An Interview with Amy Bragdon: Author of For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise

Amy Bragdon is an author, humanitarian, speaker, and top-producing REALTOR® whose life’s work is rooted in resilience, legacy, and the unwavering belief that purpose can rise from even the hardest chapters of life. A natural encourager and storyteller, Amy writes for those navigating grief, burnout, caregiving, transition, or the quiet in-between seasons where identity and calling are being reshaped.

Professionally, Amy brings over a decade of experience in hospitality, tourism, sales, marketing, and management, blending her business acumen with her heart for service. She is a top-producing real estate agent and a proud community leader, serving on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity. A portion of every home she sells is donated to Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA Strong Communities Campaign, reflecting her commitment to making a tangible difference in the lives of families locally and globally.

Her humanitarian spirit also extends into her role as a Regional Engagement Advisor with World Vision Canada, where she builds meaningful partnerships that help transform communities around the world.

But Amy’s deepest qualifications come from life itself. She writes from the lived wisdom of someone who has walked through fire — losing a brother, caregiving for her mother through illness, surviving heartbreak, rebuilding after loss, and finding healing through travel, faith, and service. Her books weave together personal testimony, spiritual reflection, and bold encouragement, offering readers a pathway back to hope and purpose.

Amy is the author of:
Book 1: Beauty for Ashes: Refined in the Fire
Book 2: Rising from the Ashes: The Healing Power of Becoming
Book 3: For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise

She is currently writing her fourth book, This Little Light of Mine: Commissioned to Shine, which continues her mission to inspire, uplift, and activate readers into their God-given calling.

When she’s not writing, serving, or speaking, Amy can be found exploring the world’s most soulful places — Venice, New Orleans, Paris — walking along the ocean, hosting at her Bed & Breakfast, or spending time with her beloved family and pets. Through her work, her books, and her life, Amy’s mission remains clear: To shine light, spread hope, and remind others that they were created on purpose, for purpose — and appointed to rise.

Tell us about your book.

For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise is a soul-stirring collection of stories, scripture-rooted reflections, and spiritual insights for anyone who feels called to something greater — even when life looks nothing like they imagined. It’s a divine reminder that every delay, every detour, and every heartbreak may actually be preparation for your rise. You weren’t born by accident. You were born for this moment.

The book guides readers through 10 Sacred Appointments — powerful truths designed to reframe identity, restore hope, reignite purpose, and equip you to lead with boldness and love. It’s not a memoir, although my heart is on every page. It’s not a leadership manual, though readers discover the leader within. And it’s not self-help — because the help comes from something higher.

By the final chapter, the goal is not just inspiration but activation:

Rooted in grace. Called by name. Ready to rise.

Because you’re not becoming someone new — you’re remembering who you’ve been all along.

Why did you want to write a book?

I wrote this book because I deeply believe that every one of us has a divine appointment in our lives. Through everything I’ve lived — loss, caregiving, rebuilding, serving, and rising again — I’ve learned that purpose is forged in the fire.

I wanted to give people a guide back to the light. A reminder that their story matters. A call to rise even when the world feels loud, divided, or uncertain.

I felt compelled to share the sacred lessons that shaped me — so that others could find hope, courage, and clarity in their own journey.

What tips can you give other authors looking to self-publish?

Do your research. Not all companies offer the same level of support. I switched from my first publisher to Barnes & Noble because I wanted:

A better experience
Real communication
A team that cared
And a process that felt collaborative

Now, all my books are moving under the Barnes & Noble umbrella.

Find the company that aligns with your values and your vision — because that partnership truly matters.

Tell us about the genre you wrote in, and why you chose to write this sort of book.

My writing began as memoir, but naturally evolved into spiritual growth, motivational storytelling, and faith-centered personal development.

I write for people navigating grief, change, calling, and the in-between places of life. I want to offer a map back to hope. A reminder that light is never lost — it’s just waiting to rise again.

Who are your biggest writing inspirations and why?

I draw inspiration from Steve Harvey, Mel Robbins, Max Lucado, John Maxwell, and so many others who lead with authenticity, courage, and heart.

Mel Robbins’ Let Them was life-changing for me.

If my books can be that same turning point for someone else, it would be an answered prayer.

How do your friends and family get involved with your writing? What do they think of your book?

My parents, my siblings, my uncle, and my grandmother are all woven into my writing, along with many of my friends. Their legacies of faith, strength, resilience, and unconditional love shaped who I am. Sharing their stories is my way of honouring them.

The themes of legacy, hope, and love come directly from them and the life we’ve lived together.

What are your plans now that your book is published?

With three books published and a fourth underway, I want to continue writing, but also expand into speaking engagements, conferences, book fairs, and any avenue where I can share hope and help activate others into their purpose.

My heart is to inspire, encourage, and remind people that they are called, chosen, and appointed to rise.

What is the core message you hope readers carry with them after reading For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise?

I want readers to walk away with the unshakable knowing that nothing in their life has been wasted — not the heartbreaks, not the delays, not the detours. Everything has been shaping them for their rise. You don’t need perfection to lead, or a stage to make an impact. You were appointed — on purpose, for purpose — and when you begin to see your story through that lens, everything changes. This is a book that calls people back to their identity, their courage, and their God-given assignment.

Many people feel “in-between” in life — waiting, grieving, rebuilding. How does your book speak to them?

This book was written for the in-between. The space between who you were and who you’re becoming. Between heartbreak and healing. Between the old season and the one that hasn’t yet arrived.

I’ve lived in those in-between spaces — caring for my mom, supporting my family, rebuilding after loss, balancing work and calling. So the book speaks gently but powerfully to anyone who feels stuck or unseen. It reminds them that the in-between is holy ground — that God is shaping them quietly for a rise they can’t yet see.

What makes For Such a Time as This different from your other books?

My first two books were deeply personal and rooted in memoir and healing. For Such a Time as This lifts the reader higher.

It’s not just about my story — it’s about their calling.

It’s about taking everything life has handed you — good and bad — and stepping boldly into the purpose God placed on your life.

It’s a sacred summons to rise like never before.