Author: Lois Caldwell
Located in: Downingtown
Submitted: May 21, 2024
Tell us a little about yourself. LOIS CALDWELL is a pastor's wife, mother of five adult children, and grandmother. She has had a private counseling practice for thirty-five years, has been a teacher in public, government, and Christian schools, and has led retreats and spoken at conferences nationally and abroad. Lois and her husband, Jim, have led ten mission teams to fifteen countries to interact with missionaries and work in indigenous, hospitals, orphanages, and schools. Her soprano voice has been heard in many churches, here and in countries she has visited.
In her "retirement" years, Lois leads a Bible discussion group and loves to entertain friends, curl up with a good book, knit sweaters for family, and spend time writing.
Lois and her husband of sixty-five years live in Downingtown, southeast Pennsylvania.
What was your motivation behind this project? By creating a story based on biblical and historical facts, which encompasses faithfulness, understanding the human heart, intrigue, romantic love, sorrow, surprises, and most of all absolute trust in the Savior and love for fellow human beings, I wanted people to understand and appreciate the person of James, the writer of the Epistle of James and a pivotal figure in the first century church. What kind of person was James? Did he have a family? How was he like or different from his elder brother, Jesus? How and where did he die?
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope that readers will gain a clear picture of the character of James, the leader of the mid-first-century church in Jerusalem. Based on his epistle and biblically recorded events in his life, this biblical novel portrays the man who modeled how he urged others to live. Also, that readers will gain understanding of the dynamics and tensions in and surrounding the first-century church.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? As I worked on the story, I increasingly measured my own life by James's epistle and how thoroughly he must have lived out what he wrote. By weaving a creative story into accurate facts, I came to fall in love with both the biblical and fictional characters who vividly reflected James's personality and faith.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My main influence was the New Testament, especially the impact that Jesus' stories had on his listeners. My favorite authors are those who make the scriptures come alive by adding color and imagination while maintaining biblical accuracy.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: Readers will get the most out this story by first reading the Author's Notes.
