Today, we’re in for a special treat! Author Gianna Joy Guzman is joining us to discuss her upcoming debut devotional book, God Sees Us: 40 Devotions for Teens, By a Teen, on Anxiety, Bullying, Body Image, and More (published by Whitaker House, 2026). Gianna’s book is set to release in September, but it’s available now for pre-order. I’m excited that Gianna has agreed to tell us about her writing journey and grant us a sneak peek at the story behind her beautiful book. Let’s get started!

Interview

Sue: Most of us know someone whose life has been touched by anxiety, stress, or fear. The subject of your book is timely and relevant, and one that today’s teens will be drawn to. Please tell us the story behind the writing of God Sees Us.

Gianna: When I was younger I struggled with finding a place where I belong. I was always the happy, positive one, but didn’t feel like I knew who I was as a person. When I was five years old, my parents got a divorce and it was hard trying to figure out who to believe in life and when to speak and when to stay quiet. In 2021, my favorite person, my grandma, passed away and it was so hard. I felt like I had lost the only person that truly understood me. She was kind and loved everyone and never judged anyone.

In elementary school, I was bullied and I struggled with feeling enough for some people and was always trying to be what everyone wanted me to be, and it was exhausting. Then, suddenly, I had this boost of confidence after feeling like I was constantly drowning in anxiety and wanting to give up. I learned not to care so much what others thought of me and I finally figured out that “you will never be enough for the wrong people.” I wrote this quote in my book because it had a great impact on how I viewed myself.

When I figured out how to have confidence and know who I am through Christ instead of leaning on the world’s opinions of me, I wanted to share my struggles with others who have felt these things and give them practical solutions that helped me personally. I hope to show every teenager that God sees us!

Sue: Did you always want to be a writer? How did you decide that writing was something you wanted to do?

Gianna: Honestly, I never thought I would be a writer. I used to struggle with reading and writing, but I’ve always loved writing music and poems. One day in my room, I was recording a video of myself pretending to be an influencer and preaching the Gospel and doing a devotional and my mom saw it and came to me and told me she had cried watching it. I thought I was just talking to myself in the mirror, but she said it was powerful and I should consider writing a book. I remember thinking, “I’m fourteen and I’m going to write a book?!” My mom told me that authors usually have to have a platform and I remember thinking, “Ugh! This isn’t going to work because I don’t have one. I mean I can’t even have social media yet.”

But my mom and I prayed and I knew God had a plan. If I was meant to share my thoughts and views with others, then it would happen and I would have to have faith and trust in God. And now here I am! I love writing and have always loved sharing what I have to say and my point of view through school papers, because I have always loved connecting the texts we read with Jesus, and how we can use biblical lessons in our everyday lives.

Sue: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Gianna: I love being with my family and friends, literally always! I love being outside and being active. I train as a gymnast, but I don’t compete. I also work as a coach for gymnastics, which is very fun! I am a lettering track runner. I love playing guitar, singing, and seeing the beautiful creations we are blessed with every day. I also love discovering new Bible verses and thinking about them on a deeper level and sharing what I’ve learned with other people.

Sue: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

Gianna: I hope to write more books in the future.

Sue: Please finish these thoughts:

My go-to Bible verse is… 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

One day, I’d love to see… that my book had an impact. My hope is to help even just one person. If I can help one person lean on our Father who never fails us instead of looking to the world, then I will be pleased; I will have succeeded in my dreams for this book.

My favorite… season is spring. I think about it like this: There are struggles in our lives and many storms, but if we have faith and remember who we are as Christians, there will be a flower that blossoms.

I was hoping you’d ask… Did I learn anything from writing this book? I learned how to depend on God instead of the world and learned more about who I am as a person and the young woman I’m growing into.

Sue: Thanks, Gianna, for visiting us! It was so good to talk with you. We wish you all the best on the launch of God Sees Us, and look forward to seeing more from you!

GIVEAWAY!

Readers, God Sees Us makes a great gift for a teen in your life, and Gianna is generously giving a copy to one of our readers. For your chance to win, leave a comment below by August 13th.

Children’s author and educator Sue Irwin has written nature features, and biographical and how-to craft articles for various magazines, including AppleSeeds and Highlights for Children, and she’s a frequent contributor to Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. Her board book, Hey There, Blue Bird, Why Do You Chirp? (B&H Publishing, 2026) is on its way, and she’s thrilled about its upcoming release (in August, with B&H Publishing) – and more coming in 2027. Sue hosts W2I’s monthly Time2Write sessions, and she invites you to connect with her here.