Hey readers! Christian author Robin Jones Gunn is on the blog today. Thank you, Robin, for making time for an interview with me!

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LB: What first inspired you to write for teenage Christian girls? 

RJG: My husband was a youth pastor and I was concerned about the kinds of novels the girls in our group were reading. I read some along with them and many of the books they brought with them on a summer camping trip were way too evocative for their 13-year-old hearts. I asked them to read something else – something more wholesome and innocent. I tried to find books like that for them, but there weren’t many written for young teens. So, those girls challenged me to write a novel for them. They even offered to help! It took two years but after ongoing input from the girls, “Summer Promise” was completed and it was the kind of book they wanted to read. It was a sweet love story, but it also showed how Christy Miller came to understand what it meant to give her heart to Jesus. 

Over the years I’ve heard from many, many teen girls who have read the Christy Miller series and surrendered their life to the Lord. This is beyond anything I ever imagined as I was writing that first story. 

LB: That must be extremely gratifying! You’ve been influential to teens and young adults for a number of years now. Do you see social media affecting the spiritual growth of this age group? 

RJG: I’m sure it’s similar to what I mentioned about the girls in our youth group reading novels that were filling their thoughts and hearts with messages that were confusing them and damaging their views of themselves. Those same messages are now coming from social media. If a young woman is following influencers who are Believers who post about their journey as a Christian, she will be receiving role-modeling in a way that focuses on trusting God. If she’s following other leaders who aren’t honoring Christ with their communication or actions, that will influence them as well. 

I’m not sure if that’s what you’re asking, but I do see more young women putting aside their spiritual growth by not meeting with other Believers and/or not getting into God’s Word and studying it and applying His truths to their lives. Their reading time is absorbed by who they’re following online and all the other content that comes through to them as a result.

LB: Our attention is pulled in so many directions with the distractions of this age. Thanks for sharing your observations. The majority of girls probably will not move across the country during their teenage years like Christy Miller does, but readers can still learn much from Christy’s experience. Can you tell us about some of the takeaways that readers can gain from Christy Miller?

RJG: The main takeaway I hear from readers is that after reading one of the stories, they now understand what it means to come to know Christ and start living for Him. Girls also tell me they have learned about how to develop good friendships, be humble, figure out the kind of guy they want to spend time with and feel the freedom to explore what God has for them in the future.

LB: Those are very good takeaways. Last summer you released Before You Meet Your Future Husband, co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Why is it important for Christians to solidify their relationship with Christ before pursuing a mate? 

RJG: Tricia and I wrote another book together titled, Praying For Your Future Husband. We received many responses about that first book from young women. What we discovered was that we needed to write another book that should be read first, and that’s why we wrote Before You Meet Your Future Husband.  Our emphasis in both books is to turn whole-heartedly to Jesus and trust Him completely with your future. We share a lot of stories in the books and give insights on what the Bible has to say. Our shared desire was to see the readers break free from wrong thinking about relationships and fully become the woman God created them to be. That’s why we wanted to show what it looks like to get their hearts right with Christ first.

It’s been exciting to hear about small groups that are using the books and how the encouragement and interaction with other Christian young women has been life-changing for them.

LB: The order of priorities is definitely important. Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? 

RJG: That’s kind of like asking if I have a favorite child. I think Christy Miller will always come to the forefront since she’s the first character I “discovered” in my imagination and also the one I’ve written about the most. There are now 44 books about Christy and her Forever Friends. I also like Katie Weldon because she comes across boldly but when you get to know her, she’s a little scrambled on the inside and always trying to figure things out. She appears to be impulsive, but her actions come from a deep place of sorting and pondering and simply trying to make sense of her life and emotions. I’ve heard from many readers that they can relate to Katie’s personality and feel that the Katie Weldon Series helped them understand themselves better.

LB: Our characters become pretty real to us, don’t they? What can readers expect from you next?

RJG: A new novel will be released in September, 2024. I’m excited about that new book and will post details on my social media when I’m able. Right now I’m working on a fun devotion/gift book and then I’ll be writing another novel for release in 2025.

LB: It sounds like readers have much to look forward to!

RJB: Thanks, Liz. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

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Robin Jones Gunn was in first grade when her teacher wrote on her report card, “Robin has not yet grasped her basic math skills but she does keep the entire class entertained at rug time with her stories.”

Many years later it was Robin’s husband who encouraged her gift for storytelling. He urged her to attend a writers’ conference and take classes. Those first steps led to the publication of devotions, articles, interviews and 15 children’s books. Now Robin the best-selling author of over 100 books.

Robin’s great delight is that her books and movies are doing exactly what she always hoped to do – travel around the world and tell people about God’s love. She is doing the same and has spoken at events in the US and Canada as well as in South America, Africa and Europe.

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