An Interview and a Giveaway!

We've all heard the moving stories of famous preachers and missionaries from days gone by. William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Charles Spurgeon, John Bunyan, and countless others. Have you ever thought about the women behind these great men of faith? In her debut novel, The Preacher's Bride, historical romance novelist, Jody Hedlund helps us imagine what it would be like to live in the 1600's, married to a man who is intent on sharing the gospel no matter the cost.

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing author, Jody Hedlund!

Maria: Thanks for joining us today! Tell us a bit about your debut novel, The Preacher's Bride.

Jody: The Preacher’s Bride is a tale about finding true love amidst the intense discrimination and persecution that existed after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1650’s England.

This book is inspired by Elizabeth Bunyan, the second wife of John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress. I loved the brave way Elizabeth defended John during one of his trials when he was under arrest for his “unlicensed” preaching. Her strength to face a court of persecutors and her determination to faithfully support her husband touched me so deeply, that I decided her little-known story needed to be told to the world.

Maria: Which character in your book can you most easily identify with? And why?

Jody: My 92 year old grandmother recently finished reading my book. She wrote me a letter and said she kept seeing my name in place of Elizabeth’s, the heroine. Apparently my grandma was seeing my personality coming across in Elizabeth’s. I didn’t intentionally write Elizabeth to resemble me, but in hindsight, I can see that as a strong woman of faith she shares many of my characteristics.

Maria: Your book has done extremely well! Describe how you felt when you found out The Preacher's Bride was on the CBA best seller list.

Jody: Stunned to make the list. Excited to see a dream come true. Grateful to God for his goodness. Humbled that people are reading and enjoying my book.

Maria: Share some lessons you've learned on your journey from rough draft to publication.

Jody: Perseverance is KEY. There will always be discouraging times no matter where we’re at in the journey. For a while, I wondered if an agent would ever pick me up. And after hearing the dismal statistics about how few debut authors get picked up by publishers, I wondered if a publisher would ever take an interest in my books. But, I persevered and learned that if we continue to grow in our skills and work on our stories, industry professionals will eventually notice us.

Maria: How do you keep your writing fresh?

Jody: Currently I’m in the researching and plotting phase of my third contracted book. While in this phase, I’m reading a couple of fiction-writing “how-to” books. Reading them refreshes me, sparks new ideas, reminds me of techniques I need to practice, and pushes me to improve.

Maria: You're an extremely busy lady, and family is obviously very important to you, how do you prioritize your day? How many hours do you spend writing?

Jody: I struggle every day to balance the new demands of being a published author and the mother to five busy children. I try to set personal deadlines ahead of publisher ones so that I’m not running behind. I also keep myself on a fairly strict writing schedule. I block time into my day and stick to it. I give myself daily word count goals or number of chapters to edit, and I work hard to meet my goals. And then I try to be just as intentional with my family—especially setting aside regular family time together.

Maria: How has being a published author changed you?

Jody: Through the stresses and deadlines and increased workload, God has stretched me to grow. As I’ve juggled a writing career and other responsibilities, I’ve had to learn to let go of some of the things that aren’t important (like a dusted house or perfectly prepared meals) and instead cling to what matters most (like family time).

Maria: Any chance you might write a non-fiction book in the future? If so, what topic?

Jody: I’ve always tossed around the idea of writing non-fiction. Over the years, I’ve had plenty of ideas, particularly about parenting and marriage. I could even see myself delving into a writing how-to book. But for now, at this busy stage in my life, I’m sticking with fiction.

Maria: What goals have you set for your future? Writing and otherwise.

Jody: I’m actually taking the future one day at a time. I want to be obedient to God’s plans for my life. For now, he’s given me a three book contract. I intend to write the very best three books that I possibly can. Then after that, I’ll see where he leads me!

Maria: What final words of wisdom would you like to share with our readers?

Jody: God’s life lessons aren’t always clearly written out on a blackboard. Instead, it’s often when we’re in the middle of difficulties, stresses, and hardships that we slowly begin to see what God is trying to teach us. And ultimately the lesson is that he longs for our holiness more than our happiness.

Maria: Definitely words of wisdom we can all take to heart! Thank you so much for joining us today, Jody! Congratulations on your first successful novel! And God give you many more successes as you continue to write for His honor and glory!

Good news! If you're interested in winning an autographed copy of Jody's debut novel, The Preacher's Bride:

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address in the following format: morgan(dot) maria(dot)i(at)gmail(dot)com. Entries without an email address are not eligible.

• Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you're already a follower.

• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. Please be sure and let me know you did so in your comment.

• This is open to US residents only. My sincere apology to those followers outside the US.

• Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, December 12, 2010. Winner to be announced in Monday's post. The winner will be notified via email.

Take a moment to read Jody's biography!

Jody Hedlund is a debut historical romance novelist who was a double finalist in the 2009 ACFW Genesis Contest. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Midland, Michigan, with her husband and five busy children.

She’s represented by agent Rachelle Gardner and her debut book, The Preacher’s Bride, released in Oct. 2010 and is available online and in most bookstores. Stop by her blog, Author, Jody Hedlund, where she chronicles her journey to publication and dispenses her two-cent writing wisdom.

Visit Jody at the following locations:

Website: http://jodyhedlund.com

Blog: http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/
Facebook: Author Jody Hedlund
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JodyHedlund
Email: JodyHedlund@JodyHedlund.com