Meet Joy Hutcherson | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joy Hutcherson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I didn’t really pursue a career in writing children’s books, it pursued me. When I was a little girl, I enjoyed writing short stories and poems however, after age 13, I just stopped writing. Not quite sure why but I guess as you get older other things become more important or interesting. It wasn’t until thirty years later that the interest in writing picked up again; suddenly, and unexpectedly. Unexpectedly because what I began to write about changed, literally from darkness to light.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a children’s book author writing stories that help explain the Bible. I think what sets me apart is that I pull from what we have seen and experienced in our own lives to relay Bible stories to children. For example, the book The Stray Puppy, compares our life with Jesus Christ with that of a boy finding a stray puppy. Who hasn’t heard that story once or twice. When I first told this story to my niece, she said, “Auntie, that makes a lot of sense. I understand now!”. That is what excites me, when the story makes sense! The process of having my first book published was challenging. When I did a google search of Christian children’s books there were thousands upon thousands to choose from; why add another one? I overcame this challenge of wanting to give up before I even started, through prayer. I had to believe that God gifted me with a way to tell His stories in a manner in which children could relate. Also, by not relying on myself alone but with God’s help, this book would come to pass. I often prayed that even if just one person read the book, that was the person God wanted to reach and the book would have been a success: not by the world’s definition of success, but God’s.
Lessons I’ve learned along the way is to not be on an island, especially if publishing your first book or doing something new. By not reaching out and getting advice and feedback from others before starting, the process was delayed tremendously. Also, don’t skip or rush through the processes and steps that come with writing a book, in particular a picture book. Taking your time to go through the right process will prevent you from needing to go back and complete things that should have been completed at the beginning.
What I want the world to know about my brand is the simplicity of the content. Not trying to be super deep or super religious but relatable, and easy to understand.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week long itinerary of fun and interesting things would first include going to church of course! I fellowship at the Omega Ministries & Church Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Next, a visit to the Silver Comet Trail for an afternoon of bike riding maybe even reaching the Alabama state line if we were ambitious enough! Catching a show at the Alliance Theater or listening to classical music at Spivey Hall are always a crowd pleaser. One of my favorite eating places for takeout is Bismillah Café for Indian food. For restaurant dining either the Atlanta Fish Market or Desta Ethiopian Kitchen. Lastly, culminate the week with a relaxing couple of hours on the pottery wheels at Mudfire Studio.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
All the credit and recognition goes to the Lord Jesus Christ. It took me a whole year to get my first book published with discouragement trying to pull me back all along the way. But it was through much prayer that He encouraged me to keep going.

Secondly, Tanicia Prioleau at Remnant Media Services for walking me through the steps of getting published. She was very patient, knowledgeable and encouraging.

Next, Niomi Henry, the editor of the book who gave me some honest feedback that was difficult to digest initially, but her suggestions, really catapulted the book to another level.

Lastly, the church where I fellowship who have always encouraged and promoted getting to know God for yourself so that you can find out God’s own personal plan for your life. Without this teaching and guidance, I would have never had the impetus to step out of a life of familiarity and monotony.

Website: www.joyrebornbooks.com

Instagram: @joyreborn_books