Episode 138 :: Betsy St. Amant: Stories of Living and Writing in Layers: Divorce, Motherhood and Redeeming Love
Today I get to share with you my conversation with the absolutely lovely Betsy St. Amant. Betsy is a Christian fiction author who shares her story of growing up into the storyteller she loved being as a child, and the Lord meeting her in her heartbreak over her divorce, becoming a very young single Mom, the challenge and the redemption of writing novels saturated with romance while going through a divorce. She shares about dying to one dream while birthing another and the beauty of God meeting us in our grief as we feel layered emotions as seasons change. In our conversation today, she also offers a word to women walking out divorce, the loss of a relationship, and hope for their future, and to the re-married woman, step-mothers, and other beautiful but often confusing seasons as she now is navigating that season herself. The Lord has the grace for us to feel many things at the same time, and that is good news for us!
Her latest novel Tacos for Two is a fun little twist on “You’ve Got Mail” meets food trucks, identity, culture, generational familial expectations, and characters that you want to cheer for, shake, and absolutely love. I especially love that there is a beautifully written character with Down Syndrome that just filled my heart with warmth and appreciation for my friends and family living the Lucky Few life. Like her real story, these characters are processing their life experiences in layers of joy, grief, loneliness, new community, change, and more. It is such a fantastic read, and so is this conversation.
Friend, I hope no matter where you are, you know that the God who made you is a God who sees you and cares about you where you are in your story. Whether you are walking through a divorce, navigating a new season you longed for but isn’t what you expected, or any other season of uncertainty, I want you to remember that you matter, and your story matters.
Connecting with Betsy:
References:
-Shreveport-Bossier, LA-Robin Jones Gunn novel
-American Christian Fiction Writers
-Love Inspired (Betsy’s books)
-Her most recent book Tacos for Two
-Holy Angels - “Loving, living and learning for the differently able”
-The Undoing of Saint Silvanus- Beth Moore
-H.R Hutzel / her books / our episode
-Rachelle Dekker / her books / our episode
-Frank Petterti and Ted’s book
-Betsy’s novella collection : The Rom-Com 80’s Club
“Love Inspired” upcoming book from Betsy: Second Chance Christmas- You can pre-order it now, but it will release at the end of September!
Scripture References:
John 16:23-24, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, Hebrews 1:3, 1 John 5:13- The power in the name of Jesus
Psalm 34:18-The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
Proverbs 16:9- People make their plans but the Lord determines our steps
Romans 8:16-18, 28 The Lord uses our sin and suffering for His glory and our good
2 Corinthians 1:3-4-Comfort others from the comfort we’ve been given
Psalm 13, Psalm 44, Psalm 144- David going through a ton of emotions in one Psalm
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Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast:
Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)
*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com