When the company Gail Sattler was working for closed, Gail suddenly had a lot of time on her hands.

“A friend loaned me a huge pile of books. I enjoyed most of them, but one was so bad, I said, ‘I can do better than that.’ My husband had just bought a new computer, so I turned it on and started writing. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.”

Ten years later, Gail has 29 books with her name on them.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gail had a relatively normal childhood. No huge desire to write. No family or teachers urging her to work on the gift no one knew about, except God.

She met Tim Sattler through a wedding while she was still in high school. Gail knew the bride’s sister, Tim the groom’s brother. A few years later, they were married and eventually settled in Maple Ridge, B.C. Over the next years, God became a part of their lives, and Gail and Tim were baptized together in 1983.

Gail and Tim both worked full time on nightshifts, but when Tim was transferred to dayshift, Gail stayed on nights so that when they started their family, one or the other parent would always be home. In the coming years, they added three sons, and became a busy, but “normal” Christian family. Starting in 1994. Gail wrote books whenever she could find a few minutes.

After some rejection, Gail found her niche with Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents imprint. Walking The Dog, an inspirational romantic comedy, came out in 1998. It was followed by 15 more novels (four of which were recently released as Vancouver, which made the Canadian Booksellers’ Association bestseller list.) Gail also has two non-fiction gift books, two cookbooks, and eight novellas.

Readers voted Gail Favorite Heartsong Author in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2003 she was put into the Heartsong Authors’ Hall of Fame.

What is the root of Gail’s popularity? Gail’s characters and their life-situations seem real. Her characters “make mistakes as the story unfolds and deal with situations much the way you and I would, which may not necessarily be the best way, but is a realistic way,” she says. Gail has many notes from people who want her to know that one of her books has touched them or were an encouragement when they were struggling.

People also love the humour in Gail’s books. “Many readers simply enjoy a good, funny book with Christian content,” she says, adding, “We experience enough stress and anxiety in today’s society without adding more trauma to our entertainment. Many people, including myself, read for a temporary escape from a busy life. I love a happily-ever-after ending that shows all things are possible when God is placed in the centre of people’s lives.

“Predictable? Maybe, but I love a happy ending, and that’s why I both read and write Christian romance.”

Gail knows that this is the right niche for her. “God has blessed me with a ministry that I love. I won’t write anything I wouldn’t be first proud as a Christian to have my name on; I won’t write anything I wouldn’t be proud to have my children read; and most importantly, everything I write, I want to be able to lay at God’s feet and say, ‘This is for You,’ and have it be acceptable in God’s sight.”

Right now Gail is back to working full time as nightshift billing supervisor for a commercial freight carrier. She writes during the day when her children, now teens, are in school. Both Tim and the boys help out with cleaning and cooking so Gail can find writing time.

“I love my job, which is good, because I don’t think I will ever make a full-time salary writing,” says Gail. “The next sale is never a guarantee, and unless you’re in that league of only a few authors in the world, every sale is on the publisher’s timeline. But for my full-time job, it’s there every day, and every payday is the same, just like my mortgage.”

Gail is currently working on the first novel of a four-book series with Steeple Hill/Love Inspired. The “Men of Praise” series will tell the stories of four men who are in the worship team at their church, fitting in well with Gail’s life. In addition to being an accomplished pianist, she currently plays bass guitar for her own church’s worship team.

For more information about Gail, visit www.gailsattler.com

N. J. Lindquist is a versatile writer whose work includes four novels for teens. If you would like to see some Canadian authors’ bookmarks (or want enough for your church) contact her at njlindquist@rogers.com or phone 877-842-8754.

Published in ChristianWeek March 30, 2004 Volume 18 Number 01