Interview with Author Karalee Ratliff

Karalee Ratliff
Author of Unconditional Love

T4JYM: Can you tell our readers what they can expect from your latest book, Unconditional Love?

KR: Thank you for inviting me to your email interview process. Unconditional Love is the fourth book in a series encompassing how we are all an intricate part of God’s plan. The first three books build the platform and foundation. Unconditional Love introduces new characters and familiar dynamics. Reconciliation of estranged family and friends. In this book, a young man, just out of high school, finds his calling simply by acknowledging a stranger. The main character, Colton, heals wounds from his childhood and is reintroduced to a family that he was sure wanted nothing to do with him.

T4JYM: Do you have other books you have written?

KR: Yes. I have seven total books published. Only five are available at this time. The Chasm, Gentle Breeze, and Redemption are the first three books of the series. When the Father Calls is a stand alone. From the Darkness Comes the Light and His thoughts, His Words, My Pen, are currently out of circulation.

T4JYM: What is next for you? Are you working on something new? Anything different?

KR: I have found a love for competitions and challenges. When the Father Calls is a novella that I wrote and published in 90 days. Unconditional Love is the first ‘novel’ I have ever written, sitting at 64k plus words. Currently, I am in several short story contests, and I am in the midst of writing the fifth book of The Chasm series.

T4JYM: Will you describe your writing process, from the spark of an idea through writing, editing, and then publishing? What happens after it is officially “finished?”

KR: My writing process is ‘fly by the seat of my pants’. I never took notes in school and barely passed English with outlines. So, in my head, if I am going to spend the time to outline, I might as well just write the story. The first two books are kind of a blur, but still a fly by the seat of my pants…except the His Thoughts book is a compilation of poetry. This series that I am writing, began as an argument with God…for nearly a year. Then when I gave up and started writing, I was amazed. After I started the publishing of that book, He gave me the next one, then again. All my work comes from the Father.

When the Father Calls, was the first book I edited. That was scary. Again, spell check is my friend and beta readers. I was called out on one item that I actually caught, but forgot to fix. It kind of makes a giggle in the book the way it is.

For the first five books, I used self-publishing companies. The first one is no longer in business. The second one did right by me, I have no complaints, but I could not see spending that kind of money each time I finished a book. Through AutoCrit, one of the coaches told me about Draft2Digital. This is where I have published the last two books. So far, so good.

T4JYM: When did you begin writing? How has your writing changed from your first work to now?

KR: I actually found a love for writing when I was kid, about 16 or so. My mother, a total word-nerd, helped me write an essay for English class by showing me how to make words sing on the paper. When that happened, I fell in love with writing. Still did not like to read. That bored me. But writing, that was a different story.

T4JYM: Let’s explore a few more favorites… What is your favorite: Food? Drink? Color? TV show? Musician/Band? Hobby? Movie? Book of the Bible? Bible Verse? Worship Song?

KR:

Food: Mac n Cheese
Drink: Coffee
Color: Blue
Tv show: Greys Anatomy and Little House on the Prairie (quite the combo eh)
Musician: Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp
Hobby: Forgetting that I am old and playing with my grandkids
Book of the Bible: This is a little more difficult, as I am reading (listening to) the bible now …maybe Matthew because of the Sermon on the Mount
Verse: Proverbs 3:5
Worship song: Mercy Me … Even If

T4JYM: Besides writing books, tell our readers a little about you and the things that keep you busy.

KR: I am happily married to my best friend now for 35 years. I currently work for the Post Office and am very close to retirement. Spending time with my wonderful husband while we are still young enough to enjoy life. Traveling on both long and short trips. We have family in Germany so we go there every other year.

T4JYM: Do you read books yourself? Have any authors inspired your writing?

KR: This is the funny part for me. Reading bores me. HOWEVER, now that I have discovered audible books, I am branching out. Right now my favorite and only book is the Bible.

T4JYM: Please tell us how you came to be a Christian and how this has influenced your writing.

KR: I was 16. Many of my friends were church-going Christians. I did not really fit in anywhere for a variety of reasons, but they accepted me for who I was. One day, without really understanding the dynamic of it all, I told my mother that I wanted to be baptized. She began to question me to see if I understood. Not that she was trying to block my decision, but she understood what it meant even though we did not go to church. (An area she has told me on many occasions is one of her greatest faults). After she was convinced that I was not doing it to just fit in, she agreed that I was doing it for the right reasons.

There was no ‘grand’ transformation or blinding light, as it were; I just made up my mind that Jesus was the way and I wanted to learn about him. Then, when I lost my first daughter to Sids, I cursed God and told him to get out of my life. No, thank you. You don’t take a child like that. It took about ten or twelve years and a gentle talk from a very on-fire born-again Christian grandma to start my real transformation. I ended up in a deep depression and had to be medicated. My husband said that he was scared he had lost me. Then, one day, I reached out to my old church where I was baptized, and they welcomed me home. I have been in many churches over the years and belonged to one other; however, I always come home to my small town, bible-teaching congregation.

T4JYM: If you could meet any 3 people – past, present, or future – who would they be and why?

KR: I think…

Nancy Reagan. Ronald had memory issues and I would love to hear her perspective on that and how she coped.
Reba McIntire …Whose presence in all that she does seems to be so heartfelt and true.
Peter: He and I are like soul mates, I think. Hot-tempered but eager to jump into the middle of a crisis.

T4JYM: Who is someone you look up to and why? Have you ever met them?

KR: My mother is my hero. Her childhood was horrid. In my opinion. Yet, she persevered and remained standing after many obstacles. If I am but half the woman that she is, I am wonderful.

T4JYM: Who has been your biggest advocate and supporter in your journey to success?

KR: My family. Both blood and non-blood family. My husband should be my agent. We don’t go very many places where he does not brag that he is married to a published author. It is very humbling.

T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing their work?

KR: If you are truly interested in writing a story…be true to yourself. Go to God and ask him to give you the words that He wants you to write. Do not try to be something or someone you are not. If this is truly your calling…to tell modern-day parables in the form of novels, or novellas, then be Noah and tune out the naysayers. The first question I am asked after they find out I am a published author is, “You write books?” To which my response is always, “Yes, I can make a sentence. I actually have made seven.” This breaks the ice, and then they ask about me and the books.

T4JYM: What advice would you give to the youth of this world?

KR: The world will tell you that Jesus is a myth. You don’t need him to do anything. This is false. Without Him, I would not have made it through my depression. Without Him, I would not have been able to survive my daughter’s death (and remember, I threw him out). Without Him, I would not have landed this cool job. Without Him, I would not be the respected person in my business that I am. Without Him, I would be a snarky, battered woman fighting demons on her own; but I have Him, and I walk in peace … even when the peace is not visible. I choose Him.

T4JYM: Any final thoughts you want to share?

KR: Life is one big game of Tetris. Each piece has its place. The more you squeeze them together the more you pass levels. The more levels you pass, the more difficult it gets, but … the more levels you pass … the more you see how to end the level without stress.

Do not allow the world to dictate who you are. I have told my last three bosses that I do not work for them or the post office. They ensure that I get a paycheck. That is all. I work for God. As long as I can look in my mirror when I get in my car to go home and know that I have served him well, that is all that matters. By doing so, my bosses have found that I do indeed work for Him and that if a task needs to be completed, it will be done … and correctly. Do I fail, yes. Do I fall on my face, yes. But I own my mistakes and correct them. When you do that, strife is not in your vocabulary.

Be blessed. Always.