Each project is a personal quest writing, the tool to seek answers. Each character is playing out a different answer. My books usually start with an unanswered question in my own life. It can be like picking your way through thorn bushes to get to a stream for a drink of living water. PW: Why is it important to address gritty topics in Christian fiction?įR: Life is gritty. Love that lasts is anchored in faith in the One who loves us before we ever loved Him. Love is shown by how we act toward one another. PW: Why do you think Redeeming Love remains so popular today?įR: I think the appeal of Michael and Angel’s love story mirrors the hunger and thirst most people have for the kind of love only God can give. That offers me an opportunity to write back and tell them they can. Many long to meet someone like Michael Hosea. PW: What responses have you gotten from readers?įR: All through the years, I’ve received many letters from readers who have shared their stories of brokenness and how they identify with former prostitute Angel’s struggles. Writing Redeeming Love was my way of sharing what real love looks like: a consuming fire, abiding, sacrificial, faithful, and everlasting. God made the prophet’s life an allegory to give us a clearer picture of how much He loves each of us. The study of Hosea literally turned my life around. It was through a neighborhood church and the pastor’s willingness to teach a Bible study in our home that gave us personal direction and saved our marriage. We sold our home in Southern California and moved to Sonoma County, but outside changes like that don’t answer the inner angst and restlessness that has to do with the heart and soul. PW: What prompted you to fictionalize the Hosea and Gomer story?įR: My husband and I were struggling in our personal and married lives. Rivers talked to PW about Redeeming Love, and Christian fiction.

Redeeming love book of hosea