1. This book grew out of one of your WoF sketches, didn’t it? What originally inspired you to focus on this idea?

I was working on Keeping A Princess Heart when I began writing about the beauty of invisibility. A daughter of the king lives in the invisible kingdom and that can be hard to grasp. We definitely live in a “look at me” culture, and I began considering how the teachings of Christianity counteract that thinking at the deepest levels. Christ provides us with a paradox that goes so far as to infer that the more we disappear, the more we will be seen—and The Invisible Woman was born.

2. How is writing a book different from writing a dramatic sketch?

When I am writing a drama to perform, I focus a lot of energy on what the character is doing, it’s all about action. In writing for readers, I am allowed to focus much more on what the character is thinking. In a story, you can describe everything, including a person’s thought process as well as their motivation-- in a sketch you can hardly describe anything, you have to show it rather than tell it. That’s the real difference between the two—neither is easy, but they are very unique and different.

3. The book is subtitled A Special Story for Mothers, and judging from the comments we’ve heard, a lot of mothers can really relate to the story. Why is it that mothers, especially, are prone to feeling invisible?

Mothers are making incredible sacrifices every day. And a sacrifice, by its very nature, is almost always invisible. If people saw and appreciated everything you did and affirmed you for it, it wouldn’t really be a sacrifice, would it? But to keep working for something you believe in, and doing things just because they need doing, is what mothers are all about. So it’s only natural they are going to feel invisible a lot.

4. Do you think this feeling of invisibility only applies to mothers or do other women experience it as well?

All women experience this feeling. If the beauty of invisibility is found in sacrifice, then every woman who sacrifices is going to feel invisible now and again. In her work, or in her home, or even in relationships, a woman who puts others ahead of herself in order to show them love is going to feel at times like no one sees. I wanted to help women realize that is normal, and that to feel invisible means that she is doing something great, not that she is really disappearing.

5. One of Charlotte’s notes reads, “Invisibility is not inflicted upon me; it is a gift to help me truly serve.” How does that work?

In writing the book, I became convinced that invisibility is love’s greatest costume, given to its choicest of servants when they are truly ready to serve. Invisibility can increase our effectiveness when we aren’t caught up in doing things so the right people see. I think it was one of the Roosevelts who said something like"any man can change the world if he doesn’t want the credit." Invisibility can also increase our internal self-worth in that we can know that our motivation was pure and even sacrificial in the doing.

6. How can we help to “illuminate the sacrifices of others who are invisible to the world”?

When we are suffering our eyes are open to suffering like never before. Or when someone we love has cancer, we begin to see all those around us who are battling the disease. So we can point out the sacrifices we see that are invisible to those around us. We can shine the spotlight on those that are truly serving that no one else sees. Some people think that that might change things if the world saw, but for those that serve regardless of who sees, it won’t change anything, but will bring deep encouragement and affirmation.

7. Do you have a favorite cathedral?

I had the great privilege of visiting Paris and Florence last fall and I fell in love with many Cathedrals, but St. Chappelle really captured my heart. It’s so small and so delicate and by size is dwarfed by Notre Dame. It might even be overlooked on a tour if it wasn’t for its magnificent windows. I wrote about them in the book, but the windows alone took almost a decade to complete. I don’t know that the artisans ever saw their creations in finished form in the cathedral. For people alive in that age, it was the Bible in picture form so they could understand the story and the message of Christ. So many workers whose names we’ll never know gave their life’s work that more might know about the good news. That’s very inspiring to me.

8. Now that the 2005 Women of Faith conference season is over and you’ve had a little time to rest and reflect, do you have a favorite memory from Extraordinary Faith?

One of the things that stand out about the Extraordinary Faith year to me is the tremendous amount of personal stretching that went on among the team. Each of us carried some heavy burdens this year, and it was pretty extraordinary to see how faith kept us huddled together to help shoulder the load. Tears were plentiful and clouds of doubt rolled in at times, but our hearts “held hands” and held each other up giving strength and comfort. I’ll remember this year for trials more than the triumphs—but that faith got us through was very extraordinary.

9. Where is your favorite place to read?

Let me think. I can read almost anywhere. One of the things I love about a good book is that it takes me somewhere else, so if I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, or on a flight across country, I love to have a book by my side. It can make a chair comfortable, a long wait shorter, or even a bout with insomnia bearable—so what is my favorite place? Probably on vacation! That way I don’t have to stop reading if I don’t want to.

10. What kind of books do you most enjoy reading?

I love good fiction, but sadly, I don’t read it much anymore. I tend to pick up a non-fiction book on a topic I’m interested in. I often talk myself out of fiction with the thought that if I read non-fiction I will learn something. But I don’t really believe that, so I don’t know why I tell myself that. I have learned a lot from good fiction, and there have been times I’ve not gleaned a thing from a non-fiction book—so I guess I’d just like to read more of everything.

11. Do you have a favorite that you’ve read lately? What was it about that book that moved you?

I just finished Lauren Winner’s Mudhouse Sabbath, and enjoyed it tremendously. As a convert to Christianity, she looks back on her Jewish roots and evaluates the strengths of the traditions she grew up with. She pinpoints many things she feels Jews have right (even more than Christians) when it comes to loving God with heart, soul and mind, not to mention food. It was a wonderful read that I enjoyed and I learned something too.

12. Tell us about your plans for 2006.

I am focusing a good deal of my time and energy in 2006 on Fresh Brewed Life. From launching a new Web site to pursuing a television show, I’ll be encouraging women toward the freshest, richest life possible. While television is the risky part of this new venture, I definitely feel it is a great direction for the concept of living a Fresh Brewed Life. I’ll still be performing at Women of Faith, which I’m very excited about, and will spend time in Los Angeles in between conferences. I would welcome the support of prayer and a lot of good coffee as I launch out more fully into this unfamiliar territory. Stay tuned!