Interview with Betty Kulich 2025

Congratulations, Betty, on the release (in April) of the The Call, your second book in The River Trilogy! I have so many questions about this intriguing book and series, so let’s get started …
The Call is categorized as a Christian Mystery and Suspense. This seems like an inadequate description. What type of book would you say it is?

Well, I wouldn’t say Mystery but it’s definitely suspenseful. The framework of the trilogy is Biblical allegories to the Christian faith walk. The River takes a person who is barely a Believer and through The River journey Melissa loses baggage from her past, builds an intimate relationship with Jesus and becomes a commissioned Acts Disciple. The Call picks up with her commissioning and begins the training for her maturing. Melissa learns about the supernatural realm which is active in her natural world, the opposition of the demonic forces to all things relating to God’s Kingdom and how to become an Acts disciple sent to change her world one life at a time.

Without giving away spoilers, what would you like readers to take away most from The Call?

Being saved isn’t the end goal of Christian life, but the beginning of our faith walk. It’s after salvation the real life of a Christian begins. Christians are called to bring His presence, power, and provisions to the world every day impacting and growing the Kingdom one divine appointment at a time.

The Call delves into some darker themes than the first book—what was the inspiration behind this shift, and how did you balance maintaining hope and faith in the midst of shadow?

The inspiration for book 2 is the reality of our world in this present age and where this world seems headed. Many of the encounters Melissa experiences are taken from similar experiences that I have encountered. The forces of darkness/demonic realm are alive and well and no longer hiding behind a veil manipulating the world. Instead they are manifesting in reality by various means all over the world trying to stop or slow down the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Their primary way is intimidation and if they can’t intimidate the person to back off, they will attempt curses, sending real people who are controlled by their forces to stop or kill those who are a threat to them.

Maintaining hope and faith comes easy becomes of who are God is. He is the King of all things, and we must keep in mind that the devil and all his forces are created beings. Creation can never overpower the Creator and the Christians He gives His authority to. We win now and later. Jesus was so powerful that He gave authority over all the forces of Hell to His disciples before He was crucified, buried and won the victory by rising from the dead.

As Book 2 of The River Trilogy, how does The Call build on and diverge from Book 1 in terms of character growth, setting, and conflict?

The main character Melissa starts out as a baby in the faith, with no real knowledge of even the Word of God. Through her journey on The River, she is radically transformed into an “on fire” disciple. She has help from many supernatural beings and through obedience to “decrease” allows Jesus to “increase”. Melissa grows into someone who can take up The Call to go into all the world and change it for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. However, just like it took the individual legs of the River journey to transform Melissa, she needs the Word of God to become practical and powerful in her life today. She needs to see that the Truth and Power of God’s word is as real today as it was back in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit must be the one to train her “hands to war “with God’s Word/sword of truth for people’s souls. Melissa needs equipped to handle what the demonic forces send her way just as the men and women did in the Book of Acts and New Testament.

God wants to show that the actions and results of the New Testament are still true for today and can be utilized by any believer who is willing to step out and be used by Christ to change lives. The setting therefore changes from a supernatural spiritual realm into the reality of the earth today. Melissa is swept up in the conflict of the war going on between the forces of darkness and the forces of Light. She becomes someone designated by the demonic forces to stop and eliminate from stealing away souls an destiny of people today. Spiritual warfare is always around and coming against her/us.

When do you expect to release Book 3 and how will it differ from the first two in your series?

My hope is by the end of 2026. Both The River and The Call are Holy Spirit given. I receive the revelation for a scene or a chapter direction and then write it. I’m currently waiting on the beginning of chapter one for the third book – The Reveal. I have been given the ending and the epilog for book 3, but I’m waiting on the inspiration for the start. I do know that it will take Melissa right up to the rapture and the Tribulation of Revelation.

In book one & two, it was necessary to create the fullness of Melissa’s character so that the reader could identify with her and how she changes with the Holy Spirit’s biblical instruction. In book 3 the focus will shift more to her walking out all that she has been given for the call on her life. Here is a “teaser” for book 3:

Melissa’s training for war was about to transition into a head-on confrontation of the spiritual forces entrenched upon the Earth. The time to confront darkness and save those yet needing to be saved, was at hand.

With a bounty upon her head by the demonic realm, Melissa must utilize every tool that Holy Spirit has given her to defeat spiritual forces, release captives from their prisons and break off the chains & shackles that wear out and hinder the saints.

Will she be able to fulfill the call upon her life for these last hours upon the earth? How will she deal with the tribulation wrath that’s coming? Will the prophesied death squad take place before her work is done?

Who is the mysterious woman behind the bounty hunt? Why does she loathe Melissa. Will Melissa’s faith hold as she faces imminent death? Will there ever be time for the prophetic declaration that Alex and Melissa would become husband and wife?

Come along on the final story of Melissa’s journey to be God’s emissary in the last days before Jesus returns and the antichrist sets up his New World Order. Be prepared for the end days and advancing the kingdom through the birth pangs and afflictions that will bring in the Rapture and the Second Coming.

Why should someone read and promote these books?

These books are not your typical Christian Fiction. They are anointed by Holy Spirit to impact the readers with Biblical truth. Through the life of Melissa, they demonstrate how to take those Biblical truths and walk them out in their own life. The River is written in such a way that a nonbeliever who is seeking a connection with God could become saved through the journey that Melissa takes. A believer will be challenged to give up their “baggage” that holds them back from walking in a supernatural faith.

Readers develop a new appreciation for Jesus and Holy Spirit. The Call takes them into the reality of a real faith walk where Holy Spirit works alongside the believer as well as in their inner man to mature them in the spiritual warfare that the New Testament demonstrates. Acts through Revelation are demonstrated through The Call and The Reveal. These books are the New Testament lived out in a life that relates to our world today. Everyone who reads can gain encouragement and/or training of how to connect the supernatural realm to their daily life and change lives one divine appointment at a time.

Let’s talk about your writing process! Are you more of a plotter or a pantser, and do your stories involve a lot of world-building, like fantasy novels often do?

I’m really both because of the way the stories come to me. Holy Spirit seems to be able to describe the faith-walk through Melissa’s story. The spiritual realm and the natural realm overlap as we are told of her journey and training to take up her “call” to be live the life of the Act’s disciples in today’s world. Sometimes Holy Spirit gives me the “plot” or core of the chapter, so I just flesh it out. Other times, Holy Spirit just starts a flow and I’m the transcription person. The River took the Holy Spirit to do some “spiritual world-building” for that supernatural locations. Holy Spirit gave me visual pictures many times in my head to help me describe locations such as Crown Derby and the symbolic nature of the looping promenade as well as the reflective paint that made Decision Ville a copy of the illuminating light glow of the City.

You are an ordained pastor and serve alongside your husband as an associate pastor, as well as direct a women's ministry. How do you fit writing into your busy schedule? What does your typical writing day look like?

Writing becomes my life when Holy Spirit is speaking for the contents of the current book. If that is happening, I must be very limiting on what takes my time and say “no” to even the good things. I feel that I have been commissioned to write this trilogy because of the times we live in and the need for many who attend church to become a disciple not just a follower. Since book two has been finished, I have been waiting for the downloads to start book three. Until He speaks, I must keep my inner spirit connected and waiting in anticipation, but it does allow me to catch up and do many things that had to be put on hold. When the flow comes, I can write for twelve to fourteen hours with a few breaks. But if I need to break, Holy Spirit just picks up where He left off when I’m able to resume.

What have been your biggest writing challenges in creating The River Trilogy, and how did you overcome them?

Seeing myself as an author. I never would have pursued writing fiction stories. If you asked me to do a devotional on a subject or write about a bible subject, I would jump right in. But to write fiction wasn’t how I ever saw myself. I wasn’t a fiction reader. My reading was all focused on growing and maturing my spirit and biblical understanding. The River only happened because I had been given over a period of 10 years, five words from five totally independent speakers, pastors etc. at conferences that I was called by God to write books for the Lord. I put every one of those words out of my mind because that is not who I saw myself becoming. Then in 2018 as I was praying into 2019, I was asking God what I should focus on, He very clearly said “It’s time to write those books.” I had to be obedient, but I tried to get out of it by saying, “I’ll write what you give me to write but You have to tell me what to write.” So, I literally sat at the computer and prayed and waited expecting nothing — therefore I would be off the hook! But you know God – it started pouring into me. I expected to be “one and done.” You know, obedient so now I can go back to life before.

The River came out the week COVID shut down the world in 2020. My flesh said, “See God, I wasn’t meant to write. I’m a nobody and no one will read the book. So I’ve been obedient and now I’m done.” But God spoke clearly to enter the book into some book contest. I of course obeyed with choosing two. The River won for the CIPA award in 2021 which connected me to the next phase of my author journey and becoming mentored by Susan Neal.

I was lost when it came to how to do manuscripts, edits, where to publish, etc. She mentored me in how to find out about and learn the writing industry. That knowledge helped the development knowledge of an author, but God had to change my heart and how I saw myself. That took time and a door opened for me to write for Guideposts Books. I’m now published in twelve anthologies. Being an author is the best calling I could have. I value it more than my teaching, speaking and mentoring as a pastor.

Are there particular reads, mentors, or resources that have strongly influenced your craft or your faith-infused storytelling style?

No particular reads. Yes, to mentors and helpful resources. Susan Neal CIPA Director has been the biggest help. She then led be to writing groups such as Word Weavers, ACFW, AWSA, Blue Ridge where I have met and received so many helpful tips and nuggets. Everyone needs a group of writers to read and challenge you. The ability to make my characters real and the scenes that get created are really from the Holy Spirit and His creativity to put what He reveals into words.

Lastly, if you could only read one work of fiction one more time, what would it be?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy

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At the age of thirteen, Kimberly Keagan discovered romance novels. Whenever possible, she ignored her chores in favor of a book she couldn't put down. In time, she earned a degree in accounting and enjoyed a brief career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, but not very romantic. By God's grace, she married her own handsome hero and raised two wonderful children, whom they homeschooled. Now, she is following her long-held dream of penning historical romance. Her debut novel releases in 2025.