I met Francine Rivers when I attended the 2004 ACFW Conference. I had the privilege of sitting with Francine at dinner one evening and found her to be easy and fun to talk with, especially as we shared our mutual love for Biblical fiction. Francine was the keynote speaker that year, and I was thoroughly impressed with the lovely Christian testimony that God has worked in her life. For all of her achievements, Francine could be arrogant and proud, but she is far from it! She is one of the most humble writers I have ever met and a true inspiration to me in my own walk with Christ.

Among her other writing achievements, Francine is the author of numerous books that have stood the test of time. Redeeming Love is a beautiful rendition of the Gomer and Hosea story found in the Bible. It is a wonderful tale of God’s amazing love and grace. My favorites among her other published works are her Mark of the Lion series. I read these books years ago, then read them again to my sons during our homeschooling years as part of their history lessons, to bring the Roman era following Christ’s resurrection to life. To this day, I still think of Hadassah, the heroine, with fondness. Francine’s stories stay with a reader long after the book is closed.

Francine is a native Californian, raised in the small town of Pleasanton. She married a friend from high school, Rick Rivers, a year after he returned from Vietnam. They will have been married 37 years this December. They have three grown children, all married: Trevor, Shannon and Travis, and four grandchildren. She now lives in Santa Rosa.

Concerning fun things to do, she says, “I love to read, travel and watch movies. Several of the women in our church came over a few weeks ago for a movie marathon. We watched Jane Austen movies from early morning to evening and had a blast!”

One of her books, The Last Sin Eater, is being made into a movie by Michael Landon, Jr. coming in 2007. “Brian Bird wrote a wonderful script,” she said. Rick and Francine were able to go on-set and watch a few days of filming in Utah. “The mountains and canyons there are beautiful. I’d love to go back and explore.”

In recent years, Francine has devoted her career to writing in my favorite genre, Biblical fiction, with her Lineage of Grace series and her Sons of Encouragement series. The latest book Amos is a story about one of Israel’s lesser known prophets. Here’s the back cover blurb:

A man of solitude, who felt at home among the hills.
A man of conviction, who heard when God called.
A man of fortitude, who spoke to a nation unwilling to listen.
The Israelites rebelled against God and were devoured by war. But first, they were warned by a prophet who refused to turn away: Amos.

Francine believes the prophet Amos has much to say to America today.

You can find Amos at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book Distributors. I haven’t had a chance to read Amos yet, but you can bet it’s on my soon to read list!

I asked Francine to give us some insight into the calling behind her writing ~

Jill: When and how did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Francine: I dreamed of being a writer from the time I was a child. I had no idea what I would write, especially since I didn’t enjoy reading! I was more interested in hiking in the hills, bike-riding and swimming. But I played out stories in my mind and wrote some as the family traveled during the summer. My daughter found a couple of them when we were going through family papers after my mom passed away. We both had a good laugh over them.

Jill: Tell me a bit about what you write now and what you hope to write in the future.

Francine: I am just completing the last novella in the Sons of Encouragement series, The Scribe (Silas). I felt called to write these novellas after writing And The Shofar Blew about what I’ve seen happening in churches across our nation. The men of faith behind the scenes are so important to the good spiritual health and focus of a church. Jesus must be the center, the foundation. These “unknown” men of faith encourage the leader and hold him accountable. As to what I will do in the future, I’m not certain yet. I have two ideas and have been praying about both. It’s a little early to know which direction the Lord will send me.

Jill: If and when did you realize your writing was a calling?

Francine: When I couldn’t write for three years, I thought the Lord had taken writing away from me. And He had, for specific reasons. It took me a long time to realize writing had become an idol. I stopped trying to write then, and surrendered completely to the Lord. I didn’t care if I ever wrote again. My husband and I had a home Bible study, at the time. It was during our exploration of the minor prophets that God made it clear He wanted me to write again. When I read Hosea, my heart broke. I could see how unfaithful I had been over the years, turning to other things rather than turn to God. And I could see how much God loved me, how persistent He was. I had written for years about “love”, and I wanted people to know what true love is – that described in the scriptures. Redeeming Love was the result. After that, I wasn’t sure if I would write anything more. But questions rose and a quest for answers resulted in A Voice in the Wind. The writing has now become a form of worship for me, a way of going before the Lord with questions and issues for which I have no answer. The Lord exposes to me areas of my life that need examining and change, and the writing helps me move forward in faith and obedience.

Jill: What means did God use to confirm in your heart that this is exactly what He has prepared for you to do for Him?

Francine: I find joy in my relationship with Jesus and excitement when I write for Him. I love digging through Scripture to learn His perspective on my question. I’ve always had stories running in my mind. Now, they all relate to Him. So I have to believe that God created me for this work.

Jill: When and how did you come to realize that writing meant more to you than a means to meet physical monetary needs or fulfill your dreams?

Francine: It was when money and fame ceased to have any kind of interest to me that God gave the writing back. And my dreams changed. The Lord does that to all of us. When we give our lives to Him, we do change in countless ways. Now, I dream about meeting Jesus face-to-face. I long to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Can you imagine being close enough to Jesus to touch His hand and see Him look into your eyes? I dream about meeting the women from the “Lineage of Grace” and the men from “Sons of Encouragement”. Can you imagine sitting down to chat with Mary? Or Joshua? To hear the real story, the full story of their lives? And all the others, people less known or unknown, and the amazing testimonies they will have. Heaven is going to be so exciting and wonderful!

Jill: Amen! What a day that will be!

Jill: How would you say that God has used writing to change you – to strengthen your faith and to make you more like Christ?

Francine: The first thing that happened BEFORE I began writing again was a passion for reading the Bible. I wasn’t interested for most of my life until I met a lady in our church who said she prayed to have an interest in reading the Bible. Her mother had asked her to pray about it. At first, she resisted. “But she kept on…” I prayed for the Lord to take away my addiction to romance novels and replace it with a passion for His Word. The Lord answered that prayer quickly! Reading the Bible strengthens my faith. God always gives me what I need for the day. Whenever I haven’t been able to read for a day or two, I notice how quickly things unravel. My peace is gone. I need to hear His Voice, and I hear Him clearly through the Scriptures. And I know that He changes each of us when we do listen… and obey. He changes the desires of our hearts. He aligns our lives to be right with Him.

Jill: Has writing opened opportunities for you to give your testimony and witness for Christ or minister to fellow believers? If so, can you give one example?

Francine: Yes! I have been able to encourage people who work in Pregnancy Counseling Centers across the country. God pressed me continually over several years to face my abortion and write about what it had done to my life. I resisted. “But You’ve forgiven me, haven’t You, Lord? Why do I have to go back…?” What I didn’t understand was I had never gotten over the pain and guilt. It was a terrible burden. Finally, I gave in to Jesus and wrote The Atonement Child. It was the toughest year of writing I’ve ever done, but God brought me through it, and healed me. I was finally free. And I was also able to share my story with others who have suffered in silence and need to know Jesus loves them, too.

Jill: It takes a good deal of courage and God’s grace to help an author share painful stories of their past. But it is in our pain, our weakness that God’s mercies shine brightest.

For a look at all of Francine River’s books or to get to know Francine better you can visit her website here.

I hope you have enjoyed this interview with author Francine Rivers. Please click on over to one of the above online stores and look for Amos or one of her many other novels.

Thanks Francine for joining us this month on Spotlight.