Kathi Macias is a Christian passionate about writing and has spent her career writing and helping others write. The author of nearly 40 books and countless ghostwritten novels, Kathi is a former newspaper columnist and string reporter. She’s also a popular speaker at churches, women’s groups, and writer retreats.
MTAR: Tell us a little bit about yourself
Kathi: I’m a California girl, born and raised, though I’ve also lived in Colorado, Texas, and Washington. Always end up back in SoCal, though. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, but I had a praying grandma. Both my brothers and mother got saved before I did; I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was in my mid-twenties, back in the “Jesus Movement” days. My dad finally became a Christian during the last week of life, at the age of 88. I’m married to my junior/senior high school sweetheart, Al, and I’m a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. That about sums it up on a personal level.
MTAR: What do you do when you are not writing?
Kathi: I read someone else’s writing. Seriously! I’m a book fanatic. Though I also do a lot of speaking at women’s and writers’ conferences, churches and civic groups. The topics are varied, but right now I’m invited most often to speak on human trafficking, since that was the topic of my recent Freedom Series.
MTAR: What inspired you to write your first book?
Kathi: I’ve wanted to write as long as I can remember. I started out with short pieces—magazine articles, devotionals, a weekly newspaper column—but published my first book (a woman’s devotional called A Moment A Day, which became a bestseller for my publisher, Regal Books) in 1988. It was co-authored with a dear friend, the first book for both of us, and we actually came up with the idea when we were eating pie at a restaurant one day. (We used to joke about becoming the “fat and famous duo,” because of all the pie we ate when we were brainstorming. When we get together now, we laugh about having achieved the first part of our “duo” status, if not the second.)
MTAR: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Kathi: Always! I’m a firm believer that Jesus is our example, and He told “parables with purpose.” That’s what I want to do too. I suppose the message in Last Chance for Justice is that there is a longing in each one of us, a “homesickness,” if you will. We won’t truly satisfy that longing until we go home to with the Father, but in the meantime our heart yearns for the safe and familiar, despite any misgivings we might feel about returning to our roots. Lynn found out in Last Chance for Justice that you really can go home again!
MTAR: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
Kathi: The chapter where Rachel meets Miss Pearl. That elderly lady was absolutely delightful to create, and I wanted to go with Rachel and sit in Miss Pearl’s old cabin in the country and listen to the wisdom of a woman who had lived for nearly a century.
MTAR: You write a wide variety of books, tell us a little bit about that?
Kathi: I surely do. I’ve written nonfiction that includes humor books, children’s books, and women’s study books. I’ve written fiction, which includes one historical and many contemporary, many of which deal with tough topics like human trafficking, the persecuted Church, homelessness, and families with incarcerated loved ones. Yet Last Chance for Justice isn’t like any of those. It’s more of a call to come home again, to curl up on the front porch with a chilled glass of sun tea—and to remember. To slow down and fill up, if you will. I’ve just completed a Civil War story and am now working on a romance (with a twist!) and a Christmas collection. Life is never boring!
MTAR: For a reader who is new to your writing which book would you recommend?
Kathi: If they like a light, easy read, then Last Chance for Justice is the place to start. If they want something that will challenge them to step beyond their comfort zones, then the Freedom Series (Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer) would be a great starting place. My all-time favorite fiction in my own collection is No Greater Love, set in South Africa in 1989, just before the fall of Apartheid—quite appropriate in light of the current situation with Nelson Mandela. If they are looking for something for women, particularly mothers, I’d suggest Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today or How Can I Run a Tight Ship when I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons?
MTAR: What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
Kathi: LOL! Who says any of us is sane? Seriously, we need to stay focused on the verse, “He who called you is faithful who also will do it.” Never start writing unless you’re positive God has called you to do it. After that, never stop writing, for God is the One who will accomplish through you all that He has purposed.
MTAR: What makes you laugh?
Kathi: My husband. He has a fantastic sense of humor. My kids and grandkids too, and my sweet little great-grandson Cameron, who is the happiest baby ever.
MTAR: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Kathi: Absolutely! I want to pick up with Lynn and Rachel from Last Chance for Justice and take them to the next level in their relationships in Bloomfield!
MTAR: What are you working on now?
Kathi: I’m very excited about starting a Christmas compilation called The 12 Days of Christmas. It will be the first in many seasonal compilations/series. Thrilled about this!
MTAR: Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Kathi: Thank you. Without your support and following, I’d be writing and stuffing it all in a drawer or in a hidden file on my computer. I appreciate you, and I pray for you!