Cheri Paris Edwards, took time to share information with The Sistah Circle Book Club. We thank you for your participation, Cheri! 

SCBC, Inc.

My name is Cheri Paris Edwards and my first novel; “Plenty Good Room” will be on bookshelves in April 2005. I live in a small town south of Chicago in East Central Illinois, so that would make me an ole’ country girl!

How did you decide to write Christian titles (fiction, non-fiction, etc.)?

There was no real decision by me to write a “Christian” title. I AM a Christian, whether I’m in or out of church, whether I’m steppin’ ‘on the good foot’, so to speak; or when I’ve made a mistake or messed up in some way. I love the Lord and I’m grateful He’s been a partner to me for much of my life. The relationship I have with God is 24/7 and so any writing I might do about life, would be inclusive of Christ. When I submitted to the first publisher, they rejected the manuscript yet were upbeat in their comments about the work and suggested I try a Christian publisher. I then began to research publishers/agents within the genre of Christian fiction and that’s how I found Denise Stinson and Walk Worthy Press.

Do you think Christian books ‘overall’ are experiencing a rebirth?

I think that every spirit longs to hear that which uplifts. Today, media information saturates society and a lot of what we hear and read is negative. Christian fiction tends to be more positive and when it is inclusive of God’s Word, it reminds that there are spiritual answers to these situations and problems. Culturally, our spirituality is what helps us remain resilient in the face of sometimes overwhelming difficulties and has long been our solace and strength. Each Sunday the church, I attend fills with young people and it is my hope that any ‘rebirth’ that is happening is because young people are developing this understanding of the power of faith for themselves.

Do you study a certain Bible passage before you write?

Not really. Certain Bible passages are always foremost in my mind and I probably include or think of them most as I write. I pray a lot though and ask God to guide me as I write.

Are there Christian themes or Christian issues you want to address through writing?

The major theme I want to convey in my writing is that God’s love is available to EVERYONE! No life is an accident and God doesn’t make mistakes! Despite my own shortcomings, I know He loves me and it is through His presence within and His grace that I’m still here. It is my hope my writings influence others to long deeply enough for the love only God can give that they seek a personal relationship with Him for themselves.

When did you consider yourself a writer? A Christian writer?

I always wrote but I didn’t write fiction until just lately. As a novice fiction writer, I consider myself blessed to be in this position to be published, and I’m still learning and growing in skill as well in storytelling ability.

What or who has inspired your writing?

I am inspired by young people to write. For a large part of my adult life I’ve cared for kids; my kids, other folk’s kids; kids who had no one or were in transition through family trauma, and it was these relationships that eventually pushed me to write. As a single parent, I raised my young men mostly on my own and then I worked for many years with ‘at-risk’ youth. I love these young people with my whole heart, and have felt their love for me and it’s through that ‘love’ relationship that I learned to love myself and gained a deeper relationship with God. I owe them!

Music also inspires me. Gospel, jazz and other songs help me ‘feel’ a mood or moment or connect to a character. Right now, along with Bishop Eddie Long’s choir, Donald Lawrence, Darryl Coley and my other gospel faves, I’ve been listening to Kem. A song he’s written called “Brotha”, really reflects my own feelings about what’s happening in my own life right about now.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

The book was originally entitled “LoveWalkin’” which referred to the Christian philosophy of ‘Walking in Love’. While Denise (Stinson, the wonderful publisher at Walk Worthy) and I understood the title, marketing did not get it and so she came up with the title, “Plenty Good Room.” The title appropriately was taken from John 14:2; “In my Father’s House there are many mansions…” and I love it!

Who or what has influenced your writing and in what way?

I read all my young life (which was more than a minute ago…lol). But in the last few years, I’ve worked so much, I’ve had little time to read and so my influences are a little dated. Because of that, I won’t name specific authors I enjoy, but I like mystery and suspense and so I tend to intertwine them in my stories. I like a touch of romance and I like stories about ‘ordinary’ folks who through their relationships with God or others manage to become more than they were. I enjoy humor as well, because I think it is a necessary part of managing difficulties in life.

In this story, it was my goal to tell a ‘hard’ story in an entertaining manner by softening the edges a bit and adding a touch of suspense to keep the pages turning. I also wanted the major female characters to be engaged in their work and to have meaningful relationships that weren’t necessarily romance-orientated, because that most accurately reflects the women I know.

How much of the novel is realistic? Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?

“Plenty Good Room” takes place in the world of child-welfare. Because I was a foster parent and also worked with youth who were in ‘the system,’ I have some limited knowledge of how that system works. That knowledge allowed me to set the systematic scenario up with some legitimacy. However, “Plenty Good Room” is fiction, which allowed me to stretch the boundaries of reality in places. The storyline is not about any one person, but it does contain events and circumstances that do occur for those who live in foster care and even for some who don’t. Additionally, the larger questions explored in the novel are universal ones and the musings about life considered by many regarding all types of situations.

Is there a message in your novel, you want readers to grasp?

Love is the message! I hope the words in “Plenty Good Room” bear the message that God’s love for us is expansive, reminding us that we too have the capacity to love, even though we have been hurt and even as we continue to experience difficulties. Through giving love, we heal and we gain the ability to love ourselves. Additionally, through accepting God’s love and following his plan for our lives, we can become more than we ever thought possible!

Love a young person today; do for an older person and by all means give a little love to someone somewhere for no good reason! The message is that it is by opening our hearts, that we find that we have “Plenty Good Room” to give and receive love!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk about the book! Please visit my website at www.cheriparisedwards.com  for information about mentoring, volunteering, and fostering and links to other Walk Worthy authors’ sites and titles!

God Bless You!

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