Author Intro: Cathy Messecar

See Ya On The Net: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Cathy Messecar: Cathy Messecar is a newspaper columnist, wife, mother and grandmother. She has published many devotional articles and won several writing awards. She lives with her husband, David, on Leaning Tree Acres Farm in Montgomery, Texas.

SYOTN: Tell us about your current book?

MESSECAR: The Stained Glass Pickup is a collection of inspirational newspaper columns that glimpse God’s uncommon wisdom. The columns were originally published in my home congregation bulletin, then in The Courier, Conroe, Texas on the religion pages. The meditations end with special prayers. My passion is to share how Jesus life-supports Christians every day, and to help people to notice his moment to moment care. The title, The Stained Glass Pickup, is from the first devotional in the book, about a rancher who prays aloud for his high school age daughter while he drives her to school.

SYOTN: What aspect of God do you most hope readers will take away after reading your book?

MESSECAR: I want readers to remember that God is the only constant in life, ever present. His arms are wrapped around us. He's leading us by the hand. He's whispering his love song each moment. I want them to tune their dials to his station.

And, I especially want to help them learn how to pray "in Jesus' name." I want to assist readers in knowing that Jesus' name at the end of a prayer is not just a tag line, a parting phrase, an exit line. That praying in his name is the most potent part of their prayers.

Did you know there are over 250 names and titles given to the Son of God in scripture? And then I've made my own list of descriptions of his actions, nearly 200. Such as, Jesus, who brought real character to the family tree, and Jesus, who told a story about a woman sweeping a house, Jesus, who fished on dry land--on mountains, in synagogues, at a well, and in a graveyard. Well, I guess you see I could go on and on with the answers to this question. There's just something about that name.

SYOTN: Tell us about your publishing experience?

MESSECAR: I've been writing about 18 years, the first five or so for a church bulletin. I've written for The Houston Chronicle, The Amy Foundation's Newsletter Pen & Sword. These periodicals: Power for Today, Christian Woman, Sisterhood Magazine and others. Several of my essays are in anthologies, God's Abundance and God's Abundance for Women.

Currently I'm writing for Houston Community Newspaper, The Courier. I'm in my fifth year of writing a weekly column. I also E-mail it out to 4,000 each Friday.

SYOTN: Do you think an agent is necessary?

MESSECAR: I'd love to work with an agent. However, I don't think a writer has to have an agent to land a book contract. I have completed a women's fiction, and I'd really like for an agent to represent "Morning Glory Summer," the proposed title. I'd rather be writing than querying many publishers and attending many writers' conferences.

SYOTN: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

MESSECAR: I'm not a whiner, so this doesn't really bother me, but I wish non-writers understood that a lot of time goes into the crafting of a finished work. So, if Mary Lou, asks me to write Uncle Delouey's obituary, because "It'll only take you a minute, hon." Please think again, all you Mary Lous. Writers may work several hours on smaller projects with 5 or more drafts before it reaches personal standards. I love to help others, but I can't help on every writing project.

SYOTN: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

MESSECAR: Yes, think outside the Christian-bookstore-box. Because the title The Stained Glass Pickup has a "truck" word in it, I plan to ask local truck dealers to allow me to place a complimentary copy in their waiting areas. I'm asking the same of my doctors, hairdresser, etc. My publicist is querying national truck stop gift stores, too? The complimentary copies will have ordering info in the back of each book. I'm querying Western Wear Stores that have gift areas to see if they will stock The Stained Glass Pickup.

SYOTN: What is a favorite book from your childhood?

MESSECAR: From early childhood, a family Bible story book with full page color pictures--hmm--don't know the title. From my late teens, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte`

SYOTN: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

MESSECAR: Tamera Alexander's new fiction release with Bethany House: Rekindled. It literally was a page turner. Good plotting, characters with savvy and grit--part saint, part sinner. Sequels are coming to keep me awake this fall.

SYOTN: What resources do you use on the net?

MESSECAR: http://enwikipedia.org (encyclopedia, dictionary, search link, every topic)

www.studylight.org (plenty of commentaries, lexicons, concordances, Bible versions)

www.jerusalemperspective.com (Jesus' teachings in the context of his culture)

www.flylady.net (for the "overwhelmed, over extended, overdrawn." If it's noon and anyone is reading this in your pjs and last nights make up, you need this site.)

SYOTN: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

MESSECAR: I'd love to get any feedback from readers, positive and anything that will help me grow as a writer and Christian:

P. O. Box 232
Montgomery, TX 77356

writecat@consolidated.net
www.stainedglasspickup.com
www.cathymessecar.com