An Interview with Mark Charles Powers
From high atop a mountain in Western North Carolina, Mark Charles Powers shares glimpses of grace revealed in ordinary lives. Go to MarkCharlesPowers.com to be uplifted and inspired by his weekly blog Glimpses of Grace and his book Going Full Circle: Worship That Moves Us to Discipleship and Missions. Powers’ novel His Eyes: A Novel of Hope from Tragedy was released on Amazon and other platforms in October 2025. Mark is a choral director, church musician, and a little-better-than-bogey golfer. His wife, Kay Ward Powers, lifelong educator and mentor to many, serves as Mark’s encourager and unofficial editor. Stormy the Cat chimes in.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I’ve written books, articles, and devotionals all my life. In 2013, my work with the SC Baptist Convention as worship and music director to connect worship leaders with the missional movement led to me writing Going Full Circle. In 2020, looking toward retirement, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. The rediscovery of my wife’s school photos from the 1980s that included several students who experienced gun violence in their homes led to writing my novel His Eyes. After two years of editing and marketing with no luck, I hired a writing coach, Larry J. Leech. Larry taught me to write strong fiction, and we edited and re-edited the book for content across a two-year period. Our work paid off and I self-published His Eyes in October of 2025. Ratings and reviews have been very good and have led to strong sales, especially in Amazon’s ‘Older Teens and Young Adult Christian Fiction’ genre. My weekly blog Glimpses of Grace began as a means of learning to write regularly and to build an online platform as a writer. All blog articles are posted on my website and are free. Enjoy!
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
Part-time jobs during my school days included a survey team assistant, bag boy in grocery stores, waiter in upscale restaurants, and music director in regional theaters and community choruses. My forty-year career, however, was in large church music ministries, administrating age-graded music programs for children, teens, and adults through choirs, handbells, orchestras, ensembles, etc. Worship leading, rehearsals, seasonal productions, retreats, music tours, and mission trips filled my days. In all those years, I never experienced a boring day or doubted my calling to my churches or my ministry. God has blessed me far beyond anything I deserve.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The title for His Eyes: A Novel of Hope from Tragedy jumped right out of the story line from the moment I developed the idea. Michael, the older brother, is haunted by the dying eyes of his little brother, victim of a handgun accident. But the haunting vision of his brother’s eyes is replaced by the vision of God’s loving eyes through the influence of a caring neighbor and the mercy of a homeless man. Through his budding faith, Michael is able to endure bullying at school, his mother’s drug abuse, and his estranged father’s anger, as well as his own doubts about who pulled the trigger. (Note: Handguns are the number one killer of children and teens in the United States.)
What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?
When I held the proof copy in my hand after crafting the novel for five-and-a-half years, it all finally felt real. At last – at age seventy – I am a debut novelist. Hallelujah!
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
The Bryan Duncan song You’re Never Alone from the 1990s plays a prominent role in the book, weaving through the story line throughout. The story is a flashback to the months in 1997 when Michael’s brother died.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
God does not cause tragedy, but he does allow it, because he created us to freely accept or reject His love. That freedom leads to both good and bad in life. But God offers to walk through both the good and bad with us every step of the way. Will we accept his gift? We’re never alone.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
Reading the reviews to see how lives have been touched and hope restored in those who read it.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
My days are filled with marketing and promoting His Eyes right now in as many ways as possible. I also direct our Mountain Song community chorus. Each Sunday, my wife, Kay, and I co-teach and disciple a connect group in our church. Life is good!
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