Scottie Nell Hughes is a conservative journalist whose stories have been featured on The Drudge Report, Breitbart, The Blaze, World Net Daily, and The Daily Caller. She is also the news director and a chief contributor for the Tea Party News Network. She appears regularly on Fox News and other national media.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Tennessee, she is an outspoken Christian conservative, who speaks and writes with an emphasis on faith, family, and the strength of the new conservative woman in everyday life and politics.
Scottie, her husband, Chris, and their children live in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
You began your career—and still work—in broadcast. What sparked your writing journey?
I have always loved to tell the story of people regardless of whether or not they are in politics; I simply love sharing the journey and adventures of folks during their lifetime. Whether it is by video, by audio, or by the written word, I have always loved to see how accurately I can portray what is exactly going on.
I started writing Roar the day that I graduated from college and joined a talk radio show. I knew the opportunities that I was being given to observe political actions and how people were interacting with each other was priceless. Just like anyone else who would be in my situation, I understood the importance of cataloging everything I was saying in hopes that it would one day inspire others to get involved in the political process.
God sometimes sends us down an unexpected path—one that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?
I know it might sound cheesy but the entire experience of publishing Roar has been a “divine detour.” What started out as a gentleman sitting beside me on a plane twice turned into this journey of looking deeply into myself and my life experiences, finding ways that some of my misfortunes and life lessons could be portrayed in words to relate with others who might be going through some of those same trials.
How does your faith play into your work?
My faith is my work. There is this huge debate right now among some who say that it’s wrong for us to say that we are blessed as the term infers that God has given us everything. To me, this is true: God has given me everything and I am blessed. Whether I look at the food on my table to feed my children, the clothes that I wear or the people that I meet, God has blessed me and I look at everything in this world even those things which some might consider to be negative as a blessing from God and a part of the journey He has put in front of me while on this earth.
Let’s talk about Roar: The New Conservative Woman Speaks Out (Worthy Publishing, September 2014). Please tell us about it.
Roar is about relating to women and mixing in the comedy of personal life adventures with political issues. Roar enables women to understand, but not be overwhelmed by many of the issues facing all Americans today. I talk about the adventures of falling in love, having children, and mix in points about the Second Amendment, the environment, health care, and more. Roar is a “light” read that women can pick up read a chapter, put back down and then later return to, not feeling like they need to read the prior pages in order to understand what they’re currently looking at. Each chapter can stand alone as woman today are busy and usually do not have time to read an entire book in one sitting.
What is your definition of a “conservative woman”?
That is the thing; there is no single definition of a conservative woman. That is the stereotype.
God often uses our work to teach us something. What did you learn about yourself during the process of writing it?
I learned so much, such as when you have to sit down and write your thoughts, to learning about my past as I dove into some of the “closets” that had previously never been opened in my family regarding tragic events that happened. Additionally, I reflected back on moments in my life, which at the time I thought were huge. Years later it turns out that those moments we’re not as impactful as I thought they would be and I found that is true for a majority of everyday life experiences. It’s the routine that truly changes your world and shapes you to who you are.
A few fun questions…
What is your favorite comfort food and why?
Take your pick… I am a girl from the South who is completely convinced that people are a lot happier with carbs in their system. I am honestly not very picky; however, it’s extremely hard for me to pass up anything with icing on it!
I also love fruits and vegetables. Something most people don’t know about me unless they travel with me is that I have an allergy to water, specifically the sulfur in water, so I have to be very careful eating things that are grown, like watermelon, which is one of my favorites that can make me very sick. Even drinking bottled water is difficult as I can only drink a certain brand that guarantees me not to be sick.
This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?
Only in the shower but I doubt I will be getting any record deals off of that… Maybe a very bad viral video if someone dares tape me singing in the shower with the door closed. ; )
In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?
My hope is that I am like every American woman. I hope women of all ages and backgrounds read Roar and find someway that they bond with me and one of my adventures. Whether it be and falling in love and marriage and raising children or politics itself, I believe we here within the conservative Christian movement need to find ways that we can bond with those on the outside and show them that being a Christian woman is not about living a life of restrictions, but rather life of true freedom and happiness.
I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.
I adore my pets and obviously with a name like Scottie, dogs are my favorite. I was always raised in a household of dogs as my parents felt that by having an animal that showed unconditional love that it was a great example to show their daughter.
Currently, I have Reagan, the golden retriever who is the most amazing dog I have ever owned. My husband and I got him prior to getting engaged at a breeder because we knew that we wanted a good golden retriever, since this was my first experience with the breed. We were just a young couple who didn’t have very much money and we went to the breeder almost torn because we knew we were giving them our entire savings for this puppy. But Reagan found us and the breeder said he would sell him to us at a discounted rate because he had a little crooked tail; therefore, he could never be bred or shown.
My other little favorite is Lulu McStuffins, my gift from my husband last Christmas after my previous Scottish Terrier had passed away three years prior. Lulu is my heart because you can tell how happy she is every time I walk into the room whether it’s been five minutes or five days.
I will always have a dog, more in likely, numerous dogs in my home as they are truly a constant reminder of what God’s love is like on this Earth.
Thanks, Scottie! It’s nice to have you as a guest at DivineDetour.
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For more information about Scottie, visit her website.
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