Meet Rosey Lee | Author

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

Hi Rosey, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I wanted to write stories that feel like a way to take a break from everyday struggles but also leave readers feeling encouraged, hopeful, and empowered to use something they learned in the story to have a better life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I write stories about complicated families and complex friendships, but a happy ending is guaranteed. Of course, life doesn’t happen that way. I want readers to relate to the themes in my story and find some encouragement for their day-to-day lives. I got the idea for my debut novel, The Gardins of Edin, in 2008. I knew that my characters would have the same names and personality traits as women found in the Bible, but they would be relatable, contemporary women. And the story would answer the question of what happened after the stories told in the Bible. I wanted the story to feel like regular life, but it took me over 10 years to figure out what would actually happen in the story. I think it took so long because I had to go through more things in life. I needed to experience more disappointments and hurts and recover from them so that I could choose conflicts for my characters that the average person could see as something they could encounter in their lives.

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?
If they haven’t already been there, I take everyone to The King Center. I can’t count how many times I’ve visited, and I always learn something new. We would see a movie at the Starlight Drive-In Theatre. Most people think of drive-ins as something they only see on old TV shows, so I think it’s fun to try it in real life. We would also go shopping at Atlanta Harvest and the DeKalb Farmers Market. They’re different experiences, but a must for people who enjoy shopping for and cooking fresh food. I love Christmas, and it plays an important role in The Gardins of Edin. If I had a friend visiting during Christmastime, we’d take in the holiday lights and displays at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and attend the Christmas with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to my family—the one I was born into, as well as the friendships that have become like family relationships. I’m thankful for their love and also for everything they’ve taught me about myself and how to navigate the world. So much of my inspiration goes back to them. No family is perfect, but I’ve found there’s always something to learn, even when things don’t turn out the way you might’ve hoped.

Website: https://www.roseyleebooks.com/

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Image Credits
Author headshot (red dress): Meghan Renee Photography