T.I. Lowe doesn’t hesitate to tackle tough topics in her novels, but as a born-and-bred Southerner, she knows how to blend toughness and charm. Her past three books, all published with Tyndale, dig into difficult experience. The 2021 bestseller Under the Magnolias took on mental illness. Indigo Isle, which won the 2024 ECPA Christy Award for Contemporary Romance and Book of the Year, features wounded souls finding redemption and reconciliation. And 2024’s Lowcountry Lost offers healing for those who face empty arms and hearts.
“I explore hard topics, but the Southern setting softens some of that,” Lowe told PW. “We’re sassy but hospitable; we’ll set you straight and then we’ll feed you something.”
Her forthcoming book, South of Somewhere (Tyndale, Mar.) addresses addiction, a topic often overlooked in Christian fiction.
“I don’t find [these hard topics] much in Christian fiction, but I want to address them through my Christian worldview because they happen,” said Lowe, who lives in South Carolina. “It starts with something I want to understand more. When you step back from something, like reading it in fiction, it’s easier.”
South of Somewhere spotlights addiction and recovery as the main character, Junie Wilder, retreats to her grandmother’s beach house after a stint in jail and rehab. Her addiction to drugs and alcohol has caused her to lose custody of her daughter, ruined her relationship with her brother, and derailed her life. As she struggles to rebuild, she discovers help and hope from her AA group and a friendly neighbor.
Lowe, who turns 50 this year, once thought no one would read her novels, all written under a pen name. Now, her 21 books have prompted countless messages, Lowe said, from readers who tell her, “You wrote my story.’’ “I always pause and listen,” Lowe added, “because that’s what I want: people telling their own stories.” She’s also been “torn apart” for including flirting in a novel, been told Christians shouldn’t write such novels, and told her novels should include trigger warnings.
Keeping a promise to Momma
But Lowe just wants to tell stories. She told her first story as a promise to her mother, starting from scratch in 2014 with her self-published debut novel, Lulu’s Café, which dealt with domestic violence. The book was later rereleased by Tyndale Fiction. Lowe learned the publishing industry, signed with an agent, and eventually signed with Tyndale Fiction in 2018. The house has published all of her fiction since.
“After Momma passed, I began to figure it out. I promised my momma so I had to follow through,” said Lowe. “My children were small, so I wanted to show them that if you have a dream and work hard at it, anything can happen. I had the audacity to ask God because I just wanted to tell a story. Those stories won’t hush up.”
Lowe turned in her 22nd novel manuscript just days ago. The book, tentatively titled Firefly Season, is what she calls an “aftermath” novel. It centers on three people mourning separately as they learn to mourn together, and is slated to be released in spring 2027. In the meantime, Lowe hopes South of Somewhere opens eyes and hearts to the reality of addiction.
“Addiction is like cancer: it doesn’t care your race, gender, or social class,” said Lowe. “People tend to stigmatize the poor in relation to addiction, but it can happen to anyone. Junie is upper class, but she survives an overdose and keeps moving.”
“South Carolina’s motto is ‘While I breathe, I hope,’” she continued. “People think they’re too far gone, but there is still hope. If you’re still breathing, there’s still hope. Find your community, find your people. You don’t have to do it alone.”
