Book Spotlight – When Fate Whispers – Margo Thomas

Name of Book: When Fate Whispers

Genre: Christian fiction

Book Link: https://bit.ly/FateWhispers

Pages: 30

After accepting the call to ministry, doors were opening to Karen, a minister at the Life Everlasting Church in Tallahassee, Florida. To those around her, Karen’s life seemed perfect. She was receiving numerous invitations from local churches to speak at women’s ministry programs. No one knew the secret she’d been keeping all these years, at least not until fate intervened with a chance meeting at a local grocery store with Candace, a young cashier. Candace’s journey mirrors Karen’s secret, except the ending would be significantly different if Karen refuses to listen to that soft whisper she’s been trying to ignore.

How do you get the idea for your novel When Fate Whispers? 

Honestly, I’m not really sure. I created the outline for this book at the beginning of the process and started writing based on the outline. Somehow, the story changed to what it is today. Just as it is in life, our plans are not always what come to fruition. I think this is a better version of the story I wanted to tell. Some people who read it have shared that it seemed like someone’s testimony. I’ll say that some of it are based on my personal experience, while others were essentially weaved together to make the story work. Again, not my idea.

What is your favorite line from your book?

Suddenly, Karen heard a soft whisper, “Testimony.” She nervously tried to continue as she had practiced, but the urging grew stronger. “Testimony,” she heard again. She recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit and knew she needed to be obedient, although she was not exactly sure what to do.

Which of your characters do you believe are most like you and why question?

There were only two main characters in this story. I believe Karen, who is the older character seems to be more like me. I created some of her stories based on my experiences.

What message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The scripture this story was based on says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…” ~ Revelation 12:11. I believe the enemy’s desire is to hold our mistakes over our heads so that we would be too ashamed to tell anyone. When I was in college, I was a part of a church evangelism ministry. Before we were allowed to go out with the group, we had to take a course called, Turn your shame into gain. This class encouraged us to speak openly about the things we were currently dealing with or had dealt with in the past. The hope was that if we went out with a group and met with someone who had a similar struggle, we wouldn’t let our shame stop us from ministering to that person.

How did you get published?

This book was initially created as a part of an anthology with a group of Christian authors who were a part of the Tallahassee Authors Network. It was self-published by Global Multimedia Enterprises (GMME), which is a member of the group. My other books have been published by Junk@Noo Consulting LLC.

What have been your greatest literary accomplishments?

Writing the books I’ve written was a great feat because I never expected to write the number of books I’ve written. The biggest accomplishment though has been gaining opportunities to share my books and knowledge in local high schools and with other organizations that focus on preparing students for college.

Is there anything else you would like the readers to know?

If you are thinking about being an author, just start writing. I suggest creating some type of outline to help you develop your story. Then, be flexible if the story doesn’t go exactly how you planned it. Once it is written, share it with a couple of people you trust, who appreciate that genre. Ask that person to read your manuscript and give you honest feedback. Be open-minded. I know this is your baby and having someone say that it needs work hurts, but if you take constructive feedback and make the changes that work you will put out a good product. Also, get your books edited by someone who knows what they’re doing. A book with a few errors is usually fine, but if someone has to read lines in your book over and over to understand what you are trying to convey, they may not continue to read it, even if the storyline is great. This may usually result in a nasty review of your book, which hurts your sales. If you plan to write a series, that bad review will also affect the other books as well. So, pay for thet editing. Yes, it’s usually an investment, but shouldn’t it be?