Portadown girl Rachel’s debut Christian fiction novel ‘Fiery Hearts’ based on futuristic world

Now aged 28, it has taken her 10 years and she praises the support of her family and her Portadown church R8 for helping her achieve her goal.

Despite years of rejection, being told she was too young or not good enough, Rachel, who wrote her novel ‘Fiery Heart’ when she was 18, perservered.

Since she was young, Rachel has had three passions in life - writing, reading and ‘kids ministry’.

“I work in childcare part time and also part time in church in the ‘Kids Ministry at R8 church,” said Rachel who held her book launch there.

Rachel lives with her mum, Roberta, dad, Steven and three younger brothers (Samuel, Joshua and Nathan) as well as her two black Labradors Bob and DJ.

Having attended Killicomaine Junior High and Craigavon Senior High, she went onto the Southern Regional College in Lurgan to study level 3 Diploma in Childcare.

How Rachel got into writing

Rachel revealed: “As a young child I was always making up stories and writing down things. I never thought about writing until my GCSE year at Craigavon Senior High – English with Mrs. Briggs. As part of the GCSE we had to write a short story. It was then that I realized I had a love for writing and Mrs. Briggs encouraged me in that.

“From there I started writing on an amateur writing site called Wattpad. I wrote many books on there and hit a million views in no time,” said Rachel.

Asked what inspired to write about her current novel, she said: “Fiery Hearts came to me in a dream one Saturday night – it was so vivid and clear. I went to church that Sunday and my Pastor- Scott was teaching on Saul. I immediately went home and started writing up a storm. I sat at the living room coffee table and mum brought me cups of tea because I was so absorbed that everything drifted away from me.

“I started writing Fiery Hearts at 18 and finished it at 18. I felt that this would be the one that needed to be published and so I started my journey of publishing.”

For Rachel it was a tough journey to get a publisher.

She revealed: “People told me I was too young, that I wasn’t good enough, that my writing was pure rubbish and that it was impossible. I never gave up on my dream, but I gave up on myself.

“My self confidence plummeted and I didn’t believe I was good enough. With rejection upon rejection, I put up a shield around myself,” said Rachel.

Rachel turned to her Portadown church for guidance

“R8 CHURCH is my home and it’s there that I found my confidence again through people loving me and encouraging me I found myself again. I never gave up and kept listening to God’s voice. I was led to Ambassador International (a Christian publishing company) where my dream of becoming a published author, a dream that many told me was impossible, became possible.”

What Rachel’s book ‘Fiery Hearts’ is about

She explains what her debut novel is about: “The tag line for my book Fiery Hearts is Dare to believe in the Impossible! Fiery Hearts is a book that everyone said would be impossible, but through God it became possible!

“Fiery Hearts is a Christian Fiction novel set in a futuristic world where the Christians are being hunted by an elite group called the Haters. The story begins with a young soldier Cryant who wants to become an elite assassin. He is given the task of entering the forbidden castle and slaying the Beast – known as Pastor Gray. He enters the castle with pure hatred, but what he finds inside will forever change his life- unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, and most of all the truth.”

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Despite her confidence being severely knocked while getting her first novel published, Rachel has vowed to continue.

She said: “My ambitions for the future – are to continue writing books that inspire people to seek Gods heart and draw people closer to God. I would love to help young people someday that are just like me all those years ago and encourage people to never give up on their dream, because all things are possible.”