Hi there! I’m running late on everything, and this is one of those things, but I really wanted to share this lovely interview despite the fact that I’ve got a book coming out this weekend (!!!) and also owe you several blog posts (*coughs*).
Victoria Lynn is without a doubt one of my favorite Christian author notwithstanding the fact that I’ve only read one of her books – and that was not her most recent one! (That’s on my TBR, but I had to put it off when I started a new job in June!) I met her in person at one of the Glory Writers retreats in February, but I’ve followed her on Instagram (and before that, known her from Goodreads and in private writing groups) for years!
She is an amazing, creative, godly woman who I am privileged to know. I’m so impressed by her work ethic and professionalism (I mean, look at me! *gestures to self* I have so much to learn!), and more than that, by her tremendous passion and heart for the Lord!
Anyways, let’s get into the interview!
Welcome to Lilacs & Reveries, Victoria! Could you tell us a little bit about “Once I Knew” and the kind of stories you write in general?
Thanks so much for having me Kellyn! Once I Knew is a non-magical fantasy, subtle in the romance and heavy in the suspense. It’s a kingdom adventure about a soldier who loses his memory, the farmer’s daughter who takes him in and the fallout thereof. I love writing Christian stories that go beyond just entertainment and speak life and hope to the weary souls reading them.
How did God lead you to discussing the topics you post about so passionately on social media?
It’s definitely been something I prayed a lot over. I’m a very passionate person, but I’m also very careful and thoughtful about what I say when it comes down to it. I still have some very strict things for myself when it comes to what and how I post things, but I’ve felt the call to educate and speak on things like abortion and human trafficking since a very young age. God put them on my heart before I was even a teen and it made no sense for me to be so passionate about a topic so young aside from God impressing it on my spirit. I also have always had a huge passion and gift for encouraging others so those gifts kind of intersect on social media. I’ve felt the desire to treat it as more of a ministry than anything else and it has been really fulfilling to see God use my words to speak life and hope over the body of believers.
What’s your biggest tip for young Christian creators trying to find their own niche for serving God through their work?
Be willing to be vulnerable and humble before the Lord, asking Him what HIS best and HIS vision is for the gifts and skills that He has given you. I feel like people forget that He truly cares about the passions He has given us and they are His first. All we have to do is seek and knock and ask and sometimes I think we forget that. Serving God with your work comes from a place of working WITH God in those areas.
What is the biggest thing you would say about your writing if you were able to reach back and share something with your younger self?
I’m honestly not sure I would change a thing because God truly knew exactly what He was doing in regards to how my writing journey has gone so far. But I think I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to reach the end of yourself and realize that you don’t have it all or know it all. That’s what community and the Lord are for.
What’s the biggest thing you want readers to take away from Once I Knew?
I hope they feel filled with hope and life. I pray that they are encouraged and feel filled up and empowered in their walk with Christ. And I also hope they enjoy the story as well. 🙂
Thanks so much for having me Kellyn! It was such a joy!
About the Interviewee
Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.
Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.
She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.
A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.
About the Book
When a kingsman with a broken body and a lost memory shows up on Violet’s doorstep, she is caught between the compulsion to do what is right, or the natural reaction: to do what is safe…which does not involve caring for the wounded soldier.
With hidden pasts, a web of secrets spun to keep them safe, a tyrannical rule growing ever harsher, and the responsibilities weighing on her, Violet feels as though the world is caving in around her. Who will rise up to stand against the evil chancellor, and what will become of her if the kingsman is found?
Well, that’s it for today! I’m ever so happy for Victoria – and amazing by her hard work and how God is working in her life! What an awesome God we follow!
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.
Do you know Victoria Lynn? What’s your favorite thing about her? Have you read Once I Knew?
