Interviews
Andrea Krazeise
Executive Director
Sanford Crisis Pregnancy Center
Sanford, FL
Author of: He Came Back for Me
How did you come to write the book?
It started with journaling a memoir for my children, then my close friends convinced me that while the story is about my life, it was really about God. It’s a story of restoration and His awesome ability to restore our lives. I soon realized it was a story to be shouted from the rooftops!
Book Description:
Could the Lost Years be Restored? Five words changed everything for Andrea.
Born in Germany to a 17-year-old unwed mother, 42 years would pass before Andrea learned the secret that her mother withheld her entire life. Those words would lead her to search for the father she never knew. Andrea’s fascinating story will take you from the ruins of postwar Europe to prosperity in America to the heartbreak of alcoholism and poverty, and finally, to salvation and restoration.
Through her journey you will see how God used what seemed like random events of Andrea’s life to weave a beautiful tapestry that resulted in forgiveness, reconciliation, the transformation of a dysfunctional family, and the reunion of a lifetime.
How long did it take you to write the book?
From start to finish….journaling….editing….rewriting….wanting to give up….editing again…rewriting again….about two years!
I see that you have collaborated with others in writing the book. How did you choose who would help you and what was the experience like collaborating with others?
I chose these co-authors because of their passion for the story and their exceeding enthusiasm for writing. They were intentional about protecting the tone of the story to sound like me, not allowing it to become sterile. The best days of this project was my weekly meetings with my co-authors…it was therapeutic. They encouraged me to dig deeper, into the parts of my heart that I didn’t know existed.
What have you learned as a result of writing this book?
As a result of the feedback, I have learned that we (women) are more connected than we think….we seek and gain validation from each other.
What hopes, dreams and plans do you have for your book?
Three things I hope for the book. One, that God will get ALL the glory. Two, that people will be inspired to see what God can do with ordinary people. And three, that the story will draw attention to the heart and passion behind the pro-life movement, particularly the work at pregnancy centers.
From reading the book description, the story seems to be quite a sweeping saga. What was it like to try and capture the scope and breadth of your story in words?
Writing this book was one of the hardest (and most rewarding) things I have ever done. Bathed in prayer, each chapter was a labor of love with the goal to not only “tell” the story, but to “show” the story in a way that the reader would see themselves in it.
How has the publishing of the book affected your life and your ministry?
I was unprepared for the personal impact it would have on so many people. Many have shared how the book stirred emotions and issues they thought they had dealt with. Others felt validated, emotionally connected to the trials and overjoyed with the victories. My personal ministry has definitely expanded, and for that I am honored and humbled. For the sake of my pro-life ministry, it has opened the eyes of many to the impact pregnancy centers have in the kingdom and has encouraged a deeper commitment to our pregnancy center.
What made you choose to self-publish your book? Tell us a little about the process of self-publishing and what you learned as you worked with the company to publish the book.
I chose to self-publish the book because of the common delays found in traditional publishing. It was a story I wanted to get out sooner rather than later. The process of publishing the book was the easiest part, because the publisher prints the finished work that you give them, allowing the author to retain the rights of the book. I enlisted the help of professional editors and test readers to accomplish the final draft and then handed the manuscript to the publisher. That part was the hardest. It felt like I was handing my baby to a cardiac surgeon.
How do you see this book helping those of us who are working in the Pregnancy Center ministry?
You will be encouraged, humbled and prouder than ever to be part of a ministry that endears the heart of God. Each one of us were hand-picked and our life experiences were unknowingly part of a perfect plan for this work. For most of us are not qualified by the world’s standards. But we all are a testimony that God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
What kind of feedback have you received from folks who have read your book?
Most of the readers have shared a deep emotional validation from some of the experiences that they too have experienced – feeling encouraged, inspired and deeper in love with our Lord. My biggest surprise, has been the men that this book deeply moved.
What did you learn about yourself and your story and your God story as you wrote the book?
I learned that God has a perfect plan for each of us and the seemingly random events of our lives only makes sense when you look at them from God’s perspective. I have also come to cherish the kind of fear that requires total dependence on Him, recognizing whatever dreams I have, pale in comparison to the plans He has for me. We tend to settle for less and just eat the crumbs under the table, when His banquet table of goodness and lavished love awaits us.
If you had it to do over, is there anything you would change about the book or the process of writing your story?
No, other than I wished I listened to my friends earlier!
Writing a book that is autobiographical can be a bit scary due to the transparency and honesty that is necessary to tell the story. How hard was it to write your story with honesty and transparency?
Telling my story with total transparency wasn’t as hard as I first thought. I think working at the pregnancy center for 11 years prepared me for that, as we talk about everything that pertains to the matters-of-the-heart. And as it turns out, our honesty with each other is quite liberating.
What is it like to have your story down on paper for all to see and read?
At times…it seems surreal, as though I am reading about someone else’s life, thinking “Wow! It’s amazing what God did here!” Someone pinch me!
How can we get a copy of the book?
I thought you’d never ask! It is available on Amazon. Just search for “He Came Back for Me.”