TIME’s Black History Month Issue

6 February 2021

TIME magazine’s just-released Black History Month edition, The Renaissance is Black, celebrates the power of Black art. A special project created in partnership with Ibram X. Kendi, the cover story features breakout Penguin Young Readers poetry star Amanda Gorman in conversation with Michelle Obama. PRH Authors Jacqueline Woodson, Brit Bennett and Jasmine Guillory are also celebrated in an article discussing the long-standing contributions of Black women writers.

Read on for some of our favorite quotes from featured PRH authors, and check out the complete digital issue of TIME here. A huge thank you to the publishing teams who work tirelessly to amplify the iconic, inspiring voices that make us proud to be Penguin Random House employees.

Cover credit: Photograph by Awol Erizku for @TIME

Ibram X. Kendi on what Black History Month means to him: “In this first Black History Month after the racial reckoning of 2020, I feel impelled to do what historians rarely do: mark history while the story is still being written … if the Black Arts Movement stirred Black people to love themselves, then the Black Renaissance is stirring Black people to be themselves. Totally. Unapologetically. Freely.”
Amanda Gorman on the role of art in activism: “Poetry and language are often at the heartbeat of movements for change. If we look to the Black Lives Matter protests, you see banners that say, They buried us but they didn’t know we were seeds. That’s poetry being marshaled to speak of racial justice. If you analyze Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, it’s a great document of rhetoric that’s also a great document of poetry, of imagery, of song. Never underestimate the power of art as the language of the people.”
Michelle Obama on what “The Hill We Climb” meant to America: “Your poem hit such a nerve, especially after the chaos and violence we’d experienced leading up to the Inauguration. After so much division, hearing your call for unity was something of a balm.”
Jasmine Guillory on why demographics on bestseller lists are changing: “It’s not that suddenly Black women are writing more or buying more books. It’s that the books are in the marketplace, and they’re getting the power behind them so that the whole world can see how great we are.”
Brit Bennett on why the cultural chorus of “Listen to Black women” sometimes rings hollow: “It falls into these various cultural expectations of what white people demand from Black women … These various tropes kept cropping up—Black women are swooping in to save America from itself. It’s like, no, we’re trying to save ourselves. A vision of America that is fair to Black women would by necessity also be better for a lot of other types of people, a vision of America that pushes back against misogyny and racism and classism and all these other isms.”
Jacqueline Woodson on how far we’ve come: “There’s no way of going back from here. We come from a people who were not allowed to learn to read and write, and here we are … We also come from a people who were storytellers, and that was oppressed forever, and now that has broken open. We know our stories matter because the writers who came before us have showed us how we’ve been silenced and we have a right to speak. We’re not going to shut up. And in this, in the writing, we’re teaching our daughters.”

For more insights and inspiration, tune into a special edition of TIME 100 Talks today, Friday, February 5, at 1:00 pm (ET), featuring Woodson, Bennett, and Guillory discussing the shared reality of being Black in America and working to shape a more equitable future. Register for free here.

#penguinrandomhouse

SNEAK PEEK: The Girls with No Names: A Novel by Serena Burdick

Jocie McKade

5 February 2021

The Girls with No Names: A Novel by Serena Burdick

The Home for Unwanted Girls meets The Dollhouse in this atmospheric historical novel of secrets, deception, and sisterhood, as one sister goes missing and her younger sister hatches an audacious plan to be admitted to the House of Mercy, a home for wayward girls, risking everything to bring her older sister home.
A beautiful tale of hope, courage, and sisterhood—inspired by the real House of Mercy and the girls confined there for daring to break the rules.

Growing up in New York City in the 1910s, Luella and Effie Tildon realize that even as wealthy young women, their freedoms come with limits. But when the sisters discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the brazen elder sister, becomes emboldened to do as she pleases. Her rebellion comes with consequences, and one morning Luella is mysteriously gone.

Effie suspects her father has sent Luella to the House of Mercy and hatches a plan to get herself committed to save her sister. But she made a miscalculation, and with no one to believe her story, Effie’s own escape seems impossible—unless she can trust an enigmatic girl named Mable. As their fates entwine, Mable and Effie must rely on their tenuous friendship to survive.

Home for Unwanted Girls meets The Dollhouse in this atmospheric, heartwarming story that explores not only the historical House of Mercy, but the lives—and secrets—of the girls who stayed there.

PODCAST: Debut Author Nicole Haldoupis and her Tiny Ruins

Jocie McKade

4 February 2021

Meet Debut Author Nicole Haldoupis and her Tiny Ruins on Book Lights

LISTEN HERE!!

Nicole Haldoupis is a queer writer, editor, and designer from Toronto. She’s a co-creator and editor of untethered, editor of Grain, and co-founder of Applebeard Editions. Her work can be found in Bad Dog Review, The Feathertale Review, Bad Nudes, (parenthetical), Sewer Lid, antilang, and others. Tiny Ruins is her first book. Nicole lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. You can find out more here: http://nicolehaldoupis.ca/

Nicole’s latest release is TINY RUINS.

“The dahlias on Sara’s dress scrunched and stretched with her body as she spun on the grass and Alana couldn’t understand why no one else was mesmerized.” Tiny Ruins is a coming-of-age and coming out story that follows Alana, as she grows up, discovers, and tries to understand her bisexuality. Small windows offer us a glimpse of Alana’s memories, often fragmentary, fleeting, and touching. When she confides in her sister that she is attracted to girls, she is met with disbelief, and so the secret is kept and Alana continues as the outsider looking in.

And for more about host Lisa Kessler visit http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Book Lights – shining a light on good books!

SNEAK PEEK: The Little Bookshop on the Seine

Jocie McKade

4 February 2021

The Little Bookshop on the Seine

A great big love letter to Paris, Christmas, quirky book stores and happily ever afters, in the spirit of Josie Silver’s One Day in December, Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner, and the Hollywood blockbuster, The Holiday.

It’s The Holiday on the Champs-Élysées in a great big love letter to Paris, charming old bookstores and happily-ever-afters!

When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.

But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.

Following The Pioneers with Sarah Sundin

Jocie McKade

4 February 2021

Pioneering women have always inspired me by Sarah Sundin

Stories of women who achieved “firsts” drew me as a child—the first woman physician, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, and so many others. As a member of Generation X, I didn’t have many opportunities to achieve my own “first,” but I was drawn to the challenge of succeeding in a traditionally male field.

My parents believed in preparing their daughters to do anything. My father is an engineer and my mother a college-educated stay-at-home mom, and both are voracious readers, fascinated by a wide range of subjects. They spread those interests. My sister and I played with dolls and blocks and Hot Wheels cars. We took ballet lessons and went camping and attended Youth Science Center workshops.

In junior high, my love of science blossomed, fed by a science teacher who told me I could make a career in it—heady words for a self-conscious nerd girl!

In college, I loved being in the small minority of female chemistry majors. I also felt the weight of dealing with a handful of condescending and dismissive professors. Their resistance, however, only made me more stubborn.

When I started pharmacy school, I was disappointed to discover the traditionally male profession had become predominantly female. No pioneering for me! But pharmacy was an excellent fit, and I loved my years as a pharmacist.

Naturally, when I began writing, stories of pioneering women drew me once again. Since my novels are set during World War II, I have incredible material to work with. I’ve written about flight nurses and WAVES and—yes, a female pharmacist. Even my characters with more traditional women’s roles deal with situations that challenge them deeply.

My background in science also enables me to understand technical material like pilot’s manuals and naval gunnery manuals, so I can write accurate combat scenes.

My latest novel, When Twilight Breaks, features one of my most pioneering heroines. Evelyn Brand is a foreign correspondent in Munich in 1938. She longs to expose oppression in Hitler’s Germany, but her editor wants her to write softball articles about concerts and exchange students and Mother’s Day. As a woman, Evelyn is held to loftier standards, pays higher dues, and takes stiffer punishments. But Evelyn is gutsy and creative and not above dressing as a man to get a story.

Writers often say, “Everything is research.” Every experience, every incident, every emotion can be used to make novels stronger—nothing is wasted. I’m so thankful for parents who sank a deep and rich well for me to draw from.

Take a look at Sarah’s latest release::::WHEN TWILIGHT BREAKS

Munich, 1938. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent as determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession as she is to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country–or worse. If she fails to truthfully report on major stories, she’ll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed–and wake up the folks back home.

In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party–to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can’t get off his mind.

This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and heart-stopping romance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Sundin is a bestselling author of historical novels, including When Twilight Breaks and the Sunrise at Normandy series. Her novel The Land Beneath Us was a 2020 Christy Award finalist, The Sky Above Us received the 2020 Carol Award, and When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” A mother of three, Sarah lives in California. Please visit her at www.sarahsundin.com

BEHIND THE WORDS:::PATRICIA BRADLEY

Jocie McKade

3 February 2021

BEHIND THE WORDS welcome romantic suspense author Patricia Bradley.

Welcome Patricia, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I’m Patricia Bradley, and I write romantic suspense. I’m co-founder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc. and have been an abstinence educator and a potter.

Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?

I’m originally from Memphis but have lived in the northeast corner of Mississippi for the last forty years. That’s four miles from the Tennessee border and twenty-five miles from the Alabama border. And writing is my fulltime job.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing forty years, and have been published for the past eight years…so never give up!

Briefly describe your writing day. Tell us about your latest release.

My writing day depends on where I am in the book. Early on in the process, I’m noodling the story around in my brain, so most of my time won’t be sitting behind a computer. Once I know my characters and what the crime will be and why it happens now (as opposed to last year or next year) I’ll start the actual writing.

Some authors write a set amount of pages a day, but I go by word count. In the beginning, I set my word count at 7,500 words a week, counting five days as a week. That’s 1,500 words a day—but sometimes it will take Saturday to reach that 1500. I write until I reach it, and sometimes, if I’m on a roll, I’ll keep writing. But, in the beginning I usually struggle to get 1500 words each day. After the mid-point of the book, I up the word count to 10,000 words a week, or 2,000 a day.

In between all the writing, I also write blog posts and do marketing.

What inspired this book?

When I researched The Natchez Trace in preparation for the series, I stopped at Mount Locust. I was already enamored with the Trace (I mean, can you imagine walking in the exact road where 10,000 mostly men had walked in the late 1700s and early 1800s as they made their way north to Nashville?) Mount Locust really stirred my creative juices. There is so much history in that little inn. I knew I had to set a book there.

Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book? Perhaps a juicy bit of back-story, or something only you know about a character?

Here’s a bit about Emma: I’m good at cutting and running at the first sign of trouble in a relationship. Maybe because way back in high school my date for the big Valentine’s Dance ditched me for a prettier girl the night of the dance. I made my mind up right then if anyone was going to get ditched, it would not be me. So, a few dates and I’m out of the relationship.

Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?

While in some ways the antagonist is easier to write than the protagonist because the antagonist is deeply flawed, at some point I have to get my head in that character’s head. And when the antagonist is a sociopath, it’s not something I look forward to. It’s difficult for me to be in a dark place, and that’s where these characters live.

If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?

All of my heroines! They are so much braver than I am, and they lead interesting lives. I always give my heroines a career I wanted to be—like criminal profiler, a rock climber, a police detective, a park ranger… I live vicariously through those characters.

All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

My biggest influence came from Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck. They poured themselves into teaching unpublished writers how to improve their writing. They still do.

Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?

Most of my readers already know I’m a potter, so not that…maybe that I can still touch the floor flat handed with my legs straight (at my advanced age. Lol)?

Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!

Coffee!! With Bailey’s Irish Cream (non-alcoholic).

And what is your writing Kryptonite?

The first chapters. I struggle so with them.

Why did you keep writing all those years?

Writing is like breathing to me. I can’t not do it. And I had a dream, that one day I would be published. Thirty-two years after I penned my first story, I was contracted. In my heart, I knew one day it would happen, so I kept writing, honing my craft.

Thank you so much Readers Entertainment Magazine for interviewing me! It’s been fun.

Thank you for joining us today, Patricia!!

Here’s a look at Patricia’s latest release: OBSESSION

Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she’s forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.

Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn’t intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.

Award-winning author Patricia Bradley will have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck with this nail-biting tale of obsession, misunderstanding, and forgiveness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Patricia Bradley is a Carol finalist and winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense. She and her two cats call North Mississippi home–the South is also where she sets most of her books. Her romantic suspense novels include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. Standoff, the first book in the Natchez Trace Park Ranger’s series released May 5, 2020, and the second book, Obsession releases February 2. She is hard at work on Crosshairs, the third book in the series. When she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens

Links:

Website https://ptbradley.com/

Blog – https://ptbradley.com/blog/

Facebook – www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PTBradley1

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2S6DKGY

Bookbub- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patricia-bradley

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789445.Patricia_Bradley

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ptbradley1/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

Sourcebooks Casablanca Announces Discover New Romance Award for Aspiring Writers

Jocie McKade

3 February 2021

Sourcebooks Casablanca, the romance imprint of leading independent publisher Sourcebooks, is partnering with Bookstore Romance Day on the Discover New Romance Award for unpublished and self-published authors in the category.

“At Sourcebooks, we strongly believe in the power of books to change lives, and we understand the power of booksellers in championing romance while helping publishers create meaningful communities connecting readers and authors,” said Mary Altman, senior acquiring editor. “We’re excited to reinforce our ongoing partnership with independent bookstores by partnering with Bookstore Romance Day in this special effort to discover new voices in romantic fiction while creating powerful discovery opportunities for emerging authors with bookstore tastemakers and trendsetters.”

Entrants must submit a synopsis or pitch and a thirty-page writing sample via email to contest@bookstoreromanceday.org by February 15. Submissions will be capped at fifty entries and will be accepted on a first come, first considered basis. All submissions must be romance fiction, which requires a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending; submissions in other genres will be disqualified.

The top ten scores from the first round will be asked to submit a complete manuscript, and the top score from this second round will be read and critiqued by an acquisition editor at Sourcebooks. All entries will receive a minimum of five critiques from a panel of independent booksellers.

“While finding the next great romance hand sell for Indie bookstores is a primary goal, we also want to demonstrate that Indie booksellers are fully invested in the genre; that we support authors and want them to succeed; that we know and love the tropes, traditions, and constructs of romance and are confident in our ability to offer insightful and constructive critique,” said Billie Bloebaum, founder of Bookstore Romance Day. “That Indie booksellers, contrary to the widely held belief, are not just readers of but advocates for romance.”

Visit bookstoreromanceday.org/discover-new-romance-award/ for more details.

#sourcebooks

SNEAK PEEK: Wrath: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

Jocie McKade

3 February 2021

Wrath: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

The award-winning author of Lust, Envy, and Greed—soon to be Lifetime movies—delivers a passionate and unforgettable exploration of a marriage caught in the crossroads of rage.

When Chastity Butler and Xavier Owens first meet, they instantly connect over their shared dedication to activism. After all, Xavier is a civil rights attorney and Chastity uses her business degree to work with a local foundation that helps battered women.

Together, they work to make the world a better place and find themselves falling deeper in love. Even though friends and family warn them to slow down, Xavier and Chastity marry within a year.

But their marriage is soon strained by the intense differences between their backgrounds. Chastity, the only child of a prominent popular pastor in Philadelphia, was raised with privilege. Xavier, meanwhile, never knew his father, was abandoned by his mother, and shuffled between houses, leaving him feeling isolated and inadequate. As an adult, he was determined to leave his past behind.

As time goes on, Xavier is slowly overcome with resentment about his past. Soon, Chastity finds herself on the receiving end of his increasing rage. It starts with verbal abuse and escalates until the physical abuse makes Chastity feel like she’s living in a prison. She has built a career on helping women in similar situations, but her religious upbringing, her position at the domestic violence foundation, as well as her family’s high social profile all work to keep her in their home, praying that Xavier will change.

Things only get worse when the local Democratic Party asks Chastity to run for office, and Xavier can’t handle the amount of attention his wife is suddenly getting. When his rage explodes at a level Chastity has never seen, will their marriage survive or is this finally the last straw?

About the Author
Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of more than twenty five novels including: Greed; Envy; Lust; The Ex Files; Lady Jasmine; The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil; and Stand Your Ground, which was named a Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Winner of nine African American Literary Awards for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female), Murray is also a four-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC. See all of her books here:

The Seven Deadly Sins…Coming to TV on Lifetime!

(Reprinted with permission from Black Pearls Magazine)

SNEAK PEEK: It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian

Jocie McKade

2 February 2021

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian
(Preorder Here)

A sexy Eat Pray Love meets Evvie Drake Starts Over, Claire Christian’s It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake is smart, feel-good women’s fiction about learning to love yourself, in which a woman determined to own her decisions travels to Europe in the singular pursuit of pleasure—and the exes she wishes she’d been courageous enough to sleep with.

“A vibrant story of self-discovery…sure to capture readers’ hearts.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

A sparkling, feel-good tale about starting over, for anyone who’s spent too much of their own life making other people happy.

What if you made yourself your number one priority?

Of all the women and men Noni Blake has pleased in her life, there’s one she’s often overlooked—herself. After the end of a decade-long relationship, Noni decides it’s time for that to change. She’s finally going to prioritize her wants and desires and only do things (and people) that feel good in the moment.

As she embarks on a pleasure-seeking quest that takes her halfway around the world, she discovers that maybe she can have everything, and everyone, she’s ever wanted.

Effortlessly hilarious and relatable, Claire Christian spins a fresh, uplifting story about starting over as a thirtysomething woman who’s been living life for everyone else. A story of self-discovery for the ages, Noni’s journey serves as a reminder that life is what we make of it—so why not enjoy it?

BEHIND THE WORDS: Author Jennifer Diebel Pens a ‘love letter’ to Ireland in Latest Release

Jocie McKade

2 February 2021

Jennifer Deibel, A Dance in Donegal

Welcome, tell us a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Do you have one of those day-jobs?

Thank you so much for having me! I am so excited to be here!

I am an Arizona girl born and raised—then spent almost 10 years in Europe. We are now back in the Phoenix area where I live with my husband and our three kids. By day, I am a seventh grade English teacher, which means I spent my days with hundreds of gloriously awkward teens/pre-teens, and it’s amazing. If I can’t write full time, it’s the next best thing!

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing in some form or another my whole life. It started out as daily diary entries as a kid, and morphed from there. In high school, I wrote a short story that was so horrible. I think my main character’s name changed twice and her eye color never stayed the same. But I loved it. I remember a descriptive writing piece we had to do my junior year that was so much fun—but none of my friends agreed.

In college, my first English professor told me I should consider pursuing a career in writing, but I had my sights set on a much higher- paying job. Then, changed my major to education. I know, I laugh, too.

I first started writing A Dance in Donegal about 16.5 years ago when I was pregnant with our first baby. Once she was born, though, it sat for years and years. I finally started writing more seriously shortly after my son was born about ten years ago. I heard about this new parenting blog, The Better Mom, that was starting up and looking for contributors. I auditioned and was accepted. Ruth, the gal who runs it, suggested I start a blog so readers would have a place to find me if they liked my articles. That’s when my first website started, and I picked Dance back up again.

Briefly describe your writing day.

More often than not, my writing time takes place in the evenings when I go sit at a coffee shop while my older kids are at youth group, or during my twice-monthly writers group meetings. The rest of it happens in the fringes—minutes stolen here or there.

On my most ideal writing day, there’s coffee aplenty, I have a quiet place all to myself where I can let the creativity flow. This summer, however, the bulk of my second book was written at the dining room table with my kids running all over around me, stopping to help fix lunches, or referee arguments, or help them find something to do other than watching Studio C sketches for the umpteenth time.

Tell us about your latest release?

A Dance in Donegal truly is the book of my heart—a story I’ve carried in my soul for over a decade. It’s a love letter to Ireland, her people, her language, and her landscape. Here’s a brief description of the story:

All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her Irish mother’s descriptions of her homeland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira accepts the challenge to fulfill her mother’s wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, the homeland village in Donegal, Ireland.

After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence, but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends—and the strength of an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced. While Moira learns to trust Sean and his intentions, she struggles to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Most of them are fictitious, but there are a couple who are inspired by real-life people I got to know when we lived in Donegal. Namely, Bríd, who runs the Guest House Moira stays in when she first arrives. Bríd is inspired by an incredible woman named Maire who runs a charming B&B in the village of Derrybeg, which is the village Ballymann is inspired by.

The rest of the cast of characters are original, but also influenced by the wonderful, colorful, vibrant people I met and knew in our years in Ireland.

Would you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book?

There is a castle in the story—Glenveagh Castle. It is a real place, and is quite stunning with breathtaking gardens, situated right on the lake, Loch Veagh.

Glenveagh Castle is the subject of much discussion, around which rumors and suspicions abound—particularly about Moira’s mother and her role there. Well, many people do not know that real-life author John Knowles wrote his novel A Separate Peace from one of the bedrooms there.

Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? (Any of your books)

Without a doubt, the father of the heroine in my second book (due out from Revell in February 2022). He is devious and proud, but he also loves his family and would do (and does) anything for them. I find it very tricky to write him in a way that shows his true colors, but also let his better qualities shine through—when he chooses to let them.

If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?

As cheesy as it might sound, I’d love to be my heroine—Moira. Just to be able to go back and experience Ireland for the first time again would be amazing. To rediscover the beauty and history of such an amazing country; to fall in love with her people all over again…yes. My heart aches to be back there every day, so to relive it all through her eyes would be amazing.

What’s next?

I am working on finishing up book two right now! It is a standalone, but shares some aspects with Dance in that it is set in Ireland in 1920. So, it includes sweeping landscapes, a hearty and colorful cast of characters, and heart-warming romance. But that is where the similarities stop.

This book has an English heroine who moves to Galway and becomes an apprentice at a jewelry shop that invented the famous Claddagh ring. I am absolutely loving this story and these characters! I can’t wait to share them with you all!

All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I have to say, every author I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way. But, the two who have most directly influenced the way I write would be Liz Curtis Higgs and Julie Klassen.

Higgs can weave drama, history, romance, heartache, charm, and the hope of the Gospel like no other. I have read her Scottish trilogy at least five times—and I cry every time. The way she marries the Scottish history, landscape, and culture greatly inspires and encourages me as I write an Irish setting.

Julie Klassen’s romance is unparalleled. She brings human emotion to the page in a way that I could only hope to achieve. I love how she brings the setting to life, and lets us in on the characters’ joy, pain, heartache, etc. in a way that we really experience life through them.

If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be and why?

Oh goodness, I honestly don’t know how I can answer this. There are so very many writers whom I respect and admire so greatly. I think I have to say Janette Oke. She’s such a pioneer in Christian writing, and her book A Gown of Spanish Lace was the first Christian novel I ever read.

If you could ask your favorite author a question what would it be?

I’d love to ask Liz Curtis Higgs if we could sit down over tea and shortbread and talk all things Scottish/Celtic, and ask her if she could only ever write one more fiction story, what would it be and why.

Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?

If we are talking actual talent, I can sing. I used to lead worship for our church in Flagstaff, Arizona many, many moons ago. I loved it, and I miss it greatly!

If we are talking “stupid human trick” talent, I can use a flashlight to turn myself into a human jack-o-lantern. It’s truly unforgettable.

Your favorite go-to drink or food when the world goes crazy!

Coffee is always close at hand. Typically, I keep it pretty simple with an Americano and a splash of almond milk.

When I’m really feeling the pressure, I go for some good dark chocolate, or a decadent piece of cake.

But, when the going really gets tough, I have to reach for a steaming cup of Lyons Gold Blend tea with a generous helping of milk. I don’t know what makes Irish black tea so amazing, but there’s nothing else like it in the world. Even self-professed tea haters enjoy it. And tea snobs really love it! If you haven’t tried it, do! You won’t be sorry.

What is the one question you never get asked at interviews, but wish you did? Ask and answer it.

I used to work for a literary PR firm, so my job involved writing interview questions for our authors. However, being a debut author, I am new to being on this side of the conversation. It’s such a surreal experience! So, I can’t point to a question I never get asked in interviews, but I do know I absolutely love connecting with people. So, one question I love to answer is:

How can readers connect with you?

I’m so glad you asked! ☺ Readers can connect with me through social media—I’m most active on Instagram (@jenniferdeibel_author). I also have a private reader’s group on Facebook, where I can interact with people more closely than I can on my author Facebook page (facebook.com/JenniferDeibelAuthor). In the readers group, we chat, share book talk, and they get all the bookish news and opportunities first! The group is called Books & Tae: Jennifer Deibel’s Reading group.

Lastly, I have a newsletter I send out roughly every month (sometimes I skip a month, because, life.). My Newsies also get first dibs on any new information about my books, first chance to sign up for launch teams, exclusive giveaways, etc. People can sign up for that here: http://eepurl.com/c3x7FT

Take a look at Jennifer’s latest release A DANCE IN DONEGAL

All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her mother’s descriptions of Ireland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira decides to fulfill her mother’s wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.

After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends–and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced–as she seeks to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

Jennifer Deibel’s debut novel delights the senses, bringing to life the sights, sounds, smells, and language of a lush country and a colorful people. Historical romance fans will embrace her with open arms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

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