Virtual Blog Tour - Kathi Macias & People of the Book!

Hello Friends,
Haven't done an actual blog tour in a while and am pleased to bring you this one brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotions!

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored more than 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, and was named 2008 Member of the Year by AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding in Al’s new sunburst orange Corvette. You can reach Kathi or find out more about her writing and speaking at www.kathimacias.com. You can also visit her “Easy Writer” blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/

Eighteen-year-old Farah, who lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, wants nothing more than to develop a deeper devotion to her Muslim faith. Then the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself. Her older brother, Kareem, who has never liked Farah, actively seeks to expose her for the sham he believes she is. At the same time, Farah’s 17-year-old cousin, Nura, begins frequenting an online chat room where former Muslims discuss their new Christian faith. While there, Nura meets an American girl of Muslim ancestry—now a devout Christian named Sara. However, Sara has problems of her own due to her 15-year-old brother Emir’s involvement with a gang. The three girls’ lives dovetail until each finds herself at a place where her faith is put to the test. Will they remain faithful to the end? Will God protect and keep them safe in the midst of persecution and treachery? Or will they be required to pay the ultimate price for their faith?

Interview with Kathi!

Can you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

     I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, and YES, even a great grandmother (a young one, of course!). My husband and I have known each other since we were six years old. We live in Southern California and only recently gave up riding Harleys (which is how I got my name of “Easy Writer”); now my hubby has a new toy—a 2005 Corvette, so we ride in that instead.

How long have you been writing?

    Since I discovered words—before I ever started school. I’ve never wanted to do anything else. In fact, my husband remembers the day in junior high when I told him I was going to be a writer some day. I am so blessed to be able to do what I’ve always dreamed of doing!

Tell us about your latest book. What is it about and what inspired you to write it?

    People of the Book is the fourth and final book in the four-book Extreme Devotion fiction series. Each of the books in the series is set in a foreign country (South Africa, Mexico, China, and Saudi Arabia). People of the Book was the most difficult book of the four to write because I had a hard time finding women in Saudi Arabia who were willing to talk to me and work with me on it. They were understandably fearful, but I finally found a lady who had lived there nearly all her life and only recently moved to America. She was a huge help in researching/writing the book.

Have you always written in this genre?

     No. I’ve written more than 30 books, nearly equally divided between fiction and nonfiction. This series is my first venture into international fiction, though I’m already starting on my second international series, which will begin releasing in the fall.

What do you like about this genre?

     Jesus told us to “Go into all the world,” but some of us aren’t able to physically do so. The research and writing of these books enables me to go without leaving home—and it does the same for my readers. I believe our understanding of the Body of Christ is greatly enhanced by learning about people, particularly Christians, in other countries.

If you could be any character in your book, who would you be and why?

     This is a tough one, but I suppose I would be Sara, the American girl from a Muslim-turned-Christian family who connects with a couple of Saudi women online, befriending them even as she speaks to them of Jesus.

What is different about your book compared to other books out on the market?

     The books in this series, which deals with persecuted Christians around the world, as well as the next series, which deals with human trafficking, are not “easy” reads. But I believe they are necessary, particularly in our world where the Internet has greatly reduced the divides between countries and cultures.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

   They are all available on most major online venues, as well as many Christian bookstores across the country. They can also order them directly from my website.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more about you and your work?

     I have two websites and a blog: www.kathimacias.com; www.thetitus2women.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com

What is up next for you?

     I have a stand-alone Christmas novel titled A Christmas Journey Home, releasing in September 2011, and book one of the new Freedom series, Deliver Me from Evil, also releasing in September. The series will have two more books coming in 2012.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

     I hope your readers will stop by my main website (www.kathimacias.com) and browse a bit. They can sign up to receive my weekly devotionals (in either English or Spanish), watch video trailers of all my latest books, and drop me a note via the “comment” tab. I’d love to hear from them, and I promise to answer.