Sherri L. Lewis

Sherri and I have become friends through ACFW. I often send her books for her patients.

Sherri, tell us about yourself?

By day, I “minister” as a physician in a state women’s prison. By night, I can be found writing, singing, and worshipping or teaching my women’s Bible study. I’m a creative soul and love to do anything that expresses the Kingdom of God.

Tell us a little about your book?

My Soul Cries Out addresses a controversial issue in the world of Christianity that few will talk about and even fewer have an answer for. It deals with Christians struggling with the spirit of homosexuality and the power of God to bring deliverance.

That truly is controversial, but a definite problem in the Christian world today. What inspired you to write this particular book?

Quite honestly, I didn’t set out to tackle such a huge, difficult, volatile issue. It started out as therapy for me – I wanted to write about what a woman deals with while going through a divorce. I needed to create a situation where even the most devout Christian would say it was okay for the heroine to leave and thus the premise was created. I never expected the ending to turn out as it did, however. I’ve met many people struggling with the spirit of homosexuality over the years and there seemed to be no help for them. I feel that if more Christians talk about it rather than make it the church’s dirty little secret, maybe we can find solutions.

That's so true. Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?

My main character is a woman who discovers that her husband, the minister of music at their church, has had a lifelong struggle with homosexuality. As I mentioned, a lot of her feelings and reactions were based on my own struggle with divorce (not for the same reason) at the time.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? And the least?

I enjoyed discovering that I have a sense of humor. I hated dealing with such a sticky issue and praying and hoping that I heard God on how to deal with it.

What has been the most unexpected challenge you’ve had with becoming a published author?

Getting published! Especially since I don’t write nice, sweet, CBA-friendly fiction.

Of course, now more and more publishers are accepting more gritty subject matter. What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read as many craft books as you can and perfect the art of writing. It’s not just about having a good story. It’s about telling (or showing) a good story.

Yes, too many aspiring authors start submitting a work before it's time. What authors' books do you enjoy reading?

Kristin Billerbeck, Marilyn Griffith, Stacey Hawkins Adams, Claudia Mair Burney, Tia McCollors.

What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?

That there is hope and deliverance for Christians struggling with homosexuality.

Dennis Jernigan, one of the greatest modern songwriters, was a former homosexual, who God delivered. His amazing thankfulness for his redemption shines through his music. Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?

My second novel, Dance Into Destiny, will be released in January of 2008. It’s the story of an unlikely friendship between a purposeless socialite and a purpose-driven church mouse that leads them on a passionate pursuit of God’s destiny and balance for their lives.

Thank you, Sherri.

Readers, you can find more about her at www.sherrilewis.com .

If you want a chance to win a copy of My Soul Cries Out, leave a comment on the interview. There's still time to leave a comment on the interviews by Janice Thompson and Sue Dent.