Amanda Cox
11 min read ⭑
“Stories gave me windows into new perspectives and experiences, expanding my elementary school horizons. But even more than that, stories helped me discover buried truths about myself. Reading was a conduit for processing hopes, fears, joys, sorrows and everything in between, giving me a language I hadn’t yet discovered.”
As a Christy Award-winning author and homeschool mom, Amanda Cox spends much of her time communicating truth and telling stories. She’s good at it, and for good reason. Before she started writing and teaching at home full time, she counseled people and families through the heartbreaking, draining seasons of life. Through those conversations, she’s learned about grief, longing, redemption and the complexity of the human spirit — all topics she weaves into each of her novels, including her latest release, The Bitter End Birding Society.
Join the conversation below to get a peek at her and her husband’s impromptu “parking lot dates,” the root cause of her perfectionism and people-pleasing, and how she invites God into her intuitive writing process.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a place I still call home. I love to travel with my husband and three children as far and as often as possible, but at the end of a long trip, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than nestled in my cove in the hills of Tennessee. Whether we’re home or on the road, we love sampling local restaurants, especially farm-to-table places that have their own unique flavor.
But my husband and I have recently adopted a bit of an odd tradition in light of our love for local restaurants. When one of us has had a tough day, we slip out of the house for an hour, grab a couple of Jimmy John’s subs, and sit in his pickup truck to eat and talk about the day. Romantic, right?
We love it because it’s quiet without the noise and the coming and going of a restaurant — a simple way to catch up before we’re back in the fray of regular life. It’s been a season of many ups and downs. So much so that, before he goes to work, I’ve gotten into the habit of saying, “I hope you have a boring day!” Which doesn’t sound like a very nice sentiment, but boring is nice when you’ve been in the midst of a hectic season. When things settle down, I’m sure our Jimmy John’s parking lot dates will be a thing of the past. But for now, they are perfect.
Daniil Komov; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?
I fell in love with bird-watching 14 years ago, shortly after my first child was born. You might wonder why a brand-new mom would become an avid bird-watcher. It’s an odd time to adopt a new hobby. For the first nine months of his life, my baby never slept more than two hours at a time at night and didn’t nap more than 10 minutes at a time during the day. The only time he wasn’t fussing was if he was in my arms while I was standing and swaying.
I felt so lost. The parenting books hadn’t told me what to do when their advice didn’t work. So I decided that if I couldn’t calm his little storm, I would be the calm. When he was inconsolable, I started standing in the kitchen, enjoying the view of the woods behind my house. That’s when I discovered the birds. At first, I thought of them as mere passersby, but I soon learned they were fellow residents. I was shocked by the wide variety of species my little yard attracted.
My firstborn is 14 now, and he sleeps in the way only a teenager can — with complete and utter abandon. I’m not one of those cool bird-watchers who have all the gear and know all the things. But when this casual backyard observer slips out the back door with my Merlin app, my feather friends kindly lend me a little peace.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power head-on?
My kryptonite? I always tell people I am a recovering perfectionist and people-pleaser. But I’ve learned that my constant obsession with “getting things right” is really all about one thing — the fear of rejection. Somewhere along the way, I developed the belief that if I didn’t make mistakes or ruffle feathers, then I could avoid being rejected. I wonder sometimes what I might have been like as a kid if I hadn’t been so afraid of rejection. Would I have pursued more friendships? More adventures? Been louder? Taken up more space? Raised my hand in class all those times I knew the answer?
The irony is that the desire to be an author was planted deep inside my heart — a path rife with rejections. Pursuing publication was like volunteering for informal in vivo exposure therapy. Every “no” I received proved that being turned down didn’t define my worth. Every scathing review that crossed my path reminded me that people not liking me was a survivable experience. I didn’t have to avoid rejection to find self-acceptance. Writing has certainly stretched me miles outside of my comfort zone. It’s still my knee-jerk reaction to avoid scenarios where I might be rejected. I’m slowly learning to be braver and take my capacity to weather rejection outside the walls of my writing life.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
Growing up, I read any fiction book I could get my hands on. Stories gave me windows into new perspectives and experiences, expanding my elementary school horizons. But even more than that, stories helped me discover buried truths about myself. Reading was a conduit for processing hopes, fears, joys, sorrows and everything in between, giving me a language I hadn’t yet discovered. Now, as a writer, it’s my passion to write stories that not only entertain but also give my readers a mirror for their souls, allowing them to feel seen and understood.
In my upcoming release, “The Bitter End Birding Society,” the main characters discover peace and their first steps to healing from trauma through spending time in the great outdoors, something that certainly rings true in my own life. While I loved subtly weaving in the way all creation sings a redemptive song that our broken human hearts can understand, I also had the chance to explore one of my all-time favorite questions through these characters — who are we really?
Some of my characters have been defined by their family of origin and the place they were born. Others define themselves by words that have been spoken over them. One of my characters has to battle the weight of the praise she’s received. The accolades feel like a millstone balanced on her shoulders. It was so interesting exploring how praise can sometimes be even more painful to accept than criticism. If you’ve ever wrestled with who you were created to be and had to forge your own path, I wrote this book for you.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
In my early writing endeavors, I tried to implement every piece of writing advice I could dig up, especially formulas for plotting out stories. The harder I tried to write like other authors, the more stale and overdone my writing became. My voice became lost in all the striving.
Eventually, I learned that I’m not the type of writer who can follow a formula for storytelling. I used to see that as a failure on my part. (Remember how I am a recovering perfectionist, always trying to do things the “right” way?) While it’s always important to learn from others, I also needed to learn when to trust my own gut/God-given voice for storytelling.
As an intuitive-style writer, many times when I’m writing that first draft, although I have a general idea of the story’s direction, I don’t fully know how it will come together or the deeper purpose in the book until I’m finished. Every story is like a trust fall.
My favorite part of the process is when the first draft is done, and I start reading through it again. I’ll run across a line I’d forgotten I’d written, and suddenly I know what the book is really about. I always believe God has a purpose for every story he places on my heart, but I rarely know what that purpose is until then. It feels like a holy moment, a reminder that I did not write this story in my own strength.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
I’m of the introspective variety of human beings who tend to get lost in their own head — especially in times of stress and pressure. I unintentionally become a little disembodied, no longer a whole person but a part of a person. I’ve found it particularly helpful lately to step outside and move my body if I feel my anxiety rising. It’s grounding to feel the sun on my skin or the bite of the wind. To make my muscles work and get my blood pumping. It helps me get out of my head and become a whole person again. Body, mind, heart and soul. When I’m no longer tangled in my own overthinking, I can hear God speak again. My spirit becomes more sensitive to his. Scriptures buried in my heart spring to the forefront of my awareness. My creativity flows. I’m more present with the people I love. Maybe taking a walk seems an odd thing to identify as a spiritual practice, but it’s a game changer for me in connecting with God and with the people he has put in my life.
If you are a “heady” person like me, I highly encourage you to introduce something physical into your daily routine! It doesn’t have to be lengthy, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous. As with most things, consistency is key!
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?
A few resources come to mind when I think about the spiritual growth that has taken place over the past several years.
“Captivating” by John and Stasi Elderege was foundational in my search for identity in my early 20s. I stumbled upon this book while perusing the shelves at Barnes and Noble, feeling a little lost. I had the head knowledge that I was created in the image of God in the general sense, but I hadn’t considered how I uniquely reflected certain aspects of God’s character. I loved how this book celebrated attributes of my personality, like my desire to nurture, create beauty and explore emotions through creativity. I previously undervalued and underappreciated these aspects of my person, primarily because they weren’t things I felt society valued. This book served as a catalyst to digging deeper into who God created me to be. It helped me start sorting between how God originally created me as identified in Scripture and who I had bent myself into to try to fit a mold other people had given me.
A resource that transformed how I read Scripture is “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. This book opened up my eyes to the way viewing Scripture through a primarily Western lens can cause me to miss out on some of the rich nuances of Jesus’ words. This book has inspired me to learn more about Jewish culture as well as other cultures of that time period. I find myself falling in love with reading God’s Word in a fresh way, full of curiosity and wonder.
For weekly encouragement, I love tuning into Annie F. Downs’ podcast, “That Sounds Fun.” I always feel so uplifted and inspired after listening to her conversations about faith and life with the fascinating guests she brings on her show.
We all have things we cling to to survive or even thrive in our fast-paced, techno-driven world. How have you been successful in harnessing technology to aid in your spiritual growth?
With regard to my spiritual life, I find myself pulling away from technology. I want tangible things I can hold in my hand. So much of my work life takes place through looking at screens, so I enjoy the change. I’m less distracted when I put my laptop and phone away and sit on my front porch with a Bible on my lap and a notebook and pen in hand. I know there are so many great tools out there, but lately, I find myself gravitating toward quiet, simple practices that take me away from the noise of social media and other apps.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
The author life has interesting ebbs and flows and unique timetables. Right now, I’m finishing up a draft of my last book on my current contract with my publisher. This book, which has been so much fun to write, will be released in the summer of 2026. It’s always interesting working a year or so ahead of what the world gets to see. As I’ve been writing this novel, I’ve been praying about what I should do after this book is turned in and my contract is fulfilled. Do I continue on the path that I’ve been on and pursue a new contract? Or does God have something different on the horizon? A new way to explore the gifts and talents he’s given me.
The space between contracts is an interesting experience. It’s full of uncertainty, which is uncomfortable. But it also allows me a moment of pause. A way to jump off the “hamster wheel of life.” I never want to write because it’s what I’ve done in the past or because it’s what others expect of me. I love to write. It makes parts of my heart and mind come alive in ways nothing else does. But I also know that writing novels is not my identity. It’s but one expression of who I was made to be.
I have an odd sense of excitement about what’s on my horizon. I say odd because I’m not the type who loves unknowns. Quite the opposite. But perhaps Jesus is making an adventurer out of me through this writing journey. I feel a new sense of freedom in my identity in Christ that has been growing within me over the past several years, and that excites me most. Whatever is next, I’m content as long as I am on the adventure with him.
Amanda brings up an excellent point in her last response: Although writing is a core way she expresses who she is, being a writer is not her identity in and of itself.
This is true of every one of us. No single career, relationship, personality trait or passion can fully define us. We’re too complex. Too unique. Too “fearfully and wonderfully made” (see Ps. 139:14).
Instead, the truest thing about us is also the most simple and unchangeable — we are fully, outrageously loved by the God who created us. May this and this alone be our identity each day.
Amanda Cox is the Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, He Should Have Told the Bees and Between the Sound and Sea. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children.
