Author Spotlight + Giveaway: Paula K. Parker -- If I Perish
Apr 30
9 min read
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This week I am honored to have Paula K. Parker on my blog for an author spotlight!
Paula K. Parker is a Pulitzer Prize nominee, award-winning, best-selling, and internationally acclaimed author, playwright, magazine writer, entertainment writer, devotional writer, curriculum, and corporate copywriter.
First off, welcome to my blog. It’s so great to have you here!
Thank you, Taylor. I am honored to be invited on your blog.
What first sparked your passion for storytelling, and how has your journey as a writer evolved over time?
I grew up amongst writers. My father was a gifted poet and my mother wrote inspirational pieces. My grandmother—who lived with us—was a phenomenal storyteller. We would sit around her as she told a story. Her creative gifts—from creating the story to vocally acting it—were stellar. Most of their work was shared with family and friends, although occasionally a piece would be published in our local newspaper.
I began writing stories as a child and continued to my adult years. When my husband was in the Army, I took a course from the Institute of Children’s Literature, which resulted in having my first article published in a magazine. I paused writing when our children were little and picked it up again after we moved to the Nashville, Tennessee area in 1994. Over the years, I have written feature articles, entertainment articles, celebrity interviews, corporate copywriting, devotionals, content for Bibles, curriculum, four stage plays, three non-fiction books, one children’s picture book, and seven biblical novels.
What unique aspects of your faith influence your storytelling style or the themes you explore?
When I was in junior high school (am I dating myself?) our church had a little library. One of the books I checked out was Lloyd C. Douglas’ biblical novels THE ROBE and THE BIG FISHERMAN. These two novels brought the Bible stories to life, allowing me to see the people in the Bible as real people, in real settings, and learn more about the culture and history of the Bible times.
For me, bringing the Bible to life in novels allows readers to see these people as ordinary people used by God in extraordinary situations. I tell people that I want to take these people out of the stained-glass windows, wrap them in flesh and bone, and tell their stories. I add that while I strive to be culturally, historically, and biblically respectful, in the end these novels are works of fiction.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage that has guided your writing or life journey?
My writer’s verse is Psalm 45: 1. “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
Who are some of your favorite Christian authors, and how have they influenced your work?
Beyond Lloyd C. Douglas, Lew Wallace (“Ben Hur”), Henryk Sienkiewicz (“Quo Vadis), and C.S. Lewis, some of my favorite modern Christian authors include Charles Martin, Tosca Lee, and Tessa Afshar. Reading books by any of these authors is a master class in novel writing.
If you could collaborate with any Christian author, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
It’s a challenge to choose from the authors I just mentioned, but I would have to choose Tessa Afshar, as she writes in my favorite genre of biblical fiction.
What’s your favorite scene or moment in the book, and why does it hold special meaning for you?
With 350 pages combining both scenes from the Bible as well as my own imagination, I have many favorite scenes in IF I PERISH.
Without giving away too much of the story, one of my favorite scenes is when Queen Atossa is introduced for the first time. I discovered her through my research. Atossa dokhtar Cyrus, the Malekeh Jahann or “Mother of the World”—we would now call her the Queen Mother—was Xerxes’ mother. There were some interesting details to her personal story, but the main thing scholars shared is that she was responsible for Xerxes—King Darius’ second son—becoming heir to the throne.
After telling my husband about the historical Atossa and wanting to include her in the novel, he suggested I give the elderly character memory issues. My husband and I have recently lost several family members to dementia and the impact of that debilitating condition—seeing them fade, lose words, and experiencing them not even remembering us—was a heavy burden. Including Atossa in the story, mentioning her real background and giving her memory issues, helped to fill out bring relatable aspects to the novel.
Are there any surprising lessons or revelations you discovered about yourself or your faith through the writing process?
Like many novelists, every novel I write has an underlying message that has impacted my life and, I feel, the lives of many readers.
In IF I PERISH, it was the idea that we are all “created for such a time as this.” Esther faced many challenges in her life: she was an orphan; she was taken from her only living family member and sent to a king’s harem; she was not allowed to tell anyone her name or her background; she had to prepare to sacrifice herself—it was a crime to go to the King without being summoned—in order to save her people.
At my age—I’m nearly 69—I can look back at my own life now and see how hard situations and challenges my husband and I have faced were used by God to bring us to where we are today. Each of these challenges put me in a position where I could write to glorify Him.
How do you incorporate prayer or spiritual reflection into your writing routine?
To borrow a line from the 1985 movie “Lady Hawk,” I talk to God all the time.
Seriously, when I am writing biblical novels, along with reading archeological, historical, and cultural experts, reading the Bible is a must. I read the scripture pertaining to my stories over and over, in different versions and different translations. I have the Archeological Study Bible and the Cultural Background Study Bible on my desk for quick reference. I make detailed notes about what I read and learn from the Bible, including questions and story ideas these passages bring to mind.
As far as praying, some of my prayers are the stopping and bowing my head prayer. Sometimes it’s as if God interrupts me when I’m cleaning house, cooking, driving somewhere, etc. to pop something into my mind. There have been times when a writing-related ‘ah-ha’ moment woke me in the middle of the night. I knew better than to think I would remember it, so I would pick up my phone and send myself an email before going back to sleep. It was not unusual for me to have a number of story-related emails waiting for me the next morning.
What do you enjoy most about connecting with readers, and what feedback has resonated deeply with you?
Whether through book signings, writers’ conferences, or social media, I am always blessed to meet people who have read my books. There have been a few surprise moments.
For over twenty years, I was head of the hair/makeup department for a large community theater. During one show, Michelle, a member of my team, was reading one of my biblical novels while waiting for intermission. When the actors came in, Michelle set the book aside to help refresh the actors’ hair and makeup. Allison, one of the young actresses, saw the book and pointed to it. “My mother and I love this book.” Then she paused, pointed to my name on the cover, and looked at me. “You’re the author? This is a fantastic book!” She proceeded to tell other people in the room about the book, encouraging them to buy a copy.
Have you seen your book make an impact in someone’s life, and can you share that experience?
One of my life-long friends (let’s call her Amy) has a niece (let’s call her Sally) who is in prison. Thankfully, Sally has met the Lord while in prison and is growing in her faith.
Amy told me she gives Bibles and other faith-based books to Sally as gifts. The prison’s gift-giving guidelines require items be ordered from an online store and not mailed directly from a person. This past Christmas, Amy sent Sally a copy of IF I PERISH. Sally told Amy that when the book arrived, several other inmates commented on how beautiful the cover was and asked if they could read the book too. Sally told Amy, “Please tell Paula that her book is reaching women who need to hear the Bible stories.”
What’s one thing you wish readers knew about the process of writing Christian fiction?
I wish readers knew that writing Christian fiction is not just simply making up a story. Writing biblical fiction is as challenging as writing non-fiction. For IF I PERISH, besides reading the Bible, I spent over two years researching the geography, culture, and history of the Achaemenid empire, the time when Xerxes ruled Persia. I gathered all this information and referred to it every time I sat down to write.
How do you celebrate the completion of a book, and what does that milestone mean to you?
For me, writing “The End” brings tears of joy, relief, and even sadness. I truly miss my characters.
Celebrating my books often includes my husband taking me out for supper. He has bought mementos that reflect the story or had the covers of my books turned into framed pictures.
This past spring, after IF I PERISH had been released, I learned about the Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations, a museum on the University of Chicago campus with exhibits of artifacts from many ancient cultures, including Persia. My husband and I took a long weekend trip and spent an entire day—even skipping lunch—at the museum. I looked at all the exhibits, but spent most of the time in the Persian exhibit. I recognized many things as items included in my novel, such as one of the giant horse-head capitals that had been on top of the 72-foot-tall columns in the palace of Persepolis. I saw massive mosaics from the palace walls, pieces of Esther’s jewelry, Xerxes’ signet ring, some of the dishes the royal family had used for meals, and other items from their life.
When we left, after raving about everything I saw, I asked my husband what he thought about the museum. “For me,” he said, “seeing those artifacts validated everything you wrote in the book.”
If someone were to adapt your book into a movie, what would be your dream casting for the main characters?
For King Xerxes; Jason Mamoa. For Mordecai; Ralph Fiennes. For Queen Atossa, definitely Shohreh Aghdashloo. Esther is a difficult one to cast, so I will say any actress who looks exactly like the cover of my book.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting out?
For me, I write these phrases, words, and descriptions in a document I call my Descriptive Dictionary. I use it for future reference just as I would a thesaurus.
Lastly, before you go…Can you talk about any upcoming projects or books you’re working on?
My next novel is going to be the story of Ruth. I am in the early stages of research and plan to start writing next January.
Now for her book, If I Perish.
Hadassah was born in to a loving, wealthy Jewish family in the Persian Empire's capital city of Susa. But before she even comes of age her world is swept away by events over which she has no control. Her parents murdered, she is left with only one living relative, her much older cousin, Mordecai, who shelters her as his own daughter. Just when life regains a semblance of normality, on the eve of her betrothal, she is taken against her will into the King's harem, where she assumes a new name and is admonished to never speak of her family or heritage.
Over the course of a year, she has become an orphan and an outcast. Yet even here she is destined to serve the purposes of God. As Mordecai prophesied, she was born for such a time as this.
And Paula has teased us with a snippet from her book:
“No! Madar, please do not leave me! Let me go! Someone help me! Please.”
Turning, they saw a large wagon near the Great Gate. A man who—from his clothing and sword, appeared to be a warrior—held a young woman by the arm. She squirmed, trying to wrest free from his grasp, as he led—almost dragging—her to the wagon where stood an older man dressed in rich raiment. Coming from other directions were other warriors, also leading young women; some screaming for help, others crying.
No one appeared to be responding to the pleas from these women. Several people approached them—but after a comment from the man directing the warriors, as well as a glance at the swords in the warriors’ hands—they turned away.
As Hadassah listened and watched, her gaze turned inward. She was no longer near the Great Gate in Susa. She was in the garden near her home, reliving the nightmare filled with angry cries, terrified screams, pleas, groans, and thuds.
“No.” Her face tightened. “Never again.”
“What is happening?” Miriam asked. “Why is no one helping them?”
“I do not know,” Hadassah said. “Here,” she gave her basket to Miriam. “Go to the synagogue. Tell my cousin and your father—tell all who are with them—what is happening.”
“What are you going to do?”
Hadassah stooped to pick up one of the large sticks the boys had dropped. “I am going to help those women.”
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win an ebook copy!
(Giveaway runs for one week. Winner will be contacted by author.)
Make sure to follow Paula on Social Media:
Website: https://paulakparker.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paula.k.parker.author/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@paula.k.parker.author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulaKParkerAuthor
Thank you, Taylor, for this blog post. You did a fantastic job on it.
I’ve always been fascinated with the story and love the idea of another retelling - sounds like it’s been well researched.