About the Book
Book: Prodigal Lives
Author: Carol McClain
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release date: April 1, 2022
Life keeps piling problems on Meredith Jaynes. She loses her second foster child—one she was scheduled to adopt. Then Parker Snow refuses to marry her. With only her goats and artisan soap to support her, life will get no better.
If she is honest, though, she still has Crystal. Her funny, happy, loveable toddler makes the sun shine and reminds her of the never-failing love of God.
Pearl Solomon loves her life with her grandfather Guy, but every one of her triumphs is overshadowed by her sisters’ lives. With Mama Meredith, they live a life she envies. Because of her jealousy, she refuses to contact them.
Years later, life for both families twist down paths they do not wish to travel. Pearl knows she’s lost what was most precious in life but has no means of fixing things. Left to her own devices, she spirals out of control.
Meredith finds it harder to mask the despair infertility has brought to her life.
Both families believe they must reconcile themselves to their fates as reality shatters their dreams unless they dig deep for the promise of love.
Click here to get your copy!
And now an interesting interview with the author
- Has writing fiction always been in your blood?
I can’t say writing fiction has always been in my blood, but living other lives certainly has. I’m a dreamer, and I’ve always been one. Until I took writing seriously, this facet of my personality always embarrassed me. I’d lose myself in a daydream and not see the world around me. This could be dangerous while driving—but fortunately, I did stay in the real world during those hours!
Then, once I realized I could write a book, daydreams stopped, and plotting took over. Immersed in the story, I would become the character. For example, one time, my husband and I were in a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor. I read the flavors on the menu, then I grabbed his arm and pointed. “Look, Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! That’s Cheryl’s favorite ice cream.” I then slapped my hand over my mouth. “Cheryl’s not real.” She is the protagonist of my debut novel The Perils of Cheryl. She solved all her problems with Ben & Jerry’s. Try it. It works.
With my second book, I fell in love with Africa because my protagonist loved it. Until that time, I hate the continent (no offense). Bugs, snakes, malaria, Eboli … I’m a germaphobe.
I’ve wanted goats forever. My husband did not. In order to get them, I created Meredith Jaynes, the protagonist of Book 1 of Treasured Lives series, Borrowed Lives, and a main character in Book 2, Prodigal Lives, of this series. Meredith owned Nubians (a breed I worked with when younger). I got my goats in my dreamland, and I was happy again.
My husband, seeing my delusions, eventually gave in. We have three pygmies now.
So, fiction’s always been in my blood.
Do you like music or silence when you write?
I’m an odd ball. Read one of my novels and you’ll see I don’t lie. While most writers seem to love background music, I love silence. Sounds distract me. I want to listen and not think. One thing I discovered about writing, I need to think! When I walk or hike or run or write, I want to immerse myself in those worlds. Give me the natural sounds God created and my spirit finds peace.
That’s not to say I don’t like music. I do all my stained-glass work to music—mostly jazz. I love all jazz, classical, and contemporary Christian music. However, if I need to think, the sounds of silence delight me.
3. Where do you get inspiration for your stories? Family? Friends? Yourself?
I’m sure you’ve seen the T-shirts that say, “Annoy me and I’ll kill you in one of my stories.” Seeing as I don’t write murder or suspense, I won’t kill you, but annoy, amuse, intrigue me, and fictionalize elements of your life will go into my tales.
In my current series, Book 1, Borrowed Lives, leaned heavily on tales from recovering addicts I mentored, along with the experiences of friends of mine.
My current book, Prodigal Lives, didn’t borrow as much. However, I’ve seen the “sins of the fathers” descend onto children too much. I’ve watched adopted children raised by moral, kind, and loving parents revert to their biological roots. These facets inspired the story.
Now, do NOT fear. My books can deal with intense subjects, but at heart, I’m a humorist. It would be a rare work that doesn’t make you laugh or feel wonderful (probably after I break your heart and make your cry—but you’ll forgive me because of my inimitable style.)
4. Which scene was most fun to write? Why?
I loved Meredith Jaynes’s wedding scene. She’s a low-keyed country girl who doesn’t like the limelight. She also has two foster girls she’s going to adopt and a bossy sister and mother. Her biological family wants her to create the quintessential wedding. Her daughters, ages six and three, want to help. The daughters win, and the scene is romantic and touching and funny.
Her mother and sister do manage to go overboard, but the backyard wedding was fun.
5. If I write a review of your book, what do you want to hear?
I’d want to hear the truth. I don’t need a five-star review if the work isn’t worth five stars. A one or two-star review would have me crying and gorging on chocolate while I binge watch reruns of Greys Anatomy (because Meredith Grey’s life stinks more than my one-star review). Any review should help the reader decide if the work is a good fit.
Honesty would teach me to be a better writer. I read the reviews and continue in my strengths as I work on my weaknesses as a writer.
And readers, any review helps the writer, even if it’s weak. However, read one of my tales … guaranteed five (or if you must, four) stars.
About the Author
Carol McClain is the award-winning author of four novels dealing with real people facing real problems. She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.
Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, a budding potter and photographer. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and growing farm. Inspired by Meredith Jaynes, she owns two goats. One will kid soon.
You can connect with her at carolmcclain.com.
On goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14030286.Carol_McClain
On BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carol-mcclain
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.Carol.McClain
More from Carol
Have you ever thought you’ve seen yourself in a novel?
If you know an author, you probably have.
For years I worked with recovering addicts and those helping them in organizations like Celebrate Recovery, a Christian-styled support group like AA. If I read the events of these people’s lives in a novel, I would say, “Too fake to believe.”
Their lives are tragic, funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming.
Many of their stories made it into my latest novel Prodigal Lives (modified, disguised, and novelized).
I not only incorporate others into my work, but I live through my characters’ lives (Please don’t suggest a sky diving protagonist).
In Prodigal Lives one of my main characters owns goats. For years, I begged my husband too let me have a goat or two. He promised. Then, he wimped out, so I created Meredith Jaynes a successful artisan specializing in goat soap and raising Nubians.
Prodigal Lives is a sequel but can stand alone (reading both books amplifies your enjoyment, of course). This book follows the loss Pearl and Meredith feel as Pearl is adopted by her grandfather. Pearl becomes jealous of her sisters who stay with Mama Meredith, and they lose touch. Although they hear nothing from each other, neither is forgotten.
I believe in redemption. All my work illustrates that no matter how far you fall, a loving Father is going to make a way to redeem you. He’s done it for me, and I was an impossibly problematic child of the King.
I hope you enjoy Prodigal Lives. Sign up for my newsletter and blog and never miss a new release, my Biblical thoughts or an appearance I’m making. Believe me, I wouldn’t live, my blog and newsletter are fascinating.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 6
Splashes of Joy, August 7 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 7
Texas Book-aholic, August 8
Inklings and notions, August 9
For Him and My Family, August 10
Artistic Nobody, August 11 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, August 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 12
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 13
A Reader’s Brain, August 14
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 15
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 17
Spoken from the Heart, August 18
Pause for Tales, August 19
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/20711/prodigal-lives-celebration-tour-giveaway
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