Interview with Leanne McDougall

Author of The Warrior Way, How to Battle Satan and Win Every Time

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Yakima, Washington. When I was 18, I lived in the Washington DC area. I returned to Yakima to raise my family. I still living in Yakima.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I live in the same house and town I was born in.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I went through a terrible depression in my early 30’s. It was so bad that once I got help and began to come out of depression, I realized that I had lost memory of two years of my life. Fortunately, I was able to get help from others, but more importantly, I was able to learn how to help myself by clinging to the Word of God and trusting in His unseen Spirit. Once I was recovered, I began to see that there were many people living in the darkness that I had been living in, and it broke my heart. I began not sleeping at night. I would dream dreams of their despair. I would see faces of anguish in my dreams, and I would wake up praying for people I had never even met. Then my dreams turned to terror as they began to be spiritual attacks against me. I began to fight back against Satan on my behalf. I would stand against the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit and through His Word. My defensive tactics were working, and soon I was being proactive more than reactive. God was protecting me and empowering me so much that I began to have a burning desire to share what I knew with others who were being attacked in the same way. I thought about it all the time, and soon I began to lose sleep again. This time it was because I was trying to think of ways I could share what I knew with others.

As a child, I struggled with dyslexia. Therefore, reading and writing were not a great desire for me. In Fact, the thought of doing either would make me anxious. Even so, one night I was up in the night, not able to sleep, and I heard a voice in my head say, “Write it down! You’re not sleeping anyway. Get up and write it down.” Wow. What a surprise. Since I didn’t know what else to do, I got up and began to write. I wrote every morning for a couple months. One morning, I had a pop-up show up on my screen. This is very unusual for my computer, because I take extra precautions to prevent that from happening. I clicked out of the pop-up two times, and the third time it came up, I read it to see who had hacked into my computer. The message said, “Do you want to publish your book?” I was shocked and scared. I had a huge pit in my stomach thinking that anything I wrote would be published, and yet that nagging feeling wouldn’t go away. I began to make inquiries, and seven months after that I had a published book. (by the way, that pop up, or any like it, has never happened before or since that day.) I do not believe that publishing a book was my idea. I believe that God wanted this to be done for one reason or another. I am just trying to live one day at a time in obedience to Him.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

This book paints a clear picture of how fear and trouble can be overcome through the power of Jesus’ name. In addition to that, the book gives step by step instructions on how to personalize the Bible. I believe that helps us to recognize how relevant and powerful the Word of God is when using it to fight off the attacks of the enemy. For instance, when fear is oppressing someone, there are many scriptures that can stand against fear. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The book trains how to personalize this verse by adding personal pronouns. For example:
“I am strong and courageous! I do not fear and I am not dismayed because God is with me wherever I go.” I teach how to use words like “I am” instead of “I will”; training how to turn statements of “hope” into words of “faith”. All these strategies are done in your own Bible to use for encouragement at a moment’s notice. I call this Bible a “working” Bible since you will be highlighting, tabbing and taking personalized notes in your own Bible. The Warrior Way book is merely a guide to effectively use The Book. The Bible is the real “Star of the Show.”

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Any one who is struggling with depression, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and the like. It is an everyone book from about age 10 and up.The biggest age bracket that has used my book, however, is adults.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

The whole process was a surprise to me since I never aspired to write or publish a book. The fact that this came to fruition at all is a complete surprise to me.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Don’t be afraid. Believe in yourself and believe in the God who is within you who will guide you.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Ideally? Everyone. Other than that, I hope that thousands and thousands of people can benefit from this book.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

My challenge is not knowing how to get the word out there about my book without spending a lot of money for very little to no results. It has also been very difficult knowing who to trust. I get phone calls everyday. Everyone has the answer for me for a price. I am willing to invest in this book. I just don’t know where to invest.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My ideas. I have a great imagination and good problem solving skills when it comes to personal relationships. I know how to take complicated issues and break them down to elemental parts that even children can understand. Simple communication in writing is my strength. I don’t know much about publishing or marketing.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I have difficulty knowing how to market my book.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I am actually inspired to write at the present. I would like to have my next book out in a year.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

Self published, but I would like to try and get traditionally published next time.