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06 October 2013

Interview with Nancy Rue – Overcoming Depression


Nancy Rue
Nancy  Rue is the co-author of The Merciful Scar, written with Rebecca St. James.

Nancy, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 
It’s an honor to be asked.

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? 
I would have to say my struggle with clinical depression. I’ve been through a lot of loss of loved ones and have had some physical issues myself, but the mental challenge has been the most difficult to deal with and heal from. It’s largely under control now, but daily I, first of all, thank God for both medication and deep spiritual healing, and secondly, stay conscious of my thoughts and how they can lead me into trouble! The loss of perspective that comes with depression can be frightening and I have to say that having lived through a number of episodes, I am closer to God and get my perspective from him. 

(CFP: PTL that you are doing well, Nancy. Thank you for sharing. This is a relatively common disorder but few people talk about it. Somewhere near 10% of the general population suffers from it at any given time.)

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?  
All of my adult novels before The Merciful Scar are available as audio books: the three Sullivan Crisp novels (Healing Stones, Healing Waters, and Healing Sands) and the three Reluctant Prophet novels (The Reluctant Prophet, Unexpected Dismounts, and Too Far To Say Far Enough). Since Thomas Nelson, the publisher of this most recent book, traditionally produces an audio version, it’s safe to assume they will for The Merciful Scar as well. My father was blind for several years before he died, and in those days (the 60’s) he had what were known as “Talking Books” – read on vinyl records. I would sit with him for hours listening; in fact, that was my first “reading” of Pride and Prejudice.  All that to say, I am a great supporter of audio books.    

(CFP: My daughter and I LOVED all of Nancy Rue's books for young people. We'd read and re-read them.  I've also read the books on history with my son, who is a history buff.)

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?
Absolutely. The presenting problem for the protagonist, Kirsten, is self-injury, also known as “cutting.” The story is actually about her healing, not simply to stop hurting herself, but to understand why she feels the need to cut into her flesh, and what the healing power of God is truly about. Another character in the book suffers from Post Traumatic Stress after serving two tours in Afghanistan (a young woman). A third, a young man, is becoming present to repressed memories. All three of them are under the care of a spiritual mentor who asks them the right questions and presents them with the opportunities to find God and thus their healing. A great deal of research went into this book, and Rebecca and I feel that it is not only relevant but accurate. Actually, all of my books are what I would call therapeutic. The Bible is always there. The mentor is always there. And God is always there. 

Thank you, Nancy, for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!
That’s my plan! And thank YOU.

GIVEAWAY:  This week we will be giving away readers choice of ANY of Nancy's many books, choice of format. International winners ebook only unless the book is available on the Book Depository.


38 comments:

  1. Great interview. Thanks for sharing some of how you overcame your struggles. Looking forward to reading your books!

    colorvibrant[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. Heidi, Nancy is a phenomenal writer and also teacher of writing craft! She has so many great books to choose from, too! Thanks for coming by, Heidi!

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    2. Thanks, Heidi! I hope you'll find them helpful. I always learn when I write -- my characters have taught me a lot. Nancy

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  2. NANCY, thank you so much for being with us this week on OWG! I appreciate you sharing your testimony of dealing with depression. I like what you said about how your perception of things really changes and the different direction your thoughts can take. I have been going through an illness and when those thoughts start plaguing me I have to really fight through to change my thinking processes. The Word and prayer have really helped me to overcome in this area, but the enemy is steadily working to attack our minds. I'm very glad you are feeling so much better!

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    1. Diana, my dear Sister in Christ and Senior Reviewer on this blog--you are such a blessing to so many, myself included, that of course Satan is going to attack you. We need to keep lifting you up, all of us lifting each other up. When we are weak, then He is strong...

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    2. Thank you, Carrie. I needed these words of encouragement AND the confirmation! Isn't GOD amazing? You too, my sweet friend, have blessed so many!

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    3. Diana -- I couldn't have gotten through it and beyond it without, as you've said, God, the Word, close relationships, therapy and medication. I think all of that is God, don't you?

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  3. Love this interview! I've read her "Prophet" series and loved them; am anxious to read this new book!
    I appreciate her thoughts (and yours Diana) on our minds.....I am battling pain (first time in my life of over 70 yrs.), and I need to apply your methods!
    Thanks for this giveaway.
    jacsmi75 [at] gmail [dot] com

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    1. Bless you, JACKIE. Will keep you in our thoughts and prayers! It's very hard when you're used to living a normal life and things change seemingly overnight. When we are weak is the time the enemy likes to fight us in our minds. But God's word says, when we are weak then we are strong!

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    2. I haven't read the Prophet series, Jackie, thanks for the recommendation! When we are weak that is when His strength is evidenced through us and we learn to let God do and to trust Him. Always love when Diana and I end up saying the same thing!

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    3. Carrie, I love it when GOD shows up like that! Confirmation!

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    4. Carrie, I love it when GOD shows up like that! Confirmation!

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    5. Jackie -- I love that you've read The Reluctant Prophet series. God was certainly all over that one -- I was writing about some of life's deepest pain. As I've said before, I learn so much from my characters!

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  4. Lovely to meet you here today Nancy. Thank you for sharing.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Nice meeting you, too, Mary. Thanks for letting me share. I feel safe doing that here.

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  5. NANCY, I'm so glad for CARRIE to have you on OWG this week for us to get to know you and your books.
    I've suffered through severe depression at least a couple of times in my life after a build up of overwhelming terrible events and circumstances, and what you say about the loss of perspective is so true. I feel it's vital more people understand this, those going through it as well as those around them especially! I've also known a young woman years ago, who cut into her flesh constantly and has a great deal of scars now that testify to that period in her life. I think it's wonderful that you have books that deal with many of these issues. God bless you and your writing!!

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    1. Noela, Nancy is one of my all-time favorite Christian writers! Absolutely loved her Christian Historical books and I'd love to write something like them someday, myself--they were so wonderful. Very glad to have her on and looking forward to your review!

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    2. God bless YOU, NOela. I"m so sorry you've had to go through that. It can be such a frightening experience, especially when you're around people who just don't understand, and why would they? I'm so grateful that our society has made such progress in that understanding, but we still have a long way to go, don't we? I'm doing what I can and I think if we all do that we'll change the attitudes in deep ways. It's not easy though, is it?

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  6. I've known Nancy for over 10 years. She's a terrific writer, a generous mentor, and a dear friend. Thanks for having her interview here on OWG!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Pammy. You're such a good friend.

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  7. A new author for me. It's exciting and her titles sound very interesting. Great opportunity!

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    1. Nice to meet you, Sonja. I hope you do like the books.

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  8. I can't wait to get my hands on this book! What a great interview!! Would love to win this book. Thanks so much for the chance.
    makeighleekyleigh at yahoo dot com

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    1. Megan - enjoy! It's a dark subject but with a generous helping of healing and hope.

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  9. NANCY thank you so much for sharing with us on OWG. I am glad that you are doing well and I love your statement "I have to say that having lived through a number of episodes, I am closer to God and get my perspective from him." PTL! What a wonderful statement of faith!!

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    1. Thanks, Teresa. What choice do we have, really? Everything can be a teacher. I'm so glad I'm no longer the sort of secretly judgmental person I could be pre-depression!

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  10. I don't know what happened to the comment I left yesterday. LOL

    I adore Nancy. And her books. My girl read every one of her tween books multiple times and I love her "grown-up" books. The Reluctant Prophet series was phenomenal. And Sullivan Crisp series was incredible as well. Looking forward to reading this new collaboration with RSJ.

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    1. Linda, have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate you? I know I don't say it often enough.

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  11. Carrie, what are her Christian Historicals that you mentioned above???
    Thanks! And thanks for your special words to me on HIS strength!

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    1. Jackie, Nancy wrote a bunch of series for Focus on the Family about 20 years ago. LOVE those! They are for kids but I think they are awesome! Yes--HE is strong PTL and can get us through stuff!

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    2. JAckie -- it was called the Christian Heritage Series - 30 books for tweens (girls and boys) following the fictitious Hutchinson family through five important periods in American history (obviously different generations). They are out of print, but we are in the process of publishing them as e-books. INformation will be available on my website soon. www.nancyrue.com

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  12. I battled with depression when my Mom died. I am thank for a mentor and a wonderful pastor and my husband. I still have little struggles but not to where I was. I have alsodealed with my daughter cutting herself. We got her help and now she helps others. I praise the Lord for all we have indured.

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  13. Hi Nancy,I read your story about you illness and the comfort that you get from serving God,I have a son that is 44 and bipolor.He use to go to church and tried to serve the Lord but because of being a controlling person,he didn't like people tell him what to do including our pastor,which is my son-in law and of course his brother-in -law.he was given medication to take but because of it causing problems with his wife ,if you understand ,what I'm saying.Now he no longer has a wife because the controlling part won out and he still won't take meds for his problem so if you will,pray for him and if I win your book,maybe i'll share it with him.In some ways your story sounds a lot like his.I love my son but I don't know how to help him.Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Love the Sullivan Crisp series...thanks for the chance to read another of Nancy's fabulous novels :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  15. Hallo, Hallo everyone and Ms. Rue!!

    Ms. Rue, I left a note to Ms. Baay a moment ago on today's post, as to explain my connection to Ms. St. James, but I wanted to say, that I was most delighted to find that she had become an author! I always was curious how co-authoring works for each writer!? Did it take time to adjust as to whom would work on which bits of the novel, or did you each work in tandem or sort out another method to use!? I am just curious! I'm a writer myself and I am not sure how I would delegate co-authoring! As for me, I don't write off of an outline, as I'm more of an organic writer who lets the narrative and her characters take her places as the story develops and shifts forward! Its a very unique way to write, I suppose, but it comes to me naturally and I feel most at peace when I catch the 'flow of writing'! :)

    Great shot of you on the bike! :) I always admire those who can learn the 'balance' of riding!! I'm better on a horse! I do admire bikes from afar, and I find the weekender bikers to be most lovely to engage a conversation with as well! :)

    I apparently can relate to more threads of this story than I first realised! I'm a volunteer with Soldiers' Angels, whereupon I give back as I'm able too as far as mail is concerned to deployed servicemen and women overseas. I have received a few replies over the years as well, but each time I write, I realise I only understand one piece of the larger picture. I have educated myself more on the realities of a soldiers' (used loosely, this applies to all armed forces!) life, including learning more about the work of Wounded Warrior Project which at some point in the future I'd love to volunteer with past the donations by purchasing towels or bottled water. Therefore, I understand a bit more than I originally did about PTSD!

    On the depression side of things, depression has afflicted those in my family, and like you, they have always turned to God and their faith when they've struggled the most with trying to come to terms with what they were facing or living through. On cutting, I already addressed my personal connection to others' who chose to cut in order to fix what they thought could be helped by bleeding and carving into their skin, but I didn't directly become a cutter myself. For starters, I knew more than my age group about the larger picture in life, as I had already lost a significant amount of family members when I was 12 years old, plus beloved animals. I had already learnt to deal with intense emotions and how to wrestle and muddle through grief, sorrow, and pain. I didn't need to cut to purge those out of me.

    I liked reading about your story as well as getting a feel for more of the characters who are highlighted in the book! I am thankful that I was able to drop by today! And, will continue to see what alights on OWG throughout the week! :) :)

    Thank you for this bookaway!
    [inkand-bookaways(at)usa(dot)net]

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  16. Great interview and it was a pleasure to hear more about Nancy's story. After reading thru the comments above, it got me thinking--does Nancy have any books for young girls who have been molested? If so, I have a little girl i my life, that I think could benefit from reading a book such as this--she has been diagnosed as having PTSD from her exerience--has had some panic attacks, thinking the perp is trying to get into their appt. to harm her and her family (despite the fact that he is in prison and likely to be there a long while).
    I would love the opportunity to win one of Nancy's books--they sound very uplifting!
    Vicki
    vmarney at hotmail

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  17. Hi, Nancy!

    I appreciate your interview - I can identify, in that my father, (& his mother, before him) has struggled with severe depression his entire life. One of my childhood memories, is of going with my mother - to take my grandmother for shock treatments. I, also, have had several brief periods of depression, myself, while struggling with turmoil in my past (years ago) - but never allowed myself to be medicated for more than a few weeks, because I have witnessed how it has affected my father. His doctors haven't been able to control the depression, as they should, with meds - for a number of years now. He now has stage 4 cancer, also.

    Thanks, Nancy, & Carrie - for your helpful, & inspiring, comments! And - thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

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