Author of Afloat
We live in a world where a
spiritual battle between good and evil is continually raging around us, whether
we are aware of it or not. While supernatural fiction portraying the battle
between light and darkness has become a popular genre in recent years, best-selling
author Erin Healy hopes readers recognize a difference between her books and
the others out there. “The secular paranormal genre is preoccupied with
darkness. As honestly as I can, I try to be preoccupied with light.” In her
latest release, Afloat (Thomas
Nelson/May 7, 2013/ISBN 978-1401685522/$15.99), Healy’s characters are faced
with the fight of their lives, in a desperate search for the light.
Q: How would you describe
your latest book, Afloat?
Afloat is a
supernatural-disaster survival story. An eclectic group of people stranded in a
floating house grapple with the question of whether love can rise above
self-preservation instincts.
Q: Is there a “moral to the
story” in Afloat you hope readers will walk away with?
I hope they’ll have a renewed
sense that for believers, death is nothing to fear; our survival is guaranteed.
How we love each other, however, is entirely up to us.
Q: How did you get into
writing supernatural suspense?
Ted Dekker is partly
responsible for that. He invited me to write two books with him, Kiss and
Burn, that contain supernatural elements. But the genre is a natural fit
for me. I appreciate many stories that have supernatural elements, and I’m a
person who believes the physical and spiritual parts of our lives are far less
compartmentalized than we think they are.
Q: Because you write in such
a unique genre, do you think it’s harder for you to come up with ideas than
some other authors or does the supernatural element give you more ideas to play
with?
I don’t believe I have more or
fewer ideas to play with than any other writer, just different ideas, and
different expectations to meet.
Q: Some readers feel really
uncomfortable with the thought of reading supernatural fiction. Is there
anything you would tell them to invite them over to what they would consider to
be the dark side?
I respect their discomfort.
There are certain genres that I’m not comfortable reading. But to those who are
curious I would say that the supernatural world is real, it is biblical, it has
a profound effect on our physical reality, and it is more bright than dark. I
believe it’s no more terrifying than the physical world, because the same God
rules over both. I write from a Christian worldview and make every effort to
honor the Lord through my stories, to whatever degree they might be viewed as
“supernatural” or “paranormal” or (as I think of them) “metaphorical” or just
plain weird. So while I can’t speak for every supernatural story, there should
be nothing to fear in mine.
Q: In your own experience,
what causes a crisis to bring out the best character in some people and the
worst in others?
I believe our behaviors are
informed by our values. For example, in Afloat, one of my main
characters values his authority and leadership, another values the lessons he’s
learned from his past, another values the stability she’s able to provide for
her son. None of these values is inherently bad. What makes the difference is
whether a person holds his values to serve his own sense of security or others’.
Extreme pressure proves the truth.
Q: What are some of the
things give you a sense of security? Love
in my home, locks on my doors, and money in the bank. That doesn’t sound very
spiritual, does it? I also crave approval, accomplishment, and a clear sense of
purpose. Again, none of these is bad, but I do notice that my trust in them (in
the form of fear that they will fail me) rises to the surface when I feel
threatened. In Afloat, the disaster strips most of the characters of
everything they thought would keep them safe. Learning how to trust in the only
lasting security of God’s perfect love is a lifelong spiritual journey.
Q: Is it possible to love
another person without sacrificing something of yourself for him or her?
This is the question at the
heart of my hero’s story in Afloat. Vance has experienced sacrificial
love but is reluctant to accept or to give it. I do believe it’s hard to love
another person well without sacrifice. Jesus Christ, of course, is the
ultimate model of what this looks like. He gave up absolutely everything of
worldly value to love us. He even gave up his supernatural identity as the Son
of God. For me, the definition of true love is the ability to care about
another person’s needs more than I care about my own.
Q: For some people, there
are there times when they feel the need for certainty that God is real. Are
there times when you live comfortably with doubt?
When life is painful, doubt is
like a blister that puts a barrier between the wound and the world. The
protective layer—maybe God isn’t real after all—is undesirable but
normal and maybe even part of our healing process. In my experience, God has
the greatest opportunity to reveal himself to us in the deepest valleys of
life. Doubt is never comfortable for me, but I’m learning to value seasons of
doubt as a chance to know God more fully.
Q: Do you believe the Bible
condemns you for your mistakes or frees you to embrace God's love?
This question names a defining
struggle of my life. In the beginning, Danielle (Afloat’s leading lady)
reads condemnation and judgment into the message delivered to her. She can’t
hear it as a message of love until it’s almost too late. I have read the Bible
both ways, only lately discovering that the Word takes on whole new
meaning—giving freedom, defeating fear, increasing joy—when read through the
lenses of God’s love.
Q: Most authors include
something of themselves in each book. What parts of you show up in Afloat?
I’m a totally fretful parent.
You’ll see me in Danielle’s and Mirah’s parenting.
Q: Given Alfoat’s
survival element, one would have to ask—are you much of an adventurist? How
long would you make it away from civilization?
A friend once said that
anything less than three stars is roughing it—I think that pretty much describes
me. I like the kind of adventures that come with hot running water and clean
socks. I like seeing new places, trying new things, eating new food, meeting
new people… but you won’t ever find me in a Survivor lineup.
Q: If you were set afloat,
what three items would you make sure were set adrift with you?
Tom Hanks, Wilson, and a copy
of Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, a great survival story that would
remind me how to catch seagulls and sharks with my bare hands.
Readers can enter to win an
iPad Mini from Erin Healy and Thomas Nelson. Watch for more details on her
Facebook Page. Click here to view the book trailer for Afloat.
Visit
Healy website at www.erinhealy.com to sign up for her newsletter and learn more
about her books. She’s also on Facebook (erinhealybooks) and Twitter
(@erinhealybooks).
Erin Healy is celebrating the release of her latest novel Afloat (Thomas Nelson) with an iPad Mini giveaway.
- An iPad Mini
- iTunes gift card
- Afloat by Erin Healy
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