Get to know Aimee Byrd, author of Housewife Theologian, in this week’s author interview.

• Tell us a little bit about yourself: where you’re from, family, job, personal interests, unique hobbies, what do you do in your spare time, etc.

“Basically, I’m a West Virginian, housewife theologian who uses writing as an outlet to keep an eternal perspective on all the craziness in life. My husband, Matt, and I will be married 17 years this summer. This year, our oldest daughter entered high school, our second daughter entered middle school, and our son is now in third grade—yikes! I’m from Frederick, MD, which is still a short drive from where I live now. Hobby-wise, I have dabbled in many things: ceramics, coffee snobbery, and candle making, to name a few. But these days, I’ve been spending time learning nunchaku, reading, fitting in a workout of some sort, reading, and making homemade hummus and peanut butter in my new Ninja Pro. Although, it seems like I’m driving a kid somewhere most of the day…”

• When did you first want to write a book?

“I love to read books on theology. I have also been involved in teaching women’s Bible studies. I do like to write, but I have to say that I never aspired to be an author or professional writer—until one day, I had a book in my head. I guess you could say that all my reading and teaching led to a deeper passion to motivate women about the importance of being good theologians. I want women to see how their theology shapes their everyday, ordinary lives, and I wanted to facilitate that with a good tool for discipleship. When I finished writing the book, I realized how much I like to write. When I began blogging, I discovered a whole community of people who share my passions, both men and women. Now it seems I am always concocting something to write about, constantly spinning metaphors in my head all day.”

• Do you have a specific spot that you enjoy writing most?

“Sure, on a deck overlooking the beach, or in the mountains. But, turns out that isn’t very plausible for a housewife with three kids, so I settle for the desk in my bedroom, at the bar in my kitchen, or, if the weather’s right and the glare isn’t horrible, on my porch. And then there are those times when the muse is rolling and all I have available is the notes app on my phone… But I am also not too proud to write on napkins, receipts, or my hand if I have to.”

• What book are you reading now?

“I just finished Mark Jones’s Antinomianism, and am now about a third of the way into G. K. Beale’s The Temple and the Church’s Mission. I’ve wanted to read this one ever since I heard an MP3 audio of him talking about it.”

• How do you deal with writer’s block?

“Oh, let’s see, I usually start with a snack and increase my coffee intake. If that doesn’t work, I pick up a jump rope or my nunchucks and try to get my blood flowing. I often drum up some good writing ideas when I’m rollerblading or working out. If I’ve still got nothing, I move on to calling a friend. A good conversation can usually get my brain moving well again. And, I find that if I am reading well, I frequently write better. But sometimes I just have to walk away and wait. It’s easy to distract myself by cruising the blogs, and social networks when I am unproductive, but I find that typically makes the problem worse. These times are frustrating, but I think that it serves me well to develop that hunger to write while simultaneously recognizing that it is all a gift that can be taken away. It makes me thankful when I get the flow back that God has allowed me this vocation. And yet, it puts things in perspective that I am to be a good steward of it and not place my worth and my value in the writing itself.”

• If you have a favorite book of the Bible, what is it and why?

“While I do not have a favorite book of the Bible (it is difficult for me to pick a favorite anything), I have been spending a lot of time in the book of Hebrews in the last year and a half. I taught it for a year to our church’s weekly women’s Bible study, and that led me to write a book about theological fitness (not just for women!). But when I was through teaching, and after I wrote the manuscript for my book, I realized that I wasn’t finished with Hebrews. Currently, I am going through Richard Phillips’ Reformed Expository Commentary Hebrews, and I have read some other excellent books that have been enriching to my study. I also have a heightened interest in Luke 24, about the Emmaus encounter. The sermon-letter to the Hebrews seems to me to be just the sort of thing Jesus would have been explaining to the two disciples on their walk. It’s interesting how my study of Hebrews has intersected with the reading I have been doing on Emmaus.”

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Read Aimee Byrd’s blog: http://www.housewifetheologian.com/

Follow her on Twitter: @aimeebyrdhwt

Watch a short video of Aimee Byrd talk about her book Housewife Theologian by clicking HERE.

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It’s Jeremiah W. Montgomery’s turn to answer some questions about himself. He is the author of the Dark Harvest Trilogy: The Dark Faith, The Scarlet Bishop, and The Threefold Cord (July 2014).

• When did you first want to write a book?

“My second grade reading teacher did three things that turned me into a writer of fantasy. First, she made us read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Second, she made us write. It was for her class that I wrote my first two fictional stories: an Indiana Jones knock-off, and a detective story situated at the North Pole. Third, this teacher had an electronic typewriter that allowed me to see my own words “in print.” From that period forward, I hoped someday to publish a real book.”

• Do you have a specific spot that you enjoy writing most?

“I enjoy working at the local Barnes & Noble café. It’s away from my home office, which keeps me from the distractions of my bookshelves. On most days, it also possesses a comfortable level of white noise. The staff are friendly, and they serve good coffee.”

• What book are you reading now?

“I am currently reading five books! For my ministry, I’m reading City of God by Augustine and the first volume of Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck. For myself, I’m reading the second volume of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain Murray. With my older children, I’m reading 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. And with my younger children, I’m reading The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne.”

• Other than the Bible, do you have a favorite book?

“I think very highly of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and (for grown-up readers) the Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O’Brian.”

• What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

“First, determine what it is that you want to say to the world. By this I don’t mean characters, plot, or the like. Rather, what is the theme or the point of your story? Every good story is going somewhere in order to say something. Create a rich world, introduce sub-theme, but make sure you have something clear to say. Until you do, you’re not ready to write.

Second, labor to write good prose. The best idea in the world can be wrecked by poor writing. Cheesy fiction is bad fiction, even if you call it “Christian fiction.”

Third, maintain clear standards of good and evil. Characters must face moral dilemmas, but there must be no moral fuzziness. The sinfulness of angels and men should be taken seriously, along with the struggles faced by those who live in a world scarred by sin and its consequences.

Fourth, make your fictional characters and world believable. Even supernatural elements must follow rules. Make these clear to your reader and make sure you follow them as an author. There is an unspoken agreement between author and reader. The reader will suspend his or her disbelief in order to enter into the author’s world – but only so long as the author doesn’t break the spell by cheating.

Finally, if you are writing Christian fiction be particularly wary of writing conversions that are too-quick. People coming to faith often struggle. Be realistic.”

• Do you have a favorite character or one that you relate to most in your book(s)?

“I wish I had Donnach’s joy in believing, Morumus’s skill with languages, and Oethur’s courage in the face of enemies. But I think I relate most to Urien. The gospel is very simple, but that doesn’t mean that believing is always easy.”

• What is your favorite food?

“My family has an excellent recipe for squash soup, and I delight in most things curry.”

• What famous person (living or dead) would you like to meet and why?

“I would like to meet John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides. Read his autobiography, and you’ll know why.”

• If you have a favorite book of the Bible, what is it and why?

“Ecclesiastes is my favorite book of the Bible. It shows us that Christians can be painfully honest about life while still remaining vigorously hopeful – and it reminds us to live in light of eternity. As Paul Helm wrote recently on his blog, Ecclesiastes teaches us that “while we are to live in the present, we are not to live for the present.””

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• How can readers discover more about you and your work?

I serve as a church planter for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in State College, Pennsylvania. Interested readers may visit our church website at www.resurrectionopc.org or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/resurrectionopc.

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