By Hilda Young of the Ottawa Christian Writers’ Fellowship

1. I am reading again your book “Psalms alive! Connecting Heaven and Earth.” You are fascinated with the drama in the Psalms!
   Yes, that’s true. I also love the poetry and imagery in the Psalms.
2. What gave you the idea of writing a three-volume book about the Psalms?
   Psalms 365 did not begin like most of my other books. It began as a blog. I attended a Write! Canada workshop at the 2013 Word Guild Conference. The workshop presenter urged all of us to begin blogging. At first, I resisted the idea. But after I returned home, I relented and decided to give it a try. But what should my topic be? After trying a few things, I settled on blogging my way through all the Psalms.
3. Why did you decide to divide it up in three parts? How did you decide on the divisions?
   The publisher decided to breakup the manuscript because in its original form it would have resulted in a book of nearly 800 pages. The divisions fell very conveniently at the end of Psalm 51 and Psalm 104.
4. Are all the three books about the same length?
   All three books are about 265 pages in length. The print is quite large for easy reading.
5. How long did it take to write and research?
   From start to finish the raw manuscript took about two years to complete. Typically, I would write one devotion each workday of the of the week. Polishing the manuscript and finding a royalty paying publisher took much longer than the actual writing.
6. Have you been asked to do any presentations about the Bible study aspect of the book series?
   I led a Zoom Bible study of Psalm 51 just this morning.
7. Have COVID restrictions made an impact on your ability to promote the books?
   Yes, restrictions on travel and church gatherings have made promotion much more challenging. Fortunately, many obstacles can be overcome through online events and social media activities, but I miss the in-person gatherings.
8. Do you have a favorite Psalm?
   

   David Kitz

   I have many favorites, but at the top of the list is Psalm 103. It gives me a full, all-encompassing view of God and calls me to a higher level of worship.

9. Is the photo on the cover of the book from the Holy Land?
   The three cover photos are scenes from present day Israel. They have a timeless quality about them. I am very pleased with the Elk Lake Publishing team. They did a great job on all aspects of the book series.
10. I notice on your blog that you feature a different Psalm everyday with a photo and commentary. Does the cross pollination of the blog and the books help increase book sales?
    I admit not every regular blog reader is going to want a hard copy of my book, but some do. Also, some purchase the book(s) as gifts for loved ones. The blog also gives the book a broad international reach. On a typical day my blog has 120 views with about twenty of those views coming from in Canada. The rest of the readership comes from fifteen or more countries scattered around the globe.
    
    

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and for those who love God’s word, it’s an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.