Robin Lee Hatcher Answers The Faithful Fifteen
May 2006
 The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, Robin Lee Hatcher has penned over 45 novels, including her newly released DIAMOND PLACE. In this interview Hatcher describes how she discovered her faith through the written word and, in turn, conveys through writing the lessons her spirituality has taught her. She also shares with us her unique Scripture-reading habits, her involvement in her local community, and some of her other passions besides writing.
Writing
FaithfulReader.com: Could you give a brief summary of your latest book?
Robin Lee Hatcher: My most recent release is DIAMOND PLACE, the third novella in the Hart's Crossing series from Revell. Each story takes place in the small town of Hart's Crossing, Idaho. DIAMOND PLACE features 10-year-old Lyssa Sampson, the biggest fan of baseball. Nobody loves the game more than she does. Nobody. For as long as she can remember, she's had only one dream: to be a pitcher at the Little League World Series. But Coach Mel Jenkins has other plans, and Lyssa sets her mind to a little innocent scheming to make her dream come true. When Coach Jenkins appears to be interested in Lyssa's single mother, Terri, Lyssa sees an opportunity for a little matchmaking. Maybe her efforts will help her mother find happiness again --- and give Lyssa a chance at her dream at the same time. But will Terri and Mel hit it off? Or will misunderstandings spoil Lyssa's plan?
FR: What role does faith have in the book? What inspired you to write it?
RLH: Faith is the key element in all of my novels, whether I'm writing a light romantic novella like DIAMOND PLACE or tackling more serious topics in my women's fiction such as THE VICTORY CLUB (trusting God in a time of war), BEYOND THE SHADOWS (alcoholism in a Christian marriage), and RIBBON OF YEARS (what it means to walk by faith). Whatever God has taught me or is teaching me somehow finds its way into my fiction.
FR: What do you feel your calling is as a writer?
RLH: I believe God has called me to write with honesty and transparency about the difficulties of life and how faith in Christ can change us even when circumstances do not change. Many trials have been a part of my life experience, and I know without question that God never wastes a hurt. He has allowed me to walk through desert experiences so that, through my fiction, I can show to others the hope that I've found in Him.
FR: Who are your favorite authors and mentors? How have they influenced your work?
RLH: I have far too many favorite authors to name them all. However, Francine Rivers and her novel, REDEEMING LOVE, are what God used to bring me back into a right relationship with Him. When I first read REDEEMING LOVE in November 1991, I wept because I saw the real power fiction could have to change readers' hearts. I longed to be able to write something that powerful, that beautiful, that full of truth. But I was certain I didn't have enough talent and I knew I wasn't walking close to my Savior. I was convinced there was no way He could ever use me in such a way. However, God had prepared good works for me to walk in (Eph. 2:10), and I'm so thankful He never gave up on me. Over the next six years, He restored and healed me in many ways, and in 1997, He called me out of my secular career as a romance novelist and into a ministry of writing Christian fiction for Him. I've never looked back.
FR: Do you have any favorite stories of encounters with readers?
RLH: Oh, there are many stories from readers that have touched my heart and brought me encouragement when I see how the Lord has used my books. Because many of my novels deal with difficult subjects that challenge people today (alcoholic loved ones; an unfaithful spouse; family secrets; shattered dreams), readers often respond by sharing their own hurts and triumphs. Many of their letters are long, detailed, and heartbreaking. But one of my favorites is a favorite because it was also the first. THE FORGIVING HOUR, my first Christian novel, hadn't reached stores yet when I received an email from a reviewer. She said that after reading THE FORGIVING HOUR, she picked up and read her Bible for the first time in seven years. Isn't that amazing? Only God could do that through a novel.
Spirituality
FR: Tell us about your personal faith journey.
RLH: I was raised in a mainline Christian church, but I was in my 20s before someone shared with me that being a Christian was more than a religious practice and church was more than a wholesome place to be on a Sunday morning. I don't recall ever hearing at my church that I could know Jesus, that He wanted to be my personal Lord and Savior, that He would come and live in my heart if I only asked Him to. I don't remember anyone telling me as I was growing up that I needed to be born again. I didn't know I was lost until I was found. Thank God for the young couple who entered my life and quietly began to share the person of Jesus Christ with me. Thank God for saving my mother and then allowing her to pray me into the Kingdom.
I suppose it isn't surprising, given my love for books, that God chose the printed word to reveal Himself to me. It began when I was given a copy of the Living Bible. Over the following months, as I read the New Testament, I also read THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom, WOMAN TO WOMAN by Eugenia Price, and PRISON TO PRAISE by Merlin R. Carothers. Finally, on Valentine's Day 1976 at approximately 6:00 a.m., I gave my heart to Jesus.
If I could rewrite my life, I would script myself a walk of complete obedience to my Lord from start to finish. However, the truth is, I let the cares and concerns of this world creep in during the '80s. I allowed the enemy of my soul to strip away my effectiveness for the Kingdom. I faltered and fell on my face plenty. I was a poor witness of the Truth.
But God is good and He is faithful, even when we're faithless! He never took His hand off of me. He never stopped wooing me and reminding me that I was His. He sent people and circumstances into my life and drew me back to the place where I belonged, into a walk of obedience and faith. And I have experienced how He turns all things to good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
FR: Who are your spiritual mentors?
RLH: My mother, first and foremost. Some wonderful pastors over the past 30 years who taught me so much: Hank Aguilara, Gene Arnold, and Tri Robinson. Some special women friends who share my love of God and who challenge me daily to live according to His will.
FR: What is your current church community involvement?
RLH: I attend a church with about 2,500 to 3,000 members, and there are more than 100 different ministries where people can plug in. My main involvement at this time is as a member of a small group. In the past I have led both women's Bible studies and the women's retreat for my home church.
FR: What are your Scripture reading habits? Prayer habits?
RLH: My days begin early (around 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.) with a time of devotions and Bible reading, worship in song and praise, and prayer. On March 31, 2006, I finished reading through the Bible in 90 Days as part of a challenge to our entire church. However, I normally read through the Bible (Genesis through Revelation) in odd-numbered years, and I read the New Testament three to four times in even-numbered years. I began this habit in 1997, and it has richly blessed me. I vary my versions and am always learning something new from God's written word.
FR: If you had one message for Christians today, what would it be?
RLH: Fall in love with the Word (both the Bible, the written word of God, and with Jesus, the Living Word of God). And hold tight to all that the Word tells you.
Life
FR: Tell us about your family.
RLH: I'm a blessed woman because I'm surrounded by a loving family, immediate and extended. My mother, age 92, lives with me. I have two grown daughters, and they and their families live less than 11 miles from my home. I am now a grandmother of six, from 13 years old, down to five months old.
FR: Do you and your family have any special traditions?
RLH: Things change a lot once your children are grown with children of their own. They need to make their own family traditions. But the one thing I've never let loose of is our Christmas Eves together. It's a time to love one another, not with gift exchanges, but simply with our time, fellowship and laughter.
FR: What are some of your favorite hobbies and activities?
RLH: I love to read, of course. I always have an audiobook going in my car in addition to whatever book is on my nightstand. I am also passionate about the theater. Years ago I performed with a local Christian theater troupe, but after I got serious about writing, I gave that up due to time constraints (I had a full-time day job, plus my family, and I wrote in my "free" time). Now I am happy to simply be part of the audience. I am a season ticket holder for the Idaho Shakespeare Theater's summer productions, and I love going to see Broadway musicals. Recently I took a class on memorizing Scripture, not just a verse here and there but full chapters and full books. I'm starting with Romans 12.
FR: What are your media habits? Television? Movies? Music? Etc.?
RLH: I have the heart of a great singer. Alas, my voice doesn't match my heart. Still, I love to sing while in the car, at church, and in the privacy of my room. I have worship CDs for my praise time in the morning, movie soundtracks to play while I write, and other favorites to listen to just for the fun of it while I'm paying bills or mowing the yard. My CD collection includes everything from classical to country, Broadway show tunes to rock. I don't make it to the movie theater very often, except for major events such as The Chronicles of Narnia or The Passion of the Christ. However, I do watch movies on DVD. As for TV, Fox News is where I keep current on world events, and I confess that I am a fan of "American Idol" and "Lost."
FR: What excites you about life?
RLH: Springtime. New beginnings. Seeing God bring beauty out of ashes. The smiles and laughter of my grandchildren. The friendship I enjoy with my daughters. The good health of my mother. Spending time and worshiping with other believers. The glorious Idaho outdoors. My beloved, high-maintenance Papillon, Poppet. Learning more about God. Expectations of Heaven.
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Bibliography
Stand-Alone Titles:
- A CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS (Zondervan, 2006)
- ANOTHER CHANCE TO LOVE YOU (Steeple Hill, 2006)
- LOVING LIBBY (Zondervan, 2005)
- THE VICTORY CLUB (Tyndale, 2005)
- BEYOND THE SHADOWS (Tyndale, 2004)
- CATCHING KATIE (Tyndale, 2004)
- SPEAK TO ME OF LOVE (Tyndale, 2003)
- FIRSTBORN (Tyndale, 2002)
- RIBBON OF YEARS (Tyndale, 2001)
- THE STORY JAR (Multnomah, 2001)
- THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE (WaterBrook, 2000)
- WHISPERS FROM YESTERDAY (WaterBrook, 1999)
- THE FORGIVING HOUR (WaterBrook, 1999)
Coming to America Series:
- PROMISED TO ME (Zondervan, 2003)
- IN HIS ARMS (Zondervan, 2001)
- PATTERNS OF LOVE (Zondervan, 2001)
- DEAR LADY (Zondervan, 2000)
Hart's Crossing Series:
- DIAMOND PLACE (Revell, 2006)
- VETERANS WAY (Revell, 2005)
- LEGACY LANE (Revell, 2004)
Faithful Fifteen Main Page
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ANOTHER CHANCE TO LOVE YOU
DIAMOND PLACE (Hart's Crossing)
A CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS