Question: What prompted you to write this particular book?
Answer: You know, I actually got the idea to write a children's book dealing with fear right after 9-11. My girls were very young when that transpired, and they had so many questions and very real fears. My husband and I did our best to assure them that they were safe and that God was still on the throne, but it was still a very difficult time for them and everyone in our country. That's what prompted me to write this book, but I wanted to address more than just the fear of war and tragedy. I wanted to address common childhood fears like being afraid of the dark and fear of scary storms and meeting new people.

Question: Is this a stand-alone title or part of a series of books you're creating?
Answer: As far as I know, this is a stand-alone picture book. Of course, I am always open to writing more. I have lots of ideas for more books. Why I Love You, God started off as a stand-alone board book and then, later, I wrote Why I Thank You, God, Why I Praise You, God, and Why I Trust You, God, so you never know...

Question: Do you test drive your books with kids the age level the book is written for?
Answer: Yes, I always try to test my material. My girls are too old for board books and picture books now, but I have volunteered in a local elementary school and the librarian there would let me "test my material" on various classes. That was always helpful to me. I could watch for the reaction on the students' faces. When I wrote Sister For Sale (Zonderkidz), I read it to a group of kindergarten students before I submitted it to a publisher to see if the kiddos laughed at all the right parts. It's very exciting when they giggle and actually "get it," you know? It gives you, as the author, a lot more confidence in your manuscript.

Question: Did you have any input about the artist and design? I'm intrigued and like the black and white/color style and the way your text is in circles and ovals.
Answer: No, I didn't have any input on the artist choice or the book's design, but I think both are exceptional! I was so pleased when I saw it. When I write a picture book, I often write "illustration suggestions" to the side of the story, but rarely are those followed and that's a good thing, really. I find that illustrators have way better ideas for how to convey what I've written than I could ever imagine. So, I just pray over my story and release it into the capable hands of my editor at Concordia, Peggy, who always finds really great artists to bring my words to life. I am very pleased with Jeremy's artwork. He is very talented.

Question: What do you want a child to think or do after reading/being read this book?
Answer: I want children to know that God is way bigger than any fear they have ever had or will ever experience. I want children who read my book to feel a sense of peace deep down on the inside of them and develop a true confidence, knowing that even when life becomes scary and unsure, they have a loving Heavenly Father who is with them every step of the way.

Question: Did you write the "parenting moment" in the back? What experiences with scary things have you had as a parent that equipped you to help other parents this way?
Answer: Yes, I wrote the parenting moment. One incident stands out to me. When my dad was in critical health (he had a stroke at my sister's house when my girls were just 7 and 8 years old), Allyson and Abby were really frightened to see my dad in such poor health. All of a sudden, the papaw they loved couldn't walk or talk like he had just hours before. They were so afraid of him dying. I just remember hugging them as tightly as I could and whispering, "It’s OK to be afraid. I'm scared, too, but God is here with us and He is with Papaw. God loves us so much and He promises to be with us every second of every day. God will help us get through this... I promise." Even as I spoke those words concerning my earthly father and my Heavenly Father, I had a peace come over me. I knew that no matter how it turned out, I could trust in my God to get us through it and bring a supernatural peace that we so desperately needed during that scary time in our lives.
I hope parents will be able to use this book to help calm the fearful hearts of their little ones and teach them that God cares about every part of our lives—even the scary parts. He wants to love us through the storms of life and comfort us when we’re feeling fearful.