Christian Fiction with Grit and Grace: T.I. Lowe on South of Somewhere

Addiction is one of the most common realities families quietly carry. Dave Quak sits down with best selling author T.I. Lowe (Tonya) for an honest conversation about what happens when someone you love will not get clean, and how faith can stay real when life is anything but.We dig into her novel South Of Somewhere and the choice to write addiction recovery with grit and grace: relapse pressure, toxic friendships, support meetings, and the exhausting mental math of “Am I helping or enabling?”Tonya shares how personal grief shaped the story, why research matters when you’re writing about drug addiction, and how fiction can open a door to healing in a way arguments never will. If you care about Christian fiction, faith and mental health, recovery stories, and family dynamics around substance abuse, this chat is packed with insight you can actually use.We also talk about breaking stereotypes by setting the book in wealthy Sullivan’s Island, the underrated power of AA style community, and why “professional” is often the enemy of connection. The conversation turns to calling and ambition too: choosing ministry over metrics, trusting God with impact, and letting stories land in the right hands at the right time. Stick around for a sneak peek of Tonya’s next book, A Southern Goodbye, and a closing prayer for courage and faithfulness.If this encouraged you, subscribe to Sunburnt Souls, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.Here are the main ways to buy T.I. Lowe's books:Buy directly / browse all titles:Her official website — tilowe.com/booksTyndale Fiction (her publisher) — includes hardcover and softcover editionsMajor retailers:Amazon — her full author pageBarnes & Noble — search "T.I. Lowe"Deals & discovery:BookBub — follow her for sale alerts on ebooksLibraries:Check your local library's app (Libby/OverDrive) — her titles are commonly available as ebooks and audiobooks through library membership, which is free.Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSIONHelp us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental HealthA 28-day, FREE journey to help you:Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITYGet weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter⭐ LEAVE A REVIEWLove this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.Listen and Rate on ...