About the Book

Book: Honeymoon’s Over

Author: Carol McClain

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release date: September 27, 2023

Honeymoon’s Over

For better or worse.

Easy vows for newlyweds Chantel and Charlie. Having been widowed, they knew the worst of love was years away. Furthermore, at fifty, they wouldn’t live long enough for the bad to blossom.

Then they came home from their honeymoon.

Chantel’s pregnant daughter Sissy, living with them during her husband’s deployment, must remain on bed rest. Histrionic and bored, she’s a … challenge.

Chantel’s vegetarian son Graham moves in for a few weeks to help with his sister, but something doesn’t seem right. He never got along with his military-loving, meat-eating sibling. He didn’t have ulterior motives for coming to help, did he?

Charlie’s married daughter, Margo, could certainly enumerate the issues these adult children her father’s new wife had. On top of everything, how could her father have chosen that woman?

Then there’s Charlie’s father—lost in old-age absentmindedness. Certainly, he was only forgetful.

Thank heavens for jobs they love that get them out of the house. Except …

Should they have vowed for worse or better?

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About the Author

Carol McClain is the award-winning author of five novels dealing with real people facing real problems. She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.

Aside from writing, she’s a skilled glass artist who has just made a foray into creating high-end jewelry. She’s also an avid hiker. She teaches Bible studies and mentors teens.

She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and too many animals to mention.

More from Carol

Disclaimer #1: Beware.

If we get to know each other, the humor of your life is liable to become fodder for my work. (Of course, with permission. Occasionally!) But don’t worry. I don’t write suspense, so you’ll never be in danger.

Background:

My brother married a widow when they were in their fifties.

He was a meatatarian. “Vegetables have rights,” he’d declare as he reached for a second round of bacon. He’d then heap on fried potatoes. The tubers were his nod to vegetables.

His wife was gluten intolerant and a health food lover of all foods green.

When he moved in with his wife, so did his vegan son who lived on gluten (and very few veggies). Gluten found its way onto her countertops, her refrigerator shelves, and dishes he didn’t wash.

Her son lived with her as well and came arrayed with the eccentricities my nephew lacked. The two sons made a complete, chaotic pair.

Add to them a diabetic mother who was starting dementia and my bet was on the fact this marriage was doomed.

Fortunately, I’m not prophetic. They remained happily married—despite my brother’s eating predilection. However, their situation made me laugh and became the fodder for Honeymoon’s Over.

Disclaimer #2: no HIPPA rules or privacy issues or personal matter have been disclosed. Names have been changed to protect the guilty (just don’t read the dedication, then the name change is mute.)

Disclaimer #3: If you’re expecting a sad, tearjerker, you’ll be disappointed. Oh, you will cry—tears of laughter. You’ll chortle throughout Honeymoon.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

Two things—powerful themes about issues we all face—things like forgiveness; misjudging others; and we’re all prodigals. As long as we acknowledge this and come running home to Jesus, we have a hope and a future.

Second—humor. Honeymoon’s Over is a laugh-out-loud humorous book. However, others, such as my Treasured Lives series, are always accompanied by humor.

What book made you fall in love with reading?
The Little Lost Lamb

My mother hated the book, but I adored it and read the pages over and over and over.

It told the story of a black sheep who strayed from the flock. The shepherd boy looked all over for the lamb and couldn’t find her. He eventually took the rest of the flock home.

The best part—the little lost lamb was happy. She explored the world and the wonders of the universe. To me—that was me. Explore. Discover.

As a mother myself, I can now understand my own mom and how she hated that the shepherd couldn’t find the lamb. At five-years-old, I adored that book.

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life? 

In Honeymoon’s Over, the final editing.

I’d written this book a while back and the novel had gotten me an agent (who, unfortunately, retired before we started submitting). Over the last several years, the death of my mother and beloved brother, a ruptured appendix, and surgery for my daughter, the death of her father … my world went into a tailspin.

To get myself motivated, I picked up the work and started revising it. Sheesh. I changed details, and improved on things I didn’t understand several years ago. Through the process, I contradicted myself, messed up paragraphing.

This last summer, did you feel earthquakes and thunderstorms? You were mistaken. It was me having a temper tantrum.

At last, we ironed things out. A few avid fans of mine said Honeymoon’s Over is my best.

Read it. Let me know if they lied.

What was the most rewarding?

Honeymoon’s Over began as a humorous tale inspired by my late brother’s late-in-life marriage. As I worked, more than the humor, the characters and the theme began to shine with the polish a jeweler would give to a gem.

This novel will be a rewarding read on many levels.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

The importance of a man and a woman becoming one flesh. They leave mother and father (and grown children), and must consider each other first. (with, of course, a few essentials like aging parents).

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?