Let’s meet author Susan Barnes
“The biggest blessing has been my own spiritual growth through the process of writing and rewriting the book. Sometimes, I felt I was my own audience, since I was writing things I needed to know.”
Q: Tell us about your new book - what was the spark that began this project?
When my husband became a pastor, our first church asked him to write a devotional thought for the newsletter every fortnight. He promptly gave me the job. At the time, I thought it was a huge commitment and how would I ever find enough to write about? Three years later, we moved to a church that had a newsletter every week and I still found enough to write. So when I felt God prompting me to write a book, I had a lot of material to draw from. I regularly wrote on the themes of God’s love, grace, peace, hope, his desire to bless, etc. Each chapter of my book is about one of these themes.
Q: How long have you been writing it - and how has the project gone?
From the first draft to a published book has been an 18-year journey! When I began showing my work to editors, I quickly realised that I had a lot to learn about writing. While there were many courses and workshops for fiction, memoir and creative non-fiction writers, there wasn’t a lot for general Christian living. I also needed some emotional healing to find the freedom to share from my own experiences, without constantly borrowing from others. So it’s been a long journey.
Q: What unexpected blessings have you experienced as a result of writing it?
The biggest blessing has been my own spiritual growth through the process of writing and rewriting the book. Sometimes, I felt I was my own audience, since I was writing things I needed to know. The other unexpected blessing has been the many Christian writers I have met along the way. Regardless of what genre these Christians were writing, I felt a real bond with them because they had such a heart for God and a desire to see others experience his goodness.
Q: Who is the book for? Who will benefit from reading it?
Primarily, I write for Christians to encourage them to go deeper with God, to be more open to his love and grace, so they will have more confidence following his leading. I grew up in an unchurched home and I find this gives me a fresh perspective on many biblical themes. I hope readers will come to better understand God’s willingness to bless his people and be better equipped to make a difference in their world.
Q: The blurb says the book contains some real life stories - which one do you love the most?
Most of the real-life stories are my own because unless my writing has practical implications in real-life situations, it’s of little value. My favourite story is when I decided to buy myself a Bible as a young teenager. I caught the bus into town, but unbeknownst to me, the only Christian bookshop in our town didn’t open on Saturday mornings. Nevertheless, I went home with the exact Bible I wanted, but I found the experience disconcerting. You can find out the how and why in chapter four!
Q: Your book releases on 3 July 2025. Where can a reader purchase it?
On my website, there are links to various bookshops where my print and ebook will be available (www.susanbarneswriter.com/10-blessings-of-god) and also the publisher's website (www.reamsofgrace.com).
Many independent bookshops order books through IngramSpark, and these stores should be able to order a copy for you. After publication, there will be an option for Australian readers to buy via my website. Alternatively, there’s a library record for my book with the NLA, so you can complete a purchase request at your local library.
Susan Barnes’ Website www.susanbarneswriter.com
