Let me say here that Mary DeMuth’s The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible: What Their Stories Teach Us About Thriving is one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. Mary is one of my long-time friends in real life, and I’m so excited to be featuring her on Writer’s Desk.
Make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post and click the link to watch our candid conversation. Also, enter for a chance to win one of three copies of The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible!
The Writer’s Desk with Mary DeMuth
Author and speaker Mary DeMuth has written over forty fiction and nonfiction titles. In her spare time, she loves to cook and has hosted thousands of people over the years, including hundreds in France where her family lived a few years ago. She lives in Texas with her family of five, a needy dog and two feuding cats. Connect with Mary on her website, WeToo, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, listen to her podcast, and sign up for her newsletter!
Q&A with Mary DeMuth
TG: Everyone always asks for an interesting fact, we’re going to flip the question. What is one boring fact about yourself?
MD: I don’t like coffee.
TG: Why did you write The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible?
MD: I knew how hard my own journey was in being misunderstood by others, and I had also fallen in love with rapid reading the Bible. I began to see how other biblical women managed the pain of misunderstanding. That intersection informed the book.
TG: Did you have any surprises or learning moments while writing this title?
MD: How very real the biblical women became to me. They breathed and lived and had bad days and good.
TG: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
MD: To realize it’s not their job to micromanage their reputations, and also to fall in love with the Bible.
TG: Do you have any habits or rituals as a writer?
MD: When I’m on deadline, I create a graphic where each box = 1000 words. Then I relentlessly, daily color in a square. Typically I color in two or three boxes a day. It’s a visual reminder of my progress.
TG: What habits would you encourage others to take up to be a more productive writer?
MD: Write every weekday, and give yourself a word count. Make yourself do it. Create a chart and check it off. Writing is a muscle that must be exercised daily.
TG: What do you snack on or drink while writing?
MD: Hot tea (sometimes) and this particular dark chocolate.
TG: How do you overcome writer’s block?
MD: I typically don’t have it. I don’t allow it. Like Tricia, I just keep writing.
TG: Are you an “edit-as-you-go” writer or do you wait until the very end before you do any editing?
MD: I dump, then edit later.
TG: What would you say is the most common mistake new writers make?
MD: Not writing consistently. Not being teachable. Not knowing the publishing industry. Not understanding the importance of marketing in making a career.
TG: What is the best piece of writing advice you’re ever received?
MD: Go where you want to take the reader.
Click on the graphic below to watch my interview with Mary DeMuth on The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible
Enter for a chance to win one in three paperback copies of The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible.*
*Due to shipping costs, the giveaway for the physical copy is open to US mailing addresses only.
More about The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible
Understanding Isn’t Overrated.
Ask any woman—most of us know what it’s like to be misheard, mischaracterized, or misrepresented by family, friends, or strangers. Few of us feel deeply known and understood all the time. Worse, many of us have endured long, painful seasons of misunderstanding in which the people around us have questioned—or worse, judged—our motives and actions. We have asked ourselves, How do I correct these misperceptions? Do I try to defend myself—or does that only make me look guilty? How can I recover my joy even if someone believes something about me that isn’t true?
This problem—and your feelings and questions about it—is nothing new. In fact, women have faced it since the dawn of time. In this engaging book, Mary DeMuth tells the tales of ten women in the Bible who were misunderstood in their own time and often still are—bringing to each of them a deep humanity that makes her, and her problems, more relatable to twenty-first-century you. If you are struggling with feeling misunderstood, let these stories inspire you to grow and remind you that you are not alone. And remember: There is always One who understands you perfectly and stands ready to comfort, strengthen, and defend you through every situation you face.
Purchase a copy of The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible: Amazon | Baker Book House | BookShop.org
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What If You Could Change the World without Changing Your Daily Routine?
A time and place where men longed for a piece of God’s green earth to call their own and women still dreamed of a home and a hand to hold. Beth Yates has lost everything and could lose much more if she doesn’t escape her beloved city of Chicago and the dreadful memories it holds. Forced to run from a powerful tyrant determined to ruin her, she blames God and vows never to trust a man again. Ethan Dawson dreams of owning a horse ranch in the foothills of the stunning Bitterroot Mountains but is stuck building the dreams of Montana’s Copper King, Marcus Daly. With time running out to make his dream a reality, Ethan refuses to let anything…or anyone stand in his way. Runaway River is a powerful story of God’s perfect timing and complete care during difficult times. Ethan and Beth must realize that their setbacks, troubles, and trials are not sent from a distant God but His great love and overwhelming kindness has gently carried them through it all.
Headstrong Johanna Berglund, a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, has very definite plans for her future . . . plans that do not include returning to her hometown and the secrets and heartaches she left behind there. But the US Army wants her to work as a translator at a nearby camp for German POWs.
It is AD 312. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine’s army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, Brandulf Rex, a pagan Germanic barbarian, joins the Roman army as a spy and special forces operative. Down in Rome, Junia Flavia, the lovely and pious daughter of a nominally Christian senator, finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church.
Do You Trust God?
In this enchanting YA spin on While You Were Sleeping, Christen Krumm delivers laughter and Christmas sparkle through a swoon-worthy story of first love and belonging.
