AUTHOR PROFILE
CAMMY WALTERS
I’d like to thank Cammy Walters for stopping by and sitting down with us fon my virtual couch or a few minutes to answer some questions .
Can you tell us a little about yourself? I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in a small suburb town called Hurst, Texas. Several years ago, I assisted another pastor in writing his books, and then in 2012-13 became a best-selling author for my own books. I am is a wife of 23 years to my soul mate, Don Walters and we have 7 children, and 18 grandchildren. Our youngest son served in Iraq in 2007-2008. I came into the faith at the age of 26, and by God’s Great Grace have been teaching and preaching the Word of God ever since that time. I hold several degrees from Practical Biblical Theology, to an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity. I have come through the ranks so to speak, holding bible studies in our home, children’s Pastor, Pastoral Care Minister, to what I to call “Pastorship of the Potty’s ” before being called into a different ministry direction. In 1997-1998 the Lord called me to begin preaching and teaching the gospel message and He began my in field training at that time. In 2008, the Lord called me to begin a ministry called Finally Free Ministries in Springtown, Texas where we raised children. Finally Free Ministries, assists folks that are coming out of a substance abuse or domestic violence situation get back on their feet and become productive members of society again. In 2010, I was given two different Leadership awards by a national publication called Nursery Management, for my community service efforts through the ministry. .
Who or what inspires you? I don’t want to sound cliché, but Who or What inspires me is God and all His creation. Since my husband’s accident almost two years ago now, I never realized how the smallest things in His creation, the seeming insignificant things, are the most inspirational. The inspiration of God and the beauty that He alone created for us to enjoy, study, and learn of Him. Lessons to be learned about Him, through the simple things of life and how important it has been for us to get back to. Trust me it has taken me about as long as it has been since the accident to enjoy slowing down enough to enjoy it all. .
Who’s you favorite author? Can’t say that I really have a Favorite Author, because I cross so many genre lines throughout my research and study of God and His creation that I see God involved in every genre for the most part. .
Do you have a favorite time or place to write? This sounds kind of funny to say out loud, but I only write when something hits me that I have to get down on paper before I forget it. But if I had to be specific, I write many time just after my prayer time. You see, Prayer is not just telling God your troubles, your wishes and wants, it’s also about being able stop long enough to listen to His answers. I have seen to many times in my early walk with the Lord that I would rattle off my list and then go on about my day, never waiting to hear the Lord’s answers. He will always provide an answer, but if we aren’t in a listening frame of mind, we miss what was said. .
Do you have a favorite food or drink while you write? No I don’t have A Favorite drink, I am a bit of an “odd duck”, I have to have at a minimum of 3 different types of drinks available at arm’s length at all times. In the car I try to keep it to two different drinks, but when I write, watch tv, even when we are playing cards with my editor and her husband it’s at least three, Coffee, cold Tea(with stevia), and either a coke or vitamin water. .
What do you do to relax? Funny that you ask what we do to relax, I don’t have one answer, but really two from different phases of our life. B.A – Before Accident, and A.A. – After Accident. BA – Had you asked me what we did to relax, I would tell you, putter around the old homestead away from the hustle and bustle of city life and daily drama. Our last vacation we had just gotten back from was exactly 11 days before the accident. That vacation was what I would classify as a “World Wind Vacation” – 3600 miles in eight days through 7 or 8 States, and only repeated the first and last 5 miles into and out of town. AA – We drive slow and eat ice cream every day within a thirty-mile radius now! Every day is a new world, where we drive slow and eat ice cream within a thirty-mile physical radius of the old homestead. The slower pace allows us to refresh ourselves daily in God and His creation. We watched an ant struggle with a piece of food that was at least 200 times his size, get stopped dead in his tracks and could go no further than a piece of straw would let him. To watching the speed at which a ground wasp, no bigger than a regular red wasp, hunt down and find a medium size wolf spider in the grass and drag it over rocks, boulders (compared to his size), approximately 30 feet around the corner of the house within only a couple of minutes to his nest. To ministering to a group of people physically in Lahore, Pakistan and me in my bathrobe in Springtown, Texas USA where 8 people understood the importance of water baptism and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior through one of my teaching chapters in my book “Sharing Your Faith Effectively”, titled; Sharing Your Faith on Water Baptism. Now my relaxation time is sharing mine and others testimonies of faith, strength, and endurance to live this thing called life and what our priorities in this life should be, and being extremely outspoken on most occasions. Watching TV shows like Unforgettable, and Reckless, to simply sitting on the porch every morning with my husband and best friend, enjoying the fact that we get to be best friends that spend 24/7 together for eternity. I think they wrote a song about that, “slow down, you move to fast you got to make the moment last” hence the driving slow and eating ice cream.
. As writers, we all have to deal with writer’s block, what do you do when that happens? I really can’t say that I have what most writers refer to as “writer’s block”, I call it more of a “Divine Delay”. There are times where I will talk to my Heavenly Father (Daddy God), and sometimes it’s as if I can’t hear response at all, and at other times it’s not the answer that I was wanting or looking for. I am currently in that Divine Delay pattern right now working on Chapter 2 of my 6th book. I have been in this Divine Delay pattern for several months now with that book, and THANK GOD, I work on several different projects at the same time at least two to three minimum. If I don’t feel like writing on any particular day, I simply allow myself to sit and ponder (meditate), read the stock market news and charts, read a book, work in my gardens, study different kinds of rocks, and recently I have considered trying my hand at throwing pottery on a pottery wheel. I believe that we writers can be so caught up on the deadlines of our work, real or imagined that we miss the part of our writing gift that is just for our own personal pleasure and growth. As you can see, I can’t really say that I ever really quit writing or don’t have something to write, it just might not be the project that I wanted to work on or was talking to Daddy about for the day. .
If you could ask one question of any writer, who would it be and what would you ask? King Solomon – The writer of several books of the Old Testament, the only person to ask God for the highest and most honorable request by asking for Wisdom. Where in God’s wisdom was it found that you needed to be driven crazy by more than one woman? But seriously, if there was only one question I could ask it would be to say; Over 300 wives and mistresses…What were you thinking???????
Now that we’ve got the easy stuff out of the way, let’s talk about your book. . Would you like to share something from you latest project with us? My lastest project is what I call a “serial project”, because it is a Series that will be published on a yearly basis with new testimonies/stories and Fresh Golden God Nuggets from everyone who is willing to share a chapter from their life and how they Know that God got them through. “A Life of Significance” which is in its second edition currently only available through my publisher until its official release date of November 11, 2014 (Veterans Day). The Official Release Date is I believe a God Thing to me because in this edition I share a very blunt story of our youngest son in chapter 2 titled: Marcus The Sole Survivor. He served in Iraq 2006-2007 was EVAC’D from there 2 weeks before Christmas and is a sole survivor of his squad that he graduated boot camp with. .
What genre is it? Both my current editions of, “A Life of Significance” and “Sharing your Faith Effectively” are Christian Life, Education and Spiritual Growth genres. .
Where do you draw your artistic inspiration from? All my artistic inspiration comes from MY DADDY God. Just look around you, everything and everyone has a purpose, whether they or we realize it or not. Even the bible tells us that about all created vessels (which we are created, in His likeness and In His Image); some are created for honor, and some are created for dis-honor, however, each one has a purpose, a function to perform. I guess you could say it this way; Haters are gonna hate and Lovers are gonna love, but all have a purpose. Haters teach us lovers where our love gauge is at, whether it is full or running on empty. Lovers teach haters hopefully; that regardless of your hate, your Heavenly Father through us loves you in spite of your hate. .
Of all your characters, who is your favorite? For me to choose just one as my favorite characters/REAL People, would be like asking a mother, which one of her children was her favorite child. Allow me if you will to tell you just a bit about a couple of my Real People/Real life stories that stick with me as I continue with each new edition of “A Life of Significance”: Meet my friends Shelley and Ricky. Shelley and Ricky are the parents of John in Chapter 5. They are an average middle class family. She had her dreams and demons, and he had his, however, through it all, God’s Grace brought them back together again through the birth of their son, John. Might not have been pretty but who else but God can bring order from chaos! Meet my friends JoAnn and Ferris. Joann shared three testimonies of three of their 15 children, Tori, Tobi, and Misty Lynn chapters 10, 14, and 16. When I first heard that Joann would be willing to share their story, I had no idea what God was about to show me. As I drove up this dirt road where it was obvious that work was going on, to my surprise I arrive at what can only be described a Fortress or Compound of the Most Royal kind. With its white stonewalls surrounding what they call home. As I was leaving their home, the sign on the entry/exit way said it all, “We may not have it all together, BUT, together we have it ALL.” That one line plaque is the main lesson that I hope the reader learns with each new edition of my book, “A Life of Significance”, because within every life is hidden for us to mine out the Golden God nuggets that God has deposited within every human being. It was several weeks after my interview with her, that I found out that Joann’s husband and his brother had been named in a magazine article. They were included in that article as two of the top newest billionaires that year 2011, for selling their company several months prior to our interview. This was also the same year that, “A Life of Significance” was first released on October 13, 2011. They are truly the most humble and down to earth family you could ever meet. Truly, Yahweh’s servants here on this earth as you will see as you read their children’s stories.
. What authors have had the strongest influence on you as a writer. Amiee Semple McPherson – For her tell it like it is style, because she crossed so many barriers at a time when women preachers were at its infancy and her outspokenness an oddity at best. Joyce Meyers – God showed me through her that He made me exactly the way that He wanted me, In the brain out the mouth syndrome and all. Cher – God taught me early in my life through her, to say what you mean and mean what you say. I love her classic line best of all and pretty much summarizes my life’s mantra. “Take that you bitches.” To all those that told me when pigs fly, and whatever other nonsense the generally accepted establishment is trying to shove down our throats at the time. Oops, there I go again chopping up those sacred cows, oh well, we are called to be Salt and Light, and Life adds the pepper to spice things up…right? Yep, even God calls me one of His many Renegade Pastors and smiles when He says it! .
Do you use an outline or do you let the story emerge as it goes along With the type of writing that I do, I employ both an outline and allowing the story to emerge as it goes along. With “A Life of Significance” I had to allow my natural curiosity and willingness to ask what others sometimes won’t, to get the information and stories from people that were willing to share a chapter of their life, while at the same time being guided by the sections with that particular edition of the book. With my other book, “Sharing Your Faith Effectively” which is more teaching and show and tell lessons, I have to use an outline, to maintain some type of flow. With these types of books, the table of contents is really the outline that I use. .
Are you traditionally or self-published? I am really glad that you asked about my publishing experience. I try to share this with every writer wanting to be published. The Publisher that published my first editions of my first two books was Publish America, which has since changed its name to AllStar American Books I believe. This company was more of a indie/hybrid company, and not really how it was marketed to me when they approached me to publish my books. However, I was excited to say the least that a publisher wanted to pay me to write books, but that was where the romance ended. It wasn’t until after I had gotten on several Best Selling Authors lists from Amazon, Kobo, and a few others listed #37 and #76 in 2012 and 2013, that Tate Publishing offered me a contract to re-release my books as second editions in March of this year, that I couldn’t refuse. Tate Publishing is exactly what I thought a Traditional Publisher should be. They advertise Active Authors, and the inactive ones will not be successful. The unwilling or inactive authors are the main ones that I believe are the chief complainers about Tate Publishing. I would like to add, I truly believe that Publishers Don’t Sell Books, Authors DO! If you think that your work has ended once you are finished editing your manuscript, you are in for a rude awakening. Actually, if you aren’t selling yourself, and your books, by whatever means available to you, you will not be successful in your writing career. .
What made you pick that route? Simply put, I went the route that I have as an author, to help other authors through the maze of How to Get Published. It is my goal to assist other authors and even those that don’t yet know that they are writers to begin sharing their life experiences. My only goal is that through my life along with others to expand on that plaque of my friends ‘We may not have it all together, but together we have it ALL’. That spirit to show that regardless of your background, if my Daddy God can and has done it through me and my life, He will certainly use you for your specific purpose that you were made to fulfill in and through your life, if you are willing to share it with others. .
What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge in writing “A Life of Significance” editions to date is finding people willing to share their life experiences so that myself and others can learn and glean from the Golden God Nugget that are held within every life. Many people too often think that it is a sign of weakness to show your struggles and your pain. When in fact, I have seen more often than not that by sharing your struggles and pain and reflecting back upon how you survived is a testament in its self of the healing power contained within everyone’s story. Also, allowing someone else to come along beside you and help carry that load, if it is only for a moment in prayer and remembrance on an intentional and continual basis is a blessing that we are all blessed with if you have even just one person on your friends’ list. My biggest challenge is to remember that every one of us is a Work is Progress, and all are developing at a different pace and timing. Such was the reason I felt that I should and did start the 60 Day Prayer Challenge, challenging all of my facebook friends to begin coming along beside their friends in their lists. Helping to cast the burden, the worry, the fear of whatever situation they may be going through at the moment. Showing in a tangible way, that we are here for one another, and through the help of others God gives us the Strength and Comfort to carry on each day doing the best that we know how to at the moment. Moment by Moment, and Day by Day, Our Heavenly Father wants us to Cast that Care upon Him, because He cares that deeply for each and every one of us regardless of who we are, or where we have been.
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But before we go, do you have any last words of wisdom to offer those reading this? Yes as a matter of fact I do have a couple of last words of wisdom and encouragement to add. To the writers: Relax, Write what you know about, and share those Golden God Nuggets that your life is made up of. Typically, an authors’ first book contains more about themselves than your subconscious mind realizes. Such was the case for me with my first edition of “A Life of Significance” which was was published in 2011, there are 9 out of the 21 chapters I wrote about our own family stories. My previous publisher wrote an article about how most author’s first books were mainly about themselves, it was true as the Lord allowed me to become healed from some of my past through my own stories contained within the book. Since that time, I have found it to be true for the most part regardless of the genre. Everyone has a story to share, we are just the only ones willing to put ourselves out there for the world to pull apart and try to tear down because we say what others are thinking every day through our gift of words. Lastly, remember this quote as you write by Mark Twain: “Write without pay until someone offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this as a sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for.” To the Readers of Books and Learners of Life: Share your story, and glean from yours and others the Golden God nuggets hidden within each story. God told me many years ago when He called me to preach the gospel; It takes twice as strong a man to contain a strong woman. The only way a strong man or woman will be able to withstand the trials and trails of life, is with a partner who is twice as strong as they are. Don’s interpretation of what the Lord said was: “Always remember BA comes before BI in the dictionary.” John, the last thing that I would like to share with you and your readers is something that I learned while writing my first story which is Chapters 7 and 8 of “A Life of Significance”. We all have a story to share, and audience to reach, and people to share your Golden God Nuggets that are hidden deep within all of us. I would like to extend to your reader and writers of the group the invitation that I have posted on our facebook pages: Attention all Friends and Neighbors: We are currently in the process of compiling “Chapter” submissions for the THIRD edition of “A Life Of Significance”. I you or someone that you know has a blog, or story to share where they knew in their particular situation that God was there and helped them through. Looking for Cancer/Disease Survivor Stories, Life Struggles, Life taken too soon, Angel Visitations, and Divine Healings, Adoption Stories, anything where you KNEW that God was there and how you felt before, during and after to help others that might be going through a similar situation. You don’t have to have any writing skills or a blog, just a story that you are willing to share to help someone else. Now while I cannot pay you for your contribution, I will provide a FREE copy of the edition that your story is published in, and YOUR CHAPTER CONTRIBUTION WILL HAVE YOUR NAME printed and published on your story only. To you writers that means, you will have the By Line on your story chapter. To those of you that only answer interview questions, your name will be printed in first name only format within your story.
If you are interested in sharing a chapter of your life, please contact me by PM, and we can chat about how this works. The Second Edition of “A Life Of Significance” is only available only through my publisher until the official release date of November 11, 2014. ALL SUBMISSIONS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED to me BY JANUARY 2015 TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE THIRD EDITION. Blessings! Links to Books, You-Tube video of 60 day prayer challenge, Facebook pages, and my personal Facebook page. Link for 60 Day Prayer Challenge – Casting your Cares Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOgYWcGnoVk Link to purchase in Paperback or E-Book formats: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/search.php?search=cammy+walters https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-63306-963-3 https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-63306-964-0 Link to my both my books’ facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/alifeofsignificance https://www.facebook.com/alifeofsignificance
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handbook-for-Sharing-your-Faith-Effectively-By-Carmella-Walters/234986546561896 Link to my personal facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cammy.walters Link to Ministry facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/finallyfreeministries Link to Eddie’s Acres Project page. https://www.facebook.com/eddiesacres Link to Cammy’s Linkin page: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cammy-walters/23/982/399/ Link to Pastor Cammy’s Blog site: https://pastorcammy.wordpress.com/
Thanks for sharing, Cammie. It's all been very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, and hope that you were blessed!
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