Why I Started Writing:

Accidentally. Writing as a career began with a series of well-placed accidents. Or as our family likes to call my mishaps, mini miracles.

In my first attempt at editing, my son refused to shorten his masthead, The South Shore North Shore Telegraph. Befuddled, I scrambled to find curriculum to homeschool such a creative nine-year-old, while our neighbors applauded his gumption with paid subscriptions. Piled in his red wagon, he hauled his weekly newspaper to over thirty neighbors.

Next, I compiled family stories as a keepsake for our children. Soon, I groaned under the expense of copying my thick tome for my daughters’ young married friends.

Amazingly, my Christmas gift of written love morphed into a dream to write a real book, no, make that five or ten books. Enthusiastically, my family contributed material to my growing pile of sacred stories.

Don’t we all know communication in relationships is tricky? Finally, once David and I figured out how to rid our own marriage of the doldrums, sharing our family stories publicly offered a natural, if vulnerable, progression.

Before I could gauge my fear level, my own newspaper column morphed into a blog. Next thing I knew, I hosted a radio show with podcasts reaching well over one million reading and listening friends annually. All accidentally, keep in mind, with a ton of prayer.

When I heard publishers were interested in our books, I broke out in shingles! Seriously. Who gets their dream-come-true only to sport red splotches in a perfect circle where my waist used to be? With so much vision and so little expertise, what would I do without the invaluable guidance of our friends at Elk Lake!

Our family knows this for sure—brave people who risk conversational adventures change everything. Whether it’s at home, at work, in church, in community, sharing our sacred stories with each other fosters fellowship and tender companionship. All it takes is courage.

So, I write accidentally, but with all the courage I can muster.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

A flashlight-under-the-covers reader from childhood, my youthful companions included C. S. Lewis, R. L. Stevenson, A. A. Milne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Since becoming a Christian, I benefited most from the down-to-earth, practical writing of Josh McDowell, John Trent, and later, Love Does by Bob Goff. (I especially like the way Goff writes spiritual stuff without boring me to tears!)

Like so many of my book-loving friends, each new year dawns on the ambition to read hundreds of books! How can I possibly pick only a hand full of current favorites? However, Janet McHenry’s book, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus stands out this year. Among other fresh insights, she tackled the issue of submission, never an easy topic. Phew! Brave woman!

For fun, if you haven’t read Martha Hook’s books, I highly recommend them. For books with something for both guys and gals, Dave and I consumed C. J. Box’s collection in big gulps like popcorn at the movies. Yum!

Books I Have Written:

Now that I figured out how to write books, I’m writing like a whirling dervish without scary knives. This calls for a pun about the word of God being sharper than a two-edged sword, but, nope, I’m blank.

For instance, I’m excited about a book on communication in marriage, coming out shortly. Plus, a bunch of authors teamed up for another  book scheduled to release any minute. One story I like very much, so I shared it in both books, "The Compassion Story," about my husband’s response when I told with him about my abortion. I hope you will watch for those books, too.

What I'm Working On Now:

Already, for our Elk Lake favorite, The Well, The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations, we’ve outlined a sequel which will focus on quick ways Jesus got His point across. Oh my, we learn so much from the Master Communicator!

Next up, our daughter Anna Krafve Pierce and I are compiling a bunch of interviews we did for Fireside Talk Radio. A practical, uncomplicated manual on raising creative kids, Anna shares fun and philosophy, plus a simple craft project for each month. Any title suggestions are enthusiastically welcome at CathyKrafve.com!

Plus, we have more family communication sequels in the works. Beyond that, for a future project, we’re currently researching and rethinking the mythology about how fear impacts our lives.

But when I sleep, I dream of writing fiction. Fiction-writing friends, you are my heroes!