[To avoid confusion, please note: Cindy Adkins and I share the same name and are both writers and artists. This is my interview with her.]
Hello Everyone,
I'm very happy to share my interview with best-selling author and gallery artist, Cindy Adkins. Cindy lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is the author of 11 ebooks on Amazon.com that cover a variety of subjects from blogging and mixed-media art, to her fascinating books about angelic encounters and spirituality. Her latest book, "Spirituality: Making God Personal - Finding Joy" was just launched this week on Amazon.com and it's already a best-seller! Please remember - if you don't own a Kindle, you can download a free app from Amazon to download books and read right on your computer (that's what I do and it's super easy.) To download the app, click HERE. Enjoy the interview!
1. What inspired you to write this book?
This book is really close to my heart. I think that it provides readers with a way to reach out and make God real in their lives. He is someone who we can talk to and this book makes that really clear. Also, I really wanted to be able to focus on a few Bible verses that are infused with hope and bring those to life, so to speak, in such a personal manner that lets people know that God promises us joy and we are able to find it through Him. Once we do, it changes everything.
2. How did you come up with the title?
I think that so many of us think of God as an entity that is “up there” somewhere - not close at hand and willing to listen to us whenever we come to Him. So, I chose the title because I think that when we make God personal and speak to Him heart to heart, it can change our lives.
3. What is the central message (in this book) you hope your readers grasp?
I would say that the main theme of this book is that we all have questions about life. Some of them have no answers, such as why someone dies when we least expect it or why relationships don’t work out. But, even if we do not have the answers, we need something tangible to hold onto and that is faith.
Through this book, I also want readers to be aware that there are so many ways in which the Lord can make himself known to us if we start to pay attention. It provides people with guidelines for how to be sensitive to those nuances that are around them. What I want readers to know is that God is just as involved in our lives today as He was with those people that we read about in the Bible. He created us. We are important to Him.
4. Who are some of your favorite authors/books?
My favorite author is Debbie Macomber. I enjoy her books immensely and I also love the book by Squire Rushnell entitled “God Winks.” When I discovered that book a few years ago, my husband and I were on vacation in Florida. After I read it, I went back to the store and bought 20 copies and mailed them to all my friends. I think that we all need inspiration around us and we can give hope to each other. That is also why I wrote “Do You Need a Hug from Heaven?” because so many of us receive “hugs” from heaven and may not recognize that we have experienced one. The whole point of my spiritual books is to let readers know that they are not alone and that at every point in their lives no matter what is happening, they have an ever-present Heavenly Father who loves them and that there are angels watching over them.
5. Do you have any advice for other would-be authors?
I would say that if someone feels compelled to write something, they should sit down and begin. You see, we may write in solitude, but our words can impact thousands of people and change lives. I am comfortable with writing because I used to teach English and also the thesis I wrote for my Master’s Degree prepared me for doing extensive research. For 3 years, I had my own column in the newspaper, so writing is something that I find extremely enjoyable.
6. Can you tell us anything about any future books/projects you’re working on?
I am very excited about something I am working on currently and it is a Young Adult Christian novel. I know that many of the books that I read when I was young influenced me greatly and I would like to make a positive impact on young people. In fact, when I was about twelve years old, I used to devour a series of books that is no longer in print and in those books, the author wrote about her daughters’ trips to Europe. By the time I was 18, I was on a plane headed for Europe and went as far east as Turkey. It was because of her stories because they made such a lasting impression on me.
So, can you imagine writing a Christian novel that talks about how fulfilling it is for teenagers to go on a mission with their church or how meaningful it is to start a non-profit organization? Today’s teenagers are savvy. They certainly have more exposure than I did as a teen, but I think that it is important to write for them in a manner that is not only intelligent, but also, pertinent to today’s world with ideas that they can wrap their brains around. Naturally, it has all the elements of “boy-meets-girl,” mixed with old-fashioned values. This novel is not preachy - it’s realistic. I have a feeling that my young readers’ mothers and grandmothers may be borrowing it because of the story. Why? Because it’s a tearjerker.
Thanks so much for the interview, Cindy - and thanks, also, for sharing the exciting news of your plans to write a Young Christian Adult novel! I'm sure it's going to be just as engaging as all of your other books.
If you're interested in purchasing Cindy's newest book, Spirituality: Making God Personal - Finding Joy, I've provided a link (below) that will take you directly to it on Amazon.com. I've also provided links for all of Cindy's other spiritual books: Spirituality: Are You Hard-Wired for Happiness?, Do You Need a Hug From Heaven?, and Angels at My Door. Simply click on the picture of whichever book you're interested in seeing. To visit Cindy's blog "Whimsical Musings," click HERE.
Until next time,
Cindy
Linking to: Spiritual Sundays
A Return to Loveliness
What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
Potpourri Friday at 2805
