You
like being called Yvonne Pat. Any
particular reason?
My family call me Pat (or Patsy which I’m not fond
of) so close friends who meet me through family adopt that name. I use my given name Yvonne as the norm. However, a hilarious situation revealed that I had
developed a dual identity as one half of my acquaintances knew me by one name
and the other by another name and there was a heated debate as to who was
correct. When I wrote the book I thought
I’d better emphasize both names so that there would be no mistaking me.
Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born in the beautiful sunny isle of Jamaica in
the West Indies and have lived in 20 year periods in Jamaica and the UK. Currently I am in the UK
How old were you when you started writing and what
was it about?
I can remember writing from very early childhood and
it was always about love... love between persons, love for animals, flowers or places which I
dreamed up. I morphed into writing poems as I found those easier to
compose. I always said that one day I
would write the plain unvarnished truth about my life. My first book is not quite what I envisaged,
but indeed it relates the truth of my life today.
What is the name of your book and if you had to sum
it up in 30 words or so, what would you say?
From Spice to Eternity: Discovering the
Main Ingredient to a Life of Fulfillment and Purpose. Slices of my life, in which I blend a
variety of spicy flavours, ultimately discovering the main spice that has made
the difference. Using a description of a
herb or spice as the theme of the stories, the underlying message is the love,
security, strength, and other life coping support that is available in a
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
A recipe ends the chapter.
That’s a unique format. Where did you get the idea
for this book?
It had its genesis in a radio program that I
hosted called The Spice of Life. I’d
start the program by naming a herb or spice for the day and ask my listeners
to call in their favorite recipes using it. The other content to the program was a devotional message interspersed
with music. Several persons thought
this would make interesting reading and suggested that I write a book. When I wrote the book I changed from generic
devotions to my life stories.
What part of this book did you
enjoy writing the most and why?
The life stories definitely. It was fun to cast my mind back to periods of
my life and try to capture the flavour of what was happening then. There was a reason for using this
format. Coming from the Caribbean where
Christianity and its practice is part of the fabric of life, I was distressed
that specific laws here in the UK made it difficult for persons to share their
faith in situations, for instance, in the workplace. It was then, and is still my desire that this
book will be given to those you want to share the gospel with but find it hard for whatever reason.
What do you want readers to take
away from your writing and this book in particular?
I
got really excited when it dawned on me that I was using a similar parabolic
method in telling the gospel that Jesus did.
In several instances He used objects to tell His stories and this is
what I have done here. There are many
persons who will never enter a church to listen to a gospel message, or allow
you to talk openly with them about the love of God or preach the Bible. Yet they face the same day to day challenges
and situations that I have shared in the book and they need the same life
changing solution. Prayerfully
I ask that the Lord will use the non-threatening presentation of the gospel in
my book as an entering wedge to reach these persons.
How does your faith play into your
writing and do you have a favorite Bible verse?
My faith will always be reflected in my writing as I want to work out my
faith in evangelism to share the gospel of Jesus. My favourite Bible verse is John 16:33. In this world you will have tribulations,
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I can go confidently into any fray because I
am on the winning side.
In your book you write about herbs
and spices and share recipes using these.
Is cooking a passion and do you have a favorite recipe/food.
I cannot say that cooking is a passion,
as in everyday cookery. What I love is
preparing meals for occasions. So when
the family and friends are coming round, I get into high gear planning and
preparing the menu. My favourite dish/
recipe is the Jamaican national dish Ackee and Codfish which can be found
on page 150 of the book. I’d also like
to add that this is the favourite recipe of the three times world record holder,
Olympian athlete Usain Bolt, who is also from Jamaica. He will tell you that he eats this and other
Jamaican staples as they give him the stamina for his races. Also of great note is that this dish is
famous having been ranked second on the National Geographic list of best
worldwide dishes. Travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/national-food-dishes Readers can have this wonderful recipe from my book.
Do you have plans for a new book, a sequel, or will
it be completely different?
I
would like to write some more and have ideas.
But I am committed to giving this book maximum exposure because of the
purpose I believe God has for it. I find
that I am spending huge portions of my time marketing it rather than
writing. I do have outlines and some
notes, so there could be something else soon.
Is there an Author that you would really like to
meet?
I would love to meet Francine Rivers. Her writings have inspired me immensely and
in fact her book Redeeming Love played a huge part in the re-commitment of my
life to the Lord.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
I chose the traditional route to
publish. At the time self-publishing was not in the ascendency. In two years
there has been a shift and self-publishing is much more accepted today than it
was then. If you have something to say
and are passionate about it, write it, publish it and who knows what will come
of you and your writing. Some amazing
talented authors have been discovered who are now being chased by traditional
publishers. Go for it!
Do
you have a book trailer?
Where
can readers hang out with you?
Yvonne Pat Wright, in happy retirement, enjoys reading in several
genres, but finds it hard to accept obscenity and accept it as standard
author’s license. A devout Christian she teaches in church and
is a trained lay preacher. Born in
Kingston, Jamaica she has spent an equal number of years living alternatively in
Jamaica and the United Kingdom. She’s won the hearts of daughters, grandsons
and nieces and several ‘adopteds’ with her hearty home cooked meals, delicately
spiced and served up with healthy doses of the value of Christian living. She
is particularly pleased to have been ‘mother’ to a very famous singing family,
the Jackson Five. From Spice to Eternity is her first book and a sequel is in
progress. She also intends to switch to
fiction writing and the plot and outline are being developed.
website: www.spicetoeternity.co.uk
YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/bl9exgn
Nice to meet you, Yvonne. I love Caribbean food. When I lived in Maryland, I always visited a restaurant where jerk chicken and lamb roti was served nice and spicy. The real thing, lol. Congratulations on your book! I pray that it reaches many people to give them the inspiration and uplifting that's needed so much these days.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Tracy!
Great interview, Tracy, and I love your book, Yvonne. I'm going to post your interview on FB!
ReplyDeleteExcellent interview, Tracy. Yvonne, it's a pleasure to meet you.
ReplyDelete