As you may know, Jennifer Rodewald is one of my critique partners and one of my favorite authors, so I thought we could chat with her today here at Inspy Romance and get to know more about her.
Welcome back Jennifer! I love your novels, and I love that they grapple with pretty intense subjects like alcoholism, marital problems, and so on. What got you started writing fiction?
Aww… thanks. <3 Some of my work does wrestle with hard things. Not all of it—I have some lighter novellas, and I write young adult fiction as J. Rodes—but some of my more popular books are harder stories. Why? I don’t know. They’re just the stories I’ve been given by the Author of my heart.
I’ve always loved story, and writing is a natural way of processing life for me. I think that I write fiction because God teaches me through story (He knows me so well! ?) and I’m better able to process the world, others, myself, and His truth when I am exposed to story. So, for me, writing is often more of a journey of me learning than it is an intention of me teaching.
I love the sound of the “Author of my heart!” I also process life through writing. Who are some of your favorite contemporary Christian romance writers?
Hmmm… this is a tricky question, for a couple of reasons. First, I’m an exceptionally slow reader, which is a total bummer. While I have friends that can easily read well over 100 books in a year, I struggle to complete 40. I know… not so great for a writer. Trust me, I hear that often enough (enter large boulders of guilt and doubt for this little writer’s heart). But it is what it is.
It is hard to choose, and I’m a slow reader, too, so no worries. I’ve noticed you use nicknames a lot in your novels. Does your family give nicknames? Can you share some?
LOL! Yes!!! I LOVE nicknames, which drives some people crazy. Just one of my quirks. ? Yes, we have nicknames in my family. If you follow me on my personal Facebook page, you’ll see that my children are #bugsy #sweetnsassy #sjroders (or #lilroderrunner) and #theboy. I call my hubs either #superman or #captian (he loves both. ?)
That’s so cute! You’re from Nebraska, and I don’t think I’ve ever been there. What’s it like?
Nebraska is a big state, and vastly different from east to west. I’ve lived in both eastern and western (though I didn’t grow up in either—I’m a Colorado native and lived there for twenty-one years). Eastern Nebraska is hilly and green and has trees as well as humidity. Western Nebraska tends to be flatter (not nearly as flat as everyone thinks though—life is very different when you venture off of I-80, which follows the Platte river valley). Western Nebraska is also quite dry—we only get about 12 inches of rainfall per year, and unless you’re looking at a windrow or a river valley, it’s pretty treeless. This is farm and ranching country, and most communities are truly rural. It’s typically windy, and temperatures from summer to winter can be extreme (highs in the summer have reached 110 degrees or higher, in winter, we’ve had sub-zero temps reaching to -25 degrees).
We have amazing sunsets, though. And communities that are very supportive of their people.
It sounds like the landscape is different from Mississippi, but the good people may be quite similar! I absolutely love this quote from Amazon about you: A coffee addict, pickleball enthusiast, and storyteller, she also wears the hats of mom, teacher, and friend. Mostly, she loves Jesus and wants to see others fall in love with Him too. What is pickleball? And do you teach full time and write, plus raise four kids?
Aw, so sweet. Thanks! ? Pickleball is just the greatest game ever. ? It’s kind of a mashup between tennis and Ping-Pong. I usually play indoors (because, wind). The court is smaller than a tennis court, and you use paddles, not racquets, and a whiffle ball.
No, I don’t teach full time. I quit working outside the home when my second daughter was born—and honestly struggled with missing the classroom (but I have not ever regretted the decision to stay home). Now I sub occasionally and have taught our Junior High Sunday school class for over ten years.
I need to play pickleball! And staying home is a job for sure!
More about Jennifer:
She would love to hear from you! Please visit her at authorjenrodewald.com or at www.facebook.com/authorjenrodewald
Thanks for being with us today! Jennifer currently has a freebie for readers who sign up for her newsletter here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/sx0htwdo92
Do you give your family or friends nicknames too?
Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian so she could be around them all day. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after. Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space. Connect with her at http://www.janetfergusonauthor.com/
A great chat thank you. Pickleball is a new one on me.
Hi Janet and Jennifer! The only nicknames we have in our family are shortened versions of names – Michael – Mike. Our middle son uses one with friends. When our grandsons were little I gave them nicknames. Trouble and the Thinker. Best wishes. Enjoy your weekend.
No nicknames here though I’ve always wanted one. Jennifer, I loved The Cupcake Dilemma. I WILL get to your other books someday! (sigh) Too many books on my TBR list.
Janet, so glad you featured Jennifer…..nice to know more about her! I look forward to reading her books (yes, read over 150 a yr.). The nicknames are so cute…….history of them in my family, too!
So excited to learn more about you, Jen! Love your writing!
I heard a saying once about nicknames… That a person with many names is much loved. My first born child is certainly well loved, as he has lots of nicknames. Trevor is Trev, T-Rev, Trevorino, Trevasaurus, and as gets older, will likely be called Z, like his dad.
Thanks for letting get to you better, Jennifer! Love your books.
My husband is more the nickname giver than I am, and often calls our adult children and me by nicknames he gave many years ago. I have online nicknames for our grandgirls, but they aren’t names we use in person since they’re for identity protection.
You’re welcome!
Oh how cute!
Hello! The only “nickname” anyone in my family has is we call one great nephew Andy, since his full name is the same as his Daddy’s and his Grandfather’s. At least that way we can keep them separate! Loved reading this! Another new-to-me author!
I loved that one too!
You are a super fast reader! So amazing!
I love that! So cute!
I’m so curious about his nickname for you now, ha!
That makes sense! We had that too!
Thank you for stopping in, Mary. :)
Trouble and Thinker! I love that! Thanks so much for stopping in and sharing, Renate.
Ah, Thanks, Paula! I’m glad to be here. :)
Ah! Thanks so much, Sherri! I’m so glad you enjoyed The Cupcake Dilemma!
Man, I wish I could read like that! Thanks for stopping in, Jackie.
Thank you, Stacey! And I love those nicknames and that quote! Thank you for sharing. :)
Hi Val! Yes, the names I use on FB for my kids aren’t often used in real life (they have other nicknames in real life ;) ), with the exception of Bugsy. She’s always been Bugsy, pretty much from the day she was born. :)
Hi Trudy! It’s nice to meet you here. ;)
Fun post, Janet and Jennifer! We have nicknames in our family–usually shortened from actual names, but occasionally they are different ones.
I’ve enjoyed reading your books. I’ve been swamped lately, but I’m anxious to get started on Janet’s new one. I have a couple of Jennifer’s back list that I need to get read. They’re sitting on my Kindle taunting me, and I’m looking forward to getting to them! June’s been crazy here! Must. Read. Faster!
Janet, thanks for the interview. It’s always fun to learn about authors. In addition to playing tennis, I also play pickleball. It is a fun sport, but I’m still learning. Sometimes tennis and pickleball skills don’t always translate. You have to turn to hit the ball in tennis, not so much in pickleball. I’m also a slow reader, but 40 books a year beats me.
Winnie, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you! Hugs!
lol! You sound athletic!
We are hardcore about nicknames in our little family. :) Both kids have many: Doodles, Shmolties, Little Seester, CD…. and whatever else comes out of our mouths at any given moment. lol
You’re an inspiration, Jennifer! So fun to learn more about you!
Laura, I love those! Jennifer is an inspiration!!
Hi Janet and Jennifer, Thanks for sharing your fun interview. I’ve never heard of pickle ball but I did wonder if it’s similar to badminton? I’m a fast reader with limited reading time, which makes me a slow reader when I add up how many books I manage to read each year. Thanks for visiting with us and enjoy your weekend. :)
I’m slower and slower at reading and everything else, ha!
Hi Winnie! Yes, I feel the same way (about the read faster! thing). Thank you so much for reading our stories! Means so much to both of us. :)
I was never very good at tennis, Merrillee, but I did play racquetball, and those skills don’t really translate either. Yay for the slow readers! Just keep reading… ;)
I LOVE all those nicknames, Laura! <3
Hi Narelle! No, pickleball isn’t very similar to badminton. I guess it’s just it’s own little game. ;) Thanks for stopping in!
Hello Jennifer and Janet loved your post we have nicknames in our family also ! You are such an inspiration ! Thanks for sharing!
Oh fun! What are your nicknames?