This is My Heaven - interview with author Sunshine Rodgers
Sunshine Rodgers narrates with such conviction and realism in her writing, showcasing the personhood of the Trinity and exploring the depths of God’s true intimacy for His people. She is a graduate of The University of Tennessee where her degree in Communications jump-started her career in the television, movie and entertainment industry for a decade. Fascinated with the artistic side of storytelling and art in motion, Sunshine has taken a creative approach to sharing the Gospel, penning her books: God the Father, Jesus the Big Brother, Holy Spirit the Best Friend and Last Night, When I Prayed. Sunshine spends her free time with her husband Travis as they enjoy the beautiful Florida weather.
How do you intend to influence your readers through your book about forgiveness, healing and redemption?
So, we all have in one way or another experienced a loss of some kind, right? It could be the death of someone or something, the loss of time, the loss of a career and the loss of a pet. Our heart has been broken a time or two. So I used my own experiences and brought it into this book. The main character, Thaddeus, struggles with his own personal demons, realizes the weights in his life that he needs to let go of and comes in terms with his own faults so that he can be a better person. The character is loosely based on me, so I was crying when the character was crying. I was happy when Thaddeus was happy. Though this book is set to supernatural terms – the locations being Heaven and Earth – the real-life vulnerabilities of the heart are very real. Thaddeus is assigned to save people on Earth, only to discover he’s the one that needs saving.
How do you write with such conviction and realism, especially about redemption?
First, let’s look at the word redemption: “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.” So in order to express this realistically, I have to talk about evil, talk about sin, talk about faults and weaknesses and all that prohibits us from going forward in our life and going forward in our faith. I have to address the dark sides of the Gospel. What I mean by that is, the difficult times plague us but it’s by God’s grace and support that we can get through. But those terrorizing moments can sometimes define us. My character, Thaddeus, gets put to the test. Will he continue on with God’s assignment though it’s ugly, difficult, downright agonizing? Or will he choose to walk away from it all? I think we can all make those choices in our lives as Christians; whether we follow God no matter what and we discover a life with great meaning and purpose, or we don’t.
Which character(s) in your story is the most inspiring?
Thaddeus is definitely the overcomer in the book and though he suffers through his past and present circumstances, he still comes out strong. But when I was writing this book, my personal “hero” is the character deemed as “God’s Child”, Travis. God is keeping a close watch on this family down on Earth, and Travis is the father of this family. Travis’ character is such a “Yes-Man” to God, such a strong believer in the faith. He is willing to do anything for His Creator, prioritizing his life to meet God’s instructions, making sure God stays first no matter what, doing what God wants throughout the fears, struggles, anxieties, and doubts. When I was reading this, I got inspired by his character. I want to have that much conviction in my spiritual life!
Who should read this book? Why do you recommend it?
This is a Christian fiction, so I know it will communicate more efficiently with fellow Believers and church goers or for those who just like to read about supernatural things like angels, demons, Heaven and the afterlife. It is definitely a drama and it truly pinpoints certain struggles and losses and how to personally overcome that pain like Thaddeus did so any reader that feels connected to that theme will leave the book smiling. This book is definitely different than any other but has the same feel as “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis in presenting another piece of the Gospel in real terms. Also, this book is similar to “the Shack” by William Young who dives into the personhood of the Trinity. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants the age old questions to be answered: “Is God really good?” “Is God always right?” Because you’ll get those questions answered and more!
When will this newest book of yours be launched? Where is it available?
So we are looking at this book being available on Amazon.com in just a couple of weeks and will be available in hardcover and paperback. It will be world wide to retail outlets and libraries in 3 - 6 months (tentatively December 2017). Please follow my social media sites for the upcoming Book Launch and Book Tour. This book is published by Revival Waves Books and Publishing. It has a global book distribution which will be made available to more than tens of thousands of retailers, libraries, schools, internet commerce companies, and other channel partners, including Amazon, Barnes and other well-known book retailers and wholesalers across North America. This book will also be sold for the Europe/United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand Markets. The E-book distribution will be from more than 1,000 online partners serving readers across the globe. The audio book will come out in the future and that will be available to Amazon, Itunes, and Audible.com. This will definitely be a book you can’t miss and can’t afford *not* to read!'
More info:
Website: http://www.sunshinerodgers.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/Writer_Sunshine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunshineRodgersBooks
