How would you react if one day, completely out of the blue, your husband told you he wanted to go into ministry? What’s it like when the man you married is married to God? These are the questions the women must answer in Pastors’ Wives (Plume/April 30, 2013/ISBN 978-0452298828/$16.00), the debut novel from Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. Pastors’ Wives tells the story of three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch and is set in a world that most of us know only from the outside.

Cullen passionately portrays the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the consuming demands of faith, marriage, duty and love. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her charismatic husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. When their lives collide during a fateful event that threatens the survival of all that is precious to them, each will ask herself: What is the price of loving a man of God? Each will answer that question in a different way.

Q: How did the idea for Pastors’ Wives come about?

A: It all began when my editor at TIME magazine handed me a press release about a convention of pastors’ wives. The article I reported and wrote for TIME eventually turned into the inspiration for the book.

Q: Why was the idea of a conference for pastors’ wives so intriguing to you?

A: It was a world I knew nothing about. And then, when I began meeting and getting to know PWs, I was utterly captivated by their stories, their passion, the careful balancing act of their lives.

Q: How much of Pastors’ Wives is based on women you actually met?

A: Quite a few of the anecdotes and details are inspired by real people and their stories. I spent two years, on and off, reporting the subject. I attended a weekend retreat for pastors’ wives in Wisconsin and conferences in Florida. I spent a lot of time in churches, including megachurches. I interviewed dozens and dozens of PWs, read their books and their blogs, followed them on Facebook and Twitter. But no one character is based on any one person. If anything, all three of the main characters are on some level an extension of me—the me I wish I was, and the me I wish I wasn’t.

Q: What is the most interesting thing you discovered in researching either the original article you wrote or the book?

A: The most fascinating thing I learned, and I hope this does not make me sound like a complete dolt, is that pastors’ wives are not necessarily supportive of their husbands’ jobs. Of the calling and the faith—yes. Of the job and all its attendant annoyances—no. I had imagined the woman standing behind the man behind the podium was an infallible pillar of support. Instead, I learned the role of pastor’s wife can be a great test.

Q: Tell us about the spiritual journey you embarked upon during the writing process.

A: My mother died of cancer in 2008. Nine months later, my father died of a broken heart. My parents were the root of my Catholic faith. My father was a Catholic priest who left the priesthood to marry my mother but remained devout to his last day; my mother had converted from Buddhism before they married. The only thing stronger than their love for the church was their love for each other. When they died, I felt forsaken.

Their deaths, along with the birth of my second daughter, forced me to reconcile my own faith. What did I believe? And why? Over the years I had grown increasingly disillusioned, and then outright disgusted, with the Catholic church—its protection of abusers, its disdain for women, its political stands. And yet I ached for its comforts and community.

Writers have the incredible privilege of working out our issues in our stories, and that’s what I did. Ruthie, Candace and Ginger guided and accompanied me in my hour of need. I asked questions. They answered. Sometimes I leaned on one; sometimes on the other. On the surface, Ruthie’s journey mirrors mine most closely. But each of them taught me something and helped pull me through.

Q: If you were in Ruthie’s situation — your husband was suddenly called into ministry — do you think you would react in the same way?

A: Marriage is complicated, isn’t it? But I think the bottom line is that when you love someone, you want to support him and help make him happy. This, by the way, was the central question driving me in writing this novel. What’s it like when the man you married is married to God? How does that feel? What do you do? Different women deal differently, as we see with Ruthie, Candace and Ginger’s very different journeys.

Q: Do you think megachurch pastors’ wives are often misunderstood? Do the stereotypes really fit the ones you have met?

A: Oh, yes, I do think they are misunderstood. When they think of megachurch wives, many secular and non-Christian Americans imagine a Tammy Faye Bakker. In real life, the First Ladies I met were incredibly accomplished and impeccably mannered. They reminded me of politicians’ wives. More importantly, I think outsiders—and even many congregants!—just have absolutely no idea how hard all PWs work for their churches. No task is too big or too small. They minister, manage budgets, coordinate programs, keep track of holiday decorations, welcome new members, stock the bake sale...all while providing counsel to their pastor husbands. And they receive little credit. I challenge you to find a PW who is appreciated for all her labor.

Q: Is there a spiritual message you hope readers walk away with after reading your book?

A: I feel it’s not for me to impart a spiritual message. What I hope with all my heart is that readers might take a journey with Ruthie, Candace and Ginger. I hope they’ll spend time at Greenleaf Church, a world of faith and wealth and power and intrigue. I hope my characters’ stories might make them wonder, What would I do for love?

Q: You have a background in journalism and have written for publications such as TIME. What made you decide to write a novel?

A: I had a story I had to tell. That’s the only reason to go through the torture of writing a novel!

Q: The release of Pastors’ Wives isn’t the only big thing you have going on right now. What can you tell us about your new TV pilot?

A: We’re currently shooting my CBS pilot, The Ordained. It stars Charlie Cox, Sam Neill, Hope Davis, Audra McDonald and Jorge Garcia. It’s set in New York City.

The Ordained is inspired by my father, a priest who left the priesthood in his mid-30s. In the case of the pilot, the main character is a member of a Kennedy-like political dynasty whose father is the former governor of New York and whose sister is the sitting mayor of New York City. One day, he takes a confession about a deadly plot against his sister. The seal of the confession prevents him from telling anyone about it. He re-enters civilian life to pursue the plot and the people behind it.

I wrote The Ordained right after I finished Pastors’ Wives. Clearly, the subject of faith was still on my mind. In the case of my TV pilot, what inspired me was my father’s story: What’s it like to start your life over as a man in your mid-30s? Of course I wove in many more complications and higher stakes because it’s TV. But that’s the central question for me. My character is named Tom Reilly, after my Dad. You could say it’s my way of resurrecting him. I hope to do him proud.

Learn more about Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Pastors’ Wives at www.lisacullen.com. Readers can also friend Lisa on Facebook, become a fan on Lisa's Facebook author page (LisaTakeuchiCullen), or follow her on Twitter (@LisaCullen).

In Not Quite Healed, childhood sexual abuse survivors Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe offer hope and encouragement to men on the journey of recovery.

Survivors of sexual abuse face a long road to recovery, a journey in which they often ask, “Shouldn’t I be there by now?” Having faced the recovery process themselves, Cecil Murphey and Gary Roe, in Not Quite Healed: 40 Truths for Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Kregel Publications/March 8, 2013/ISBN 978-0825442704/$14.99), honestly and openly assure fellow survivors that healing is a process, which by definition means it doesn’t happen quickly—but it will happen.

“I wish I could say I’m totally healed, but that would be a lie,” writes Murphey. “This much I can say: I’m as straightforward and transparent as I’m capable of being. In the recovery process, I’ve searched relentlessly for total healing. I don’t know if that labels me quick or slow, truly open or slightly self-deceived. Some men heal quicker than others do—we know that. But I challenge the statement of anyone who boasts of total healing from sexual abuse in eight months or a year. Or even ten years.”

Not only do the authors understand, encourage, explain, relate, and guide survivors to the path of healing, they shed light on eye-opening truths about abuse that are beneficial to family, friends and those in ministry. For example, the majority of survivors of childhood sexual abuse were kids who did not feel loved by or of value to their parents and sought the attention and affection of an adult who would show kindness to them. In fact, most perpetrators of sexual abuse (whether male or female) are adults a child not only knows, but trusts. Abusers have a keen ability to find and target such children and take advantage of their vulnerability and innocence.

A victim’s need for love, a sense of abandonment and violation of trust affects relationships for a lifetime. Most men experience difficulty in expressing their emotions, and male survivors feel less like real men if they admit their pain. However, as the writers proclaim, no one heals alone, and they hope the stories and experiences within Not Quite Healed will give readers strength to face the road ahead. Murphey and Roe know about struggling to rely on God, living behind a mask, dealing with flashbacks or wrestling with the need for forgiveness. They dive deep into the long-term effects of abuse such as pornography addiction, same-sex attraction, varying degrees of fear and anxiety and other behaviors spurred on by a need for approval and acceptance.

The authors get to the heart of why childhood sexual abuse impacts its victims so deeply. “At our core, we’re sexual creatures, male and female. This is part of being created in the image of God. When others abuse us sexually, they touch us at the center of our being,” Roe asserts. “Everything becomes skewed and produces a ripple effect that spreads through our entire personhood. The abuse alters the way we view ourselves, others, God and life itself.”

Each chapter closes with a self-affirming truth that will carry readers through the process of real healing. A few of the statements for meditation and repetition include:

• I am not quite healed; I am a healing-in-progress.
• I was a needy, innocent child; someone took advantage of me. I wasn’t bad; something bad was done to me.
• Pornography is a substitute for intimacy. I choose to strive for the real thing.
• Despite my attractions and desires, I don’t have to give in to any wrong impulses.
• I’ll never be fully healed if I hide the secrets of my past. A big step—and a difficult one—is to move out of darkness into light.
• Admitting I need help is a sign of humility, not weakness. Reaching out for help is a sign of courage.
• The tools that helped me survive as a child are no longer the tools I need to enjoy my adult life. Now I can consciously choose my tools.

In addition to the encouragement shared in the book, Murphey has also set up a website where readers can share their own stories of survival and healing, www.menshatteringthesilence.blogspot.com.

About the Authors

Cecil Murphey has written or co-written more than 135 books, including the bestsellers 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). His books have sold in the millions and have brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.

Murphey stays busy as a professional writer and travels extensively to speak on topics such as writing, spiritual growth, caregiving, significant living, sexual abuse, and recovery. Prior to launching his career as a full-time writer and speaker, he served as pastor in Metro Atlanta, as a volunteer hospital chaplain for ten years, and was a missionary in Kenya for six. He currently lives in the Atlanta, GA area.

Gary Roe has been in full-time ministry for more than thirty years, serving as a college minister, a missionary in Japan, and a pastor in Texas and Washington. He currently works as a chaplain and interim pastor in central Texas. He writes a weekly newspaper column and is coauthor (also with Cecil Murphey) of Saying Goodbye: Facing the Loss of a Loved One. He has three adopted daughters from Colombia who are also abuse survivors.

Learn more about Cecil Murphey and his books at www.cecilmurphey.com. Readers can also follow Murphey on Twitter (@CecMurphey).

Teens are bombarded from all sides when it comes to messages on sex. At church, they hear, “Wait until marriage,” while the rest of the world loudly asks, “Why wait?” Even though they know deep down what they should do, heart and hormones challenge the head. Debut author Bekah Hamrick Martin provides an honest discussion on purity, boys and relationships in a new book aimed at teen girls, The Bare Naked Truth: Dating, Waiting, and God’s Purity Plan (Zondervan/May 7, 2013/ISBN: 978-0310734024/$9.99).

Learn more about The Bare Naked Truth in the interview below, and mark your calendars to join Bekah Hamrick Martin for a live Facebook Author Chat on June 20 at 8:00 PM EDT. During the hour-long web event, Martin will be answering questions from teens and parents alike. Prizes, including copies of The Bare Naked Truth, will also be given away. For more information, watch the author’s Facebook Page (bekahhamrickmartin).

Q: Tell us about your journey and what led you to write a purity book for teens.

I wouldn’t call it so much of a “purity” book as a “waiting” or “start waiting” book. The Bare Naked Truth really started over ten years ago when every conversation I had in camp ministry eventually came back to the topic of dating or waiting. It’s an age-old dilemma, but none of the girls I worked with felt like it was being approached in a modern or relevant way.

Q: What makes The Bare Naked Truth different than other books in stores with a purity message?

The tone of the book is satirical--something that today’s teens understand. I love the fact that over 20 different authors contributed their voices and stories in order to appeal to girls of every background!

Q: Throughout your book, you share the testimonies, struggles and lessons from various people. What insights did you gain from their stories?

I learned (once again) that God is able to redeem ANYTHING. I knew this from my own past, which was difficult to write about, but the fact that so many women were bare naked honest in the book just makes it so much more real. I love seeing how God is bigger than anything Satan throws at us.

Q: What’s one thing you wish someone would’ve told you when you were a teenager?

Your past doesn’t define you. Your “purity” is not your worth. I was taken advantage of as a child in every way you can imagine. That’s why I actually shy away from the word “purity”, because I don’t like the fact that a girl who has made less-than-great decisions or been taken advantage of can be made to feel less-than. No matter what your past, you are now in Christ. And that’s all God sees when He looks at you. That’s what I wish I had felt in my heart.

Q: What are practical steps girls can apply to their everyday lives to remain pure?

Decide beforehand what your boundaries are. Don’t wait until the heat of the moment. Then, find a mentor who stands behind what you’ve decided and will help you be strong in your decisions!

Q: You offer quizzes, questions or space for reflection at the end of each chapter. In what setting do you hope readers will use this book? Individually as a devotional or in a small group to promote discussion?

I really hope girls will use these questions individually, then bring them back to a group setting. I envision girls everywhere forming book-study groups that can hang out and encourage each other in their choices. And I’m actually doing an online study via Skype that will later be available on YouTube. You can find out more information on my website at www.thebarenakedbook.com or www.bekahhamrickmartin.com.

Q: What are some ways parents can get involved without invading their daughter’s privacy or scaring her away?

It’s all about relationship. If you want respect from your daughter, she needs to see that you’re committed to the same things you’re asking of her. If you don’t want her to be involved in risky behavior, you need to find help for healing what’s causing your own risky behaviors. You can find tips for how to do that on my website as well.

Beyond that, if you’re already setting that example, start with intentionally hanging out with your daughter--no agenda. Go shopping, watch a movie; do things that build relationship. As she trusts you more and more, she will respect your opinion when an opportunity arises to share it.

Q: Who or what was influential in your decision to save yourself for marriage?

I was raised by parents who loved me and wanted the best for me. Despite that, there were points where I wanted to toss my standards out the window for some immediate gratification. Especially since I felt my innocence had already been robbed--so why not just have a little fun in a way where I could take charge?
Ultimately I really believe it was my family’s love through those rough patches that made me want to stick it out and make smart decisions for my future. I’m so glad I had that chance.

Q: How did you meet your husband?

We met at a youth event when we were 14--I have no recollection of it, but he had a crush on me! When I was 22, we reconnected when I worked at summer camp with his sisters. Pretty soon I noticed this tall Swedish-looking guy and that was all it took.

Q: Do young people today really face different challenges with dating and waiting than their parents or any other generations, or it the ages-old battle mankind has always faced?

It’s the same battle, just more intense. Parents have less time to engage their kids--and it’s not their fault; everything just moves at a faster pace. It’s also easy to turn on the TV or get advice from Seventeen... there are so many sources of information. But like I said before, I think the answer lies in good old fashioned relationship. If you have that with your kids, they’re more likely to respect your opinion and follow it. MORE likely--there are no guarantees.

Q: In a world that views woman as sexualized objects, how can we teach young girls they’re worth so much more?

Once again, I think it comes back to relationship. It’s not even really how we “teach” young girls, it’s more what they pick up from watching us and spending time with us. My daughter is going to soak up more from watching how I dress--how I interact with men--than how someone on TV does. Do I respect myself? Do I show her that?

Q: How does pop culture (music, TV, magazines, etc.) affect girls’ mindsets and self-esteem?

I think we have to constantly remind girls about what goes on behind the scenes to make women in magazines look like that. I saw a documentary on modeling once, and it was eye-opening for me. I plan to show it to my daughter when she’s ready; I want her to see that chasing after the perfect body will not fill you up inside--so many of these girls are only considered “good” for one or two photo shoots, then they’re tossed to the curb. I want every girl I talk with to “get” that they are so much more than how their bodies look, although it’s okay to take pride in and take care of that too.

Q: Can you tell us more about your ministry to teens?

I’ve ministered for the past ten years (through camping ministry, youth groups, & writing & speaking), to kids from so many different backgrounds--all the way from children of prisoners, to kids who are in church every single Sunday. When it comes down to it, these girls face the same issues. They are all seeking love, attention, and affirmation. And if I can be one voice that shares from the depth of the well Jesus is, it will be worth the vulnerability of sharing the bare naked truth from my own life. It’s my honor to know these intelligent girls, their stories, and to watch them make choices based on the bare naked facts--not scare tactics.

Learn more about Bekah Hamrick Martin and The Bare Naked Truth at www.bekahhamrickmartin.com or www.thebarenakedbook.com. Readers can also become a fan on Facebook (Bekah-Hamrick-Martin) or follow her on Twitter (@BekahHMartin).

How does a best-selling and award winning author pick the subject of her historical novels? Deeanne Gist takes some time out of her busy writing schedule to answer a few questions about how her latest release, It Happened at the Fair (Howard Books).

Q: As a historical novelist, how do you pick the settings and events that provide the backdrop to your stories?

I’m always drawn to events in our country’s past that are strangely absent from our history classes. Why the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition has been left out, I don’t know, especially since it was such a pivotal event for us. It set the standard for architecture in the upcoming century; it introduced foreign cultures to our amazed population. It wowed the world with our scientific innovations, and it gave women their first official, recognized board position and approved by an Act of Congress (all before we had the right to vote). But it was technology that claimed the day as it nipped at the heels of horses, buggies and man-powered tools. Between that and the evocative backdrop that lent itself to so many possibilities, how could I resist?

Q: Was there something specific that you found in the research process that drove the plot for It Happened at the Fair?

When I knew that I wanted to set the story at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, I went to the reference part of the library and found two huge, oversized albums filled with pictures and descriptions. In one was a picture of a woman teaching children. It turned out, she and the children were part of an exhibit and she was teaching them to lip read. I ground to a halt and immediately thought of all kinds of fun scenarios that could take place with a heroine that could lip read. And It Happened at the Fair was born.

Q: What were some of your other favorite details you discovered about the fair?

All of them were my favorite! So much so, I had a horrible time trying to decide what details to leave out. I read thousands of pages about the Fair, its exhibits and its programs. All of them fascinating, all of them worthy of being included. Some that I found particularly interesting were among the applications submitted for exhibit space.

One hopeful wanted to make a suite of apartments beneath the waters of Lake Michigan. Someone from England wanted to be placed on exhibition as the Messiah. A father of an “infant prodigy” wanted his baby to introduce the leading orator at the dedication ceremonies. And a vendor of cosmetics wanted to “varnish” half of a “wrinkled hag’s” face with his products and at the end of the Fair reveal her features (on that half) to be “sleek and smooth.”

Q: I’ve read that you are quite a collector, especially items related to the time periods of your books and your main characters. Have you been able to collect anything related to the 1893 World’s Fair?

Since writing It Happened at the Fair, I have become captivated by everything Fair related. I’ve collected books, of course, but I’ve also managed to snag a set of silver spoons with different buildings engraved into their bowls. I also have a set of hand painted postcards. Did you know the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair invented picture postcards? People had never seen them before, but they quickly became extremely popular and an entire new industry was born.

I’ve also acquired a silver half-dollar minted specifically for the Fair, an original admission ticket, and a full-color panoramic view of the Fair. But my pièce de résistance is a full deck of 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition playing cards. All fifty-two of them plus the joker. I can’t tell you how my imagination spins when I hold those cards in my hand. Cards that someone else held for the first time one-hundred-twenty years ago. Who bought them? Where in the Fair were they? Which card games were their favorites? Why are they in such pristine condition? Were they so coveted that they were afraid to use them lest they wear them out? The questions in my head go on and on, then I carefully tuck them back into their box so as to preserve them for someone else who in, say, one-hundred-twenty years just might ask those same questions.

Readers can connect with Deeanne Gist on her website IWantHerBook.com, as well as on Facebook (DeesFriends) and Twitter (@DeeanneGist).

by Beth Guckenberger, author of Tales of the Defended Ones

I don’t know about you, but I am feeling some tension lately. My intuition and my maternal instinct are at war. I have been wrestling with the following dilemma… If I make my child’s world be all about him, Does he have braces and the right shoes? Does he arrive at his practices and games on time (but at great cost to everyone around him)? Does he have homework time and shiny materials at his disposal? And does he have vacations and the latest electronics and the hottest fashions? Does this collecting of the right opportunities and camps and classes and choices galore reinforce over and over in his 18 years (under my roof) that the world revolves around him? How then can I possibly expect or dream or hope for, an adult at the end of that, who is missional and others-centered and ready to go out into all the world?

Is there another way that teaches more about service and less about self?

Lately, I have been talking to my kids about an outward focused life. Some call it missions, others call it outreach, I am hoping we call it normal. I have been explaining my heart for orphans as a ‘burr under my saddle’. I can’t sit still or comfortable when I think about parentless children. It compels me to act. I go and pray and give as I see and think about orphans. The first time I felt the burr was when I saw children that were hungry and hiding the food I brought to them under their mattresses. After that, I was never the same. One of our parental privileges is helping children discover their own ‘burrs’.

The children in your life might have ‘burrs in their saddles’ for kids on their soccer team, or people they see in their school who are lonely, or new or have special needs, they might be moved by something they hear about at church or see on TV. Burrs can develop for people we know and for people we hear about who are victims of violence or natural disaster.

The important thing to remember is all burrs start with a cry. God tunes us each into a cry that reflects the heart and story He is developing for each of us. Helping our children tune into more than just their own channel is a start to forming the adult we hope they will one day become.

When we hear our children raise questions, offer insights, or sound unsatisfied with how someone is living, it’s our chance to listen and walk with them as they shift the focus from their own kingdoms to God’s. It brings such joy to explain that prick in their spirit is a piece of God’s heart, deposited in them.

The next steps are offering what they have (reminding them they have more than just objects, they have time, they have a smile, they have ideas, they have prayers, they have relationship, gifts, influence, etc…) to those they see. Andy Stanley says, “Do for one what you wish you could do for all.” Kids don’t need to understand causes or evangelistic campaigns, they don’t and won’t see things at the macro level, and we can’t expect them to be little Mother Theresas. However, they will see stories, and friends, and names. They will see injustice or loneliness. If we can help them keep their next steps personal, it will drive them towards engagement and set them up for a lifestyle of reaching out to others in His name.

Beth Guckenberger, Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries is the author of the Tales of the Not Forgotten and Tales of the Defended Ones, two books who invite children to the front row of God’s movement towards the orphan.

In addition to her new book Tales of the Defended Ones, Guckenberger has partnered with Standard Publishing on the mission content in its 2013 VBS program, God’s Backyard Bible Camp, as well as a Mission Project Pack. The goal of the VBS curriculum is to show children they can make an impact on the world and be a part of something larger than themselves. Through God’s Backyard Bible Camp, students can engage in interactive service opportunities that reach far beyond their own backyards, benefiting the orphans Back2Back ministries serves in Mexico. The Mission Project Pack includes everything you need to get your kids involved in serving others. Kids taking part in the program will not only help individual orphans but will join a movement of VBS kids that are committed to service. In the fall, Standard will be releasing a SuperSimple™ Mission Kit which will include all of the mission resources developed for God’s Backyard Bible Camp, as well as the Tales of the Not Forgotten book and leader’s guide. The SuperSimple™ Mission Kit will provide churches with the tools they need to emphasize missions anytime during the year.

What better way to spend this summer than helping children in our own backyard and around the world? For more information on how to get involved, visit www.vacationbibleschool.com or back2back.org.

Is there ever a point when you should let go of a dream? Shouldn’t you be content with what God has already given you, even if your life isn’t what society considers the norm? In Catch a Falling Star (Howard Books/May 7, 2013/ISBN 9781451660272/$14.99), Beth K. Vogt tells the story of Dr. Kendall Haynes, a successful family physician with a thriving practice, helping others just as she always planned. However, at age 36, her dream of a husband and family has not come true — at least not yet.

Q: Is there a message you hope readers walk away with after finishing Catch a Falling Star?

Everyone experiences life not going according to their plans — the outcomes range from humorous to tragic. What I’ve learned — what I hope readers discover as they turn the pages of Catch a Falling Star — is God is in the plans, the dreams that come true, and he’s also in the plans that elude us.

Q: Kendall finds herself on her 36th birthday without the husband and family she longs for. Do think society sometimes adds undue pressure on our expectations and/or interferes with our faith in God’s timing?

I certainly believe the church community can add unrealistic pressure on us when life doesn’t go according to plan — or some prescribed, “right” way to walk out the Christian life. Several years ago I read an article by a respected Christian leader who chastised Christian women for waiting so long to get married, reminding them they shouldn’t delay starting a family so they could have a career. He was assuming these women were turning down marriage proposals right and left. There are lots of reasons women are getting married later, and sometimes it’s because Mr. Right doesn’t show up when you’re 21 or 31. And then the question — the challenge for the church community — is: Where do older singles, both men and women, fit in the church?

Q: What was the inspiration behind making your lead characters a little older than most couples in love stories?

My stories are often sparked by some real-life circumstance, and this was the case for Catch a Falling Star. I had an eye-opening conversation with a friend who was in her mid-40s. She has a successful career, lots of friends, a very satisfying life in so many ways — and yet some of her dreams haven’t come true, including in the area of marriage and children. And she’s not the only person I know experiencing this. I wanted to examine this issue within the context of a contemporary romance novel because it’s relevant — and because I believe romance doesn’t just happen in your 20s.

Q: Catch a Falling Star looks at more relationships than simply the traditional love story. How do the experiences of singleness, adoption and the loss of parents connect the characters together?

All of these relationships fall under the umbrella of “life not going according to plan.” Relationships rarely do; they require hard work. Commitment. Trust. Prayer. Patience. Sacrifice. This is why I say there is more to happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us.

Q: Your male lead is in the Air Force, much like your own husband was in the Air Force. Are there other parts of your life written into the story?

Griffin Walker, the male lead, is an Air Force A-10 pilot who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy. My husband graduated from the Academy with an astronautical engineering degree (Yes, I’m married to a rocket scientist!) and then went to medical school. I did inflict a particular medical condition on Griffin I’ve had to deal with. Poor guy. Kendall Haynes, the female lead, is a family physician in solo practice in Colorado Springs, just like my husband. The theme of adoption was developed because I’ve watched a close friend embrace the ministry of adoption in her life, and I do believe adoption is a God-given ministry.

Q: One of your themes in Catch a Falling Star looks at how people respond differently to disappointment and unexpected circumstances. Which character do you most identify with in these situations and why?

There’s a bit of me in Kendall. I can say things straight-up, but behind that character quality can be a heart that is unsure of my own worth. It’s something I wrestled with for many years . . . I hit my knees over and over again in prayer about who I am in God’s eyes. One of my favorite Scriptures that talks about how much God values us is “Behold I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands . . .” (Psalm 49:16a NASB).

Q: Have you ever had to give up on a dream yourself?

Yes. Everything from letting go of a nonfiction book idea I believed so strongly in because it helps strengthen mother-son relationships to having to realize I couldn’t resolve a long-standing relationship conflict, at least for now. I choose to trust that God is in both of these situations, that he is still working even when I can’t see it.

Q: How has God surprised you in your life with plans of His own?

I believe God’s best is often behind the door marked “Never.” My original life plans included never marrying anyone in the military and never marrying a doctor. Um . . . I married an Air Force physician. At one time I said I didn’t want to have children; we have four children, including our “caboose kiddo,” who was born 12-and-a-half years after our third (and supposedly last) child. And I also said I was never going to write fiction — but God turned a season of burnout into a bend in the road. I’m getting ready to turn in my third contemporary romance novel.

Q: How was writing your second novel different than the first? Are there any lessons you learned the first time around?

In some ways writing Catch a Falling Star was easier because I had learned the fundamentals of writing a novel. But in other ways it was more difficult because my mentor, author Rachel Hauck, challenged me on a daily basis to up my game, to push past my writing abilities. I also learned how important it is to lean into God as I walk the writing road so I can keep the right perspective on both the praise and the negative feedback. One of the things I do now is listen to the song “Lead Me to the Cross” by Hillsong each morning before I begin writing.

Visit Beth Vogt’s website at www.bethvogt.com to learn more about her books, sign-up for her newsletter, and read her blog. Readers can also follow her adventures on Facebook (AuthorBethKVogt) and Twitter (@bethvogt).

An interview with Rachel Hauck, Author of Once Upon a Prince

Every little girl dreams of being a princess. Every woman longs to be treated like royalty. We're all just a little bit fascinated by royal weddings and the princess that lives in every woman. That's why readers will fall in love with Once Upon a Prince (Zondervan/May 7, 2013/ISBN 978-0310315476/$14.99), the first release in the Royal Wedding Series by award-winning author Rachel Hauck.

However, there is more to Once Upon a Prince than a royal love story. Hauck hopes that once readers reach the end of the book, they realize: God has a beautiful plan for them! She even works some of her own experience into the story.

Q: Is there a "moral to the story" in Once Upon a Prince you hope readers will walk away with?

I hope readers walk away with a sense of hope and well-being. The moral about "the power of love" to change hearts, even a nation, is timeless and powerful. Love truly does transcend time and culture. It's the truest picture of Jesus. Oh, and God has a beautiful plan for you!

Q: Do you think sometimes we miss what God's plans are for us because we are so focused on our own plans?

We can, yes, but I also think God so loves us, so understands our weak human frame, He works things for good. One of my sayings is "I'm willing to hear 'no,' God." I know how hard it is to wait on the Lord, to feel responsible for my own destiny, but He really is for us and can redeem our mistakes. I try to keep a "Yes" in my heart toward Him. And I'm willing to hear "No" if I'm pursuing something He doesn't want me to pursue. I also have confidence that in even the smallest, most remote ways, He makes His will known. He directs our paths. And so we're back to the "Yes" in our heart to Him first and above all.

Q: Have you ever had to give up on one of your plans, like Susanne did, because it wasn't progressing or someone came along who threw the plan off track?

This is my life song! "Not my will but Yours, Lord." After college, I tried everything I knew to get a job --- networking, interviewing --- but no doors opened. Then one day I said, "Lord, I've done all I know to do. I give up. You put me where you want me." That night, that night, an old friend from junior college called and told me about a job in Melbourne, Florida. A month later I moved down and started a new job and a new journey.

The "I've got nothing" journey Susanna experiences is my personal journey. It's the dialog and MO between the Lord and me. Everyone is different, but I believe God leads us and directs us with recognizable patterns.

Q: There are some areas of his life that Nathaniel has no control over, and his life is about to change in a big way. While none of us are in the middle of transitioning into being King, what are some ways we can embrace life's changes with a willing heart?

Life is always changing for us in some way. Marriage, babies, death. Children leaving the nest. Friends moving away. Family coming and going. Maybe a new job or a job loss.

With me, I say, "I hold all things with an open hand." I love the amazing things God's done in my life, yet outside of my marriage and my family, I hold relationships and my career loosely. God has to have enough of my attention and heart to move me in the direction He needs.

My husband and I were in youth ministry for more than 20 years, and we had a lot of kids come and go. Many of them became like our own kids. But when their season came to fly, to find their own ways in life, I knew I had to let go. The tears I cried were happy tears but tears none the less.

We have to believe God loves us and is for us. Then the changes are easier to endure, even joyful.

Q: There are often clues directing us to the Lord's will, but sometimes they are difficult to recognize. Do you have any advice for trying to discern whether the clues are actually clues or our own wishful thinking?

When I figure it out, I'll let you know! Actually, I think it's the patterns I mentioned earlier . . . about how God leads us. That's usually a good indicator.

But I've had my share of wishful thinking go awry. A good friend once told me, "I know God's plans for me are good, and as I pursue Him, I try not to imagine the outcome." That really stuck with me. I seek Him, and truly, He holds my heart so tenderly in His hand. I can trust Him to orchestrate the outcome of my life.

When I'm disappointed, I go back to "God loves me and God is good." It gives my heart the right perspective.

Q: As a romance writer, do you think there's ever a time to give up love for the greater good of others?

We should never give up on love. Love is always for the greater good of others, as well as us. What I think we have to do is redefine love. Sometimes actions we consider "love" are really not love at all.

Jesus gave up all the beauty and majesty of splendor of Heaven, became a man and died a cruel death on a cross. All for love. Wow, what kind of love is this? Not the world's definition of love.

But is there a time when two people love each other, want to marry but give up that hope because of love? Maybe because the family is against it? Or because they know they have different callings and goals? Yeah, I think there's a place for that. I've known of a few couples who walked away from a relationship because it wasn't right even though they loved each other.

Mostly love is about believing, hoping, enduring, forgiving and never failing.

Q: Your books usually relate back to Christ and His sacrifice through some form of symbolism. Can you tell us how the Lover's Oak relates not only to the love story in Once Upon a Prince, but to the Gospel message?

I loved finding this real-life tree so near to my real-life setting: St. Simon's Island. The tree is a symbol of Jesus, the tree of Life. And He is the God of love. When we go to Him, stand in His shade, we find our true selves, we find our lives. If you're confused about life or where you're going, go to the Tree of Life --- Jesus.

For Susanna, finding true love while at Lover's Oak is about finding the truest of all love when we come to Jesus.

Q: In the acknowledgements of Once Upon a Prince, you write about getting up early to watch William and Kate's wedding. Have you always been entranced by royals or just by their love stories?

I've been fascinated by the love stories of royals through the years --- both real and fairytale. But what I loved about William and Kate is the "ordinariness" about them. Is that a word? Anyway, they charmed the world with their love story, and I think they are a couple to watch.

I'm equally fascinated by the love story of my friends and people I meet. Love is that transcendent force that captures all of us --- men and women, young and old.

Over Christmas, I recorded my 99-year-old grandmother telling me about her favorite Christmas. "When Grandpa gave me my engagement ring," she said. It was a precious moment.

Love abounds!

Q: How many details about royalty in the book are real, and how many were based on your own imagination? What kind of research went into this book?

The details are fictional though grounded in what I hope is royal reality. I read a lot of books on England's royal family --- both historical and contemporary --- and used their lives and history as a boilerplate. "Is this scenario plausible?" Across Europe, the royal families have different functions and titles, so I used combinations of titles and authority to create my royal families and their countries.

I also followed a few royal blogs and forums to get a feel for how people feel about royal families. I researched the royal families of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Luxembourg . . . and several Grand Duchies.

I did not model my characters after anyone living or dead. They are from my imagination.

Q: What can readers expect from the rest of the Royal Wedding Series? How many books will be in the series?

They can expect a fun, heartwarming, "ahhhhh" kind of read. Stories that inspire hope and tell of truth. The next book is Princess Ever After, releasing early 2014. The third and final book is tentatively titled To Catch a Prince. So, stay tuned for a fun, royal ride!

Join Rachel Hauck for a Facebook Party on tonight at 8:00 PM EDT. RSVP here.

Visit her website at www.rachelhauck.com to sign up for her newsletter, read her blog, and follow her on Facebook (Rachel Hayes Hauck) and Twitter (@RachelHauck).

An interview with Erin Healy, Author of Afloat

We live in a world where a spiritual battle between good and evil is continually raging around us, whether we are aware of it or not. While supernatural fiction portraying the battle between light and darkness has become a popular genre in recent years, best-selling author Erin Healy hopes readers recognize a difference between her books and the others out there. “The secular paranormal genre is preoccupied with darkness. As honestly as I can, I try to be preoccupied with light.” In her latest release, Afloat (Thomas Nelson/May 7, 2013/ISBN 978-1401685522/$15.99), Healy’s characters are faced with the fight of their lives, in a desperate search for the light.

Q: How would you describe your latest book, Afloat?

Afloat is a supernatural-disaster survival story. An eclectic group of people stranded in a floating house grapple with the question of whether love can rise above self-preservation instincts.

Q: Is there a “moral to the story” in Afloat you hope readers will walk away with?

I hope they’ll have a renewed sense that for believers, death is nothing to fear; our survival is guaranteed. How we love each other, however, is entirely up to us.

Q: How did you get into writing supernatural suspense?

Ted Dekker is partly responsible for that. He invited me to write two books with him, Kiss and Burn, that contain supernatural elements. But the genre is a natural fit for me. I appreciate many stories that have supernatural elements, and I’m a person who believes the physical and spiritual parts of our lives are far less compartmentalized than we think they are.

Q: Because you write in such a unique genre, do you think it’s harder for you to come up with ideas than some other authors or does the supernatural element give you more ideas to play with?

I don’t believe I have more or fewer ideas to play with than any other writer, just different ideas, and different expectations to meet.

Q: Some readers feel really uncomfortable with the thought of reading supernatural fiction. Is there anything you would tell them to invite them over to what they would consider to be the dark side?

I respect their discomfort. There are certain genres that I’m not comfortable reading. But to those who are curious I would say that the supernatural world is real, it is biblical, it has a profound effect on our physical reality, and it is more bright than dark. I believe it’s no more terrifying than the physical world, because the same God rules over both. I write from a Christian worldview and make every effort to honor the Lord through my stories, to whatever degree they might be viewed as “supernatural” or “paranormal” or (as I think of them) “metaphorical” or just plain weird. So while I can’t speak for every supernatural story, there should be nothing to fear in mine.

Q: In your own experience, what causes a crisis to bring out the best character in some people and the worst in others?

I believe our behaviors are informed by our values. For example, in Afloat, one of my main characters values his authority and leadership, another values the lessons he’s learned from his past, another values the stability she’s able to provide for her son. None of these values is inherently bad. What makes the difference is whether a person holds his values to serve his own sense of security or others’. Extreme pressure proves the truth.

Q: What are some of the things give you a sense of security?

Love in my home, locks on my doors, and money in the bank. That doesn’t sound very spiritual, does it? I also crave approval, accomplishment, and a clear sense of purpose. Again, none of these is bad, but I do notice that my trust in them (in the form of fear that they will fail me) rises to the surface when I feel threatened. In Afloat, the disaster strips most of the characters of everything they thought would keep them safe. Learning how to trust in the only lasting security of God’s perfect love is a lifelong spiritual journey.

Q: Is it possible to love another person without sacrificing something of yourself for him or her?

This is the question at the heart of my hero’s story in Afloat. Vance has experienced sacrificial love but is reluctant to accept or to give it. I do believe it’s hard to love another person well without sacrifice. Jesus Christ, of course, is the ultimate model of what this looks like. He gave up absolutely everything of worldly value to love us. He even gave up his supernatural identity as the Son of God. For me, the definition of true love is the ability to care about another person’s needs more than I care about my own.

Q: For some people, there are there times when they feel the need for certainty that God is real. Are there times when you live comfortably with doubt?

When life is painful, doubt is like a blister that puts a barrier between the wound and the world. The protective layer—maybe God isn’t real after all—is undesirable but normal and maybe even part of our healing process. In my experience, God has the greatest opportunity to reveal himself to us in the deepest valleys of life. Doubt is never comfortable for me, but I’m learning to value seasons of doubt as a chance to know God more fully.

Q: Do you believe the Bible condemns you for your mistakes or frees you to embrace God's love?

This question names a defining struggle of my life. In the beginning, Danielle (Afloat’s leading lady) reads condemnation and judgment into the message delivered to her. She can’t hear it as a message of love until it’s almost too late. I have read the Bible both ways, only lately discovering that the Word takes on whole new meaning—giving freedom, defeating fear, increasing joy—when read through the lenses of God’s love.

Q: Most authors include something of themselves in each book. What parts of you show up in Afloat?

I’m a totally fretful parent. You’ll see me in Danielle’s and Mirah’s parenting.

Q: Given Afloat’s survival element, one would have to ask—are you much of an adventurist? How long would you make it away from civilization?

A friend once said that anything less than three stars is roughing it—I think that pretty much describes me. I like the kind of adventures that come with hot running water and clean socks. I like seeing new places, trying new things, eating new food, meeting new people… but you won’t ever find me in a Survivor lineup.

Q: If you were set afloat, what three items would you make sure were set adrift with you?

Tom Hanks, Wilson, and a copy of Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, a great survival story that would remind me how to catch seagulls and sharks with my bare hands.

Readers can enter to win an iPad Mini from Erin Healy and Thomas Nelson. Watch for more details on her Facebook Page. Click here to view the book trailer for Afloat.

Visit Healy website at www.erinhealy.com to sign up for her newsletter and learn more about her books. She’s also on Facebook (erinhealybooks) and Twitter (@erinhealybooks).

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s Debut Novel Looks Inside the Lives of Pastors’ Wives

How would you react if one day, completely out of the blue, your husband told you he wanted to go into ministry? What’s it like when the man you married is married to God? These are the questions Lisa Takeuchi Cullen wrestles with in her debut novel, Pastors’ Wives (Plume/April 30, 2013/ISBN 978-0452298828/$16.00). Cullen tells the story of three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch — a world most of us know only from the outside.

Cullen passionately portrays the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the consuming demands of faith, marriage, duty and love. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her charismatic husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. When their lives collide during a fateful event that threatens the survival of all that is precious to them, each will ask herself: What is the price of loving a man of God? Each will answer that question in a different way.

The inspiration for Pastors’s Wives came to Cullen several years ago while working at Time magazine. Her editor assigned her a story on pastors’ wives and asked her to attend a pastors’ conference. Given her Catholic upbringing, Cullen had no idea of what to expect. What she found was that life as a pastor’s wife was much more complex than she ever could have imagined. Even after her story was published, the research didn’t end, nor did her relationships with the women she met along the way. However, she still wasn’t quite sure what she would write next.

Around this same time, the death of Lisa’s parents and other intense life changes lit in Lisa a profound need to reconcile her faith. Encouraged by her agent to use her reporting and experiences to write a novel, she set to work on Pastors’ Wives. Through the characters and their journeys in faith, Lisa examined her own. “Not everybody gets to process their faith through characters of their own creation, and I feel immensely blessed that I had Ruthie, Candace and Ginger to guide me,” Cullen reflects. “My journey continues; mine is an ongoing education. My hope is that Pastors’ Wives will spark thought and conversation about the role of faith, love and duty in your lives.”

This spring is an exciting time for Cullen. In addition to the release of Pastors’ Wives, she recently sold her TV pilot for The Ordained to CBS, and production is currently in process. “I wrote The Ordained right after I sold Pastors’ Wives. Clearly, the subject of faith was still on my mind. In the case of my TV pilot, what inspired me was my father’s story: What’s it like to start your life over as a man in your mid-30s?”

Join Lisa Takeuchi Cullen for her Facebook chat with readers on May 23 at 8:00 PM EDT.

About the Author

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen was born and raised in Kobe, Japan. Her father was a Roman Catholic priest from Philadelphia, sent by his religious order to a provincial city in southern Japan where he met Cullen’s mother, the coddled daughter of a wealthy merchant. She converted, he left the priesthood to marry her, and it all caused quite the scandal. As if in penance, they raised the four children in strict devotion, never allowing them to miss a Mass or their turn at the dinner-table Bible reading.

As she was in the beginning stages of writing Pastors’ Wives, several intense life changes lit in her a profound need to reconcile her faith: the loss of her mother to cancer, her father’s death nine months later, the birth of her second child, and leaving her job as a staff writer at Time magazine. Cullen feels that in many ways writing Pastors’ Wives saved her. Through the characters and their journeys in faith, she was able to examine her own.

Cullen was a foreign correspondent and staff writer for Time magazine, covering social trends, news, arts and business in the U.S. and Asia. Her first book, Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death, was about the year she spent crashing funerals and was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick. She now writes novels and develops television pilots. Pastors’ Wives is her first novel, and Lisa recently sold a pilot about a former priest who becomes a lawyer to CBS. Production on the first episode of The Ordained is now in production. Cullen lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Learn more about Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Pastors’ Wives at www.lisacullen.com. Readers can also friend Lisa on Facebook, become a fan on Lisa's Facebook author page (LisaTakeuchiCullen), or follow her on Twitter (@LisaCullen). 

Debut Author Bekah Hamrick Martin Offers Honest and Helpful Advice on Purity to Teen Girls

Teens are bombarded from all sides when it comes to messages on sex. At church, they hear, “Wait until marriage,” while the rest of the world loudly asks, “Why wait?” Even though they know deep down what they should do, heart and hormones challenge the head. Debut author Bekah Hamrick Martin provides an honest discussion on purity, boys and relationships in a new book aimed at teen girls, The Bare Naked Truth: Dating, Waiting, and God’s Purity Plan (Zondervan/May 7, 2013/ISBN: 978-0310734024/$9.99).

In the book, Martin, 29, who has been working in youth ministry since she was a teen herself, offers advice to teens who often encounter powerful peer pressure in today’s society. She shares her own relatable (and often entertaining) experiences of abstaining from sex until she was married to help adolescents who struggle with virginity and God’s plan for them. Martin takes a unique peer-to-peer approach with her audience and looks at purity through a satirical and edgy lens that teens crave in contrast to a number of books that tend to be more mentor-student in taking on the subject.

In her own friendly and uplifting way, Martin leads a safe conversation with her readers, letting them know that they’re not alone in their fears, desires or mistakes. The Bare Naked Truth also features candid testimonies from well-known personalities, such as Perfectly Unique author Annie Downs, Sisterhood Magazine editor Susie Shellenberger and “Living Inspired” host Tricia Goyer. They reveal their own trials and triumphs regarding purity, boys and choosing to be single.

To clear up further some of the popular misconceptions about purity, Martin offers perspectives on the subject from both teenage boys and married couples. She also answers some of the most common questions teen girls have on the topic. “I’ve worked with thousands of teens over the past 10 years through youth ministries — and the most common questions I’ve heard are related to sex and/or relationships,” explains Martin. “Coincidentally, those questions are the same ones I wish I’d have known the answers to as a teen.” Some of those include:
• How far is too far?
• Will God forgive you if end up having sex before you’re married?
• How do you resist temptation?
• What are the advantages/disadvantages of waiting?

Whether it’s the idea of “friends with benefits,” seeking love through sex or building a relationship with God, Martin dishes advice that is both truthful and comforting. By the end of The Bare Naked Truth, teens will feel enlightened, empowered and more secure in their decision to forego premarital sex. After all, as Martin writes in the book, “When you find the right guy, he will be worth all the risk-taking and waiting in the world.”

Bekah Hamrick Martin will host a live Facebook Author Chat on June 20 at 8:00 PM EDT where she will be answering questions from teens and parents alike. Prizes, including copies of The Bare Naked Truth, will also be given away during the hour-long web event. For more information, watch the author’s Facebook Page (bekahhamrickmartin).

About the Author

Bekah Hamrick Martin was born in Savannah, GA. It was during her high school years that she developed a taste for chocolate and sarcasm, which she carried into college and through ten years of subsequent youth ministry. She also knows a thing or two about waiting, whether it be her escape from high school or the right guy.

Martin has served as a mentor and counselor to children of prisoners through Child Evangelism Fellowship®, as well as other branches of the ministry. Today, Martin shares her experiences of growing up with teens from around the world through her blog, www.bekahhamrickmartin.com, and articles for various publications such as Focus on the Family magazine.

Her most talked about issues include healing and surviving the adolescent years. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Ethan, and their Tiny Human, Zoey Bree.

In addition to her website, readers can also follow Martin on Facebook (bekahhamrickmartin) or via Twitter (@bekahhamrickmartin).