Interview With Faith Author Rebecca Greenfield

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I have always loved the study of scripture. The Bible is very deep and layered-- it is stimulating, educating, and heart-moving to both the laymen and scholar. I am passionate about reading it and creating spaces and places where people can experience the living God. One of the ways I do this is by creating retreats and writing books.  In 2020, I was building a retreat for a group of woman. The theme of the retreat was renewal and restoration. There is a verse in the book of Joel where God says to His people, "I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts (Joel 2:25)" which made me want to use the book of Joel as the theme of the retreat. As I was writing the retreat, the content was so rich that I felt it would be good to also create a Bible study so others could dig deep into this three chapter book of the Bible on their own or in a small group.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? The book of Joel in the Bible is actually a very dark book. It talks a lot about the Lord's judgement and what happens when people don't turn in repentance to Him for forgiveness and hope. It's kind of "the end of the world" book. But in that book there is a strong undercurrent of restoration-- restoration that is found by people seeking the Lord with humble, contrite hearts. The Biblical book of Joel has an overarching theme of a God who deeply loves and pursues people, desiring restored relationship, and offering the best life possible through His unending love. The Joel 'Deep Dive' Bible Study focuses on bringing out these themes, seeing the depth of scripture including original language and the connection of Old Testament prophesies to New Testament promises. The Joel 'Deep Dive' Bible Study asks introspective questions that apply to one's present life and inspires daily life application. The Joel 'Deep Dive' Bible study is written for adult men or women looking to deepen their relationship with Jesus, increase in Biblical literacy, and spend time learning more about God. It is interactive, asking questions to journal about, and providing guided prayers. It is written in such a way that it can be read individually or with a small group of learners.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope they get an increased love of Bible (and ultimately God) and see how much God speaks through the Bible to their everyday life circumstances. God cares so much about us. How cool is it that the God of the universe wants to tell us things that are personal and individual to our particular life situation through ancient book called the Bible? 

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?  I wanted to provide a hint in the title that this Bible study wasn't necessarily easy but more of a didactic challenge that encourages you to dig deep into scripture. For the cover design, I did a small poll with some close people and felt that the picture really captured the "end of the world" themes that are discussed in Joel and also the recurring theme of the dreadful yet glorious "Day of the Lord" or final judgement of mankind.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?  Write because you love it. God is the Creator, and we are made in His image, therefore, we humans love to create. Foster that God-given gift--nurture it, enjoy it and don't stress about "American success" or being the best seller. Odds are, you never will be so just enjoy the creative journey and let it bring life to you and others who appreciate the art you are putting forth.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  Self-publishing is becoming more lucrative and more popular. This is great that authors don't have to wait for platforms and prestige to be picked up by a Traditional Publisher. Your dreams can be realized without being dependent on others finally seeing the value of your worth. 

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  I have masters is Theological Studies. More importantly, My walk with Christ has been a journey that plays into many of the book questions I ask. Following Christ is far from boring or passive. It is very interactive. God is always speaking; it's a matter of whether or not we are listening. This book is designed to help you get more comfortable talking with God and hearing from the source of all love. My books always minister to me first before they minister to others. 

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Raw, authentic, rigorous... sometimes a little "firehose" effect. I like to be honest, candid, and real. No time for walls and facades.  I would like to believe my book is similar to Beth Moore (but I know I'm not as good as her) :) However, that style was still what I was aiming to model.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? When this was coming out and since this has been out, the season of life I'm in has been incredibly hard- probably one of the hardest seasons of my life. So I have found myself practicing repentance and seeking God's hope and promise of restoration with my own life circumstances. I have seen His faithfulness. He is good!

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because God will meet you when you seek Him. My book kind of "forces your hand" (so to speak) to actually cut out some distractions and spend time with God and hopefully hear Him breathe life into your soul. 

About The Author: Rebecca Greenfield is the author of RAW Inner Workings of a Reawakened Soul, RAW Reawakened Soul Study Guide, The Prayer Crossing Personal Devotional: A 28-Day Guide to Quality Time with God, The Prayer Crossing Event Workbook, Dusternuffle, and The Joel 'Deep Dive' Bible Study Participant's and Leader's Guides. After earning her bachelors in Nuclear Medicine Technology, she followed God's call into ministry and obtained her masters in Theological Studies. She is blessed to pursue both of her passions, science and theology, by working in nuclear medicine and at Lifeline Christian Mission. One of her deepest desires is to create spaces and places where people can experience the presence of God and be enveloped in His love. Aside from God, nothing brings her more joy than spending time with her wonderful family, and friends.for more info, please see: www.Rebecca-Greenfield.com

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Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.