Today we’re interviewing Kerri Price, a New Zealand author, about her latest release. Welcome, Kerri!
Fast Five
First up, five quick questions …
Long black or flat white?
Neither. Although I am mildly addicted to Diet Coke and Energy Drinks.
Mangoes or kiwifruit?
Definitely kiwifruit.
(That’s good to hear!)
Cricket or rugby?
Rugby.
Books or TV?
Books and movies. Or books turned into movies.
Desert or sea?
Given I live on a boat, I’m going to go with sea.
You live on a boat? That’s different!
Getting to Know Kerri Price
Where are you from?
I’m from Tauranga, New Zealand, but my husband and I spend most of our time in Vanuatu where we are involved in long-term mission. We live on our 50-foot catamaran and are primarily based out of Port Vila.
What is your town or city most famous (or infamous) for?
We have New Zealand’s best beach: Mount Maunganui. I’m not sure that we have the official title, but we definitely have the unofficial one. We also have New Zealand’s best ice-cream shop, which is almost as famous as the beach.
As a fellow Tauranga person, I have to agree 🙂
What’s something interesting or unusual about you that not everyone knows?
I’m a performing introvert. I have spent a lot of time speaking on stage in high energy environments, so people assume I’m an extrovert through and through. The truth is, I love my own space and can quite happily go weeks without seeing other people. I loved lockdown!
About Your Writing
What do you write?
For the last 20 years I have mainly written for magazines. I’ve been published in everything from women’s glossies through to sector specific trade publications. I’ve also written a few non-fiction guides for the charity sector. My most recent book, She Shares Her Heart, is a Christian Devotional specifically for women.
Who or what are your main writing influences?
I’m not sure that I have specific influences. I read a lot, so I guess I’m always taking note of what I like and what I don’t like in terms of writing. I really like Andy Stanley’s work, so perhaps that has been an influence.
Your latest book is a collection of devotions. What inspired you to produce this book?
Frustration. My husband and I were having a strange season in our ministry and I was having a lot of shouty conversations with God. Not being able to do what we were called to do was driving me crazy! God reminded me of the Samaritan Woman at the Well and showed me that there was more to our mission than the mission itself. The real power would be in the sharing of the stories.
As I started putting the stories together, I realised I knew a lot of amazing women who had also ‘sat at the well’. So, I decided to make it a collaborative project.
What a great inspiration!
How many women have contributed to the book? How did you choose your contributors?
I wrote about half the devotions and the rest were written by 27 amazing women of all ages, stages and walks of life. All the contributors are friends or women I have met through various ministries I’ve been involved with. I believe that every person has a story to tell, so if someone was willing to share their story, I was willing to help them do it.
What’s your biggest writing challenge?
Not having as much time to write as I would like. I am fairly disciplined in writing something every day, but it’s not always for a project I’m passionate about. I try to do a little bit of passion-writing before I settle into other stuff, but it doesn’t always work that way.
How does your faith impact your writing?
It doesn’t matter whether I’m writing a magazine article, a blog post, or a devotional, I always start by saying, “Okay God, what do you want me to write?” I am really conscious that God gave me this gift and I want to use it for His glory. That doesn’t mean I write exclusively Christian content, but it does mean that He always guides my hand.
That’s the perfect definition of a Christian writer 🙂
Finally, where’s the best place to find you online?
I have a Facebook page where I share content most days www.facebook.com/AverMinistries and I also have a website which tells you a little more about me, where I’m speaking and so on www.averministries.com.
You can purchase She Shares Her Heart directly from www.averministries.com/she-shares-her-heart/, as well as www.fishpond.co.nz and www.fishpond.com.au. If you would like to purchase a copy from outside of New Zealand or Australia, email kerri@averministries.com for details.
Hi Kerri, Welcome to ACW 😊 Your devotions book sounds like a wonderful collaboration that will be a blessing for many.
I love your quote (see below) because it summarises one of the reasons why we set up our ACW blog for the Australasian Christian Writing community.
“I believe that every person has a story to tell, so if someone was willing to share their story, I was willing to help them do it.”
always love these interviews. Another missionary 🙂