Eric Wilson Interview

I am delighted to have Eric Wilson as a guest on The Borrowed Book today. I met Eric when he and I served on a panel together at the Killer Nashville Conference.

Eric was raised on the mission fields of Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia, then in Eugene, OR, but has lived the last ten years in Nashville, TN. He is married and is the father of two teen daughters. In college, Eric took journalism courses and served as contributing editor for the newspaper. He also published travel and educational nonfiction pieces in periodicals during the early ’90s, but his first novel wasn’t published till 2004. Since that time, he has published nine additional titles.

Eric accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior in 1971. In the following years, he traveled with his parents in Eastern Europe, smuggling Bibles during the time of the Iron Curtain. Both Eric and his wife Carolyn have a heart for the destitute, abused, and depressed. They hope to serve again on the mission field in the years to come, while still writing and using the talents God has given.

Welcome, Eric. Although you’ve written many wonderful novels, the first book people think of when your name is mentioned is Fireproof, the novelization of the movie. Tell us about your experience writing that book.

It was a roller coaster of emotion. I'd written six previous books, with a small but growing readership, and suddenly the success of this book and movie took off. I'm not surprised. Even as I wrote the 70,000-word novel, based off the Kendrick brothers' 20,000-word screenplay, I found myself crying at a number of scenes, overwhelmed with emotion because of all the heartache we see in marriages.

You also wrote Flywheel and Facing the Giants, the novelizations of the other two movies Alex and Stephen Kendrick have made. How did your partnership with these men begin?

Alex and Stephen are not in it for the money or fame. That's one thing I loved about working with them. They want to make stories that touch lives, bottom line. And they care about getting better with each movie, with each story. They never asked me, "What scene did you really like?" They always asked, "What scene doesn't work for you?" It was such a fun partnership, and I'll always look back on it with fondness.

Fireproof was so well received that it earned you the title of New York Times Bestselling author. That must have been humbling. Has it changed your life any?

The same week I found out the book had hit the bestseller list, I found myself at my mom's bedside in Intensive Care in a hospital in Germany. She died three weeks later. That kept it all in perspective. Yes, it was my bestselling book, which covered our bills for two years, but I also got pigeonholed and couldn't get another contract for two years, since publishers only wanted from me "the next Fireproof." Like I said, it was a roller coaster of emotion.

You have another book that has just released. It has a very interesting premise. What is its title?

"One Step Away" -- a modern twist on one of the world's oldest tales.

Give us a blurb about it.

We all know the story of Job in the Bible, his love for God tested by Satan through numerous trials. In this story, one of modern suspense, a family is tested through blessing. After years of struggling, they find themselves with $6,000,000. But they must also deal with one of most memorably named villains you'll meet this side of a Dean Koontz novel. Let the testing begin!

What inspirational message do you want readers to take away after reading One Step Away?

Whether in poverty or plenty, none of us are alone, none of us are forgotten, none of us are without the love of Jesus. He is our Daily Bread. In the Lord's Prayer, we ask for Our Daily Bread, not our weekly or monthly or yearly bread. Bottom line: money can be a blessing or curse, depending upon how we let it work in our lives.

For this book you have gone with a new publisher. Many of our readers are on the lookout for opportunities available to them. Can you tell us about this house? Where are they located, what types of projects do they accept, do they accept unsolicited proposals, etc?

I'm working with Bay Forest Books, an imprint of Kingstone Media. They only take agented manuscripts. I can say, though, after working with Random House and Thomas Nelson, two of the largest publishers in the world, that it's been a joy working with a smaller press. It's so hands-on, so personal. As always, do your research before signing with anyone, but don't assume bigger is better. Write the best book you can and find someone who believes in it passionately, whether at a large press or small one.

I know you are active in mission work in Romania. Can you tell us how you got started doing that and what you do there?

My wife and I have a big heart for the world. She recently returned from Haiti. I haven't been to Romania since 2005, but I love the people there and the orphanages always need workers. In the 80s, I was also smuggling Bibles into that country and others behind the Iron Curtain. There is so much need for loving arms and elbow grease all over the globe. You don't have to be a Bible scholar or a published author, just a person who loves other people.

What are you working on now? Can we expect other books to release soon?

Yes! I'm working on "Two Seconds Late," the next book in this series. It can be read as a standalone, but it takes a minor character from "One Step Away," and gives her center stage. Her name is Natalie Flynn, and she is dating a charismatic, young politician who gets caught up in a deadly conspiracy. Like biblical Esther, Natalie has been raised up "for such a time as this," but is she already too late?

For the aspiring writers who may be reading this, what advice would you give them?

Musicians can write a song in a flash of inspiration. That's not how books get written. I spend hundreds of hours writing each book, nearly a thousand to write, edit, and market. That does not happen in "a flash." Stop making excuses. Find a time that works for you. And make it happen. Write. Cuddle with the words. Show you're committed to this relationship. Eventually the mood will come. And something messy and glorious will be birthed.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us that I haven’t asked?

I love to interact at facebook.com/EricWilsonNovelist, and please visit my website at WilsonWriter.com.

I’m sure our readers will be looking you up. Thanks for being here today. It’s been a pleasure talking with you, and I wish you the best with your new publisher.