PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was
reading and writing a part of your life? Who were
your earliest influences and why?
Kathi Macias:
I was born and raised in Ventura (SoCal) and have
wanted to be a writer since I discovered words long
before I started kindergarten. I’m an avid reader
(always have been) and told my husband (then
boyfriend) when we were walking home from junior
high one day that I was going to be a writer when I
grew up. He laughed (then); not so much now. Most of
my earliest influences were teachers, all throughout
school, who encouraged me to pursue writing,
including my high school honors English teacher who
wrote on one of my essays, “So long as you continue
to write like this, your life is on!”
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Kathi Macias:
I would be miserable if I didn’t. I believe I am
gifted and called to write, and I would not only be
disobedient if I didn’t, but I would miss the
greatest fulfillment imaginable—to fulfill my
purpose.
PageOneLit.com: Discuss your book new book
Deliver Me From Evil Freedom Series #1.Obviously,
this is the first of many in a new series. How and
where did this project come from?
Kathi Macias:
It is the first of a three-book fiction series on
the topic of human trafficking, and it was birthed
from my passion to see modern-slavery abolished. The
point that sealed it to me that I would definitely
write this series is when I heard of a man being
busted at the Mexican-US border when he tried to
sell an 18-month old child as a sex slave. I knew
then that I had to do anything possible to help stop
this evil.
PageOneLit.com: (Deliver Me From Evil Freedom
Series #1) Who is Mara? Who is Jonathan? Who is
Leah?
Kathi Macias:
Mara is the girl whose story readers follow
throughout the series. She was sold into slavery by
her family as a child and smuggled across the border
by her uncle, who made money off her for ten years
while she served as a sex slave. Jonathan is a
recent high school graduate who has no clear
direction in life despite the fact that he is
heading off to college in the fall. He stumbles
across Mara and figures out what’s going on in her
life. He eventually finds himself in a position to
help her escape, though it could be extremely
dangerous for all involved, including himself. Leah
is Jonathan’s 16-year old sister, who also becomes
involved, though to a lesser degree.
PageOneLit.com: Deliver Me From Evil Freedom
Series #1 is captivating and uncovers the evil of
enslavement of young girls. How did you research for
this plot?
Kathi Macias:
Sadly the facts are easily discovered. I talked with
several outreach ministries, including the Salvation
Army and Breaking Chains, who are actively working
to free these modern-day slaves. I also spoke with
an investigative reporter who has done quite a bit
of research and writing on the topic and was quite
open to helping me with it.
PageOneLit.com: Discuss your new book A
CHRISTMAS JOURNEY HOME.
Kathi Macias:
This is the story of two widows—one who lives on a
small ranch in Arizona and whose border patrol
husband was recently killed in a border skirmish,
and the other a pregnant woman from Mexico whose
husband was killed trying to get her and their
soon-to-be-born baby settled in the US so they could
have a better chance at life. The two widows are on
a collision course that will bring them together in
an unlikely place on Christmas Eve.
PageOneLit.com: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY HOME is a
'spiritual journey' plot. How much of your faith
went into this book?
Kathi Macias:
A lot, which is true in all my books. Faith has to
be practical to me; it must work itself out in
everyday occurrences, no matter how unlikely or even
dangerous, and this story certainly models that.
PageOneLit.com: You are an award winning,
multi-published author. What advice do you have for
writers out there about in 10 words or less on the
lessons of getting published once they have finished
their novel?
Kathi Macias:
Never give up—and only submit your very best.
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve
with literary work ?
Kathi Macias:
I hope that each work I produce will be cleaner and
deeper than the last, and that I will honor the One
who has gifted me with every word I write.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
Kathi Macias:
What the Bayou Saw
by Patty Lacy (excellent!), though my all time
favorite novel is
Cry the Beloved Country
by Alan Paton.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Kathi Macias:
I’m already plotting my next stand-alone novel for
Christmas 2012, and am busy working on a couple of
proposals as well—always too many ideas and not
enough time!
