On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Author Interview
Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to be part of this tour. I had so much answering these questions and I hope that they can bless and encourage other writers and readers.
What inspired you to write The One Who Loves Me?
I was inspired to write The One Who Loves Me in the summer of 2020 after reading the sample chapters of another romance novel on Amazon. I was a bit disappointed with the direction the author was taking the story in and how relationships were portrayed in the story so I was inspired to write a book which portrays Christ-centred friendships and relationships.
What do you love the most about this story?
I’m a strong advocate for diversity in Christian fiction and not just diversity in terms of skin colour, but diversity in terms of different cultures, different experiences and different ways of life and thinking. Growing up, I didn’t see many Christian fiction books with characters I could relate to, so I'm determined to change that for future generations. The One Who Loves Me has Nigerian and Cameroonian cultural representation, but also characters that honour God and live out their faith.
What challenged you about writing it? What did you learn?
I had the best experience drafting this book but editing it was very hard. My worst type of editing is developmental editing and after getting useful feedback from my editor, there were lots of things I had to think about. I had to come up with new scenes that would fit the story and add more depth to the characters. It took me a whole month to do this but I’m glad I made those changes because they made the story a lot better. Through it all, God taught me to be patient and to rely on Him for direction. It certainly wasn’t easy but I learnt to trust in Jesus to guide me the whole way through and He came through for me.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
I would have to say that I relate most to my main character–Amara. She struggles with a lot of doubts about her God-given abilities and I used to be like that at one point in my life. I know how it feels to have no idea about what God wants you to do or how God wants you to impact the lives of others. But I also know about the beauty and growth that comes with waiting on God and trusting in His Word. His Word is always a light to our path and shows us the way. His Word gives us clarity and He never leads us wrong. God’s Word is true and when we keep it in our hearts and hold it close, we will come to believe that our worth lies not in ourselves but in CHRIST alone.
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope readers will be encouraged to believe that God is truly enough and that seeking Him first is our only goal and by doing so, everything we need will fall into place. I hope readers experience the sovereign love of God for them and that they truly believe with their hearts that God cares about every detail of our lives and that He will never leave us hanging.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
Watching movies, reading and making memories with friends and family.
What inspired you to write The One Who Loves Me?
I was inspired to write The One Who Loves Me in the summer of 2020 after reading the sample chapters of another romance novel on Amazon. I was a bit disappointed with the direction the author was taking the story in and how relationships were portrayed in the story so I was inspired to write a book which portrays Christ-centred friendships and relationships.
What do you love the most about this story?
I’m a strong advocate for diversity in Christian fiction and not just diversity in terms of skin colour, but diversity in terms of different cultures, different experiences and different ways of life and thinking. Growing up, I didn’t see many Christian fiction books with characters I could relate to, so I'm determined to change that for future generations. The One Who Loves Me has Nigerian and Cameroonian cultural representation, but also characters that honour God and live out their faith.
What challenged you about writing it? What did you learn?
I had the best experience drafting this book but editing it was very hard. My worst type of editing is developmental editing and after getting useful feedback from my editor, there were lots of things I had to think about. I had to come up with new scenes that would fit the story and add more depth to the characters. It took me a whole month to do this but I’m glad I made those changes because they made the story a lot better. Through it all, God taught me to be patient and to rely on Him for direction. It certainly wasn’t easy but I learnt to trust in Jesus to guide me the whole way through and He came through for me.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
I would have to say that I relate most to my main character–Amara. She struggles with a lot of doubts about her God-given abilities and I used to be like that at one point in my life. I know how it feels to have no idea about what God wants you to do or how God wants you to impact the lives of others. But I also know about the beauty and growth that comes with waiting on God and trusting in His Word. His Word is always a light to our path and shows us the way. His Word gives us clarity and He never leads us wrong. God’s Word is true and when we keep it in our hearts and hold it close, we will come to believe that our worth lies not in ourselves but in CHRIST alone.
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope readers will be encouraged to believe that God is truly enough and that seeking Him first is our only goal and by doing so, everything we need will fall into place. I hope readers experience the sovereign love of God for them and that they truly believe with their hearts that God cares about every detail of our lives and that He will never leave us hanging.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
Watching movies, reading and making memories with friends and family.
The One Who Loves Me
(Sovereign Love #2)
By Joan Embola
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages
May 21, 2022 by Love Qualified Press
IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER LOVE STORIES?
Amara Ikezie is a new grad nurse who is thrilled to start her dream job in Atlanta’s biggest children’s hospital. But when her best friend gets engaged, Amara is faced with the looming pressure from her mom to find her own man. Determined to escape the pressure to marry, Amara takes on a task to find the ‘perfect’ man who ticks all the boxes on her list.
Raymond Aderinto is a pediatric cardiologist with a wall of accolades and a string of failed relationships. After his fourth girlfriend dumps him, Raymond vows to get confirmation from God first before entering into his next relationship—even though he’d love to find his bride before turning thirty.
When Raymond spills coffee on Amara’s scrubs, he becomes certain she’s the woman God wants to be his wife. But unfortunately for him, Raymond doesn’t tick Amara’s boxes, and worst of all, Amara is sure her Igbo mom would never approve of a marriage to a man from the Yoruba tribe.
Despite Amara’s efforts to stay away from Raymond and convince herself he is not the one for her, her growing attraction for his character, values, and vision gives her more reasons to wonder if she was wrong about her prejudices toward him. When another doctor walks into Amara’s life who ticks all her boxes and shows interest in her, she is caught between running into his ‘perfect’ arms, or going with Raymond who is turning out to be more perfect than she thought.
The One Who Loves Me, book two in the Sovereign Love series, is a beautiful standalone novel about surrender and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who writes the best love stories.
(Affiliate links included.)
Tour Schedule
May 23rd:
May 24th:
May 25th:
May 26th:
May 27th:
Other Books in the Series
The One Who Knows Me
(Sovereign Love #1)
By Joan Embola
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 318 Pages
July 21, 2021 by Love Qualified Press
IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY?
Bullies and family disasters have left eighteen-year-old Teeyana Sparks filled with anxiety and doubt. She feels pressured to believe in God, but as she embarks on her college journey in the hope of one day working at Google as a graphic designer, the only thing she believes in is controlling her own life. Things change when she meets Jayden Williams—the guy with a charming smile and kind heart.
Struggling with grief and recovering from a season of depression, nineteen-year-old Jayden is determined to help Teeyana believe in God’s goodness again. But when yet another tragedy strikes close to home, Teeyana’s response exposes Jayden’s unhealed wounds and tips him into a mental health relapse.
With the looming possibility of not getting her dream life, Teeyana is caught between holding on to her illusion of control and surrendering to a God she’s rejected. And as Jayden strives to break out of his despondency, he has to face that letting God in may involve him letting go of his friendship with Teeyana. Teeyana and Jayden must wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and the pride in their hearts, in order to face their biggest giant—God’s sovereignty over both triumph and tragedy.
The One Who Knows Me, book one in the Sovereign Love series, is a heart-warming standalone novel about hope and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who knows all things.
(Affiliate links included.)
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-gift card (open internationally)
Ends June 1, 2022
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