What's even more impressive, though, is the author herself. She not only writes novels, but she has several nonfiction books, too. Plus she's a mom and a homeschooler. Better yet, she's a sweet lady who loves Jesus and seeks to lead others to him.
That's why I interviewed Jocelyn (who kindly agreed to the interview even though she'd just passed a grueling deadline and just wanted to get her neglected floor mopped). But don't worry; she won't make you feel bad about not being supermom. Instead, Jocelyn tells it how it really is.
Me: I love your novels - but I admit, I have a fascination with your personal life, too. You're a wife and a mom of two young children. How do you find time for writing?
Jocelyn: I
have to fight for it, no doubt about it. Thankfully, my husband is very
helpful, and my parents live 20 minutes away, so they help a couple
days a week and when I’m on a deadline, too. But I’ve had to learn to let
some things slide. I try to cook ahead of time and have dinners in the
freezer during crunch time, but sometimes we eat cereal or frozen pizza.
I don’t decorate for every season as much as I’d like to. I don’t
vacuum as much as I should. Etc. I also don’t get enough sleep. It’s not
a glamorous lifestyle at all, it’s just a lot of triage on my
priorities from week to week, and sometimes from day to day.
You recently started homeschooling. How do you work that into your schedule?
Jocelyn: I
did! Ha! Well, to be honest, our homeschool schedule was pretty light
this fall while I finished my third novel. Now that I’ve turned it in,
we are finding a rhythm that works for our family. We do school from
about 8:30am to 2:30pm, and after that, I have some time to work with.
Right now I’m just in the research stage for novel #4, and I can easily
read while in the same room with my chattering children. But when it
comes time to write again, we may need to take some “vacation days” from
homeschooling, or I will just have them do independent work on their
own. I really don’t know how it’s all going to work out, yet. I’ll let
you know next summer.
Me: What tips do you have for moms who aspire to/need to work for money?
Jocelyn: I
would say that many times, skipping the byline pays. My best paying
writing jobs never gave me any “credit” but the work was steady and the
income predictable. For me, that was writing for nonprofits,
universities, and web sites. Work your networks and find out who could
use a writer. Attend writers conferences to broaden your circle of
contacts. Be willing to take smaller jobs first to build up your resume
and references. Remember that being faithful in the little things will
lead to bigger things. Keep in mind, too, that unless you are Karen
Kingsbury or Max Lucado or Jerry Jenkins, writing books is not a
lucrative venture. When I consider how many hours I spend on not just
writing a book, but then promoting it afterwards, suffice it to say I
could make more money working at McDonalds. Seriously. Writing books is
more of a ministry for me than anything else. The actual incomes comes
from writing stuff that is far less interesting.
Me: So true! Many moms have trouble juggling their mommy and household responsibilities and Bible and prayer time. How do you fit in private and family devotion time?
Me: So true! Many moms have trouble juggling their mommy and household responsibilities and Bible and prayer time. How do you fit in private and family devotion time?
Jocelyn: I
have my personal devotions with a cup of coffee first thing in the
morning. Then when the kids are eating breakfast, I read to them a
devotion for kids. At night, we read straight from the Bible to the kids
before bed, and before any other bedtime stories. We recently finished
going through the One Year Bible with them. Granted, it took us almost
two years, but we did it.
Me: Would you tell us a little about your journey as a writer? How did your
first book come about?
Jocelyn: My first book was Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. I was a military wife when I pitched the proposal, but by the time it was published in 2008, my husband was no longer active duty. (It took three years to get a contract.) When I was writing that one, I had a two year old and I was pregnant, and very sick. Thankfully, Faith Deployed was a compilation of devotions that 14 other military wives contributed to, so I didn’t write it all myself. That was really the key that made future book contracts so much easier...I had no interest in writing novels for years. But during the research for my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, I was inspired to try historical fiction. I was so inspired by reading real diaries of women who lived in Gettysburg 150 years ago, I really wanted to give them a voice again and bring their stories back to life. I felt that a novel would be the most vivid way to do that. That’s when I conceived the idea for the Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series.
Jocelyn: My first book was Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. I was a military wife when I pitched the proposal, but by the time it was published in 2008, my husband was no longer active duty. (It took three years to get a contract.) When I was writing that one, I had a two year old and I was pregnant, and very sick. Thankfully, Faith Deployed was a compilation of devotions that 14 other military wives contributed to, so I didn’t write it all myself. That was really the key that made future book contracts so much easier...I had no interest in writing novels for years. But during the research for my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, I was inspired to try historical fiction. I was so inspired by reading real diaries of women who lived in Gettysburg 150 years ago, I really wanted to give them a voice again and bring their stories back to life. I felt that a novel would be the most vivid way to do that. That’s when I conceived the idea for the Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series.
Me: Tell us about your newest books.
Jocelyn: Widow of Gettysburg
just released during the summer of 2013. It shows readers what the
civilians experienced during and after the battle of Gettysburg. (For
more information, including the book trailer, go here.) Next up is Yankee in Atlanta (releasing
in June 2014), which follows a Northern woman who lives in Atlanta as a
governess for a Confederate soldier’s daughter. Yankee is a story of divided families, conflicting loyalties, and hearts refined by fire.
Me: I can't wait to read it!
To learn more about Jocelyn and her books, please visit her website (which includes fun freebies like recipes, and helpful stuff like study guides) or follow her on Facebook.
Me: I can't wait to read it!
To learn more about Jocelyn and her books, please visit her website (which includes fun freebies like recipes, and helpful stuff like study guides) or follow her on Facebook.
No comments