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Where did you grow up, and was reading and writing a big part of your life?I grew up in a small town in Georgia. I wrote my very first story when I was in the 3rd grade that really moved my teacher. It was Mrs. Appling, that teacher who nurtured this seed of writing in me. I loved to read and would read everything from romances to encyclopedias. Because I was painfully shy, writing became an outlet for me. Back to TopWe know that you initially published in romance, but tell us what influenced you to write Christian fiction?My personal relationship with God is the main reason I chose to write stories with a strong Christian element. I knew when I wrote my first book, Hidden Blessings, that I was called to write books for God. I refused because I wanted to be popular; I wanted to sell books; I felt I wasn’t worthy; that I didn’t know the Bible well enough—the list could go on. God wasn’t hearing any of it. He convicted my heart with each romance until I could no longer ignore His call. To be clear, it wasn’t that I felt writing romance novels are wrong. It was just that God called me to do something else. You can only ignore the calling on your heart for so long. Back to TopWhat happened to writing Romance? Have you given it up completely?At the time I chose to follow my calling, I felt I needed to separate myself from the romance genre as my books were becoming more about God and less about the actual romance. I wanted to be true to my romance readers and so I couldn't cheat them by giving them something else. I love romance and there are still quite a few of them in me. In fact, I’ve written a couple of romances since accepting this call on my heart. However, this isn’t just about me writing stories—it’s a ministry and I refuse to do anything that will taint that ministry—my romance novels are written without graphic sexual scenes and profanity and some of them carry a strong inspirational theme. Back to TopWhat Christian/moral issues do you address in your books?Forgiveness is a theme that runs through a lot of my books. I deal with everything from adultery, sexual addiction, anger and bitterness to blaming God for everything that goes wrong in life. Back to TopJust how Christian are your fiction novels?I strive to keep my stories biblically sound. I write fiction but the situations my characters go through are very real, in that they are some of the same issues we as Christians struggle with--unforgiveness, questioning God at times, searching for His peace, etc. My books are not a substitute for the Bible but they are not meant to just entertain, but also offer hope to the hopeless, encourage and even minister to the reader. I am very active in my church, I attend weekly Bible Studies and I'm currently taking courses for a certificate in Biblical Studies. Back to TopYou're also writing for young adults in addition to women's fiction. How did that come about?Our young people are in crisis. They are faced with drugs, gang violence, sex- -peer pressure is often hard to ignore. I have a large teen readership so I decided to write books that specifically speak to that audience. They hear on a daily basis what the world has to say about these things--my books will not only give them what the world says but also what the Word says. Back to TopWhat are some of the issues you've dealt with in your young adult novels?My first young adult novel, Simply Divine deals with the issue of having celebrity parents who are constantly in trouble with the law and how their actions affect the children. My second novel, Divine Confidential deals with meeting strangers on the Internet. The next novel will confront domestic violence among teens. Back to TopWhat general advice do you have for writers who just completed their first novel? What should they do next?I encourage all writers to research and join a local writers group. Try out a couple to make sure it’s a good fit for you. Most legitimate groups are a good source for networking and sharing industry news and information. Pick up a copy of the Writers Market and research the publishing houses. Read, read, read. Find out what the houses you’re interested in, is publishing. Back to Top
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