Inside Kathie Lee Gifford’s (Not So) Retired Life: A New Bestselling Book, Upcoming Documentary and 5 Grandbabies (Exclusive)

It's been seven years since Kathie Lee Gifford left her role at Today, but instead of going golfing or playing Mahjong, Gifford is busier (and happier!) than ever.

"I've just finished my 37th book," Gifford, 72, says with a laugh from her home in Tennessee, where she moved after falling in love with the South while producing music for a film.

"They're making a documentary on me, and of course, so much of it is about scandals and crap I went through," she continues, noting that her prolific writing career includes writing plays and screenplays. "I'm like, can we at least talk about all the work I've done?!"

In fact, her newest book, Nero and Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome (March 10) is already an Amazon bestseller and #1 across all relevant faith categories.

It's also the second in her Biblical non-fiction Ancient Evil/Living Hope series, and follows the story of the two vastly different men: Nero, a narcissistic Roman emperor obsessed with power, and the other, an apostle who devotes himself to selflessness and the spreading the gospel.

"These are thrillers," she says of the stories. "These are epic, epic stories, but in the Bible, they're like black and white tales, with no room for the details. I'm an entertainer at heart, a filmmaker and a songwriter, so imagining the details is what I do. So this is a fun project for me. I learned so much. I love learning new things. I want to learn something new every day."

When she's not writing books or making movies, Gifford spends time visiting her five grandkids on the East Coast and staying grounded in her faith.

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"These books are all coming out of the same desire I had as a child, which was to let people know how much God loves them," she says.

She also says that same desire is why she's never hidden her spiritual side.

"I never separated my secular and spiritual life. It's one life, and I've always been the exact same person. I've always had an innate understanding that this life is not random, and someone created all this beauty, and someone created me," she says.

"Everything around is constantly changing. You turn on the news, and it's always something else. So I need something I can count on in my life. Something that never changes, is solid, and I can trust my life to," she says of being a "believer in Jesus."

She adds, "But I don't proselytize. I don't cancel you if you don't believe the same as I do. Like they've been trying to cancel me for years. But I won't go away!"

She jokes, "I want to get a T-shirt made that says 'I don't care what you think.' Because I haven't for years. And even all the people that I worked for through the years, who didn't share my politics or didn't share my faith, they knew they couldn't mess with me. They couldn't keep me from speaking my mind. Because love me or hate me or anything in between, I was authentic."

The secret to that authenticity?

"I don't live in fear," she says. "Through many years on this earth now, the only power that people have over you is the power you give to them." She also says she only has "one true boss," and she holds space in her heart for everyone. Even if someone wrongs her, she simply prays for them.

"You can't hate someone you've just prayed for," she says.

"Love does not live without forgiveness, forgiveness without love," she adds. "I'm also strong, because I needed to be strong. I've learned to have a tough skin and a very tender heart."

Nero and Paul is now available wherever books are sold.