Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a wife, mother, full time employee, and speaker who enjoys several different hobbies. Most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I have written 14 books to date, with several more stuck in my head waiting for a chance to be let out!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book, Piecing Together Forgiveness: A Study of Philemon, works through the issue of forgiveness. It is designed to help people understand what forgiveness is and isn’t, all while helping them to practice forgiveness in their own lives and relationships.
Inspiration for this book really came from the fact that I didn’t want to forgive. I knew that since I was struggling with this issue, then I couldn’t be alone!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Quite frankly, I think writing at all makes me somewhat unusual! I spoken with so many people who talk about how they’ve always wanted to write a book. Setting a goal and then working to make it happen can be considered unusual.
However, I’m not that unusual in my habits. I get up early and write in the mornings, before my kids get up and I get bombarded by all the craziness that pulls me this way and that!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a wide variety of interests, so what I read is just as wide. I love a good, clean romance and Jane Eyre has ben one of my favorites since I was a girl. I also really enjoy books on leadership and personal development as well as good Biblical commentaries. Now that I have kids, I enjoy reading what they’re reading, too!
What are you working on now?
I always have a few ideas. Sometimes it works out that my study ends up being just for me and not something that makes its way into a book. I am studying through Lamentations right now, which is showing itself to be a very fascinating book. I write a devotional every day, so those are constantly begging to come together into a book. Also, I’ve started venturing into the world of video devotions and I’m producing and uploading one of those each week.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Writing books is easy when compared to marketing them! I can advertise and set up links and things, but honestly, I am my best promoter and I sell the most books when I go somewhere to speak. People are rarely just buying books; they are buying people. As I share my dream and vision for people to not just know what the Bible says, but to experience it and live it out daily, they get excited too. They choose to purchase the books so they can come along with me and experience my dream and vision for themselves!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get committed! You have to make a conscious decision that your message and the reason behind why you are writing is more important to you than anything else. Only with that laser focus will you go through all the difficult work that is necessary in order to see your dream become a reality.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve had the advantage of hearing some phenomenal advice through the years, all of which has shaped an aspect of who I am today. One very important piece of advice I received was to focus on 1-3 major goals and then have everything that I do fall under one of those major goals. If it doesn’t, then I don’t do it. I do a lot of things, but I want to make sure that I am focused on the things that are the most important to me and not get distracted and spend time on things that truly don’t matter as much to me. Choose a few things, choose carefully, and do them well.
What are you reading now?
One of the blogs I subscribe to listed a review of the top leadership books for 2015. I love learning how to be a better, more effective leader, so I am reading through many of those books. Right now, I’m reading “Manage Your Day to Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen our Creative Mind” by Jocelyn Glei. Great book and I highly recommend it!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, here shortly I’m going to get up, go make breakfast, and get my kids off to school. 🙂
On a more global basis, one of my major goals is to help people not just know what the Bible says, but actively apply it to their lives. So, everything I do has to have the end purpose of accomplishing that goal. Right now, God has opened doors for me to write, so I continue to write, focusing on that goal. As I continue to branch out and try additional methods such as videos and speaking engagement, I stay very focused on what my message is. Methods can change, but the message remains the same!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
First for me would be the Bible. Next, practically, I should think a survival guide to living on a stranded island. You know, food, water, hut making, and ship building. Finally, I’d bring “Oh the places you’ll go” by Dr. Seuss. I’ll need something to continue to encourage me to keep at it when I get discouraged.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kristi Burchfiel Website
Kristi Burchfiel Amazon Profile
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