Jonathan Bellamy spoke with Paul Young, author of The Shack

Paul: No doubt about it. A writer from Tennessee finally put it to bed. When the book first came out she wrote me an email and said, 'I don't know what your history is but my sense is that Missy, which is the main character's daughter; Missy represents something murdered in you as a child; probably your innocence. Mackenzie is you as an adult trying to deal with that'. That's really spot on. She really nailed it on the head. We've had deaths in our family although not exactly like in the book. My 18 year old daughter was killed and six months later my five year old niece was killed the day after her fifth birthday. It really is much deeper in terms of my own history and the loss of my own childhood.

Jonathan: What's been the challenge to you since The Shack has been such a phenomenal success?

Paul: One challenge has been trying to balance time, because I want to be home. I want to be with my family and some of the rigours of the demands have been pretty extensive. I find it's easier to take them along and grab a friend here and there than try to slow my schedule down. My youngest of six is 17 and got one year left at high school and I want to be there for that, so that's been a challenge. Another challenge you don't really think about until you happen to be there is that it's easier to be spiritual if you have nothing. When suddenly you have something, it's a different kind of a cross to bear and so requires new questions and new conversations and really trusting in the wisdom of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jonathan: I imagine there's a lot of pressure on you to do a follow up of some sort. Is that something that you want to do or that you are working on?

Paul: I have no intention at this point of doing a sequel to the Shack. I'm working on some other creative projects. I'm working on another fiction. It's in the same genre but it is not a sequel. There are at least three other projects right now as we speak.

Jonathan: So you've become an author? I know your press release says that you're an accidental author, but do you now see yourself as one?

Paul: No, I see myself as somebody who's in a relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that allows you to participate with something quite unusual. You know, if you put your identity in something that can be taken away from you, it's just a matter of time. People can say anything that they want, but I know that my identity is inside my relationship with Jesus and that nobody can take that away from me.

You can buy The Shack from Cross Rhythms Direct for only £7.59.