BEYOND I DO - Jennifer Slattery - One Free Book

Readers, we have another debut author today.

Welcome, Jennifer. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

A lot. I think there’s probably a smidgeon of me or my experiences in every novel, though specifics get blurred. For example, I’ve always felt compassionate toward the homeless, prefer tennis shoes over heels, and romantic, tree encased log cabins versus towering cathedrals. Oh, and we both had a teacher named Mrs. Eldridge who made a lasting impact on us. In those aspects, we’re like twinsies! But in many ways, we’re very different, especially in regard to romance! I knew my husband was the one right away, whereas Ainsley, well, let’s just say, she’s got a pretty bad case of cold feet.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Quirky or plain insane? I’ve got lots of examples of the latter. Hahaha. Let me see… quirky… Does romantic quirkiness count? I have this funny habit of rubbing my husband’s head when I’m feeling affectionate. And occasionally confusing him with characters in my book. And talking to myself. A lot. Then there’s all the weird facial expressions I make while writing. Can I claim an overpowering sense of imagination?

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Initially, it wasn’t even on my radar. It grew out of my involvement with church ministry—children’s, women’s, family, and outreach. At first, I wrote to supplement programs or lessons, then one day, as I was praying over a storytime script for the children’s ministry, it hit me, “I really enjoy this.”

It truly was an ah-ha moment when I realized storytelling was what I’d been created to do. However, I fought the call to write as a vocation for a loooooong time, wanting to do something with a steady paycheck. But the more I fought God, the more miserable I became until I finally surrendered. My first contract didn’t come for until some time later.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I am an ecclectic reading addict. There are very few genres I don’t enjoy, though I’m very much a fan of Christian fiction. (I’m uncomfortable with sexual or violently graphic novels.) Lately I’ve read a couple of wonderful modern-day tellings of fairy tales. I also enjoy historical, the issue-driven fiction of Kathi Macias, and a fair number of young adult books like the Maze Runner.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

By maintaining a morning quiet time with God while drinking a ginormous cup of heavily–sweetened coffee and sharing loads of laugh-out-loud moments with my hubby and our teenage daughter. Oh, and devouring the occasional Enjoy Life candy bar.

I’ve never heard of that kind of candy bar. How do you choose your characters’ names?

I love stalking my friends’ Facebook walls, searching their friend lists. I’ll also use people from my past, my husband’s work, and my daughter’s school. In Beyond I Do, my debut novel, the heroine is named after a very sweet girl who was in my husband and my Sunday school class while I was writing. In my second novel, releasing in 2015, the name just came to me; I felt like it was a perfect fit to the character.

I’d love to schedule the 2015 release on my blog, too. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

This is hard. Maybe finishing my first novel? Back in the early stages of writing, I determined to always finish what I started as I worried otherwise, it’d become too easy to make a habit of quitting. Or in a more generalized way, completing that which I set my mind out to do, whether it takes days or years.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A dolphin. They have so much fun, and they get to spend their life at the beach. Well, within earshot of it, anyway. J Let me know when you get that.

I got it. What is your favorite food?

This changes. Right now I’d say frozen yogurt, though I suspect I enjoy the event more than the food, if that makes sense. I’m a big social eater, and it’s all about the atmosphere and friends. I especially love our family’s Sunday tradition of foregoing dinner for fro-yo out, loaded with lots of toppings of course.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I’d say maybe insecurity. It’s easy to read someone else’s work and think, “Wow, they’re so gifted. I’ll never be able to write like that.” Then to look at your own writing and think, “This stinks. I should probably shred it. Or burn it and stomp on my computer.”

But then I’d remember, God called me to this, opened these doors for publication, and will carry me through. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or that I don’t have LOTS to learn, but it takes the pressure off and brings it back everything back to obedience.

Tell us about the featured book.

I’d love to!

Will seeing beyond the present unite Ainsley and her fiancé or tear them apart?

Marriage ... it’s more than a happily ever after. Eternally more.

Ainsley Meadows, raised by a hedonist mother, who cycles through jobs and relationships like wrapping paper on Christmas morning, falls into a predictable and safe relationship with Richard, a self-absorbed socialite psychiatrist. But as her wedding nears, a battered woman and her child spark a long-forgotten dream and ignites a hidden passion. One that threatens to change everything, including her fiancé. To embrace God’s best and find true love, this security-seeking bride must follow God with reckless abandon and realize that marriage goes Beyond I Do.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Absolutely. However, this may change ever so-slightly once final edits are done.

Ainsley’s stomach churned as she eased into the Whispering Hills Apartments’ parking lot. Broken beer bottles and other trash littered the ground. A few tenants had draped sheets across their windows. Other windows were boarded up. One was busted in, shards of glass held in place by silver duct tape.

Please tell me this isn’t where Marie Nelson lives.

Ainsley compared the address Deborah had given her to the rusted numbers on the complex in front of her. This was the place. And from the looks of it, the very place Ainsley shouldn’t be, at least, not alone.

Her phone chimed, making her jump. She glanced at the screen. Her fiancé’s number flashed. Cutting her engine, she answered. “Hey, Richard, what’s up?” She shoved her purse and computer case under the passenger seat.

“Where are you?”

 “Doing a favor for Deborah. Why, you need something?” She grabbed her pepper spray from the glove compartment.

“Who?”

As if she hadn’t talked about the woman countless times over the years. “Deborah. Eldridge, the one who told me about Christ.” And kept her from going completely insane or spiraling into rebellion when Ainsley’s home life fell apart. “Sometimes I wonder if you ever really listen.”

A pack of muscular and hard-faced men gathered around a navy pick-up watched her, causing her already queasy stomach to cramp. There were four of them, two dressed in black with thick chains draped across their neck. The largest was covered, neck and arms, with tattoos. She looked away, suddenly acutely aware of her shiny Honda Accord and department store garb.

Oh, Lord Jesus, please keep me safe.

“That Deborah. Right.” A keyboard clicked on the other end of the line. Richard was probably working on final edits on his book. “Now I remember. So you’re in Smithville?”

“Not exactly. More like…” She scanned her surroundings again, her gaze lingering on a used diaper decaying on the ground ten feet away. “More like… the Admiral Boulevard area.”

Richard made a choking noise, as if spewing coffee. “You’re where? Please tell me you are not in the crime center of Kansas City.”

Used by Permission. Beyond I Do: A Novel, by Jennifer Slattery (New Hope Publishers, Birmingham, AL) NewHopeDigital.com.

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can visit my blog at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com , they can connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Jenslattery

Thanks for having me, Lena!

My pleasure, Jennifer. I can hardly wait to read your book.

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Beyond I Do - Christianbook.com
Beyond I Do - Amazon

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