Why did you go for Pink as the cover of Girls for God?
I didn’t actually design the cover—somebody at the publishers (BRF) did. (This refers to the first edition). I really like it, though, and pink is my favourite colour! I even dyed my hair pink for a while.
Why did you write Girls for God?
I wrote Girls for God when I was seventeen. I hadn’t been a Christian for very long and I really wanted a book that would give me advice on all kinds of situations and show me where to turn to in the Bible for help, to see what God says on a particular issue. However, I couldn’t find such a book, so I decided to write it myself!
How long did it take you to write it?
I wrote it over one summer holidays; so about six weeks I guess, while I was in sixth form. I started off with a little notebook, with a page for each topic, i.e. ‘sad’ ‘angry’ etc. and as I was reading through my Bible I jotted down passages that were helpful. Then I started to compile the chapters based on what I’d found. Initially the book was mostly Bible references, but my editor persuaded me to put more of myself into it, I suppose, and it evolved into the kind of ‘advice’ format.
What kind of people have you aimed your book at and why?
I just wrote it for myself. So, people like me, I guess. Originally I wrote it for both male and female readers, but it was always meant for teenagers. I wanted it to be a place to turn to for those who trust in Jesus and for those who have no faith or have questions about all of the big things in life. I hope that it is accessible for everyone. My mum says that she finds the book very helpful, and she’s (slightly!) older than a teenager!
Do you plan to write another book soon?
I’m always writing something or other. I have a couple of half-finished novels that I work on every now and then; I’m quite excited about some of my writing projects, but I find I have so little time now that I’ve graduated from uni and have an actual job! I write book reviews regularly though, to keep my skills sharp (hopefully!) and to make sure the world doesn’t forget about me as a writer!
Tell me about your road to publication
When I first wrote this book, I had a boyfriend called Matt, and he really encouraged me with it. One day he went to the Christian bookshop in our town and gave me a list of publishers who publish this sort of thing. I looked into them, and sent an email to BRF, and it just sort of went from there. I hadn’t really intended to get it published, I suppose, but having a book of mine published has always been my dream. I never thought I would achieve it at the age of eighteen though!
You can find out more about Katie's novel Girls for God at the end of the week. If you're interested in finding out more about Katie please come back here tomorrow. In the meantime, if you need to read more of Katie's work, please visit her blogsite at Lose Yourself Book Reviews
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