Interview and book giveaway with Harry Kraus

Hi, Ruth Ann here.

In a previous blog, The Story of Sixteen Missing Pages, I related how my granddaughter illustrated my first copy of Could I Have This Dance? by Harry Kraus. Today it is my privilege to interview the author of this book.

Harry is a board-certified general surgeon and the bestselling author of 12 novels and three works of non-fiction. He has served as a missionary with Africa Inland Mission where he helped pioneer a medical outreach to the Somali people. He and his wife, Kris, have three sons.

Ruth Ann: Hello, Harry. Welcome. We're looking forward to your interview.

Harry: Thanks for the chance to be introduced in this way.

Ruth Ann: Please tell us about your new release.

Harry: The Six-Liter Club releases on April 6. In it I tell the story of Camille Weller, the first African-American female to become a trauma surgery attending at the Medical College of Virginia. Set in Richmond, Virginia in the mid 80’s, Camille has to fight against gender and racial roadblocks to find her way in a world dominated by stodgy, white men. Camille was orphaned in childhood as her parents were killed during the Simba Rebellion in the Congo in 1964. As Camille finds her way forward, in her professional and personal life (finding love) she has to overcome significant emotional trauma that resulted from her upbringing in the Congo. In addition, Camille finds herself at odds with the men in the department when she wants to offer a new, less disfiguring treatment to women suffering from breast cancer.

Ruth Ann: Did you have any particular Bible verses running through your mind as you wrote this book?

Harry: Not one verse, but there is a definite story that parallels the Biblical account of the Passover.

Ruth Ann: What do you hope your readers will take away from your book?

Harry: God has gifted each of us individually with unique gifts. He does not call us to mimic the calling of others, but to find our place that we have been uniquely fashioned to fit. That's our sweet spot and ministry will be fruitful and life will be most fulfilling when lived out of that spot!

Ruth Ann: Where is The Six-Liter Club available for purchase?

Harry: Bookstores everywhere and online at Amazon.com etc. 

Ruth Ann: You have spent several years working in East Africa as a surgeon. Do you have any medical anecdotes or interesting experiences you would like to share with our readers? Have any of these found their way into your books? 

Harry: The Six-Liter Club has the backstory of a woman who was orphaned during the Simba Rebellion in the Congo in 1964. As I researched the Simba rebellion, I ran across a number of names of Christian martyrs. One man's last name was McMillan. During a conversation with my immediate neighbor while I lived in Kijabe, Kenya, I realized that my neighbor, Steve McMillan, was the son of the martyr.  He had returned to the continent where his father was killed to show love to the Congolese and Kenyan people.

Ruth Ann: What an amazing story!

Have you used foreign settings in any of your other books?

Harry: African stories have come out in my non-fiction as seen in both Breathing Grace and The Cure.

Ruth Ann: Do you enjoy reading books set in foreign countries?

Harry:  Yes, reading can take you everywhere!  I enjoyed reading about China in Randy Alcorn's Safely Home.

Ruth Ann: If you were given an all expenses paid holiday anywhere in the world to research a novel, where would you choose to go and why?

Harry: I would spend time in the South Pacific touring islands like Tahiti and Bora Bora. I like a mixture of seeing life from the eyes of the natives, but also time to relax in a resort or two. Ocean air and white sand are good for the muse. Are you offering?

Ruth Ann: Wish I could! Thank you for chatting to us, Harry. May God bless you as you write the stories He gives you.  The Six-Liter Club is at the top of my to buy list.

Harry has kindly offered to give away a copy of one of his books, Salty Like Blood, to a reader of this blog. To enter the draw for Harry’s book, please leave a comment stating that you would like to be included in the draw. Also tell us about your sweet spot, the place that God has uniquely fashioned you to fit. Comments must include your email address and be online before midday on Thursday 1st April. The winner will be announced on the blog on Sunday 4th April. Sorry, but this giveaway is restricted to US residents.

The giveaway is void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

Ruth Ann Dell writes children's stories and international Christian fiction from her home in a sunny South African suburb. She is a member of several writing groups including the American Christian Fiction Writers and Writer's Ink. Her desire is to craft gripping stories to draw her readers into a closer relationship with God.

Ruth Ann and her husband have lived in several countries and are renovating a cottage in the heart of Ireland.