Meeting Inspiring Authors: Charmayne Hafen

A few months ago, I was asked to read a book titled “Indebted: The Berkshire Dragon” and write a review. It was an amazing tale about a Princess named Wren. The author has many titles under her name and has a long history of writing. She recently allowed me to interview her about what inspires her to inspire us as readers. Meet Charmayne Hafen, an author who inspires our youth.

Cyndi Kay: Please give us a brief introduction and a little background information.
Charmayne Hafen: My name is Charmayne Hafen. I live in Denver, CO with my husband and my Chihuahua named Frida, named after the Spanish artist Frida Kahlo. I love to write, obviously! I also love to do some water coloring, as well as any kind of painting. I love color. I also enjoy skiing with my husband, rollerblading, and tennis. I am pretty active. I even enjoy golf, even though I am terrible at playing. I was originally raised in California.

I started writing when I was 9 years old. I had started keeping a journal because, for me, writing was an easier way to communicate. I made up stories as a young girl and even pretended to be a reporter. My mom bought me a typewriter and when I was 11, I wrote my first book called, ” The Cat Who Was Elected President.” When I was 12, I wrote another book titled, “King Arthur, The Chipmunk, and The Mixed-Up Tennis Match.” At 13, I wrote a poem about divorce that was published, and in my freshman year, I submitted an article to my high school newspaper and became the first freshman to be allowed to write for the school newspaper. I went on to become Editor-In-Chief for the school newspaper in my senior year.

CK: You have quite the writing history.
CH: I just love it so much and I believe that it is what God put me here to do.

CK: Give us a summary on your journey with Christ/a brief testimony.
CH:

I accepted Jesus when I was 5 years old. I was taking a bath and my mother was keeping me company. I remember telling her that I wanted Jesus to be in my heart. That was the moment I first became converted. However, as I grew up, I began to worry about my salvation. I was concerned with doing what God wanted me to do on this journey. I ended up giving my life to Christ probably 10 or 15 times. I’ve heard of others doing this and it took me a long time to understand His grace and His love. As a child, I understood that God was good, and Jesus was good. I also knew that my behavior was important to Him, so I tried to be really good. I went to a private Christian college at John Brown University in Arkansas. It was there I met and married the editor of the college paper at the age of 20. I thought this was the right one for me; however, it ended up in a big mess. So, at the age of 28, I found myself getting a divorce. This really affected my life and I realized I couldn’t be good enough anymore. For the first time, I was like “Lord, I really messed up.” There were substantial reasons for getting the divorce, and God in His good grace, allowed me to find my current husband of 20 years. Through the divorce, God showed me what His grace truly means; and that I can’t be good enough. He showed me that I have to rely on what Jesus has done. I am eternally grateful to Him for everything that He did for me. Over time, God helped me see I was loved and cherished by Him, and that I belong to Him.

I am currently a leader in my women’s Bible study class, but I feel that my ministry is my writing. With every book I write there is a message and I pray that my writing brings God glory.

CK: Tell us about your books and what was the inspiration for them.
CH: I’ve written a trilogy called, “The Land of Twilight” which is inspired by Celtic mythology. However, the first book was inspired by divorce, and helping children get through the tough realm of divorce. The inspiration for “Indebted: The Berkshire Dragon” actually came from a time period when my mother and I were at odds. It was a painful time in our relationship, and we had to work through some things to reconnect. Because of that turmoil, I was inspired to write a story. This book was a different writing experience. It seemed as though the story wrote itself and characters evolved when I wasn’t even expecting them. It was like the story developed from my spirit and heart.

CK: Tell us about a time that God directly answered a prayer.
CH: This may sound silly, but it was very profound to me. When I was younger, I had a dog named Corky who had a lump on his nose. He was taken to the vet and after an analysis, it was determined that he had bone cancer and there was nothing they could do for him. So, I took him home where a friend and I lay our hands on this dog and we prayed for him. Within the next day, the lump was gone. I don’t know why God chose to do something so miraculous through a dog, but my faith was solidified by the healing of my pet. It was a very blatant example of Him directly answering a prayer.

CK: Which book was the most amusing to write?
CH: I would say “Journey to Twilight” because of the interaction between the boy and girl. There is a little sarcasm and interplay between them. The girl is Lorna and the boy is Samuel Black and they like each other, but being in 6th grade, they are leery of being too close. Another part that was fun was describing the Land of Twilight. I was able to create a whole world that didn’t exist before.

CK: Can you recall a time when you know that God was the only way you had a provision through a certain situation?
CH: it was a relationship issue between my husband, my mom, and my stepdad. I wasn’t sure how that relationship would ever be repaired. So, over the course of 5 or 6 years, I prayed about this situation. During that time, my husband’s mom experienced a situation and she had to move in with us. This situation ended up changing his heart toward my mom and stepdad. I could see that this was God’s provision. It was the only provision through this situation, and I was amazed at how he moved through this relationship issue.

CK: Tell us about a time you had a measurable impact on someone through your personal ministry or through your organized ministry.
CH: After teaching in my women’s Bible study class, a lady from the class came up to me and said that my words really brought her a great deal of comfort and that they were a reminder of who God is. Another incident was with a little girl who had read “Journey to Twilight “and wrote to me to tell me how it made her feel less alone and how much she loved the book. Both of these were confirmations that this is what I was supposed to be doing.

CK: What was your biggest challenge when getting a book published in the Christian genre?
CH: I would say that for the Christian genre, not using “Christianese.” I didn’t want my story to sound preachy, but I wanted my books to draw the reader in, and then hopefully, God would be able to speak to them.

CK: What are some of the biggest challenges facing women today — and women ministries?
CH: I think for women in ministry, discerning truth is a huge challenge. In our very confusing world with all the mixed messages, if you are not seeking the Lord you will be pulled in all kinds of directions.

CK: I believe that God is a remarkably interesting and creative God! Tell me about a time when you were uncertain or unaware of a provision from God but later realized that it was all a part of His plan.
CH: This is a bit of a painful answer. When I was married to my first husband, I experienced three miscarriages. Of course, at the time I was devastated. However, during the divorce, I was on my knees thanking God that I didn’t have any children. If we would have had children, they would have been going through the divorce.

CK: What inspires you?
CH: I would say a lot of things inspire me. Meeting people and talking about God is probably one of the most inspirational things for me. I also like writing, reading, and watching kids’ movies. In fact, I recently watched “Onward.”

CK: What has been the most interesting book that you have read as an adult? As a child?
CH: As an adult, the first one that comes to mind is “the Time Traveler’s Wife.” It is a haunting story with an intriguing concept. It’s really well done. As a child, I loved the Boxcar Kids series, which was about orphans living in a boxcar.

CK: Do you have any projects in the works for a new book?
CH: I am working on a new series called “The Healing Forest” for kids 8-12. It is about a secret forest that is only seen by a young boy. In this forest, he meets different animals and learns different lessons. In the last book, an adult decides to develop the land of this secret forest and kids must figure out what to do.

CK: So, you write for the 8-12 age group?
CH: Yes.

CK: How do unwind after a busy day?
CH: I love HGTV. I get totally lost in that show. I also exercise. Coloring is also another way that I unwind. Part of my writing process involves coloring. I listen to the same music, sit in the same place, and color for about 5-10 minutes before I write. It gets me in a relaxed state of mind and triggers my mind for writing.

CK: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
CH:I was having some emotional problems and my mom told me, “I think you need to seek some help for that.” I was so appreciative that she was willing to tell me that I needed to get help. It changed the course of my life. The second piece of advice is Proverbs 3:5. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

CK: How did you come to be with Capture Me Books and how long have you been with them?
CH: I came to Capture Me Books through a writer’s group where a fellow writer had talked to me about Capture Me Books. My first publisher wasn’t doing a lot of marketing, so I republished my first book with Capture Me Books and have been there for about 3 years.

CK: Is there anything else you would like to say?
CH: I’ve had this burning message within my heart based on Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” I look around at what’s going on right now and I see so many trying to overcome evil with evil. It’s not working. The Lord has given us instructions on what we are supposed to do.

CK: Thank you for joining me today and for allowing me to conduct this interview.
CH: Thank you for having me and thank you for the opportunity.

If you would like to know more about Charmayne’s books you can find them here https://www.capturemebooks.com