Issa by Lois Drake
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
Author: Since childhood and my teenage years I knew life had a purpose. But where do we turn to receive guidance for our unique missions? When I learned that Jesus was said in ancient Buddhist texts to have gone to India to study with Eastern mystics and teach the common people, I thought, “Here is an example of someone who demonstrated the path to mastery!” It gave me hope that we can all become one with our divinity within. This is a time-honored message that spans the great world religions and is reflected in the Gospels. It is a message which Jesus himself may have gleaned from his time in India.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did the book take you from start to finish?
Author: Issa was roughly four to five years in the making from the early conceptualizing with my colleagues to research, drafting, fact-checking, design and editing.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
Author: Imagine writing about Jesus. We all have preconceived ideas of what this man was like. But I had to imagine how Jesus may have been as a teenager. I felt my job was to convey a message of hope, tolerance, and possibilities without diminishing anyone’s idea of this great master.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
Author: What surprised me the most was how close I felt to Jesus. Writing is hard work, but I became absorbed in every passage, as if it were a prayer. That didn’t make it easier, but it made the moments precious…even through the countless edits. Writing Issa was a test for my own soul and forced me to go deep into my heart to find the words.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
Author: Getting up before dawn and reconnecting with the characters was very special. The unfolding of the story made me lose track of time. I am grateful for those special intervals and my husband’s patience with my traipsing downstairs during the wee hours of the morning.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
Author: I hope readers will feel the tenderness of the master urging them to become a Christ, a Buddha, a Krishna, or one with their Higher Self.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What projects are you currently working on?
Author: Now I am following the characters through Book Two where each of them tells their personal interactions with Issa as he makes his way back to Galilee. By this time Issa and some of the others are young adults. I’m sure they struggled with many issues similar to those we face today. The novel explores how Issa focused on his mission which he was soon to undertake. The premise of the story is once again taken from ancient Buddhist manuscripts on the life of Saint Issa.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
Author: Currently writing is my occupation although my preparation for this career draws upon many experiences including teaching elementary school, working in advertising, and developing a non-profit organization to help children. Years of travel have also supplemented my imagination.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
Author: My colleague, Fred Peck, was the main historical researcher. He worked extensively on gathering information on the Kushans including interviewing scholars at Harvard University, the University of Washington, the University of Idaho, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of British Columbia and many others. His work dovetailed with my religious research through the Bible, The Lost Years of Jesus by Elizabeth Clare Prophet, and numerous other books and online resources.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you come up with your title?
Author: Issa is the name given to Jesus in the Buddhist manuscripts so that was a natural title. The Greatest Story Never Told is the subtitle that conveys the idea that something is missing in what we know of the historical Jesus. Through team effort the two parts of the title came together to say a lot on the cover.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: What books have influenced you the most?
Author: The Lost Years of Jesus by Elizabeth Clare Prophet is the book that started the whole idea so I would have to say that it was the most influential. Ms. Prophet’s book contains the controversial translations of the Buddhist texts describing Jesus’ journey to the East. I have long had a keen interest in the mystical paths of the world religions, so this book really struck a chord.
FASCINATING AUTHORS: Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
Author: Snow Mountain Press is an imprint of Summit University Press. SUP has a very strong reputation and presence in the spiritual genre marketplace and we mutually agreed that they would be the best fit for this inspirational fiction.
