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Interview with Jennifer Slattery

Jennifer Slattery is not only an author but pours her life into the cause of Christ through Wholly Loved Ministries and cohosting not one but two faith-based podcasts. Her novels are an extension of this desire to help women deepen their relationships with Jesus Christ.

When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. While Jennifer has a serious love of Christ and His Word, her playful personality brings joy and a little bit of laughter to those she meets.

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To start us off, would you share something with us that might surprise your readers?
I think they might be surprised to learn how goofy I can be, especially when I’m with my husband, who is also incredibly goofy. For example, when out to eat, I might ask the waiter or waitress to heat up my ice or to bring me diet water.

That’s hysterical! Sounds like you’re a lot of fun for a night around town. You’ve already mentioned you enjoy being goofy. How else would you describe yourself?
Hmm … Continuing with the above … silly, compassionate, and determined.

Wonderful! Compassion goes a long way in our messed-up world. And determination plays a huge part in becoming a published author. Many writers are also readers, even from childhood. Did you have a favorite book when you were a kid? Did it play a part in your writing style today?
I was asked this in an interview the other day and went searching for the book but couldn’t find it. (I have too many bookshelves. Wait, that’s an oxymoron, isn’t it?) I can’t remember the title of the book (which is one reason I’m trying to locate it), but it was about a bun/biscuit that escapes getting eaten by various secondary characters. I have fond memories of my father reading (and singing) the story to me. As to how it might have impacted my writing, it probably helped build my love for and positive association with words and books.

Aww! That’s a sweet memory of your father. And yes, readers can never have too many bookshelves. What book are you currently reading?
Quite a few, actually—although less than last week. Three Bibles (the NASB, NET, and the chronological NIV), the Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Bold Love by Dr. Dan Allender (in preparation for a podcast interview I’m conducting next month), Lysa Terkeurst’s Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Dr. Ruby K Payne, When Helping Hurts by Corbett and Fikkert, and No Silver Bullets by Daniel Im.

That’s a lot of books! It sounds like they will feed your understanding for upcoming podcasts and other projects. Some for your personal growth as well. Is writing your full-time career?
Sort of. I write books, articles for iBelieve Plus, and devotions for various publications, including David C. Cook’s The Quiet Hour. I also podcast for LifeAudio/Salem Web Communications and lead a parachurch ministry. Combined, this amounts to a bit over full-time.

Absolutely! You are a busy woman! You’ve been writing with Love Inspired for several years, and you published several other books before that. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Nope. Wasn’t even on my radar. Originally, I went to school to earn a teaching degree, then thought perhaps I’d like to be a geologist, then maybe a pharmacist (not that I’d ever have the brain capacity to make it through pharmacy school!), then a teacher again … I now know I couldn’t land on any of those degrees because God had other plans, but He didn’t reveal those plans until around 2009. That was when I received a clear and definite call to write.

I love to hear how God led an author to begin their work. Tell us about your first published book. What was the journey like?
My first published book was titled Beyond I Do, published with New Hope Publishers. I met the former publisher at a writing conference and was immediately drawn to her. She literally radiated Christ. This will sound odd, but she actually seemed to glow whenever I passed her in the halls.

This was a painful season for me as I had recently learned a dear friend would die within the year of brain cancer. I went to the conference upon her, and my husband’s, urging (sort of a long story), and God used that conference, some instances surrounding it, and Dr. Mullins to remind me of the importance of my call and living surrendered to Him.

Wow! I can’t imagine how difficult that would have been. Obviously, your friend, husband, and Dr. Mullins played a big part in your career path. Are there any other authors or books that influenced your own writing?
Probably Self-Editing for Fiction Writers because it helped me learn some basic tools of the craft in an easy-to-digest manner.

Wonderful book! A great resource for fiction writers. An aunt gave me a copy of that book years ago, and I still have it. When you’re working on a new project, which comes first for you—the plot or the characters—and why?
They usually develop a bit simultaneously, and this somewhat depends on the story. One of my POV characters (Bianca) in Restoring Love came from a different story I kept trying to force her into, as she was so vivid and intriguing in my mind. But she wasn’t right for that particular story, so I set aside all my notes pertaining to her with the sense that she would eventually find herself in a story, and she did.

As for other books, sometimes a vague idea of a premise will come to mind, and this will lead to a main character, which will then lead to me developing more of the premise, which will reveal more of the character, which will …

Very nice! Every author has their own personalized process, and readers love those “behind the scenes” glimpses. Would you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?
Sure! One fun aspect of this story was the setting where a few scenes occurred. My hero’s parents own a bee farm, which is filled with beautiful and fragrant wildflowers. That was really fun to research, although I did become distracted numerous times enjoying the pictures of bee farms I found online. A flower-covered field can be so beautiful!

How lovely! I can see why it would be easy to get lost in your research. You’ve mentioned the setting, but what about the characters—do any of the main characters hold a special place in your heart?
I love both of my main characters, but I do feel deep empathy for those my heroine represents. She’s a domestic abuse survivor trying to heal, to grow in courage, to build a new life for her and her daughter, and to find steady employment that will enable her to do that. Through my research, I learned a great deal regarding the challenges domestic abuse survivors can experience.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
Veterinary medicine! I spent a LOT of time reading vet books and articles and watching YouTube videos. Each scene with a medical procedure or involving animal medicine involved a great deal of research as I needed to make sure I presented things accurately and needed to be able to envision steps involved in order to build a scene.

It’s always daunting to begin research on a new subject! You’ve talked about the challenges, but what was the highlight of writing this book?
I always enjoy losing myself in a story world. I often say, fiction writing is playtime for adults. I also had some special brainstorming moments with other writers. That’s like a playgroup for adults.

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about before you go?
I’m currently researching some fascinating women in Scripture for a Bible study I hope to develop. I’m in the very beginning stages so don’t really have a whole lot to say about this, except for that I would love your prayers! To ensure that I present what God desires, and only what He desires, and that He goes before me.
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Gina Holder is an indie author and stay-at-home mom. She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and new-to-them authors on her blog at http://storiesbygina.wordpress.com. When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape room” puzzles. She’s been a member of ACFW for several years, and loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter.




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