Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Ellen Feld is talking with Angela Williams, author of The Poetry Project: Genesis.
FQ: Tell our readers a little about yourself. Your background, your interests, and how this led to writing a book?
WILLIAMS: I am a Southern gal, born and raised in small-town USA. I love big and hard. Jesus is my number ONE, with my best friend and sidekick-hubby right up there as a close second. My three adult kiddos and four grandbabies (as of now, but the number keeps growing) are my whole world! Life is busy and our hearts (and hands) are full! My husband and I are entrepreneurs and own a small business (the fourth one we've successfully started and run together) and we are very involved with ministry and loving people. We have been married for eighteen years and for all of that time, my husband has tried to convince me to write a book. I finally listened. It is my goal to serve in any capacity I'm able to with a fierce passion and zeal to point everyone to the reason for the hope that lies within me, Jesus Christ, my Savior and King. So that is the purpose of my books (and my life).
FQ: Have you always enjoyed writing or is it something you’ve discovered recently?
WILLIAMS: I have enjoyed writing all my life. I was one of the nerds in school who actually loved English and reading class. I always excelled at it and found spelling, grammar, and most of the parts of language arts fun and exciting (I told you, NERD)! I can remember being in about Junior High when I discovered that I could write poetry. It came to me easily and I really enjoyed it. I would write about boyfriends and friendships and all the deep matters of life that a twelve/thirteen year old ponders. As I continued to grow up and life got in the way, writing took a backseat and it wasn't until I gave my life to Christ at the age of 26 that I picked up pen and paper again, when I started journaling. I have kept a journal and have written down a lot of my prayers, and I've also written some poetry on and off over the past 16 years. I had a successful blog site where I was faithful to write and share my thoughts and insights with the world several years ago, and I loved it. I've just started a fresh new blog site, and I have been working on this Poetry Project this past year, with the intention of publishing the entire six-part series over the remainder of this year, prayerfully.
FQ: Tell us a little about your book – a brief synopsis and what makes your book unique.
WILLIAMS: This book, The Poetry Project: Genesis, is the first in a six-part series, which I've written as a retelling of some of the harder-to-read/understand parts of the Bible. I've covered Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (which is called the Pentateuch or the Law of Moses) and the book of Job. I know this may seem like a strange project, but as I mentioned, poetry has always come easy to me and last Easter, the Lord challenged me to use my gift in this way. I love poetry that rhymes, so as I was spending time in my Bible, words started coming to my mind and onto paper and it ended up being a beautiful flowing retelling of what I'd just read, but I was weaving Christ and the Gospel and also my takeaway into each section I'd read. I wasn't even sure exactly how the final product was going to turn out, whether it was just for me or if I was supposed to share it with others, or exactly what God had in mind. But as I went along, I shared it with our small group (and others), and everyone loved it so much and told me that they were learning new things that they'd skimmed over before or never really understood, and (as was my goal) they were seeing that God is the same loving Creator and Father in the Old Testament as He is in the New. There is no disconnect. He is the same - yesterday, today, and forever. So I was convinced that I needed to be faithful to publish these writings and put them out into the world. I have not found much in the way of Christian poetry out there, so it's my hope that this book will reach and bless many. And I trust that it will reach exactly every person it's meant to. I am also certain that believer and nonbeliever alike will enjoy this work if they are open to give it a read.
FQ: Please give our readers a little insight into your writing process. Do you set aside a certain time each day to write, only write when the desire to write surfaces, or ?
WILLIAMS: I would sit down each morning for my quiet time with the Lord where I would pray, read His Word, and then just ask the Holy Spirit to give me HIS words and allow them to flow out of my heart and onto the paper. I would pray for whoever may read these words, that it would penetrate their hearts and that He would do the work of drawing them to Himself. He was faithful to meet me there every single morning without fail, and after about three to five hours, I would have one day's worth of material (so basically what's now become my chapters) finished.
FQ: What was the hardest part of writing your book? That first chapter, the last paragraph, or ?
WILLIAMS: The hardest part of writing my book was DEFINITELY Leviticus, lol. Numbers was actually very tough as well. There were many days that I sat down and read and felt like it was just so dry, I had to step away and come back the next day to try again. I LOVE God's Word, don't get me wrong...it was just a very challenging task for me to make those books come alive the way I had done with all of the others parts of this project. However, I am satisfied and certain that in spite of this, the reader is going to be able to enjoy even these books in a way that they may not have before (for the same reason).
FQ: The genre of your book is Poetry. Why this genre?
WILLIAMS: More specifically, Christian Poetry. To be honest with you, I have never read any other Christian poetry before! When I was trying to start the publishing process for my book, I went to our local Christian bookstore so that I could look at some similar books and none existed! I even asked the manager if they had anything of the sort, and she said they did not, but in fact they need some because she would very much enjoy reading that kind of writing (which, of course, prompted my sweet doting hubby to tell her all about my project)! She loved the idea and asked for my name and if I would bring her a copy of my book once I got it published. And I absolutely plan to do so.
I did not realize just how challenging it was going to be, but it has also been SUCH a blessing for me. I have learned SO MUCH myself as I've gone through the Word each day. I was adamant about sticking to the integrity of the Scriptures, so it took a lot of time, thought, prayer, and research before the work was finalized.
FQ: Do you have any plans to try writing a book in a different genre? If so, which genre and why?
WILLIAMS: Yes. I plan to write something about my life/testimony. A memoir, maybe. I'm not sure. Again, my husband (my biggest fan outside of Jesus) is always nudging me to write, and he thinks the world would greatly benefit from hearing my story of heartache turned to hope, my mess made into a message, my pain transformed into passion to see others set free.
FQ: Who are your favorite authors?
WILLIAMS: I know this may sound cliche or what you'd expect a Christian to say, but literally my favorite authors are the writers of the Bible! The Apostle Paul is honestly one of my favorites, I think. I love to read his epistles and I spend a lot of time in them. I relate to him a lot because of his beautiful story of redemption. When he saw Christ, he was knocked off his horse and became a completely new person...same for me.
FQ: As an author/writer, what famous author (living or dead), would you like to have dinner with, and why?
WILLIAMS: As I said, the Apostle Paul. I think it would be fascinating to share a meal with him and hear from him directly. He had such a hatred for the early church until he met Christ and then he turned the world upside down (along with the other disciples, but he is responsible for so much of the New Testament). His words always encourage and challenge me in how I am living in this present world and I would just love to sit and break bread with him.
FQ: What is your all-time favorite book? Why? And did this book/author have any influence over your decision to become an author?
WILLIAMS: The Bible, obviously. Because it IS the Word of life! It gives me life. It is where I turn for guidance, counsel, direction, encouragement, correction, hope, joy, peace, wisdom...literally everything. Yes! This, my first project, is based solely on it! The Author of it, God Himself, definitely commissioned me to this work and has walked with me every step of the way. And I leave the results in His faithful hands knowing I was obedient to His call.
Learn more about The Poetry Project: Genesis and author Angela Williams at: https://angelawilliams1006.wixsite.com/unapologeticallyme
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