We’re kicking off 2016 with an author interview featuring O2O member Cherie Lowe and her book, Slaying the Debt Dragon. Getting finances under control is a popular New Year’s resolution so we thought this was the perfect time to share Cherie’s story. Plus Cherie has offered a copy of her book to a One2One Network member! Read on to learn more about the book and enter the giveaway.
Are your finances getting out of control? Have you made mistakes with your money? Are you in more debt than you’d like to admit?
Cherie Lowe has been there. She and her family found themselves $127,482.30 in debt (did your jaw drop?). They hadn’t bought a yacht, blown it on designer clothes, or purchased a mansion. The small, everyday expenses of living just added up—until suddenly, the Lowes were being threatened by one dragon of a debt.
But through hard work and with God’s help, Cherie’s family vanquished this foe, one bill at a time. And you can too! In Slaying the Debt Dragon, Cherie shares how her war on debt made her financially free, strengthened her marriage, taught her children valuable money-management skills, and brought her whole family closer to God and one another. As you read her battle tales, you’ll be armed with the weapons you need to fight your own financial foes. With God, all things are possible—and your inspired happily ever after can begin today.
Read the Intro and first chapter!
O2O: What was your inspiration for writing this book?
CL: Honestly, I wanted people who had debt to dump the guilt and shame, realizing there is always hope for their finances. I talk a lot about the relational and spiritual components of debt but also share some of the concrete strategies we used to eliminate $127K. I wanted to include topics like “What does it look like to throw your child a birthday party while paying off debt? What does it look like in your kitchen on a Monday night when you don’t know what to fix for dinner? How can you get your spouse on the same page? Where do you begin to budget?” It’s not an economic treatise or fancy pants, boring book about money. It’s the grit and grind, the lovely and unlovely from a family who lived the process and learned to tell the story.
O2O: What surprised you most about the writing process?
CL: I will never look at a book the same way again. The sheer number of people it takes to get a work off the ground astounds me. I also had no idea about how much work it takes to sell a book well. Similar to blogging – you are the plan. You must work your tail off to market well, spread the word, and convince others it’s a book worth buying. Doing this while not feeling overly self promotional is an unique balance, especially on already established social media channels.
O2O: What were your writing habits?
CL: I don’t write in the same place where I edit. Writing is typically a comfy cozy spot in my house while editing (the real work) is done sitting at a table or a desk. My original book proposal I wrote in the library with the WiFi turned off because I am easily distracted (Oh look: Facebook! Buzzfeed! Twitter!). I got up at 5 AM for about a month to crank out as much as I could before my kids got up at 7 AM. Then I got everyone ready for school and returned to writing all day long. There was no TV in the evenings. It only took me about 45 days to turn out the first draft of the manuscript but it was 45 days of discipline for sure.
O2O: What was the best advice that another writer gave you about writing?
CL: My friend Margaret Feinberg (who was first my favorite author and then became an internet friend and then an IRL friend) constantly repeats to me – You are the Plan. That means if you really want to get something done, you have to put in the difficult hours of work. Don’t expect anyone else to work harder than you on your project. Don’t expect magic fairy dust that instantly tosses you to the best seller list. It can be a difficult pill to swallow because I think we all want an easy way out – a killer body without the workout and nutritional discipline, amazing kids without the trying hours, a wonderful marriage without any sacrifice. However, Margaret’s wisdom helped me on days when I felt frustrated with the process to realize I could always do something. She was also the person who pushed me write the book to begin with, believing I was up for the task. The move from blogger to author was an incredible paradigm shift for me. I thought writing a book was an outlandish goal.
O2O: What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a book?
CL: Spend as much time developing your character as you do your manuscript. Writing a book will not make you a better human being. It won’t chase away any problems you have right now. And while it is so much fun to see your work in print, it doesn’t in and of itself make you any happier. I discovered I had equated the life goal of writing a book with the illusion that it would find “something” better. It turned out my life was pretty amazing before I wrote a book and it’s those things I treasure most in life that were already there. 
O2O: Will you write another book?
CL: Yes!
GIVEAWAY!
Cherie has graciously offered a copy of her book to giveaway to an O2O member*! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling us one step you’re going to take this year to eliminate debt or stay out of debt. One entry per person. Giveaway closes Monday, January 18, 2016. Winner will be drawn and notified via email on Tuesday, January 19th.
More About Cherie
Since 2008, Cherie Lowe has been confidently wearing a plastic crown and encouraging others to dream big dreams.
Together with her husband, Brian, Cherie paid off $127,482.30 in a little under four years. She scribed the ups and downs of their debt-slaying journey on her popular website, www.QueenOfFree.net.
A graduate of Asbury University, Cherie strongly believes that something can come from nothing and that there is always a way for her readers to simplify their lives and their budgets. More than anything, through speaking and written word, Cherie longs for others to know that there is hope for getting their finances under control. Her family’s story has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, Redbook magazine, AOL Daily Finance, NBC News, and more. Cherie and Brian reside in Greenwood, Indiana, along with their daughters, Anna and Zoe.
Join the court of the Queen of Free on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest to find practical, money-saving tips and daily inspiration to slay the debt dragon.
*No Purchase Necessary. Void Where Prohibited By Law. Entry period will run from Thursday, January 7, 2016 through midnight (PT), Monday, January 18, 2016. Entries must be received in those time frames to be valid. Contest is open to One2One Network members, 18 years of age or older, and a resident of the United States of America. Winner will be chosen via random draw and notified via email. Please see Official Rules for Giveaways.