Cathy McCrumb has always had a love for stories. She graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature. 

Although writing is one of her favorite things to do (and most of her imaginary friends are nice people), she also enjoys reading, long hikes, long naps, gluten-free brownies and raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family. 

Cathy and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

 

What started you on your writing journey?

I’ve always told stories, and from a very young age, I wanted to write. I stopped, however, after I had kids. Then, about seven or eight years ago, I emailed a friend about a strange dream. She emailed right back: Where’s the story?

That simple question reignited my words.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

Oh, so many of them that it’s hard to pinpoint one to share. There have been forks in the road in which one small thing altered everything. I can’t say how often disappointment hits, but then—God shows up.

The Lord has provided when funds were low, when people have passed, when we lose the things that matter to us. In the midst of pain, it isn’t so much that God explains WHY things happen but that He is there.

I’ve been thinking about this over the past couple of weeks. How when Lazarus dies and Mary and Martha grieve, Jesus doesn’t give a detailed line-by-line explanation of why everything happens. He gives them the gift of His presence. Daniel refuses to stop praying, and he is thrown to the lions. And God stops their mouths. It’s the powerful presence of God that changes the story.

Honestly, there have been situations I would never have chosen. Even now I face challenges that feel overwhelming. I suspect most of us feel this way—tides seem too strong and waters too deep. But in the midst of unforeseen circumstances when I don’t know why things go awry, God’s steadfast presence is an anchor.

Let’s talk about your new book, Guardian (Enclave Publishing, February 2024) the third in your Children of the Consortium series. Please tell us about the new book.

Guardian is the final book in the trilogy, which is about a young woman with no name, no family, no friends who loses everything that defines her and finds hope, freedom, and friendship for the first time. The Children of the Consortium series is set in the undefined future, where most citizens have abandoned faith, and a system of Recorders observe and document everything.

The Recorder was donated to the Consortium before birth, and her sole purpose has been to maintain and verify the records. When the technology controlling her is destroyed, she tastes freedom for the first time. Answering a call for help, she once again draws scrutiny from the organization that raised her. She returns to the place where she nearly lost her life in the hope of finding something—anything—to save her friends and countless others. Her friends are determined to keep her safe, but for the Recorder, saving others comes first, no matter the cost.

Now labeled an aberration by the Consortium, the Recorder is not yet free. Time is running out as an engineered bioweapon wreaks havoc on friend and foe alike. Stopping both the biological agent and the people who created it is no easy task. Without Consortium technology, the probability of neutralizing the threat plummets  to nothing. In order to save her allies, the Recorder must rely on the technology that controlled her, but success might destroy any hope for freedom, a future, and a name.

What led you to write this series? Who is your target audience?

One of the things that led me to begin this series was that I enjoy science fiction and it was difficult to find science fiction that aligned with my faith. I wanted to read something that had the adventure and the challenges of sci-fi but asked thought provoking questions.

As I wrote, however, the story took on a different meaning. I began to see it as my love letter to people who felt left out, which became central to the whole series’ themes. Each one of us is unique and valuable, and we must choose to hold fast to hope. Even when things seem dark, we are, indeed, never alone.

I wrote it with adults in mind, but the nature of the questions about worth and the value of life has drawn in teen readers as well.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

When words aren’t flowing, almonds! I like lightly salted ones, but if I can have Korean BBQ flavor, that is even better.

To celebrate my first book, I asked my husband for berries and chocolate. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and chocolate remain among my favorites. Berries and chocolate… no need to ask why, right? (Although, a gluten free brownie with berries and whipped cream will also suffice. 😉 )

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

I’m not sure that it quite compares, but lately I have been rereading Joseph’s story. The Lord knows why seasons can be so hard, and although being in the midst of them is not enjoyable, there is a huge measure of peace in knowing that He has a plan I cannot see.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

This is such a fun question! I think that I’m probably closest to the girl next door, but if I could be the strange woman with the magnificent flower, vegetable, and herb gardens and a plethora of cats (and maybe a dog or two!), that would be amazing. Alas, I don’t have any of those at the moment, but imagination is a powerful thing in their places.

Thank you, Cathy! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

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For more information about Cathy, visit her website and/or on Facebook or Instagram.

To order Guardian and the first two books in the series, go to –