Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and author of Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health. She’s here today to tell us about the book, which has been available in print for a while and is releasing in ebook format on October 11.

Janet: Welcome, Kimberley. You’re a former personal trainer, and you’ve worked in the designing and counselling fields of weight control, stress management, self esteem improvement and wellness programs. Great background for writing a healthy-living book. What prompted you to add a spiritual health component?

Kimberley: Although I’d been born and raised within the church, it wasn’t until I attended a Christian women’s retreat that I realized how much I had compartmentalized my life: family in one corner, work in another; finances here, health there; faith in its own box. I began to see that my faith shouldn’t be kept partitioned off from the rest of my life. Instead, it needed to be intertwined with all the parts of my life. If I was going to follow Him as my Lord, God wanted me to include Him in everything.

Janet: That’s one of those realizations we each need to come to, and it makes a huge difference. I confess I haven’t really thought through the implications of how God might want to direct my physical fitness. What can readers expect from the workbook? Will there be differences in the electronic format?

Kimberley: Fit for Faith is a well-rounded balanced program that follows the stages of change. It’s also an awareness program. The reader is accountable to record their activities, and this helps them to recognize where their strengths are and what areas they need to improve.

The only difference in e-book format is that the reader will record this information in a separate journal.

Janet: What kind of feedback have you had from readers to date?

Kimberley: One reader wrote: “If there are books you must have at all times, this is sure to be one of them, not as a casual read but as a guide to achieving spiritual and physical well being and a ready reckoner for maintenance at the end of the seven week programme.”

Janet: What a great endorsement! I hear you weren’t born a fitness enthusiast. Care to tell us how you got into it?

Kimberley: It wasn’t until I discovered that I was three weeks pregnant with my first child at age 27 that I began to think about changing my anti-athletic ways. I wanted to set an example for my baby.

Janet: What got you started writing?

Kimberley: I won poetry awards in grade-school and always wrote in a journal. But I started seriously writing in 2003, after attending Write! Canada (then called God Uses Ink) and joining The Word Guild.

Janet: I enjoyed your story in A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider, and I know you’ve written other things besides. Do you have a mission statement or an overall purpose for your writing?

Kimberley: I write to bring others closer to God.

Janet: And you write mostly for women?

Kimberley: Yes. Many times I write with a good friend in mind.

Janet: Tell us a bit about your other writing projects.

Kimberley: I’ve written a novel based on a true story, called Tooth for Tooth. It was my first stab at fiction writing, and although I enjoyed the process, I really am more of a non-fiction writer.

I also write devotionals and have collected them into books, Where Fitness meets Faith and Where Family meets Faith.

Janet: You’ve posted an introduction to Fit for Faith on YouTube. I think that’s a great way to let readers hear and come to trust the writer behind the words. After all, if we’re going to invest time in our personal health, we want a sense of who this coach really is.

Kimberley: I agree. Although it’d be wonderful to travel all over the country to give book readings and meet with readers, it’s not feasible. I thought this would be the next best thing.

Janet: I think it’s a great idea. You seem comfortable using YouTube as a way to connect with your readers (Fit4Faith Channel). The demonstrations of stretching techniques are much easier to follow than printed instructions and diagrams, and you’ve posted a trailer for Tooth for Tooth as well as videos of your readings. YouTube, ebooks, public speaking… clearly the traditionally-printed word is just part of the package for communicating your message. Do you see it as something that will gain importance as more options come along?

Kimberley: I love all the “non-traditional” ways to get a message out.  I have plans to post further exercise videos to accompany my book Fit for Faith, offer fitness consultations through Skype, and am open to other options as they come up.

Janet: What do you like to do to get away from it all?

Kimberley: I love to hike in the woods, have a fun game of tennis, or enjoy a bike ride with a good friend.

Janet: What’s the most fun thing you’ve ever done?

Kimberley: I’ve travelled to Holland four times. My parents are from the Netherlands and we have many relatives there. We’re all very close.  I’d love nothing more than to bike across Holland with my mom and my daughter. Maybe next summer.

Janet: Lastly, is there a particular song or Scripture verse that’s made a big difference for you?

Kimberley: My life verse is: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

I’ve come to realize that worry is useless. God hears and answers prayer. I rely on this every single day.

Janet: That’s one of those truths all Christians know, but most of us need regular reminders.  Thanks so much for taking time to let us get to know you a bit, Kimberley. May the Lord continue to bless you and make you a blessing to others—in every area of your life.

Kimberley: Thanks Janet! I enjoyed giving thought to these questions. It’s been a lot of fun!!

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Fit for Faith will release in ebook format on October 11. See Kimberley’s launch gift page for special offers valid for release day only.

The workbook is available for Kindle and in most other ebook formats. For those without e-readers, the print version of Fit for Faith is available through Lulu.com.

To learn more about Kimberley Payne, visit her website or her blogs, Fit for Faith and Return Home and Tell.