1. When did you first began writing?

My earliest memories of me writing were when I was a little boy around ten years old. I would write stories about my living in other places. My cousin Yvette, who gave me a love for reading, would write poetry and I wrote some poetry as well, following her example.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to see your book in print? That was my ultimate vision as I was writing Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? As I wrote it I wanted to see it published.

3. I Believe you’ve self published your novel? Could you share how you went about doing this?

I felt led to self publish for several reasons. First I had written a novel in 1992 and had a secured an agent in 1993 but he wasn’t able to secure a deal for me. After that I lost my interest in writing and some years later I lost that manuscript in between moves. After I had written Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? I was praying about trying to sell it to a publisher or to publish it myself when I attended a writer’s conference in Virginia Beach. The facilitator was a young woman named Renee Bobb and the thrust of the conference was on self publishing. After that conference I was inspired to self publish. Another person who has been inspiration to me in self publishing is Dr. Linda Beed, one of the moderators on the BWCHRISTIANLIT Yahoo group. Linda has shared a wealth of knowledge with the group and with me personally about the intricacies of self publishing.

4. Linda does share a wealth of knowledge with her Yahoo group members. Did you choose a certain company, did you incorporate yourself, or did you go through some other process to get your book in print? With Renee’s help I choose Lightning Source as my printer and she has given me many helpful recommendations in this process. Renee has also written and published a manual on self publishing.

5. I’ve heard Lightning Source recommended by others for self-publishing services. Could you tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a pastor?

I started preaching when I was seventeen years old. I preached my first sermon on March 25, 1984. I knew early in the ministry that I would one day pastor a congregation and I was elected to my first church in September 1993. I have been a pastor to three congregations in the states of West
Virginia, Virginia and Texas. I have been at this church in
southern Virginia for eight years – which is a unique situation in itself. I was elected to this church in September 1994 and I served as pastor until April 2000 when I left to go to Texas. The church elected me a second time in November 2006 and I returned in February 2007. It is very rare in this denomination to pastor the same church twice.

6. What is your novel about?

This novel is about an older pastor, James Maxwell who is a father type to the following characters: Theo Dexter, Michael Cain and Adam Jones. Each of these men are experiencing life crises that are threatening to derail them. Each of them turns to Pastor Maxwell for help and he walks with them through the process of wholeness.

7. Where did you get the idea for your novel?

I’m not really sure where I got the idea because it was a long time ago when I first started writing my book. I started writing this story at the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004. My mother had died in June of 2003 and I was writing with a lot of pain so it’s very possible that this story was the result of me dealing with my own brokenness.

Thanks for stopping by today, Bernard!

If you want to know more about Pastor Bernard Boulton, visit his website. You can also read an excerpt of his book at his web address.

~Cecelia Dowdy~