Heavenly Places

Kimberly Cash Tate is the author of Heavenly Places a funny yet poignant novel that speaks to the heart of its readers. This fictional story depicts the life of its main character, a wife, mother, and attorney whose life takes a drastic turn causing her to redefine who she is. As the character searches for her new identity she finds God, and begins a journey towards not only healing herself but healing other relationships in her life.

The book which has been highly successful is all over the blogsphere. Tate has been featured on several sites to include, Crosswalk.com, TheGrits.com, CCMMagazine.com, GloryGirlsRead.net, and many more. We caught up with the busy author to talk a little bit about this new novel and it’s overwhelming success.

Tiff- I want to first thank you for supporting TiffanyFulcher.org and doing our feature as an author on your new book “Heavenly Places.” Tell our readers a little bit about the book and who the characters are?

Kim- Tiffany, I’m so excited and honored to be here. Thank you so much for having me. The main character in Heavenly Places is Treva Langston, who’s mother has always treated her as inferior because of her darker skin complexion. As a result, Treva found her worth in a career, but now that that job is gone, her life has been turned upside down. She’s returned to her hometown with her husband and her three girls and has to face not only the memories she’s fought to escape, but her mother, who hasn’t changed. But her sister kind of coaxes her into a women’s home bible study, and although Treva resists and even quits a couple of times, it becomes the catalyst that completely changes her life. The reader gets to journey with Treva as she works through the dynamics in her relationship with her mother, her husband and children, and the other women in the group.

Tiff-Do you see yourself in any other the characters in your book is this a slight reflection of your own life?

Kim- I’ve never experienced the things that the main character experienced growing up, but I’ve heard stories of others. Treva’s sister, Jillian, homeschools, so that’s something I pulled from my own life as a homeschooler of six years. And hmm, let’s see, I might have pulled from my former life as I explored some of Treva’s attitudes with people—you know, that life I had before Christ. [smile]

Tiff-With the rise in popularity of self-help/advice books in the Christian community what made you choose to write a fictional novel and how has it been received?

Kim-I actually never thought I’d write fiction. My first book was a nonfiction book and I thought I’d continue with nonfiction. But God put fiction on my mind, and I was excited when I got into it and saw that I could incorporate a bible study in an entertaining yet thought-provoking way. That’s been the aspect that most people have talked about, that they felt like they were doing the bible study with the women and learning things about their own lives. So it’s kind of self-help rolled into a fictional story!

Tiff-Having read the book, it seems there are variations in the issues that arise with the main character, tell me a little about how this character grows through her relationship with God and what circumstances are used to help her grow?

Kim-The bible study is definitely the catalyst that helps her grow. She’s a fairly young Christian who has never studied her Bible and she doesn’t know who she is in Christ. As she studies Ephesians, she starts to see who she is in God’s eyes and how blessed she is, though it takes a while for that to penetrate her heart. She also grows as a wife and mother as she gazes into the Word, as a sister and friend, and ultimately, she grows as she learns how God wants her to handle the relationship with her mother.

Tiff-What message rings true throughout the novel, what do you want your audience to come away with after reading the book?

Kim-Great question! So many women have issues that cause themselves to feel “less than.” For Treva, it was her skin complexion, but it could be hair color—blond versus brown—it could be blue eyes versus brown eyes, it could be body shape, the list goes on and on. The message I want to resound in people’s hearts is that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made because we’ve been shaped and molded by the God of the Universe. I also wanted readers to come away with the message that if we make the Word of God central to our lives, we will find victory in our relationships and in so many other aspects of life.

Tiff-I can appreciate the personality given to the characters in the book, they breathe life to the perception of Christians, how important was it for you to portray Christians as everyday people with issues and problems just like the world, but loving God all the while?

Kim-It was very important to me to portray Christians as everyday people with issues and problems just like the world, because that’s exactly who we are. Treva is real, so we get to know what she’s thinking about people, no matter how wrong it is, and the choices she’s making, no matter how wrong they are. She’s attempting to cope with a bad upbringing as best she can, but the difference between Treva and people in the world is that she has Jesus, and once she discovers what that truly means, she’s able to come up higher…to “Heavenly Places.”

Tiff-Where can people find more of your work?

Kim-I write weekly devotions that people subscribe to on my website, www.kimberlycashtate.com. Next year I will have another nonfiction book published, and hopefully, another novel soon after that.

Thank you so much, Tiffany!

Thank you Kim!- To learn more about Kimberly Cash Tate visit her online at www.KimberlyCashTate.com, To purchase your copy of Heavenly Places visit: http://www.amazon.com/Heavenly-Places-Kimberly-Cash-Tate/dp/1577948572

 

---