An Interview with Erin Foley

Erin is an American with an international heart. After spending a chunk of her childhood in Latin America, she served in Papua New Guinea and Australia with YWAM Medical Ships for two years. She currently lives in Southeast Asia, where she’s been teaching and working with NGOs for nearly a decade.

Erin is the author of Kapuna: How Love Transformed a Culture, which received the North American Book Award 2015 for Best Travel Non-Fiction and the 2015 Idaho Author Awards First Place in Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs. She studied Art, Photography, and Journalism at Hillsdale College in Michigan, USA. Her passions include teaching inductive Bible studies, urban gardening, good coffee, wombats, family-based care, and, of course, books.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Cathleen Jones thought of it one day when we were talking. Children In Families (CIF)’s tagline is “Because children should grow up in loving families where they belong.” We had played with a few other titles that never felt right when Cathleen blurted out, “What about ‘Where They Belong’?” I loved it!

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

The book cover was a 180 from what I had envisioned. I had sent Frank the photos for inspiration and he told me that he thought all of my ideas were too commonplace and “same, same.” He pitched me a concept using multiple photos. I wasn’t a fan, since I thought it would look too noisy but when he sent me a few options for what ended up being the cover, I absolutely loved it. All of the people in the photos are CIF kids and parents. It feels special.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

My family was poor growing up, but we were all readers. Even in our single-wide trailer in Texas or the one-bedroom apartment in Caracas, we had books lining shelves and frequented libraries. I also grew up hearing about and discussing global events at the dinner table, like the Berlin Wall coming down, Rwanda, Bosnia, etc. So I wanted to be a foreign correspondent from a young age. The world and people fascinated me.

Then, when I was eight, the movie Newsies came out. It’s been my favorite movie since. Bill Paxton’s character, the journalist, inspired me to appreciate the power of the press.

I grew up reading about all types of historical figures and world events. My favorite book was The Hiding Place. I also read a lot of the classics like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, To Kill a Mockingbird, Across Five Aprils, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, etc. Jack London, LM Montgomery, CS Lewis, Mark Twain, and countless others inspired me.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I started working at thirteen years old and held numerous jobs including, but not limited to: farm labor, cleaning hotel rooms, ski-lift operator, lifeguarding, swim instructor, server, and substitute teacher, but I think most people are surprised when they know I was a liability claims adjuster for a major US insurance company. It was an incredibly interesting job but also one of the most stressful. I’ve also worked for a medical ship (in the Director’s office and communications), worked in anti-trafficking with former sex workers, and am currently working in family-based care, as well as freelancing for Christianity Today.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Hearing from readers that their paradigms on orphan care had greatly shifted. The feedback has far exceeded my expectations and humbled me.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

“Take Away” by Mainstay (this would be the theme song);

“Worlds Apart” by Jars of Clay;

“Love Will Leave a Mark” & “Glass House” by RED;

“Background” by Lecrae & Andy Mineo;

“Nobody’s Listening” by Linkin Park;

“All the Words” by Kutless;

“Lamentations” by Jackie Hill Perry;

and, of course, classic Khmer songs mixed in.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope readers don’t just learn more about better care for orphans and vulnerable children but they will advocate, donate, and serve accordingly.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I am in the middle of the edits of two articles for Christianity Today. I can’t give away the topics but one required months of work and research. I am so proud of the piece and cannot wait for it to be published! It fulfilled my childhood dream of being a foreign correspondent for a week.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I appreciate how quick the staff are to respond to inquiries or problems. It’s nice to have very specialized individuals in specific aspects of the publishing process.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.