This is the first time I have been part of a launch team! Yes I'm excited to help author's, if it wasn't for them I couldn't be a bookworm. This book is so great! My review for it is on another blog post
http://debbieloseanything.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-healers-touch-by-amber-schamel.html.
I hope you join me in celebrating the release of "The Healer Touch" the first in the series "Days Of Messiah". I really believed all readers of Biblical fiction and Christian readers will love this series and will want to tell others about these books.
In your book The Healer's Touch you compare Bitterness to Leprosy. Why did you choose this analogy?
Leprosy is a very strange disease. It attacks your body from within and causes the victims to lose their sense of feeling. They can hurt themselves, but never even know it. Eventually, leprosy will disfigure a person's body, their hands, arms, face. Bitterness is very similar. It eats at you from within, it hardens your heart so that you lose your sense of feeling, it harms you, but you usually don't know it. It has been medically proven that bitterness causes health problems and can even affect your facial features and appearance. I have heard it said that bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. That's so true. Bitterness turns a beautiful person ugly, much like leprosy.
Why did you choose Bitterness as a topic for a story?
When I was a teenager, my parents went through some really hard times in their marriage. It created a lot of hurt and distrust. Because of those things, the root of bitterness took root in my heart. It destroyed me from the inside out, making me a terrible person to live with and even took me to the point that I was contemplating suicide. That's when the Lord got hold of my heart, but it was a deep hole to dig out of. It is my hope that people who read this book will see bitterness for what it truly is, an ugly disease, and go to The Healer, despite their fears, for help.
Your story is based in Capernaum in Israel. Have you ever visited the Holy Land?
Yes! I've had the privilege of going to Israel twice. It is an amazing trip! I highly recommend it. The Bible will become a whole new book to you.
While in Israel, we visited the ruins of Capernaum. It was fascinating! Capernaum is called the "Town of Jesus" because that is where He called many of His disciples and He spent so much time there. Jesus cursed Capernaum in Matthew 11:23 saying "And you, Capernaum which are lifted up unto heaven shall be brought down to hell - for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today." Capernaum truly was destroyed and has never been restored. There are three ruins of note in Capernaum.
First, are the ruins of the synagogue. It was a two story building with a gabled roof that was 60x80 feet, oriented towards Jerusalem. It was built of white limestone with intricate decorations. on one of the white limestone pillars is the Aramaic inscription "HLPW the son of Zebidah, the son of Johanan, made this column. May blessing be his." These names correspond roughly with the names of James and John the sons of Zebedee mentioned in the New Testament. Many believe this to be the synagogue that was built by the centurion and visited by Jesus, others say it is a later model that was built on top of the one visited by Jesus.
The second ruin that is of note is an olive press that was discovered in the marketplace that dates back to the time of Jesus.
Third ruin that is of note in Capernaum is the House of Peter.
One of the main characters in your book is Simon Peter's wife. Why did you choose this character?
In Luke 4, Jesus visits Peter's house in Capernaum and heals his mother in law. Many people don't know that Peter was actually married, but if he had a mother in law, he had to have been married, right? It is unclear as to whether or not these ruins that they call the house of Peter were actually Peter's home, or if they were built on top of the site, but it is still an interesting place.
Did you pattern your characters after someone you knew?
Some of them, yes. Hannah is actually patterned of one of my best friends. Young Malon is patterned after my baby brother, and of course The Healer is patterned after my best Friend and Lord, Jesus Christ.
What made you decide to be an author?
I have always had an active imagination, and a bit of a knack for storytelling. But the real thing that got me into writing was when I began to see how much bad reading material is out there, and the scarcity of good, accurate material that is safe and clean. I also saw a great need for non-romance literature.
Why did you choose your genre?
I love, love, love history! And I think that fiction is at its best when you're learning something while reading it. Jesus used parables to teach people because stories and emotion make it stick. My prayer is that my stories would be parables in the mouth of Jesus Christ.
What do you wish you knew before you started writing?
I wish I would have known how important it is to start building your platform before you are published. I always thought that you could wait to build your blog and author page till you got published, but that isn't so. Once you have a book published, you need someone to market it to. Those buyers will be the platform that you've built over the years.
Where can readers find you on the internet?
Well, first of all, you are all invited to my Facebook Launch party for The Healer's Touch on August 15th at 6pm MDT. There will be giveaways (including an Authentic Holy Land Gift Set), trivia, behind the scenes tidbits, and author Q&A. Be sure to drop by my facebook page and register for this exciting event! I can also be found on the following:
Amber's Biography
Short Version:
Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO.
Long Version
Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has lived there her entire life. She enjoys travel and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children and is a homeschool graduate. She has continued her education at home and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper. She has been in the marketing field for over six years and serves as Marketing Director at Excalibur Advertising Agency. She volunteers half of the summer at a non-profit Christian Family Bootcamp in rural MO helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber also has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. She enjoys public speaking and has been privileged to speak on Biblical Relationships and Christian Business. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. She now has two books published and is anticipating the release of two to three more before the end of 2013. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO.
Are there any questions that you all would have for me?
As for as the giveaway on this blog post one winner will get an ebook copy of "The Healer Touch"
This giveaway starts now and runs till Monday at 9 am EST. Please leave your email so we can contact you if you are the winner.
Let's start this party! Anyone with me?
