This week Christian Bookworm Reviews joins Ace Collins, author of Sticks and Stones, on his blog tour.

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.

I have being writing since grade school.  I think my family’s Arkansas roots played into that.  My grandparents were master storytellers and I loved listening as they painted pictures with their words.  I came to Texas for college and majored in journalism and English. When I landed by first book contract, I was about thirty and quit my day job to write.  The next fifteen years were tough financially, I did a lot of basketball officiating and substitute teaching, but I loved the challenge of creating new ideas.  Still, I would not have made a go of it had it not been for my wife.  She was supportive when everything else seemed like it was against my career choice.  She never complained about making sacrifices for the dream. Ironically, even when we had almost nothing, our two sons thrived on the experiences.  It must have made an impact as one has a communication degree from Baylor and the other is at Ouachita studying writing and film right now.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?

I love college sports.  I thrive on watching kids play football, basketball and baseball.  That takes up some of my spare time.  I also run and bike.  I read a great deal, both fiction and nonfiction.  And my other passion is classic cars.  I have a 1936 Cord 810 Westchester Sedan, a 1934 Auburn 652Y Sedan, a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr and a 1965 Mustang.  The joy of restoring and driving a piece of history is something I really can’t describe.  The smiles those cars bring to others and the stories people share with me about their memories of these cars are something I deeply treasure.

What has God been teaching you lately?

Patience.  The timing of all things is His not mine.  Hence I have to wait on having dreams realized.  I don’t mind telling you that when you are excited about ideas and want to see them in print now, it is hard to wait.

Where did you get the idea for the book?
Sticks and Stones is really my philosophy for living.  It is something I have learned from people who have been placed in my life over the years.  These ideas are what have sustained me through the lean times and make me happy now.  Hence I thought what I had learned from others about the power of words might be something others would like to know.

What are the major themes of the book?

I once heard that folks use about 30,000 words a day in either written or oral form.  It dawned on me that most of those words have either no impact or make a negative impact.  In a world filled with people using words to cut others down, I opted to create a book that encouraged what I feel everyone should do — which is use our language to lift people up.

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

I pray that they realize they do change the world with their words and actions.  It all starts with how we talk to ourselves.  So if they only read one chapter and learn one lesson, I hope they learn to see and then speak to themselves as if they are someone very important, because in my eyes and God’s eyes they are that and so much more.

Where are you headed next?

Wherever the road leads.  I’m having a blast right now. I have four books coming out this year, at least two more next year.  I have a new novel series.  After more than fifty books, I can’t believe how much fun I am having.  It is just as much of a joy today as it was when I started. Oh, and I would like to find a 1932 Auburn convertible hidden away in a barn and bring it back to life.

Where to find Ace Collins Online

Visit his website at http://acecollins.com

Purchase the book at Amazon.com.

If you are on Facebook, Ace would love to connect with you as a friend.

Here are the blogs that featured Sticks and Stones during MARCH 30 – APRIL 3.

A Peek at My Bookshelf
America’s Clutter Coach
Blog Tour Spot
Bluebonnet in the Snow
Christian Bookworm Reviews
CommuniKate
Fictionary
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
His Reading List
i don’t believe in grammar
In the Dailies
J’s Spot
Kindred Heart Writers
Life is one daily adventure
Lighthouse Academy
Penning Prose
Quiverfullfamily.com
Readin’ N Writin’ with Patricia
Refresh My Soul
Scraps and Snippets
The Gospel Writer
wandering, wonderings of a whacked-out woman
Wide-Eyed Fiction