How would you classify your latest work, what inspired its inception?
Please type all responses in Blue. Answer as a band or spokesman for the band.
I write contemporary suspense novels (with a little romance) that re-imagine Old Testament stories in the Bible in a fast-paced, action-packed way—or “edgy inspirational fiction.” My latest work, The Wise Man, is my fifth novel based on the story of Solomon. A few years ago, I met an extremely wealthy man in Australia who ran a multi-billion-dollar empire and had many au pairs working for him but had become an atheist and I realized I had found my next character based on Solomon. Each of my novels has a little bit of me in them and I can relate to Solomon also because I grew up privileged and somewhat entitled, and as a young adult, nearly lost my faith in God. Then, I went on the 2020 national March for Life in Washington, DC and realized the modern-day version of the Bible story of Solomon deciding between the two women fighting over the baby could tie into the whole Roe v. Wade battle. In my novel, the main Solomon character is a US Supreme Court justice hearing a modern Roe overturn case in which two women fight over a baby boy born live out of a failed late-term abortion—the clinic worker who saves him and the birth mother who wants him back. Little did I know it would all hit the headlines like it did!
How long did it take you to complete?
My first novel took eight years, subsequent novels about one to two years each.
Who are some of your top 5 authors or writers you look up to & admire?
I admire Kristin Hannah, John Grisham, Sandra Brown, Deepak Chopra and C.S. Lewis.
Why do you write?
Because I believe it’s my purpose in life that God called me to fulfill…my passion, talent, ministry, mission. It’s who I am. And I write what I do because I want today’s readers to comprehend God’s messages in the Bible stories (which are sometimes difficult to read and understand) while being entertained by good fiction that deals with modern-day issues and real-life struggles to which they can relate.
What’s the biggest take away you want your readers to come away with after reading your latest work?
As the Bible quote goes, “what does it profit someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36)
How is the writing/reading scene in your locale?
I’d say it’s alive and well! I teach a Master Class called “Your Book Done Right” (www.yourbookdoneright.com ) helping writers becoming authors through sharing my experience and knowledge in writing, editing, publishing and marketing. It was based on a class I taught at a local college in Maryland that was moved online in the Covid pandemic and now has become my own, an 8-week course interspersed with personal coaching and editing. Because it’s online it attracts people worldwide but still continues to engage many locally in my East Coast region. They say 80 percent of all Americans have a book in them!
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
That’s really tough. As a girl, Little Women. As an adult, Firefly Lane and A Time to Kill in fiction, “The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success” by Deepak Chopra in non-fiction. And the Bible.
When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
When I was ten years old.
How have you evolved as a writer over the last year?
They say, “teach what you need to learn,” and I think that’s true. So hopefully I’ve evolved not only by writing several books but by teaching many others to write as well. My novels have gotten a little longer because I think I flesh out the story more each time. But they’ve also gotten better (or so I’ve been told).
If you could meet, have dinner, have a drink with anyone (writer/non-writer) (dead or alive) who would it be?
Jesus Christ of course.
What’s next for you?
I have more “Modern Day Bible Stories” (contemporary biblical suspense novels) in me as well as a memoir – but I’m also hoping one or more of my novels gets made into TV/movies. Talks in the works, stay tuned for more!
URL: https://michelechynoweth.com/
Bestselling author Michele Chynoweth’s newest book, The Wise Man, is a modern suspense novel that re-imagines the story of Solomon in which the main character is a U.S. Supreme Court justice hearing a Roe v. Wade overturn case that goes beyond the one in recent news. Actor Kirk Cameron calls it “a riveting, ripped from the headlines suspense on one of the most important issues of our lifetime.”
The Wise Man Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Man-Michele-Chynoweth/dp/1649495811/ref
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