Meet Eddie Gaston, Author of His Amazing Grace
Greetings, dear writers!
Join us as we delve into the transformative journey of Christian writer Eddie Gaston author of His Amazing Grace, a profound narrative of redemption and hope that resonates deeply with the human experience.
His words demonstrate the united power of faith, love, and creativity in navigating life’s most difficult circumstances, highlighting paths to healing and growth.
As you embark on this exploration, accept his heartfelt blessings, and extend your own good thoughts and blessings back to him.
Thank you, Eddie Gaston, for your willingness to share your inspiring life story with us.
Your honest words serve as a guiding light for aspiring authors and seekers of truth alike.
Warm regards,
Julia Kalman
https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
Motto (if any): Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
1. That Special Moment
One fine day, you started writing poems/stories. How did it happen exactly?
EG: Honestly, I started writing twice.
My first writing was the result of me challenging myself. I was in a Texas prison, early into the 25+ years I would be there. I had started doing a lot of reading.
Two books a week on average.
Horror, dark suspense, and thrillers were my favorites.
I have always thought of myself as an intellectual sort of person.
I was fascinated by how someone could write 80k words or more and weave them into a story that went somewhere, made sense, and was a pleasure to read. I saw it as a sort of literary Rubik’s cube.
And so, I challenged myself to write a novel.
After about 6 months of reading how-to-write-fiction books, I wrote my first novel.
That turned into me writing more novels, numerous short stories, and novellas.
After ten years of writing in this fashion, my foundational POV about writing was shaken.
Still in prison at the time, I went to the chapel for a special movie night.
The film was called “Courageous,” a faith-based (Christian) movie that dealt with tragedy, questioning God, and finding peace.
There I was in the chapel among what was deemed the worst of the worst of Texas’ society.
We laughed and, though we struggled not to show it, we cried.
The movie didn’t just touch me on many levels, it moved me.
When I went back to my cell, I told God that I felt like he had given me a talent to write, but I had never used it to specifically write anything for Him.
But I was willing to do so if He wanted me to.
Within an hour, I had a clear, pretty much fully drafted version of a novel outlined in my head.
My previous novels had never come to me in that manner. I took it as a sign and began writing His Amazing Grace.
This writing was different than anything I had ever done.
The plot and scenes were roughly based on my own true-life experiences.
Writing the novel was truly like cutting a vein and bleeding all over the page.
The prevailing motivation for that novel was that it would touch people on many levels, and move them in the same way that movie moved me that night in the prison chapel.
It was a four-year writing project.
Editing continued for close to a decade.
Close to 15 years after committing to writing the novel, it was published.
2. Art Is Work
What does your work as a writer consist of? What are the biggest challenges of the present?
EG: Presently, my writing consists mostly of what I am posting on Medium.
I’m challenged by not being in a position where I can write more.
Honestly, probably 90% of authors can say that writing doesn’t pay the bills.
It is what I love, it is my passion, and I wish I could do it full-time.
That pesky thing called survival instinct just won’t let me.
I guess I dislike starving more than I love writing. Ha!
3. Without Projects, There Is No Future
What are your representative projects? What projects are you working on?
EG: I’m not sure what representative projects mean.
In context, it sounds like you’re asking what I see myself writing in the future and what am I writing now.
I don’t feel a hard press to write new fiction material, because I have close to 2k pages written that need to be edited and submitted.
Currently, I am busy scaling my wellness/personal fitness business. I am trying to market and expand my reach, which doesn’t leave much time for writing.
My focus as far as writing goes is publishing on Medium.
3. The Scent of Creation
Describe a scent that immediately transports you to a moment of inspiration or creativity. What emotions does it evoke, and how does it influence your creative process?
EG: Cigarette smoke.
My mother died of lung cancer due to smoking.
I was 13 years old.
It was a dark time in my life, a dark time that has continued to shadow my experience.
It is therapeutic to write about it, but very difficult to be so open, transparent, and vulnerable.
4. Ink and Intimacy
If your writing style were a tactile experience, what texture would it be? How does the act of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard make you feel on a deeply personal level?
EG: I would think of my writing as old, dark, well-weathered leather.
How does the act of putting the pen on paper or fingers on the keyboard make you feel, at a deeply personal level?
EG: When I write the energy of creation and the possibilities of the blank page (white screen) makes me feel as if I’m embarking on an adventure that is truly mine and mine alone, hoping the end product will evoke the same feeling in the reader as they experience my words in a way that means something different in each one.
5. The Harmony of Silence
Think about a moment when silence spoke louder than words in your creative journey. What were the circumstances, and how did it shape your understanding of your craft?
https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
6. The Palette of Dreams
Imagine your creative mind as a painter’s palette. What colors dominate your artistic spectrum, and how do they represent the different facets of your imagination?
EG: Gray=Brooding, Ominous, Tragic Darkness (not necessarily black) =Anger, Pain, Alone
Gold/White/Brightness=Hope, Healing, Love, Redemption, Happiness
7. The Quill of Vulnerability
If your creative expression were a handwritten letter to your inner self, what truths and vulnerabilities would it unveil? How does the act of exposing your innermost thoughts contribute to your artistic identity?
EG: I’m equally not as strong as I think I am as well as being stronger than I think I am.
Many outward emotions are manifestations of unrecognized or unaccepted fears.
I am a hopeless optimist in the skin of a pessimist.
I am usually always hoping for the best while expecting the worst.
By sharing and being vulnerable, I believe it makes my writing more honest.
I’ve had many people say there is a truth to my fiction.
That is due to the sharing of my true self and experiences.
8. Symphony of Shadows
Consider a character or theme in your work that embodies the shadows of your own psyche. What does this shadow teach you about your fears, desires, or unexplored dimensions of your creativity?
EG: The shadow in me doesn’t necessarily like care, be responsible, or show up for anyone other than myself.
Is that the case?
EG: Thankfully shadows are not tangible.
The true me isn’t that way and doesn’t express those things.
As a Christian, this is of course thought of as good and evil, the continued campaign of spiritual warfare.
9. Echoes of Childhood Whispers
Recall a childhood memory that resonates with you as a writer. How do the echoes of your early experiences manifest in your work today?
EG: See answer #4.
10. Melodies of Memory
If your memories were composed as a musical score, what instrument would represent your most cherished creative recollections? How does the melody of your past influence the composition of your present work?
EG: An acoustic guitar for cherished memories, but it is often interspersed with power chords and blazing solos on an electric guitar for dark, confused, and tragic memories.
The melody of my past is composed of mostly thrashing, chaotic power chords vibrating with reverb and delay, which manifests within brooding, angry, hopeless characters.
There are times when the melody of my writing is upbeat, happy, and hopeful.
I think this is more to underscore or emphasize the darker dirge.
11. The Dance of Syntax
If your writing style were a dance, what would be the rhythm and tempo? How does the cadence of your sentences mirror the beating of your creative heart?
EG: A funeral dance if there is such a thing.
That contradiction speaks well of my style.
For me, dancing is happy, fun, enjoyable.
But doing it at a funeral?
I feel life is kind of like that.
It is hard, it is a struggle, and all we can do is try to dance our way through it.
I praise God for the promise of true life at the end of this one.
12. Admiration Exercises
Which writers do you admire? What are your favorite books?
EG: Writers: Michael Marshall, Anne Rice, Gregg Hurwitz, Robert McCammon, Alexandre Dumas, George R.R. Martin, and many more.
Books: His Amazing Grace (mine), The Count of Monte Cristo, The Five, The Strawmen Trilogy, The Stand, Game of Thrones, too many.
13. An Indiscreet Question
With which influential author or inspirational figure from life, past or present, would you most like to share a cup of tea and a captivating conversation?
EG: My mother, who died almost 45 years ago.
14. A Story in Ten Words
EG: I wrote some pages. My life is given to you.
15. A Favorite Fragment from Your Works
Gravel crunched under tires.
The rumbling engine went silent.
A pickup door slammed.
Dad was home.
Gabriel eyed the clock on his dresser: almost midnight.
He rolled over, his back toward the door, and pretended to be asleep.
He pretended for a long time.
16. Contact Information
How can you be contacted?
17. Blog/Author Page/Social Media Profile
https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
Where can we read your stories?
Join my Medium community today!
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https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
18. What exactly would you like to convey to a fellow writer/editor/screenwriter/film producer?
Present your writings in a few words.
EG: All writing is good.
Anyone who takes a blank page and adds words has created something.
One may like it; a million may hate it.
Or … the other way around. It is art and it is subjective.
To fellow creators, I would say continue to create.
Continue to grow into yourself and the outcome will become better words on the page, more meaningful words to you and to those who read them.
https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
20. Embers of Endings
Envision the conclusion of a significant project. How do you feel as you pen the final words or brush the last strokes? What is the emotional resonance of completion, and how does it influence your anticipation for the next artistic endeavor?
EG: I am a hopeless perfectionist.
Not necessarily a good trait for a writer.
I don’t ever really feel a project is finished until it has been published and it is beyond my reach to change.
But, to answer your question the way I can, I’ll say that there is an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment when that final draft is sent out for publication.
It is a feeling of a journey completed so a fresh one can begin.
For me, I have learned to take some time to bask in the completion of a project before taking the first step into the journey of the next.
His Amazing Grace by Eddie Gaston /A heart-warming, coming-of-age story showcasing God’s unending love, mercy, and grace. Paperback, 2024.
“Set in a quaint East Texas town, the story follows Gabriel Clayborn, a young boy navigating life’s challenges and discovering solace in his love for singing, particularly the hymn Amazing Grace.
Through personal struggles and familial trials, Gabriel’s journey resonates with themes of love, loss, and the unwavering strength found in grace during the darkest moments.” [Source: Amazon book description.]
“His Amazing Grace is a moving tale that explores the depths of human emotion, resilience, and faith.
With its rich character development and compelling storytelling, this novel shows the power of faith and the human spirit.” [Source: Amazon book description.]
Absorb the words and enjoy the voyage.
https://www.faithfullyfitforlife.de/about-5
Julia Kalman 