Aiken Brown talks Faith, fiction and goals for the future...
Q: We have heard you refer to your novels as being Southern, Christian Fiction. Can you expound on that a bit for us?
Aiken: Sure! I was born and raised in the South...Southern traditions and experiences are what I know, and, though I love traveling, I enjoy writing about a section of this country that I absolutely adore! It's home...no matter where I am or where I go, this landscape, this way of life, it is a part of me. My writing is just an extension of me, so, when I write, the southern girl in me just comes out. I enjoy reading books written by authors from all over the world, but, for me when I write, my inspiration is the South, so that's what I stick to! The same thing goes for the Christian aspect present in my work. If a book doesn't have a moral or a lesson to be learned, I just don't see the point. And, from my perspective, the lessons I am convicted to share with others have been learned through my deep, personal relationship with my Lord and Savior. So, it's just a good way to classify my work...it is always about the South...it will always, even when not pointedly so, be driven by the responsibility I have to share my faith with others.
Q: Is it important to you that faith plays a prominent role in your novels? Why?
Aiken: Absolutely, I would go even further than that; it's not just important to me, it's a must! I consider it not only a desire but a responsibility. We are taught that God blessed each of us with various spiritual gifts. I discovered my passion and aptitude for writing very early on in my life, and I have no doubts that God gave me this gift with a responsibility to use it for His glory. He has given us all individual gifts; we are not identical; we don't have the same personalities, abilities or interests, but we all have a gift! I feel blessed to have found mine, so I am determined to use it! When I write, I don't even necessarily try to create a story about faith. You know? I don't sit down and try to map out a book that is particularly Christian...it just happens; it is just there....it is the driving force in my life, and I honestly couldn't imagine it not being a part of my novels. My books are about life and love, and I can't imagine either without Christ as the center.
Q: What are your goals for your novels / your career?
Aiken: My goals are simply to be used as God will have me to be. My goals in life and work and everything I do are just to be open and willing to be used however God sees fit. Trust me, I like to make my own plans as much as the next person, but, if we are not open to what God wants to do with our lives as opposed to what we think we want to do with our lives, we will miss blessings beyond anything we could have imagined for ourselves. So, I guess that sums it up! I want to be a gateway through which God blesses others. I want to plant that seed in the minds and hearts of readers and people I come in contact with through my work, and just let God do His thing!
Q: We have heard you refer to your novels as being Southern, Christian Fiction. Can you expound on that a bit for us?
Aiken: Sure! I was born and raised in the South...Southern traditions and experiences are what I know, and, though I love traveling, I enjoy writing about a section of this country that I absolutely adore! It's home...no matter where I am or where I go, this landscape, this way of life, it is a part of me. My writing is just an extension of me, so, when I write, the southern girl in me just comes out. I enjoy reading books written by authors from all over the world, but, for me when I write, my inspiration is the South, so that's what I stick to! The same thing goes for the Christian aspect present in my work. If a book doesn't have a moral or a lesson to be learned, I just don't see the point. And, from my perspective, the lessons I am convicted to share with others have been learned through my deep, personal relationship with my Lord and Savior. So, it's just a good way to classify my work...it is always about the South...it will always, even when not pointedly so, be driven by the responsibility I have to share my faith with others.
Q: Is it important to you that faith plays a prominent role in your novels? Why?
Aiken: Absolutely, I would go even further than that; it's not just important to me, it's a must! I consider it not only a desire but a responsibility. We are taught that God blessed each of us with various spiritual gifts. I discovered my passion and aptitude for writing very early on in my life, and I have no doubts that God gave me this gift with a responsibility to use it for His glory. He has given us all individual gifts; we are not identical; we don't have the same personalities, abilities or interests, but we all have a gift! I feel blessed to have found mine, so I am determined to use it! When I write, I don't even necessarily try to create a story about faith. You know? I don't sit down and try to map out a book that is particularly Christian...it just happens; it is just there....it is the driving force in my life, and I honestly couldn't imagine it not being a part of my novels. My books are about life and love, and I can't imagine either without Christ as the center.
Q: What are your goals for your novels / your career?
Aiken: My goals are simply to be used as God will have me to be. My goals in life and work and everything I do are just to be open and willing to be used however God sees fit. Trust me, I like to make my own plans as much as the next person, but, if we are not open to what God wants to do with our lives as opposed to what we think we want to do with our lives, we will miss blessings beyond anything we could have imagined for ourselves. So, I guess that sums it up! I want to be a gateway through which God blesses others. I want to plant that seed in the minds and hearts of readers and people I come in contact with through my work, and just let God do His thing!
