Welcome back,
Jocelyn. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on
the horizon?
Yes, He has. Spy of Richmond is my tenth book and
the end of my Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series. Right now I’m
exploring a few different directions for where I want to invest my writing
energies next. I foresee both nonfiction and more historical fiction in my
future, Lord willing!
Tell us a little
about your family.
My husband Rob is the most supportive husband this homeschooling writer mama could ever ask for. He’s also a graphic designer, and has created the maps in my novels! Rob is the Web developer for theUniversity of Northern Iowa
My husband Rob is the most supportive husband this homeschooling writer mama could ever ask for. He’s also a graphic designer, and has created the maps in my novels! Rob is the Web developer for the
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
I’m a much more thoughtful reader than I was before I wrote fiction. I keep a notebook and pen with me when I read so when I notice a striking passage, I’ll jot it down in my notebook or just scribble a note to myself about the author’s technique. I have much more appreciation for authors and books now that I know how challenging it is to do it well! I also read a wider variety of genres and authors now as I look for new and different ways to tell stories.
I’m a much more thoughtful reader than I was before I wrote fiction. I keep a notebook and pen with me when I read so when I notice a striking passage, I’ll jot it down in my notebook or just scribble a note to myself about the author’s technique. I have much more appreciation for authors and books now that I know how challenging it is to do it well! I also read a wider variety of genres and authors now as I look for new and different ways to tell stories.
What are you working
on right now?
I’m in the final stages of my current interlibrary loan spree for a new series I’m researching. In a few weeks, I’ll be ready to make travel plans to visit the location and really dive into some archives and get a sense of setting. I never feel like I’m ready to write until I’ve spent time “on-site.”
I’m in the final stages of my current interlibrary loan spree for a new series I’m researching. In a few weeks, I’ll be ready to make travel plans to visit the location and really dive into some archives and get a sense of setting. I never feel like I’m ready to write until I’ve spent time “on-site.”
What outside
interests do you have?
Between writing, reading, and homeschooling, I don’t have much time leftover. But if I did, I’d spend more time gardening, knitting, baking, and scrapbooking.
Between writing, reading, and homeschooling, I don’t have much time leftover. But if I did, I’d spend more time gardening, knitting, baking, and scrapbooking.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
With my Civil War series, I chose the roles women played during the war first, and the settings fell into place. Wedded to War was about the first band of trained professional nurses, which took place inNew York City and Washington . I wanted to also show how
civilian women were affected by battles close to home, so Gettysburg was a great setting for book 2. Yankee in Atlanta combines two different
roles—that of the female soldier, and the secret Unionist in Atlanta . I chose Richmond
for the setting of Spy of Richmond because Elizabeth Van Lew, the most famous
female spy for the Union , lived there on
Church Hill. My heroine, Sophie Kent, works in Van Lew’s spy network.
With my Civil War series, I chose the roles women played during the war first, and the settings fell into place. Wedded to War was about the first band of trained professional nurses, which took place in
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Nellie Bly. Born in 1864, she grew up to be a ground-breaking reporter, which was remarkable for a young women in those days. She launched a new kind of investigative journalism and wrote an exposé on the conditions inside an insane asylum, among other stories. She also traveled around the world without a chaperone in a record-breaking 72 days. I was trained as a journalist, so Nellie’s story fascinates me.
Nellie Bly. Born in 1864, she grew up to be a ground-breaking reporter, which was remarkable for a young women in those days. She launched a new kind of investigative journalism and wrote an exposé on the conditions inside an insane asylum, among other stories. She also traveled around the world without a chaperone in a record-breaking 72 days. I was trained as a journalist, so Nellie’s story fascinates me.
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
Honestly, I wish I would have had a little more confidence in myself early on. When I switched from nonfiction to fiction, I had a lot of self-doubt, and it’s really difficult to be creative when you feel lousy about yourself. Ironically, my first novel, Wedded to War, was a Christy Award finalist in two categories. I could have saved myself a lot of hand-wringing if I had just been able to turn off those negative voices in my head.
Honestly, I wish I would have had a little more confidence in myself early on. When I switched from nonfiction to fiction, I had a lot of self-doubt, and it’s really difficult to be creative when you feel lousy about yourself. Ironically, my first novel, Wedded to War, was a Christy Award finalist in two categories. I could have saved myself a lot of hand-wringing if I had just been able to turn off those negative voices in my head.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
He’s teaching me to wait upon His timing. It’s so easy to rush around and behave as though my success is defined by my productivity. But that’s not the case. My success is determined by how closely I follow God’s will for my life. That could mean I write ten books and I’m done, or it could mean I have many more to write than that. Trusting God’s timing releases me from comparing myself to others. I need only seek His will, rather than try to match someone else’s success.
He’s teaching me to wait upon His timing. It’s so easy to rush around and behave as though my success is defined by my productivity. But that’s not the case. My success is determined by how closely I follow God’s will for my life. That could mean I write ten books and I’m done, or it could mean I have many more to write than that. Trusting God’s timing releases me from comparing myself to others. I need only seek His will, rather than try to match someone else’s success.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Read, read, read. Work on your craft even when you’re not in the mood. Find creative ways to market—and one way to do this is by joining associations that foster cooperative efforts.
Read, read, read. Work on your craft even when you’re not in the mood. Find creative ways to market—and one way to do this is by joining associations that foster cooperative efforts.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Richmond , Virginia
Former slave Bella Jamison sacrifices her freedom to come to
As Sophie's spy network grows, she walks a tightrope of
deception, using her father's position as newspaper editor and a suitor's
position in the ordnance bureau for the advantage of the Union .
One misstep could land her in prison, or worse. Suspicion hounds her until she
barely even trusts herself. When her espionage endangers the people she loves,
she makes a life-and-death gamble. Will she follow her convictions even though
it costs her everything-and everyone-she holds dear?
Please give us the
first page of the book.
OutsideSavannah , Georgia
Outside
Thursday, March 3,
1859
It is madness.
Rain hissing to the earth in torrents behind her, Sophie
Kent shivered and craned her neck toward the platform, half expecting lightning
to strike the Ten Broeck Race Course any moment. It was the second day of the
auction selling more than 420 slaves, and the second day of boiling, weeping
storms. Gripping her pencil and papers beneath the folds of her wrap, Sophie
trained her eyes and ears to the drama around her.
Humiliation tightened her throat as she watched a woman on
the stage made to jump, bend, twist, and turn. Her smooth complexion was the
color of tea with milk and honey, a bright contrast to the cocoa and coffee
bean shades of the others. Her almond-shaped eyes were cast downward as a man
tugged off her shawl and head rag before pinching her arm and pulling her lips
apart to display her teeth. Modesty told Sophie to avert her gaze from the
indignity, but she resisted. For years, she’d been blind to the horrors of
slavery. This time, she would not look away. Neither will I stay silent. Not
any longer.
The man spun the woman around and made some remark into her
ear; she let him expose her back to the audience. “No scars from the
disciplining lash—no trace of rebellion in her spirit,” he said. The woman
covered herself once more.
As the bidding began from within the two hundred buyers in
attendance, Sophie withdrew her auction catalogue from her wrap, her pencil
poised to take notes. Humidity curled the pages, and the list of souls for sale
drooped in her gloved hand.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
www.pinterest.com/jocelyngreen77
Thank you, Jocelyn, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Spy of Richmond - Christianbook.com
Spy of Richmond (Heroines Behind the Lines)
- AmazonSpy of Richmond (Heroines Behind the Lines Book 4) - Kindle
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