by Mitchell S. Karnes
Meeting with my readers is my second favorite part of being an author. Don’t get me wrong, creating the story and watching it grow is fascinating, but seeing how my readers react to the books keeps me going. I wish I could hear from all of you.
This month, I had the opportunity to meet with the Nancy Storie Book Club in Johnson City, Tennessee. Seventeen women gathered around a table for a wonderful meal and an even better discussion of Water Grave, book one of the Abbey Rhodes Mystery series. Right off the bat, they asked interesting questions, such as, “How did you come up with the idea for Abbey Rhodes?” and “As a pastor, do you find it difficult to discuss things like murder, especially since the pastor was killed in the baptistery of his church?”
I created Abbey Rhodes as a complex character who is both tough (a homicide detective and former Army MP) and fragile (the survivor of rape and abuse who struggles with PTSD). Spiritually speaking, Abbey represents those who’ve been disillusioned of church and God because of the personal pain she experienced at the hand of those claiming to be Christians. Abbey is the question of “Does God really love me? If so, why didn’t He protect me from this?”
The image of the pastor’s death in Water Grave came to me one day when I was contemplating retirement from ministry after suffering my second round of Lymphoma. I pictured a young, energetic pastor coming in to revitalize my church and the pushback he would receive for his new way of doing things. The list of suspects flew into my head, and the story was born.
When I write a book, I compile multiple layers for my readers. The more energy they put into the story, the more they discover in its words. I send the work off to the publisher and hope someone finds the gems I left for them. Unfortunately, unless I get a specific comment in a published review, I’ll never know if I was successful.
When I meet with book clubs and discuss the stories (with Zoom or in person), I can hear, firsthand, the questions and comments they make. I can see what they caught and answer the questions the story triggered as they read. This face-to-face dialogue is priceless. I write for the reader. God gives me the impetus for the plot and helps me weave the story together.
In the Abbey Rhodes Mystery series, there are two major elements: the crime to be solved & the emotional/spiritual struggle Abbey must overcome. I hope that my readers enjoy the mystery, but I truly pray that they will process, with Abbey, their own past hurts and find the answer in Jesus Christ.
You don’t have to be a Christian to read the series. If you don’t wish to deal with the spiritual aspect of the series, you can focus on the mystery. But, if you wish to learn from Abbey’s hurts, mistakes, and lessons, they are there for your edification.
The point of my article this month is: I want to interact with you. I want to hear what part of the novel moved you, challenged you, or even frustrated you. I want to answer any questions you may have. The only way to do that is for you to contact me. You can do that through the website (www.mitchellskarnesauthor.com). If you’re part of a book club or Bible study group, reach out and set up a virtual or in person meeting with me. Let’s talk.
Mitchell S. Karnes is a Christian husband, father, and grandfather who lives in Brentwood, TN. He uses his experiences and insights as a minister, counselor, and educator to write and speak on relevant issues with an ever-growing audience. This is his eighth novel. Through two separate battles against Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, God has given Mitchell a new perspective on life that challenges him to create stories not only to entertain audiences but call them to action. Mitchell’s mission is to reach and reconcile those who have been disillusioned with God and his church and inspire the church to live out the love of Christ Jesus in a broken and hurting world.