Spotlight on Craig Harms

In the spotlight is Craig Harms and he has offered to give away a copy of his novel Day Omega. Craig has an amazing testimony that he has shared today. So let's learn more about Craig Harm.

Tell us a little about yourself:
I live along the banks of the muddy Mississippi with my remarkable wife Sue, three dogs, two cats, and a flock of very lively parrots. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University Of Nebraska School Of Journalism and a Master’s of Science degree from Western Illinois University. My career choices have included advertising, research, writing, PR for a New York City art gallery, and stints in the broadcasting and entertainment industries.

Tell us about your book:

Day Omega counts down the last seven years before Christ’s Final Judgment. The end-times novel begins when millions of people round the world suddenly vanish during a violent storm that sweeps the planet. After “Disappearance Day”, as the media dubs it, anarchy and chaos reign supreme and the United Nations is impotent in stopping the madness. So a new one-world government is formed; once sovereign nations are now annexed into ten sectors, each with their own leader. But one of them has plans to control the world and all its citizens who, incidentally, must have a microchip implanted in their hands—for prosperity and security sake, of course. The story examines what could happen if people turn away from God and put their faith and trust in His enemy.It is also the personal story of an ordinary middle-aged man from Chicago who despises nearly everything in his life—his family, his job, his past, his present—until he is chosen to bring people back to God and to sanctuary, when everything is falling apart around him. It is his journey of failure and triumph, tragedy and joy, his spiritual growth from atheist to Christian, and how he keeps the faith, even through seemingly insurmountable odds.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done? When I was young, single, footloose and fancy-free, I did a lot of things that, in retrospect, seem crazy. It’s a wonder looking back as an older (wiser?) person how fearless we might have been in our youth and how we survived!
That being said, after college graduation I packed up my few possessions in a half dozen cardboard boxes and lit out for Los Angeles from Nebraska, having never been there, no connections, no job offers—only my adventurous spirit and a will to succeed. Within a week, I got a job at a fashionable restaurant; within a year I was a page/tour guide at NBC-TV studios in Burbank which led to a position in the Program Research department. Along the way, I performed stand-up comedy, acted in plays, did cable comedy shows, and generally enjoyed life in sunny, Southern California. But God had other plans for me.

Beside salvation, what is the best gift you have ever received? This is where God came into the picture. While in LA, I developed a close friendship with a guy from Seattle, whose wife was from Quincy, Illinois. He decided to start a radio station there and asked if I wanted to help him get it launched. I put my stuff in storage and told him I’d commit two years, with all intentions of returning to the West coast after that.

Well, a year and ten months passed and I was preparing to leave when Sue appeared out of the blue. It was love at first sight! We married nine months later and have been together for sixteen years now.But all was not “happily ever after”. She had a seven-year old son named Jamey, who worked on me to give my heart to Jesus, as I was an agnostic at the time. I finally relented, but our joy was too short-lived—the little boy with a fervent love of Christ died two years later in an accident.

Our lives were irrevocably shattered, but we carry on the best we can. To relieve some of the pain and escape reality, I began writing Day Omega—the novel is dedicated to him with all profits being donated to local charities in his name.

Besides that body blow, we’ve both lost several good jobs, suffered a miscarriage, survived two floods, a tornado, and a Midwestern earthquake! among the ordinary stresses of everyday life. But through it all, I wouldn’t trade a minute without Sue. I hope I’ve helped her through her tragedy—I know she has made me a much better person and so thankful God pulled the strings to put us together. What a wonderful, beautiful gift—her and a sense of humor bestowed on us—without that, we’d both be certified crazy by now!

Sue is very blessed to have you in her life. I can tell you have an amazing marriage. Who is the most important influence in your life besides God?

Definitely Jamey—I owe the lad for my eternal life. I’ll give him a huge hug when we meet at the Ruby Wall.

Let’s pretend money is not a factor, if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?If indeed money—or time—was not a factor, I would travel everywhere (with the possible exception of frigid, barren Antarctica!) Sue and I have dreams of someday just meandering about the United States in our Corvette, but I would also love to visit the pyramids at Giza, Europe (especially the Louvre and Scotland), participate in an African safari, and tramp through an equatorial rain forest. We raise parrots (they’re our FIDs: an acronym for “feathered kids”) and it would be very cool to see them in their natural habitats.

What books are found lying around your home? My library is stocked with an eclectic mix of biographies, historical, religious, fiction, and reference books. I especially love going through almanacs, dictionaries, and encyclopedias—not on DVD’s, but old-fashioned tomes of paper and ink. There is so much information packed between the pages that I like to incorporate into my writing. I think it really adds a sense of authenticity among the realm of fiction.

What would you like your readers to say about your writing?That I tell a good story—one that makes them want to keep turning the pages and that my work had an emotional impact on them. Most importantly, that it made them think.

What is your favorite verse from the Bible? I have a little sign on my desk quoting Proverbs 3, verses 5 – 6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

When events of our lives were out of control, when I felt totally hopeless and helpless, and when I could see no positive outcome for the future, this little placard always sustained me and did indeed see us through the hard times—even when we seemed to be dangling by that last, frayed thread. And His promise has proven true, as Sue and I have been given opportunities we wouldn’t have imagined in a million years!

What do you want your readers to take away from your novel? I sincerely hope I inspire readers to “get right with God”, regardless if the end-times are at our doorstep or not. It’s also important that people research and question what their government and media spoon-feed them—oftimes, it seems, the truth is shaded gray and there might be ulterior motives to their altruistic promises.Most importantly, I hope readers will appreciate all that they have—to love their family always, to enjoy their possessions, rather than trying to accumulate more. To keep the faith when everything seem to be crumbling about them. Believe me, I’ve been there—things taken for granted can be lost in a flash.

What are your dreams of 2009? What do you hope to accomplish this year?I’m unemployed . . . again, having been laid off last summer from a marketing job, so it’s going to be interesting to see where the Lord takes us next (hopefully to a warmer climate!) And I plan to make some major headway with my second work-in-progress called “Saving Jesus”. Briefly, it’s about a time-travelling quantum physicist who is “chosen” to thwart John 3:16. I’m anticipating an exciting, healthy, and amazing year, and wish you all the same. May God bless us and keep us through this New Year!

Thank you Craig for visiting with us. I know that this interview will stay with me for a long time.

Craig has offered to give away a copy Day Omega. I have not read this book but I plan to get a copy in the future and read it soon. If you would like to win a copy please leave a comment and in respect to little Jamey, please tell me who is the most influential person in your life and why.

If you want to learn more about Day Omega or email Craig you can reach him at his website: http://www.dayomega.com/

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