Mike Duran interviewed me today on DeCompose. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Mike's work. I can't wait to read his first non-fiction book. I think he's one of the great thinkers of our time. He asks some great questions, as always challenging what can often become the cult of Christianity, rather than a true understanding of what it really means to be a follower of Christ. Here's an excerpt:
Novelist Gina Holmes on Inspirational Fiction, Domestic Violence, Feminism, and “Christian” Codependency
Gina Holmes is not one to avoid tough issues. Her third novel,Wings of Glass, is no exception. The story centers around an abusive relationship and the troubled psychology of the woman who can’t wrench herself free. Wings of Glass released February 2013 and has already earned a starred review from Library Journal, a Romantic Times Top Pick and a Southern Indie Bookseller’s Okra Pick. Gina graciously took time to answer some questions about her new novel and the subject matter that touches a very personal nerve.
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MIKE: Thanks for visiting, Gina! Your first two novels dealt respectively with a dying mother and a cheating husband, not exactly uplifting subjects. Your latest novel deals with domestic abuse. So does Gina Holmes have a breezy, light-hearted, unabashedly romantic, feel-good novel inside her?
GINA: Not exactly uplifting subjects when you put it THAT way, ha! How about the first , (Crossing Oceans), dealt with forgiveness, love, and sacrifice and the second (Dry as Rain), with reconciliation, being who you really are, and strengthening marriage?
So, I think they were plenty uplifting.
Do I have a breezy, light-hearted, feel-good novel inside of me? Hmmm. I’ve had people tell me I should write chick-lit in the steps of Bridgett Jones’ Diary because I have a snarky wit and some funny insights into human behavior, and I think I could pull it off… maybe… but I don’t see the world that way for the most part.
It may be cliché that God’s light shines the brightest in the darkness, but I’ve found that to be true in my own life. I’ve gone through some tough things in my life, (who hasn’t?), but God’s gifted me with the ability to truly understand a lot about the human condition and it isn’t usually pretty, but I see God’s hand in everything—His grace, His love, His providence.
MIKE: Your three novels obviously deal with gritty, realistic subjects and, on occasion, you get flak for dealing with such issues. Why do you think Christian readers have difficulty with such “heavy” subject matter? Shouldn’t Christian fiction be more uplifting and inspirational?
Read the rest HERE.
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