Carol and Larry McGehe Author Bio:
Larry and Carol were married in 1978 and have combined their careers and life experiences to bring a unique blend to their writing. They are internationally experienced consultants and presenters in education and business.
Larry and Carol love to travel and have visited all seven continents and all fifty states, connecting with individuals worldwide and throughout the United States. They served as missionaries to Honduras, making numerous trips over six years. They also enjoy mentoring young adults, who they fondly identify as their “children.”
Throughout their careers, they have consistently collaborated as a team. They founded Prime Presentations, a seminar business that served teachers and administrators for over fifteen years. They co-authored and taught Success in School, a study skills curriculum for middle and high school students. Both have had articles published in professional journals and trade magazines.
Under Carol’s direction, twenty of her at-risk seventh graders wrote and published a 245-page mathematics textbook. “Pioneer Math: Written by Kids for Kids” was purchased by schools in Great Britain, Canada, Bermuda, and in over forty states in the United States.
When asked about their greatest honors, Larry shares that Carol was the recipient of Presidential Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, which led to a meeting with President George H. W. Bush at the White House. And Carol proudly recounts Larry being named an All-American Softball player who pitched his team to third in the nation and served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era.
They have combined Carol’s attention to detail and writing ability with Larry’s research, map drawing skills, and unique story ideas to bring you this first historical novel in the “In Search” series.
What inspires you to write?
The concept for “In Search of My Heart” grew out of a small-group study of “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. We were discussing the fact that God chose women to discover the empty tomb of Christ and deliver the unbelievable message to the disciples. This was a most unusual choice by God, since women in that culture were not highly regarded, except by Jesus, of course. I recalled saying, almost under my breath, “I wonder what the women were thinking and feeling. I wish we had biblical events written from a woman’s perspective.” I later woke up in the middle of the night, tossed and turned for two hours, finally got up, and after a short Bible reading, I suddenly felt the inspiration for what has become “In Search of My Heart” sweep over me. At that moment, the idea for a story told by Miriam, a young Jewish girl in first-century Israel, was born.
We have both been inspired by other storytellers, such as our favorite authors above, but primarily by the Holy Spirit, who has truly guided our writing.
Tell us about your writing process.
We’ve known many authors who outline their story from start to finish and have a clear path for their writing. In our case, the inspiration for “In Search of My Heart” came to us and the only pre-planning we did was the extensive research. Since our “In Search” novel series takes place in first-century Israel, Larry spent over six months researching every aspect of that time period, including Jewish culture and customs, biblical writings, foods, customs, feast days, the Roman occupation, geography, climate, flowers, government and politics, and everything in between.
Once the research was complete, I began writing not knowing where Miriam’s story would take me. I had heard authors talk about their characters telling their stories in some “out-of-body-from-the-author” manner. I thought these authors were a little strange until I experienced that very thing with Miriam. As I would go to a friend’s cabin at the lake or isolate in my bedroom office to write for hours at a time, I allowed Miriam to share her story.
One thing I found unusually helpful was to complete a Myers-Briggs profile on my main characters. This may surprise you, but my personal profile was different than my main character’s, even though I completed the profile for both of us! Once I knew a character’s profile, I could be sure the characters remained consistent in their reactions and responses to situations throughout the story.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes, as I’ve said, I love spending time with Miriam. If I hadn’t listened to her, we would not have had a story. I can feel her emotions and sometime want to chastise her for some of her reactions to situations. She has taught me a lot about myself! She led me through in a way that is difficult to explain. She’s still talking to me as we conceptualize the next novel in this series.
Who are your favorite authors?
Liz Curtis Higgs, Chuck Swindoll, Francine Rivers, Melanie Dobson, Brock and Bodie Thoene, and Elizabeth Musser
Each has written many books we have read. We choose an author and read most or all of their writings.
What genres do you write?
Historical Christian Fiction for Adults and Teens
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
We enjoy reading historical fiction from different eras and have a special interest in the Jewish tradition, which led to Christianity. Historical fiction in first-century Israel was a perfect fit for our interests.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
My laptop, my Bible, and a caffeine drink
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
Boogie boarding, pickleball, traveling, spending time with friends and the young people we mentor
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Home Page Link
Link to Author Page on BookBaby
Author’s Social Media Links
Facebook
Instagram
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
