My goodness, you are in for a treat today! I’m leaving tomorrow for the third Christian Communicators Conference, this time held at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. But before I leave, I want to introduce you to my friend, Pam Farrel, best-selling author of over 37 books, the newest from Harvest House, Becoming a Brave New Woman. She’s had gobs of books that I’ve loved, but two of my favorites are Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti and Red Hot Monogamy (Yes, you read that right. Awesome book!)
But today we want to talk about her new book, Becoming a Brave New Woman. In this book, Pam helps women discover how to develop the courage they need to walk into their hopes and dreams. With plenty of biblical examples and practical insights, Pam reveals that nothing is more vital to becoming a brave new woman than knowing God intimately and looking at life from His point of view.
I’m thrilled to share this interview that will help you become a brave leader, author and speaker, too. And don’t forget to leave a comment for Pam and you’ll be in the drawing for a free copy of Becoming a Brave New Woman!
Q: Pam, when do you first remember needing to feel brave?
A: I was born into a chaotic home filled with domestic violence caused by my father’s drinking. As a preschooler I felt fear. However, early on Sunday mornings there was a cartoon created by the Lutheran church and it showed what a happy, healthy home looked like. It all centered around God. I began talking to God when I knew very little about him. But praying began to help me be brave—so I kept it up!
Q. When did you begin writing?
A. I wrote and illustrated my first book in second grade—and from that point on I was hooked! I fell in love with words, the writing process—even the smell of books on a library shelf!
Q When did your writing shift from your sweet little picture book that you created at age 8 to the more courageous writing you do today?
A. When I was nine, I realized I didn’t want to grow up and repeat the pattern of chaos that filled my home daily. My best friend, Kelly, invited me to her home and it was full of love, peace, joy (the fruit of the Spirit), and I wanted that kind of home! Then Kelly’s family invited our family to church, and there I saw what loves looked like. I wanted to know the author of love-God!
Q. Share why you wrote your newest book, Becoming a Brave New Woman.
A. I have been a youth pastor’s wife, senior pastor’s wife, a Director of Women’s Ministry and speaker so I spend a lot of time with women: talented, smart, amazing women—but the trouble is, the majority didn’t see themselves that way! They were racked with fears of all kinds, shapes and sizes and when I boiled it all down, they were fearful because they didn’t have an accurate view of God, so they couldn’t see themselves or their lives from his point of view. 
Q. So how did you change that?
A. I decided to help them by taking them on the same journey as I took to become a woman of courage and confidence—I’d give them a better view of God! In Becoming a Brave New Woman I say, “There is nothing more vital, more central to our confidence than our confidence in God. I like to say, Show me the size of your God, I will show you the size of your courage: BIG God, BIG courage; BIG God, BIG adventure; BIG God, BIG opportunities; BIG God, BIG bravery!”
Q. The subtitle is “Step Into God’s Adventure For Your Life”. How do you tell women to do that?
A. Let’s apply my BRAVE method of S.T.E.P.ping into your adventure to the life of a writer:
S: Speak the Adventure- Tell your spouse, friends, family, or mentees what God is calling you to do. Speaking our dreams, goals and adventures out loud gives them wings! But even more powerful is to speak God truth over your life- that is where real courage is formed. That I why each chapter of Brave New Woman ends with Winning Words which is simply scripture , personalized, then strung together so a woman can pray it over her life or her friends and family can pray it over her too!
T: Team Up for the Adventure- A successful writer has a good team around her: mentors, other writing friends, and some practical help too. My books make deadline because my kids learned to cook!
E: Energize the Adventure- A writer sits-A LOT! But if we are going to keep writing we need good habits to live longer and stronger: eating the right foods, lots of exercise, and time outside in the sunshine! I love some of the studies I cite in Brave New Woman because we often don’t remind ourselves that a walk, a swim, a little dancing—and even some of what we call “Red Hot Monogamy” with your spouse can all release creativity!
P: Push the Adventure- Writing requires a brave heart. People will disagree with you. God might ask you to write on controversial topics. (I didn’t go to college with a goal of writing several books on sexuality!) But writing is when you see a need and you see God’s answer for that need so you grab hold of God and your computer and you write! The world desperately needs a message they may not even initially want to hear—but we must write it! And as writers we can help each other become brave. I am inspired by the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” We must be BRAVE!
Vonda here: Thanks for joining us, Pam. What an honor to have you here with us at The Christian Writer’s Den. And friends, don’t forget to leave a comment for Pam and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book! But you must check back next week to see if you’re the winner!
Bio: Pam and her husband, Bill, are the Co-Directors of Love-Wise. Together they help people in all their most vital relationships by connecting love to wisdom. Their resources, books, and numerous free relationship building articles can be found at
Write on!
Vonda
