Thursday, June 12, 2008

Author Interview: Candace Salima





Welcome to Gamila's Review Candace! I recently finished Refiner's Fire and want to ask you a few questions about it.

First off, how did this compilation of essays come about?

Thank you so much for the invitation to drop by. Forged in the Refiner’s Fire came about in a rather simple way. My co-author, Elizabeth Cheever, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in compiling this book with her. I was very busy at the time, but it was a project that drew me. Each of goes through difficult times in life and we wanted to create a book which would provide inspiration, hope and a feeling of camaraderie in boosting people’s belief in themselves.

What was the most rewarding aspect of completing a project like Forged in the Refiner's Fire?

When we began to receive feedback from readers across the world is when we truly began to understand the power and scope of the book we’d put together. Personally, when I received an email telling me how it had helped a woman to truly understand that each of us goes through these trials and it is not because we were bad or sinned, but simply because. It gave her the strength to pull her shoulders back and simply say, “I can do this. I will do this.” Nothing could have meant more to me than that.

What important messages do you feel Forged in the Refiner's Fire contains for readers?

Hope. Pure, unadulterated hope. For myself, as I read through the many stories which poured in, I began to understand that everyone, literally every single person on the earth, goes through the Refiner’s Fire. We want our readers to understand that they were never meant to traverse this thorny mortal path alone. Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, stands ready and waiting to assist us on this journey. There is hope in that pure truth. Unbeatable, attainable hope.

Do you plan to compile another project similar to this in the future?

Yes, Elizabeth are working on the sequel called “No Pressure, No Diamonds.” We are currently accepting real life stories of struggle and tragedy which show growth in the person submitting the story. We wish to know what helped you to get through it and how you drew closer to God in the process. Anyone interested in submitting a story please email me at ces@candacesalima.com.

From your website I can see that you worked on a non-fiction, title, book about BYU sports and published a fiction novel Out of the Shadows. What are your future plans for other writing projects?

I am currently working on “Standing on the Fifth: The Long Road” with Merrill Osmond. He and I are very excited about the work coming forward. It is an action/suspense geared toward the national market, and yes, it is fiction. I am also working on “Dreams Die Hard” the long awaited sequel to “Out of the Shadows . . Into the Light”. My readers will be very grateful, they’ve clamoring for it for quite some time now.

More information about me can be found at http://candacesalima.blogspot.com/ and my books can be purchased at www.candacesalima.com/inPrint.htm.

Thank you so much for hosting me today, Emily. I drop back by today, off and on, to answer any and all questions that may be posted by your readers.



Thanks for Interviewing with me, Candace! Here is an video of another interview with candace. Enjoy!










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