What if you could sit down with someone who was very close to one of the biggest entertainers in American history? What questions would you ask them, and what insights might you come away with?

That’s the opportunity I had not only with today’s interview, but also with the whole process of writing The Faith of Elvis with Billy Stanley, Elvis Presley’s stepbrother. Billy and his two younger brothers moved into Graceland to live with Elvis and his family when Billy’s mother married Elvis’s father, Vernon.

The book recounts Elvis’s journey of faith, not only as a spiritual person himself, but also through the lens of his relationship to Billy and his brothers. Billy spent 17 years with Elvis, getting a firsthand glimpse into his life and faith.

Billy was a successful salesman and airplane mechanic. Now, he and his wife, Liz, live in Memphis, just a few miles from Graceland.

In our conversation, I talk to Billy about some of the themes in the book, how the book impacted me as a writer, and our process of creating it together.