Meet Kim Vogel Sawyer - Interview & Book Giveaway

It’s my great pleasure to present Kim Vogel Sawyer. I just got my hands on her latest book, My Heart Remembers, yesterday, and I’m having a hard time putting it down! Let’s meet Kim.

THE BIO

Kim Vogel Sawyer, an award-willing and best-selling author, is fond of C words like children, cats, and chocolate. Her debut novel, Waiting for Summer's Return, hit the bestseller charts, was endorsed by Janette Oke, and became a Crossings Book Club Main Selection. Between June of 2006 and March of 2008, she has celebrated the release of ten novels. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in Kansas and have three daughters and four grandsons.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is My Heart Remembers from Bethany House. Please tell us about it.
KVS: The publisher's description follows--Orphaned in a tenement fire, three Irish immigrant children, hoping to be adopted, are sent to Missouri aboard an orphan train. Despite eight-year-old Maelle's desperate attempts to keep her siblings together, each child is taken by a different family. Maelle vows that she will never stop searching for her siblings and that they will be together one day. Seventeen years later, Maelle is still searching. So are her brother and sister. United by blood, divided by time, will they ever be reunited?

JA: This is a story about a family that has been shattered in the worst way. How did you come up with the idea?
KVS: One of the dearest people in my life when I was a child was a woman I called Tantie (my childish attempt at the German word "tante" for "aunt"). She was my babysitter, and then--to my delight--she became my step-grandma in 1969. Not until after her death did I learn this sweet-faced woman, who had no children of her own but willingly raised a dozen abandoned or unwanted children, was herself an "unwanted" child. A train ride brought her to a new family when she was still very young, but she was never formally adopted and grew up feeling as though she didn't belong. Her life story inspired this fictional story of searching for family.

JA: The heroine, Maelle, is eight years old when she’s separated from her siblings. She vows to reunite them, but as the years go by, hope fades. What would you say to someone who finds herself losing hope?
KVS: Look up. Everything of this earth is temporal--it can only last as long as our physical bodies exist. But our relationship with our heavenly Father is eternal--it goes on forever. His blessings to us are ours forever. Our only real and lasting hope is in Him.

JA: What do you want people to take away after reading My Heart Remembers?
KVS: I believe there is a universal longing to belong. We try to fill that longing in a variety of ways, but the only thing that will bring true joy and fulfillment is a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. My prayer is that readers will discover the true bringer of joy and fulfillment as they travel the road to reunion with these characters.

JA: This is your tenth book to come out in two years. I sit in awe! How do you do it?
KVS: Sometimes I sit in awe, too... The only thing I can say is "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). By myself, I can't put two meaningful words on the page. But with prayer, and leaning on His strength, the stories come out. I honestly don't have any other explanation than...it was His will. And His will will be done.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
KVS: In August, the sequel to my first historical novel, Waiting for Summer's Return, will release. Titled Where the Heart Leads, it lets readers step back into Gaeddert, Kansas, a decade after the first story ended. Thomas Ollenburger is now a young man with a college diploma in hand...but what does God intend for his future? I hope readers enjoy seeing how Peter, Summer, and Thomas have grown and changed.

JA: On your website, you talk about why you write fiction. Would you share a bit of that here?
KVS: Certainly. I believe a story can draw people in and make an impact. I have a real heart for sharing the gospel. I'm pretty much a seat-of-the-pants writer, which means I don't plan my stories, yet...somewhere in each story...the message of the saving grace of Jesus is told. There are those who would resist someone sharing a personal testimony, yet they will read a story. Hopefully the message comes through, wrapped in an entertaining tale.

And, truthfully, I gain a lot through the writing of fiction. When I take characters through spiritual growth and development, my own faith grows deeper--the characters' journey often becomes my journey. I pray my stories not only entertain the reader, but also edify.

JA: What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
KVS: I'm a real introvert, but I love acting in theatre--the quirkier the part, the more fun I find it. Some of my past roles have included Queen Aggravain in Once Upon A Mattress, Mrs. Dubose in To Kill A Mockingbird, and Clairee in Steel Magnolias. Someday I'd like to perform in Fiddler on the Roof as the Matchmaker. :o)

JA: When you get a chance to read for fun, what’s the first thing you grab?
KVS: Historical fiction. Ever since my first grade teacher gave me Little House in the Big Woods for Christmas, I've loved traveling back in time through a good story.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
KVS: Please feel free to visit my website www.KimVogelSawyer.com. I update my newsletter bi-monthly. I love visitors, so come on by.

Thank you, Kim, and continued blessings on your writing journey!

WIN THE BOOK

You can win a copy of My Heart Remembers here. Just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll combine the responses of my Blogger and ShoutLife blogs to pick a winner at random on March 6th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) ShoutLifers will be contacted via ShoutMail. Good luck!