Today I’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Rawling, a new author with one book out and another in the works. Since Bonnie has written a non-fiction story about her life, her responses will be different from my usual fiction authors’.
Bonnie, how long have you been writing and how did you come to it?
BONNIE: I started my book about 15 years ago, and after many failed attempts, along with the busyness of life, I finally finished it in 2016. I always knew I would write a book about my story, I just needed to get through to the other side of some things before I could write from a healthy perspective.
JAN: Who are some of the people who most influenced your decision to write?
BONNIE: I would say my biggest influence was my desire to share my experience of how God completely healed me by His touch, and began the metamorphic changes in me.
JAN: What’s your preferred genre?
BONNIE: Real and authentic stories.
JAN: Why do you write? You’ve hinted at this already, but fill us in a bit more.
BONNIE: I write because I want to share a message of hope to a hurting world. If I can impact just one life with my story and my writing, it will have been worth it. If I can help just one person know the Jesus that I know, it will have been worth it.
JAN: That’s a lofty and worthy goal, and after reading your book, I’m sure you are greatly influencing your readers.
How and where do you write?
BONNIE: I have to write near a large window or outside on the deck. Always with my feet up in my recliner or glider rocker with my lap table on my lap.
JAN: What inspires you?
BONNIE: I can only imagine writing about real stories.
JAN: How do you research and how do you know you can trust your sources?
BONNIE: I am a journaler. All of my sources for my books have involved reviewing stacks of journals.
JAN: The best way to accurately reveal what happened at certain times in life. What do you like most/least about writing?
BONNIE: What I like most about writing is the depth of being able to bring a thought or an experience to life so that my reader is able to know and feel exactly what was happening in the moment. What I like the least is final edits, more edits, and more edits!
JAN: Yes, that’s a challenge and seems to go on and on. I can’t seem to stop tweaking mine! What are your favorite/most effective methods of promoting your work?
BONNIE: The best way that I have found to promote my book is touring with my husband where I speak and he sings, or I send books along with him when he goes on tour by himself.
JAN: That’s a great opportunity for you. Do you have favorite social media that are effective for promotion?
BONNIE: To be honest, I try to avoid social media, though I know it would probably help my book distribution. I’d just rather not join the drama.
JAN: Understood! How do you balance professional time with personal time?
BONNIE: All of my children are grown and out of the house, so balancing professional and personal time is easier now. I usually write for three to four hours in the afternoon, after I’ve finished my personal devotion time. If I’m really on a roll then I write until I am tired and can’t think anymore.
JAN: What are you currently reading? Do you prefer print or digital?
BONNIE: To be honest I am not really a reader, but currently I am reading through the Bible again. It’s a pretty good book! I would recommend it! I much prefer print!
JAN: I agree. There’s no other book like the Bible that I can read again and again and never tire of, and always learn something new. What are some of your favorite things? What makes you unique?
BONNIE: My favorite things: spending time with my Lord…days of fasting and prayer, my grandchildren, gardening, sewing, knitting, soaking up Vitamin D, swimming, curling. What makes me unique…my abandoned faith.
JAN: What do you mean by abandoned faith? Does it refer to living your faith with abandon?
BONNIE: I suppose the best way for me to explain abandoned faith is using the illustration of Peter getting out of the boat.
Seven years ago, the Lord called Bruce and I to sell our acreage in Taber, Alberta and come follow Him. So we sold or gave away, or stored everything that we had, left our careers behind, and moved into a bus.
That began a wonderful journey of listening closely to “the Wind of the Holy Spirit” and being trained in obedience to go wherever he sent us. It’s kind of like the last paragraph in my book where I describe the horse that has been bridled to be broken, submissive, and obedient to His will for my life.
JAN: Thanks for the story. Your faith-in-action inspires me. What keeps you going in your writing career?
BONNIE: I don’t really feel that I have a writing career; I just wanted to write my story and share my faith.
JAN: Simple and honest. So how is your faith reflected in your writing?
BONNIE: My writing is all about my faith, I hope that is what is most reflected in my story.
JAN: What are some things you learned from your own writing?
BONNIE: One thing I learned from my own writing is that I can be very repetitious and wordy! Lol
JAN: I know what you mean, speaking for myself here! What is your next writing goal?
BONNIE: To finish my second book.
JAN: That would be a good focus. Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
BONNIE: I would consider myself a beginner writer so I don’t feel I could offer any advice.
JAN: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with me, Bonnie. I encourage you to keep telling your story so others can benefit from the hope you offer in Jesus. This world certainly can use that kind of hope. All the best as you continue to allow God to use you in His service.
Jan, I really enjoyed this interview. It encourages me to buy and read Bonnie’s book. I appreciate your interviews with authors, so I can get an inside look at why people write and learn a bit about their background too.
Have a great day.
… Cathy Langdon
Sent from my iPad
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Bonnie has quite a story. I’d recommend the read.
Jan