacle of the North American construction industry.

Kenneth has always held firmly to his faith throughout the journey, trials, and tribulations. He’s served in church administration and hosted and led Bible studies throughout his adult life. He lives in Orange County, California, with his wife, Celine.

More from Kenneth Ian McQuarrie

Back in early 2018, following a very harrowing experience, I found my marriage starting to crumble. My wife Celine and I were processing things very differently. I’m a builder, a fixer, and I couldn’t fix it. Jeepers, I didn’t even know what it was.

Suddenly, this random thought flooded into my brain, and I blurted out, “Would you be willing for us to go see a counselor to help us process all this?”

Did I just say that? I thought as Celine said, “OK, yes, let’s do that.”

At one of our counseling sessions, the counselor said, “Your lives together began when you started dating. But, before that, both of you had lived separate lives for many years. So, for this week’s homework assignment, I want you to write each other a story from your life. The life you had before you met. Your memories from when you were growing up.”

“Me, write a story? I barely passed English class in school. I’m no writer,” I responded.

The counselor smiled. “I’m not saying write a novel. It’s more like a letter, just write down some memories of your life you can share. Just like our session today, this will help you to understand each other better.”

“OK, I’ll give it a try,” I said.

That night, Celine fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, exhausted from the emotional roller coaster a few hours before. So, I pulled out a journal and pen and began to write. I scribbled notes down for about an hour then fell asleep.

In the morning, I handed Celine my journal. As she began to read, her brow wrinkled, followed by her face contorting as if in pain. Finally, after a couple of long minutes, she looked up.

“Is it that bad?” I asked.

“No, it’s not that it’s bad. It’s … you should write this.”

“I just did.”

“No, I mean you should write your story, your whole story.”

“You mean like a book? I can’t write a book. I barely passed English class.

“No, you can’t spell, and yes, your grammar is terrible, but you tell stories all the time, and people like your stories. People remember your stories.”

Celine was right about one thing, the fact that I tell a lot of stories. When I was young, Mom would tell me stories repeatedly of how I came to be a McQuarrie. I loved Bible stories about Moses, Joseph, and King David as a little guy. I guess not being good at English, I often used stories of my life to explain myself or try to relate to others.

“Stories are one thing, but to write a book, you have to have a point or a purpose, not just a bunch of stories,” I said to Celine.

“Well, you should pray about it,” Celine responded.

After almost a year of praying about it and three years of writing, in November 2022, The Orphan Carpenter was published. I know the Lord had his hand in writing this book because there is no way I could have pulled this off on my own.

I pray the Lord takes these stories to those they were meant to encourage.

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

Author Interview – Kenneth Ian McQuarrie

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

     I’m still trying to figure that out. I am an improbable author. This book began as an assignment my wife and I were given during a counseling session following a traumatic experience. The assignment was for each of us to write a story about our life before we met. So we could better understand how we react differently to situations based on our upbringing. Well, I just kept on writing. I recently started on my 2^nd book, a children’s fiction fantasy book, using my first book as source material. 

When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?

     I manage the preconstruction and estimating for a Southern California office of a large international general contractor. But I still stay close to my carpenter roots by doing projects around the house. My wife and I enjoy being auntie and uncle to our close friends, twin three-year-old girls and nine-month-old boy. When not babysitting, we enjoy bible studies, traveling, athletic activities, and staying active.  

What historical figure do you admire and why?

     I’m a big admirer of Moses. Besides the fact that we both went into foster care at three months old, I can relate to how he searched for purpose throughout his life. God took him from being a proud young man who tried to take matters into his own hands to being one of the most humble servants of the Lord. I can only imagine the trials and tribulations Moses endured over the years. But the Lord refined Moses into a humble servant through those difficult times. Once Moses completely surrendered, God powerfully used him. 

What in your background brought you to the writing of this book?

     I am probably among the least likely people ever to write a book. I always struggled with English/writing classes growing up. I had some medical challenges as a youngster, so I spent a lot of time with my mother. Mom and I would always have afternoon tea and talk stories. These stories would help me relate to my situation, understanding life lessons and how I came into this world. So, at a young age, I became a storyteller. As an adult, I always use the crazy stories of my life to explain myself or a biblical principle. As previously mentioned, this book started with a counseling exercise. Once I started putting my stories down on paper, I began to see how much God had been working in my life to bring victory out of even the most tragic events. After fifty years of living and three years of writing, my stories are now published. I couldn’t have done it without the Lord’s help. 

If readers have just one take-away from this book, what do you want it to be?

     Many statistics today state that people are losing faith in God. Many of the younger generations don’t believe God exists. The entire purpose of this book is to present the gospel message in an easy and relatable way. The stories in this book are like modern-day parables, proving that God not only exists but also loves you and is working in your life to bring you hope and a future. All the stories are true; they really happened. But my life stories are secondary and are used only to show how God works today in our lives, just like he has been for centuries in the lives of those who came before us. I pray the stories in this book bring encouragement and renewed faith in how much God loves you and is working in your life. 

Thanks for joining me today Kenneth. I appreciate you sharing with my readers.

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Cover Lover Book Review, January 28

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Giveaway

https://promosimple.com/ps/297c9/the-orphan-carpenter-celebration-tour-giveaway

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