Welcome back, Jodie. God
has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
Chuckle. That's a little hard to predict, but I'm hoping to
find a home for a story I wrote quite a number of years ago that still is my
all-time favorite.
I understand that. I
have an older one my agent is sending to a new market right now. Tell us a
little about your family.
My husband and I have been married for over 30 years and have
two grown sons who are both married. We have four granddaughters ages six and
under.
I imagine that’s a
houseful of fun when you all get together. Has your writing changed your
reading habits? If so, how?
I don't get to read quite as much as I would like to because
of my writing, but that doesn't bother me. I do find I'm more alert to typos
and repetitive words in printed books now.
What are you working
on right now?
I'm finalizing edits on the story I first mentioned and also
working on a book that is set in the town where I live now. I'm looking forward
to writing again.
What outside
interests do you have?
I enjoy spending time with my husband, reading, walking,
relaxing, etc.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
That's a difficult question to answer. Sometimes I can be
inspired by a place I'm visiting or heard about. It can be from an article I
read or a story told to me. I try to be open to story ideas and settings when
they crop up.
I know what you mean.
I do, too. If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would
it be and why?
I'm never great at answering this question. The only one I
can think of who would mean the most to me to see face-to-face is Jesus. I'd
love to speak together and hear His responses.
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
How long the process can be before a book actually is
printed, and you can hold it in your hands. :-)
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
Chuckle. It seems each time I work on a new book, God has me
re-learn the spiritual truths that my characters are struggling with. He brings
new situations that cause me to go deeper in my faith and learning through the
process.
Me, too. What are the
three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Tenacity, patience, and helping others.
I think to succeed in this industry you have to display
perseverance and not being willing to quit when things get tough because
believe me, they will. Very few authors are picked up immediately when they
first start sending out their work. Learn to wait on God's timing. Once you
start getting published, don't forget to reach back and help those writers who
are coming up behind you and are just learning about the industry. Be open to
encouraging them.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Here's the back cover blurb for To Claim Her Heart
In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin
David prays for God to guide him to his “Promised Land.” Finding property and
preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancée. He hasn't
counted on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave.
Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading
know-how he is sadly lacking.
Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith's only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land's not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She's willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie's determined to keep it.
Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.
Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith's only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land's not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She's willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie's determined to keep it.
Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.
Here's a glimpse of the first scene:
Mrs. Wigglesworth’s Essential
Guide to Proper Etiquette and Manners of Refined Society
September 15, 1893,
Kiowa, Kansas —Border of the Cherokee
Strip
“Elmer Smith?”
For once in all of her days, Elsie welcomed the name Pa had
insisted on when her life began and Ma’s had ended.
“Is that you, son?”
“Ain’t your son.” Ain’t no one’s son. Elsie shifted her
Stetson lower to ward off the man’s scrutiny.
“There’s no need to get your prickles up. Do you testify you’re
at least twenty-one years of age and head of your household?”
Elsie nodded and bit back a retort.
“Then sign here.” The man shoved a paper across the
makeshift desk. Beads of moisture dotted his upper lip.
She scrawled her name on the line. The page crinkled when
she folded and shoved it into her shirt pocket, along with the copy of The
Homestead Laws and Pa’s hand-drawn map.
“Get out of the way, kid.” A scraggly looking fellow jabbed
into her shoulder.
Elsie stepped out of line, glaring at him. He ignored her
and turned his attention to the clerk.
She elbowed through a crowd of men. How had her small town
swelled to so many folks? Thankfully there were few she recognized, or, more
so, who could recognize her. The less who knew her gender, the better. She
certainly didn’t need no man to help her get the land she and Pa had dreamed
about.
Elsie scooted her hat up and swiped at the sweat on her
forehead before dropping it back into place, scrunching the thick braid she’d
pinned up three days prior. Hefting her saddlebags to her opposite shoulder,
she hiked the short distance to the livery and retrieved Buster. A short ride
would clear her head and prepare her for what lay ahead.
Dust swirled and nearly choked Elsie as she rode in the
opposite direction of the throngs, to see the old farm one last time.
Acrid smoke filled her lungs. Nearby fires, to deter Sooners
from entering the strip before the race began, burned in the west, but not out
of control.
Elsie urged Buster, careful not to tire him. Everything
hinged on finding the land tomorrow.
Everything.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodieAWolfe
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Wolfe/e/B01EAWOHXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Thank you, Jodie, for
sharing this new book with me and my blog readers.
Readers, here are links to the book.
To Claim Her Heart
- PapebackTo Claim Her Heart - Kindle
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