By Mary Eason 

In the past three years, Inspirational Fiction has literally taken off.  Walk into any bookstore and you’ll no doubt see a variety of Inspirational Fiction ranging from tender romances, to suspense, to chick lit and even science fiction.  Every type of genre imaginable has now been claimed by the Inspirational writer.

In two  recent articles concerning the Inspirational chick lit phenomenon,  one by USA TODAY writer,  Deirdre Donahue  in an article  entitled- Publishers put their faith in churchified 'chick lit'  Donahue talked about Steeple Hill Café, the new imprint from Harlequin that will offer "smart, hip editorial that features faith and humor," says Harlequin senior editor Joan Marlow Golan. "It presents real-life situations that modern women of faith face without sacrificing strong morals and values: How do I live an authentic contemporary Christian life?" 

Christian writing is a growth area in publishing. "Sales of Christian fiction have doubled in the last 10 years," says Golan. According to the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association), sales of Christian books are up 6.8% from 2002.

Secular and religious publishers are adding a Christian twist to the genre of young women's fiction called "chick lit." Publishers Weekly dubbed it "Bridget Jones goes to church."

While classic chick lit addresses single women's supposedly rushing issues — thigh circumference, man-trapping and how many glasses of wine one drank the night before — Christian chick lit includes more church singles' groups. And no recreational drinking.

"Publishers and retailers have a desire to connect with younger readers," says CBA president Bill Anderson. He sees a strong market for titles "that deal with contemporary issues but respect the faith and values of the readers."

In addition to chick lit, publishers are releasing mom lit, Christian variations on the best-selling novel about motherhood clashing with career, I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. (The Sisterchicks are moms, for example.)

Charis Calhoon of the Romance Writers of America says 51.1 million readers buy at least one romance a year. Inspirational novels make up 10% of the market. Notes Calhoon: "Although (inspirational romances) have happy endings, the characters are grappling with their faith and their spirituality." 

In another article appearing in Christianity Today entitled  - Redeeming "Chick Lit" Move over, Bridget Jones! Christian women are taking over this hot literary trend, writer Ramona Richards writes, ‘You probably know someone like her. You may have read about her in magazines, or seen her on television or in the movies. She's smart, sophisticated, and sassy—a career woman who worries about her boyfriend, her boss, and the latest fashion trends. She may be like your best friend, or the girls who hang out with your daughter.

She's the heroine of the publishing phenomenon called "chick lit," a secular literary trend that gained attention with Helen Fielding's best-selling book (and later movie) Bridget Jones' Diary. Bridget first hit the bookstore shelves in the UK in 1996 and has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide since. While the women of this genre are funny and have a distinctive literary voice, they can be annoyingly young, somewhat shallow and materialistic, and definitely obsessed with sex and men.

So when Neta Jackson, author of best-selling The Yada Yada Prayer Group, a lighthearted Christian novel about a group of churchgoing women, discovered her book helped launch chick lit into the Christian market, she was surprised. Actually, since Neta knew the reputation of chick lit, stunned was more like it. "I didn't have chick lit in mind for any of the Yada Yada books," Neta explains of her now two-book series. "I do know a lot of readers picked up the first book because of that bright pink cover with the crazy socks and then get caught up in the characters and the story." These bright colors and fun, girlie images are common in secular chick lit. As one of Neta's readers wrote, "The jacket was colorful and interesting. But I never expected what I read! What a fantastic and moving book on faith, friendship, and finding oneself. I loved every page."

What Neta—and her readers—discovered is that chick lit really is about women's hearts and the incredible friendships that can grow between them as they struggle with the ordinary issues in life—men, work, stress. Christian women readily relate to these topics, especially if the story also shows how faith drives a woman's choices in fashion, fun, and friends. Karen M. Ball, senior acquisitions editor at Christian publishing company Zondervan, says, "We love reading about women of faith who have an ability to laugh at themselves and the foibles of life. We want real, honest, vulnerable characters."

She's Me!
Christian chick-lit heroines don't have grand quests to achieve or villains to conquer. They aren't larger-than-life people who traverse countries, take on serious causes, or engage in romantic encounters with stalwart, wavy-haired heroes. In fact, the strong voice of ordinary women who are both flawed and funny is central to this genre, and is one of the reasons why its popularity is growing by leaps and bounds. A number of Christian publishers now have chick lit novels on their current list or are planning them for the future. As Ami McConnell of Westbow, the new fiction imprint from W Publishing Group, points out, "The 'voice' of the heroine is so essential in a chick-lit novel. It's attractive because when you 'hear' her voice, you recognize it. Spending time in the book is like hanging out with a really engaging, funny friend."

Jana Reiss, religion book reviewer for Publisher's Weekly, emphasizes this is a distinctive appeal, especially for younger readers who feel "chick lit represents their lives in ways traditional novels don't. And, of course, the key theme of women's friendships is appealing to readers of all ages."

One reader, who's a self-professed "chick lit-aholic," was excited to find Christian novels in her favorite genre. "I love chick lit, but I was really tired of heroines who put so much stock in getting skinny and bed-hopping. I love Ashley (from What a Girl Wants). She worries about what God wants and she makes me laugh. She's like me!"

From Fashion to Faith
Christian authors hope to take the appeal of chick lit one step further, from fashion trends to faith. They want to touch readers' hearts and souls with fun characters who are rooted in strong Christian beliefs. Anne Goldsmith of Tyndale House Publishers describes why and how Christian novels differ from their mainstream counterparts. "Secular chick lit has a formula of its own: Strong, sassy woman struggles with career, self-doubt, and rising obstacles, and finds meaningful relationship and at least temporary triumph by the end. Christian chick lit deals with the same issues from a faith-based perspective, without the sexual content and bad language common in the mainstream."

Joan Marlow Golan of Steeple Hill is even more specific about the heroine's relationship with Jesus. "You'll find some of the themes of secular fiction taken to a deeper level in Christian chick lit. For example, the secular chick-lit heroine is trying to figure out her place in the universe—what kind of job, what kind of guy, where should she live, etc.? The Christian chick-lit heroine may share these concerns, but she also wonders what God's purpose is for her."

Mass Appeal
The sense of fun that pervades Christian chick lit almost as much as its core of faith may allow this genre to do something few other books written for the Christian marketplace have done: cross over to the secular market. As Jana Reiss explains, "Christian chick lit is crossing over without even trying very hard. Because the stories are fun and the characters engaging, they have a better chance of being read by people outside the faith."

The Yada Yada Prayer Group is the champ of crossover appeal, with more than 100,000 copies in circulation. Neta is thrilled. "Yada Yada has snuck into public marketplaces such as Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble, maybe riding the coattails of the chick-lit craze. But readers get a lot more than they bargained for."

Neta has heard from many such readers who have written to say they laughed and cried their way through the book. One reader wrote, "Although I got the book as a 'fun' read, it pierced my soul."

"But," Neta says, "the phone call that blessed me most was from a book club in Michigan. When they met to discuss the book, a young woman prayed that night to ask Jesus to be her Savior. Now that's worth all the blood, sweat, and tears I pour into these books!"

Women are falling in love with Christian chick lit. As Judy Baer, author of Steeple Hill's inaugural chick-lit title The Whitney Chronicles, notes, "I believe readers are responding to these new, sassier Christian women because they see themselves in the heroines, who are quirky, struggling, faithful, joyous, vulnerable, witty … so human and so real. While chick-lit heroines aren't perfect, they've always got their eye on their goal—to honor God with their lives."

A Bright Future
The broad appeal of current Christian chick lit provides hope that the genre won't simply expand but also will mature. "What's been exciting for me," says Ami McConnell, "is seeing how chick lit challenges and expands the definition of inspirational fiction. We always want to grow that definition; it never should be stagnant."

Publishers are heeding the call. Tyndale is looking at publishing "mom lit" (chick lit with children), as is Zondervan. Steeple Hill launched Steeple Hill Café, a dedicated chick-lit/mom-lit line.

But no matter what path the literature takes, the spunky heroines always will have the last word, persevering with faith and humor. "I love that Christian chick lit tells women we can be faithful and fabulous," says Beth Patillo, author of The World According to Betsy (WaterBrook). "As Betsy would say, the glow you get from serving God is one facial no one in the world can give."

There is definitely a growing audience for all things Inspirational.  If you doubt that consider the huge success of the Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye,  Kristin Billerbeck author of such chick lit titles as She’s Out Of Control, and What a Girl Wants which was featured on NBC’s  The Today Show.  

Article is available at this link:   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7274295/

But do you ever wonder, in an ever-demanding world where more is considered better, how these writers keep the faith?

 “I think God tests you before He gives you too much success, I really do.  I know where my heart is. Everyone has a distinct ministry.  I really believe mine is bridging the gap between the Christian world and the non.  If I ever can't speak to the outside world?  I think I have become irrelevant and not able to "Go!" as He told us.”  Kristin Billerbeck. 

“I feel writing inspirational romance strengthens my faith. My characters are growing in their faith, and as they move closer to God, so do I. If I write a secular romance, I still keep the main characters within my moral boundaries. A great romance does not need the elements that go against my beliefs.”  Sheila Holloway. 

“Certainly you can write a touching novel without giving up what you believe in. In fact, adding faith and/or strong values creates depth to the character as well as the story. Like real people, fictional characters can struggle with life decisions, but find strength and hope by turning to God. In romance, it's easy to drive the hero or heroine toward a love scene when the story sages. In inspirational romance, the story has to have an underlying spiritual thread, a place where the hero or heroine has to choose to do what's right, or allow their desires to be changed by the living God. Sometimes, it's realizing God loves them and has a purpose for them.   Not only can that add dynamic to the character, but add a new dimension for the reader. Yes, we can keep faith in romance. God is a God of love. Look at Song of Solomon. At the surface level, it's a love story between a man and a woman. At the core, deepest level, it's a love story between Jesus, the great Bridegroom and his bride, the Church. You and me. He loves us in the pure way a man loves a woman. The greatest romance story ever written was penned by the wisest man who ever lived! Pretty amazing.”  Rachel  Hauck. 

For inspirational authors, keeping the faith is not only easy, it’s essential part of who they are. 

Special thanks to Kristin Billerbeck, Sheila Holloway, and Rachel Hauck for their insight into the mind of an inspirational author.    

Mary Eason’s first inspirational romance, Ten Thousand Angels will be released April 2005 through By Brace Publishing – www.bygracepublishing.com.  Visit Mary at www.maryeason.bravehost.com  to learn about her April release of Ten Thousand Angels and future upcoming releases.