Today we welcome Mary C. Findley to the G&F Spotlight! Mary grew up in rural NY and her husband and writing partner is a “city boy” from AZ.
They met at college, taught school in AZ, MO and PA, homeschooled, and created curriculum and videos for church and commercial productions. They have three 20-something children, and now travel the 48 states together in a tractor trailer.
Hello, tell us a little about yourself.
I am a wife of 30+ years, mother of three 20-something children, and I travel with my husband as he drives tractor trailer cross-country. I taught school or homeschooled off and on for more than 20 years, I make Scripture-centered crafts, build puppets and perform with them, and love costume and set design.
Wow! That sounds interesting. So how did you come to be a Christian writer?
Started drawing very young, and all my drawings were of characters I wanted to write about. Becoming Christian was harder since I was immersed in fantasy and SciFi and it took me awhile to get past the secularist and godless emphasis of those fields. In the meantime Historical fiction beckoned and I was successful in that genre, going back to a time when belief in God was more the norm.
I find it fascinating that Christians are moving into the fantasy and scifi fields as well. Seems there’s a genre for everyone these days. I’m curious if you weren’t writing, what would you be doing and why?
Costume design or puppeteering, because I love those too. But this way I get to write the plays too.
Who are your greatest influences either writing or personal?
My husband inspires all my no-compromise, no quitting men. He’s my hero.
If you could give one piece of advice (not writing related), what would it be and why?
Don’t go into debt to get an education that might not even get you a job to pay the school bill back. Try to pay as you go.
There’s some good advice! So what has been your greatest challenge in life so far? How did you handle it?
Homeschooling. Not as well as I should have. I am not an organized person and you just have to be to do it well.
I think homeschooling would take a lot of courage too. I’m amazed by those who tackle it. On a different note, what do you like to read? What are some of your favorites that you have read?
Great classic tales that teach piety, courage, patience, personal sacrifice and honor. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and Persuasion by Jane Austin.
What is a quote or saying you live by? Where did it come from? Why does it speak to you so deeply?
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit they works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established.” Help for my disorganized, undisciplined, and undomisticated nature.
Haha! I’m with you on that one! What are you working on right now?
Literature and English Skills Curriculum, a literature supplement to our Conflict of the Ages series, and three fiction projects: One involving a Christian Victorian Steampunk suspense story about favorite literary characters (Oliver Twist among others), a sequel to my fantasy The Baron of Larcondale called Three Healers for Kolt-Kutan, and an allegorical treatment of persecution and spreading the Word in a world where Nimrod and Semiramis have created an “immortal” dynasty seeking to “open the Stargate” and commune with gods.
Wow! Nothing like having a full plate! So tell us a little about things you have out now we might be interested in checking out.
Our blog contains a number of samples of our books plus discussions of important issues, studies on the meat of the Scriptures and reviews of other authors’ books. We have a special call to combat Secular Humanism. We want to disestablish it as America’s Established Religion and our book Antidisestablishmentarianism particularly deals with this. We also have Curriculum and fiction works, Sci Fi, Historical, Romance, and Children’s and YA novels. Four of our books are 99 cents.
Where can readers find you on the ‘net?
http://elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com is our blog.
findleyfamilyvideopublications.com is our website.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Findley-Family-Video/149992491693629 is our Findley Family Video Facebook page
@MaryCFindley on Twitter
Awesome! Thanks so much for joining us. Best of luck in all your travels, and God bless!