About the Book

Book: Guess Who Is in God’s Family

Author: Karen Ferguson

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Release date: June 24, 2024

When Lucy comes across some old family pictures, she has a lot of questions for Papa Joe.

Who are these people?
Why doesn’t she look like them?

As Papa Joe tells Lucy about her family, he shares with her the uniqueness that God created in each of us from the very beginning, all the way back to our first ancestors, Adam and Eve.

What follows is a wild adventure through the Bible, where Lucy and her papa discover God’s love and faithfulness for all people throughout all of history.

In this second book in the Questions for Kids series, discover how much God loves diversity and how God created your family in the most beautiful and perfect way.

Click here to get you copy!

Author Interview

1. What is your writing space like?
My writing space is very humble. My husband and I relocated to Tennessee from
the Pacific Northwest in 2021, and what we gained in a larger yard, we lost in
square footage inside our home. But that’s fine by us, it suits us really well in this
new season as empty nesters. My writing space is in our bedroom. My husband
also works from home and we wanted to keep a spare room for hosting, so that
was the only room left. Thankfully it’s large enough to manage normal bedroom
furnishings, plus a very large desk for my computer and writing tools. Now all I
need is to figure out a better way to organize all the papers, books, and other
items lying unorganized atop my desk. While I prefer to write without clutter, it
rarely happens that way.

2. When did you become a writer?
Writing has been a part of my work life for 20 years in different forms. I’ve
written in the higher education sector, for employee training, and in business
communications. I’ve also entered a few fiction contests over the years. But it
wasn’t until 2017 that I self-published my first book, a twenty-one day wellness
devotional. When I considered publishing a children’s book, I knew I would want
to go the traditional route because of the illustrations. I needed access to a high-
quality illustrator that could properly bring this story to life for young readers,
and I figured the best way for that would be through a publisher. I ended up
going the hybrid route with Ambassador International and published the first
book in 2022 with the second one just releasing, and more on the way. It’s such
a blessing to work with a knowledgeable team of creatives, and the illustrator is
absolutely amazing!

3. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
When it comes to adult fiction, I’ll have to let you know as I’m still working on my
first one ;) For my picture book series, the idea came to me rather quickly and
somewhat effortlessly. I had thrown around a few ideas for a book series, but
was given both inspiration and confirmation at a writer’s conference I attended
in 2018. For two years, I revisited that idea every once in a while, until my
husband finally convinced me to sit down and complete the first book and send
out query letters. The first book took me about two months of consistent
research, writing, and editing. Fast forward to 2023, and I gave myself three
months to write and polish the second manuscript before sending it to my
publisher.

4. What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
In this season of life, with two beautiful grandkids close by, my writing work
schedule is very flexible. Family is the most important part of my life, and I’m
grateful to invest time and energy into them without feeling pressured to
produce, produce, produce. Do I have dreams and desires to write more, enter
more contests, and publish more books? You bet! But in this season, I’m ok with
prayerfully picking and choosing what to work on, as I remain accessible to my
family. So as you might imagine, I don’t have a hard writing routine right now,
but on most days it looks like working through my to-do list, usually between the
hours of 10am and 4pm.

5. Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?
Oh, yes! I have a fictional memoir that is still sitting in my desk that needs
attention, and that includes me as the main character with friends and family. In
my children’s book series, the main character Lucy is a combination of several
people, including a little bit of myself as a child, minus the fiery red hair. I was
one of those kids with a ton of energy and questions about everything. And if I
felt comfortable with someone, then boy could I talk! I’m still that way. �� Pap
Joe is modeled after my own dad who went home to be with the Lord in
2019—shiny red scooter and all!

About the Author

Karen Ferguson is a freelance writer and children’s book author with a background in K-8 education. A grateful wife, mom, and grandmom she is passionate about writing stories that grab and hold young readers’ attentions, while teaching them all about God’s unchangeable truths, and His unchanging love for them. She wants every child to know their life matters. Her first children’s book, Guess How Much God Loves You, was published through Ambassador International in 2022. Now a seven book series, her newest book, Guess Who Is in God’s Family is scheduled to release June 2024.

More from Karen

Did you know the cherubim that guard the Garden of Eden have four faces – that of an ox, human, lion, and eagle? You’ll find their description in Ezekiel 10:14, and it’s quite different from most angels you’ll see in traditional children’s books. But you will see them beautifully illustrated in this second installment in the Questions for Kids picture book series, all about the First Family in the Garden of Eden.

You see, my mission from the very beginning has been to present accurate biblical accounts to young readers that are foundational to increasing their understanding of the Bible and growing a solid faith in God. Kids are bombarded with so many counterfeit messages these days that contradict the Bible, and it’s leaving them confused and hopeless. Is truth relative? Absolutely not! The real Truth lies in God’s Word, and I am grateful to play a part in counteracting the lies of our culture by presenting Truths straight from the Bible, in a fun and dynamic way.

In this book (and book series), you won’t find a regurgitation of Bible facts (that never worked for me as a child). Rather, you’ll find a young girl with many questions about God and life, much like our own children and grandchildren. And you’ll find her loving grandpa who is happy to answer those questions by pointing her to the Word of God. Their adventures into unique periods in Bible history, driven by some serious 7-year old questions, will help pull young readers into the narrative and connect the Bible to their world. It’ll also open doors to faith-building conversations with parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers.

The hardest part of writing these books? Keeping it short enough to fit into the picture book category ;).

I pray you and your young reader will be blessed as you journey with Lucy and her Papa Joe into the Bible to discover God’s power, His faithfulness, and His never-ending love.