Interview with L.A. James

About the Author

L.A. James graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Illinois with a B.A. in English. She has written for diverse businesses and non-profit organizations, published in various print media, and taught English to domestic and foreign students. In the end, she has looped back to what she has always wanted to do - write her own books.

You can visit L.A. James at www.jameswritinganddesign.com

The Interview

1. Who or what inspired you to become an author?
I don’t have an exact who, or a specific what, to pinpoint why I became an author. I’ve always loved everything about books. They were escapes from the mundane of life. They were the friends that were always waiting to tell you something. They were great teachers about life. Books are filled with all kinds of treasures, and for as long as I can remember, I always wanted to make one to share with others. 
 
2. What inspired the idea for If Only ~ Biblical Truth for Children?
If Only ~ Biblical Truth for Children popped into my head one day when I realized how often I heard the words “If Only.”

My friends would say it. My kids would say it, and I found myself saying it. I started thinking about how these little words make you dissatisfied with life, yet I don’t think this is how God wants us to live.

I then related he “If Only” thoughts to cats because we can see things differently when we as people are removed from a story.   
 
3. What inspired Be ~ Biblical Wisdom for Children?
Be ~ Biblical Wisdom for Children came about one day when I was thinking about legacy. We all have a legacy we will leave. It’s a sobering reality, and it can be a downer for a lot of people. I started thinking about my children, and what key truths I wish they would always remember. To live for God is the most important thing I can teach them. In the scope of life, it is all that matters.

Yet, I wanted to define what I felt were some key points within living for God, and I started planning this book.
 
The book became a compilation of key talks I had with them, and verses I felt defined what I wanted them to keep forefront in their minds. I wanted it to be something they could always reference, think about, and hopefully share with their children someday. I wanted it to be timeless, and I wanted the artwork to be enjoyable for them now as well as for them when they get older.   
 
4. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
My next book is going to be about the wonders of God. The earth is filled with fascinating creatures, and many of them I had never heard of before I started my research. I find it crazy that I didn’t know they existed. I want to showcase these animals because I think they reflect God’s wonder to us. 

5. When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear?
I have five kids who range in age from six to eighteen, so I wear a lot of hats, but I bet most mothers feel this way. Nevertheless, the most important hats have names, and they are as follows:

• Mother –Mother to five great kids. I have four girls and one boy.
  
• Partner – Life is hard. We need a partner, and I am a partner in life to the father of my kids. We have been married close to twenty years now.
  
• Teacher – I think we are all witnesses and teachers to someone. As a mother, you are automatically a teacher, and this role is hard and time-consuming. To be a good teacher requires you to be a good student, which brings in hat number four.
  
• Student –I’m always learning things. I am naturally curious, and I think life is more interesting when you learn something. Plus, I want to impact my children for the greatest good, so I try to stay up with the things that are happening in the world.