Pump Up Your Book Chats with Thom Hunter

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Thom Hunter is a Christian married father of five who fought, fell and rose again to fight against unwanted same-sex attraction. He encourages others to press on, moving beyond excuses, to claim responsibility and power through the Grace of God. Thom believes the church has failed in its responsibility to provide hope and healing for those who struggle with sexual brokenness.

Thom is a former newspaper and magazine editor, journalism professor and speech-writer. He spent 20 years with AT&T as a public relations executive and chief of staff. He now writes and speaks full-time.

Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do is his third and most recent book.

You can visit his website at www.thomhunter.com or his blog at www.signsoffastruggleblog.com. Connect with him on Twitter at http://twitter.com@Thomasthefree and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thom.hunter.

Thank you for this interview, Thom. Can you tell us what your new book, Surviving Sexual Brokenness, is all about?

Thom: Surviving Sexual Brokenness is, more than anything, about restoration. Sex is a good thing . . . but if we find ourselves trapped in situations where our response to temptation is to repeatedly act out sexually in ways our heart tells us is wrong for us, we are sexually broken. Many men and women struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction, pornography addiction, repeated falls into adulterous affairs. Surviving Sexual Brokenness examines the roots and the roadblocks and provides understanding, encouragement, hope and help through Biblical truth and Christian compassion for the freedom-seeker and those who travel alongside.

What do you believe was the most challenging part of writing Surviving Sexual Brokenness?

Thom: Transparency. It’s one thing to write a book full of advice for others, but it is another to use your own struggle as a launching pad for that advice. I believe much of the power of the book lies in my willingness to lay out for others my own painful path, but to do it in a way that they see themselves not as victims, but as potential victors. I could only do that by being brutally honest about my own brokenness. This is not a lollypop adventure, but it is well worth the trip.

Can you pick out a part of your book that most definitely has the wow factor?

Thom: The chapter, Where Would We Be Without Doubt?, confronts one of the biggest problems people caught in the spin cycle of temptation and failure face: doubt. While me may not be able to dispel our doubt, we can turn it to our advantage.

“One of the hardest things anyone with a significant struggle — such as same-sex attraction, lust or pornography addiction — deals with, is doubt. Self-doubt, sure. But, also the doubt others have in his or her ability to change . . . or even doubt that the person really wants to change. Sometimes this doubt is not truly expressed, but is instead hidden behind the “we’re with you” smiles, which can so quickly become “we knew it” frowns at the very first sign of a fall. How nice it would be for all involved if this battle were but a minor skirmish with a certain outcome, instead of one of those “well, I had my doubts all along” battlefields, littered with the wounded, some doubting they can get themselves back up again to move forward, some doubting if anyone even cares anymore.

“God loves those who doubt.”

Where are you from?

Thom: I live in Norman, just outside of Oklahoma City, but I’m a native Texan. It has always been hard to say where I am actually from, because we moved so frequently. My first two fathers were alcoholics and county sheriffs impacted our home choices more than realtors. I never thought I would ever live in Oklahoma; now I can’t imagine choosing anywhere else to live than right here in the center of misconception. Also, living in the middle of the Bible belt and seeing how many Christians struggle with sexual issues and find themselves living often-disastrous double lives has certainly helped determine the direction of my writing.

Do you see writing as a career?

Thom: I’ve always been a writer, though in the past I had the once-upon-a-time security of a newspaper career, followed up by 20 years in corporate public relations with AT&T and those nice direct-deposit paydays. Now, I am free to starve or flourish as a full-time writer, both as a blogger and an author. This is my third book and a tremendous departure from the two preceding ones. My writing is focused on overcoming the common chaos of life. I’ll never run out of subjects; there will never be a shortage of potential readers.

Aside from writing, what other talents do you have?

Thom: I am very talented at showing admiration for other people’s natural talents. I do bewilderment very well, and if wishing were a talent, I would have trophies on the mantle.

There are a lot of things I find enjoyable, but if I listed them as talents, then I would have to list exaggeration as the chief of all.

If you could choose a talent that you don’t possess (yet), what would that be?

Thom: I would love to be able to read and write music and then sing my own songs. I enjoy writing lyrics and I can hear them in my head, but I don’t know a “fa” from a “la.” Music is so powerful and healing. The piano in our living room both beckons and mocks. Maybe someday?

If you could change one thing about your book after the fact, what would that be?

Thom: Titling this book was difficult. I wanted to target the vast audience of people who struggle with sexuality, but I also realized that the content of the book is directed toward people who struggle with any addictive or overbearing issue in their lives. Reviews have borne that out.

If anything, I might have been even more direct in taking the church on, pointing out the inconsistencies in how churches handle members who are involved in sexual sin as opposed to other sins.

One final question. If someone were to walk into a bookstore and pull any book off the shelf, why would they choose yours?

Thom: My book approached the issue of sexual brokenness with truth and compassion, rather than with judgment and condemnation. It offers realistic hope and encouragement, particularly for people of faith, instead of clinical suggestions or exercises. And, I provide solid, experience-based support and help for people who love someone who struggles and want to know how to continue walking alongside..

Thank you so much for this interview, Thom. Any final words?

Thom: Just be fearless. Face difficult issues head on and ignore what culture is telling you to do. Culture has never been guided by truth. Culture changes; truth remains.

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How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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