Nigerian-American, Jenny Erlingsson, is wife to a man from Iceland and mother of four. She writes creative, Bible-focused non-fiction, as well as diverse and deeply rooted, romantic Christian fiction. Whether writing from Iceland or stateside, she wants her words to encourage, sweetly entertain, and ultimately cultivate Christ-centered identity, intimacy and influence.
Visit Jenny Erlingsson online
Her Part to Play
Desperate for extra income after her mother's passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama town. She works to save her parents' legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood. John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he's ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is quiet but feisty–and definitely not a fan. Debut author Jenny Erlingsson's diverse cast comes alive with faith, romance, and a touch of humor to create a story worthy of the big screen.
- ISBN: 0800745000
- Publisher: Revell
Interview with Jenny Erlingsson
Hello Jenny. Congratulations on your debut novel, Her Part to Play. I know you’re family has recently gone through a move, so thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions.
Tell us about yourself and your family. Include something that is not on your website, if you can.
I have a pretty multicultural family. My parents were born in Nigeria, so I am a first generation American. I am married to a man who was born and raised on the southern coast of Iceland. There are various quirks about our family and pieces of fascinating history. One part that people may find interesting is that my grandfather, my mother’s father, actually had six wives.
What inspired you to write Her Part to Play?
I was actually inspired to write Her Part to Play, after watching some behind-the-scenes footage of the Chosen. I loved seeing various guests come on set and the interactions between cast and crew. I began to wonder what kind of relationships develop between these people who are in each other’s lives for such an intense period of time. These crewmembers see the cast in their most vulnerable moments, so I thought it would be fun to explore what can take place when sparks fly.
Is this your first novel?
Yes, this is my debut novel. I have written other nonfiction books, but this is my first work of fiction to be published.
How does your faith affect or inform your fiction writing?
Faith is definitely the anchor to my writing. I hope that it pours out of me and into my stories in organic ways because it’s such an integral part of my life. I usually start my manuscripts with what I call an anchor verse. As I chew on that verse, it trickles into various areas of the manuscript development, plot and characters.
What inspired you to write for this specific audience/genre?
I always enjoy a good love story. And even better if the characters and the story impact me in a deep way, with romance that is sacrificial and subtle and swoony.
What authors have inspired you in your life? In what way?
I think Francine Rivers was the first Christian author that I read. I jumped into her Mark of the Lion series and never looked back. I have been an avid reader since childhood from Babysitter Club books, to Nancy Drew ministries, to Sweet Valley High, but discovering Christian fiction really impacted me. Like the parables of Jesus, I was able to walk with a character in a story and be deeply affected by their own growth. Some of the current authors that impact me in similar ways are like Tessa Afshar, Amanda Cox, Connilyn Cossette and Patricia Raybon.
What did you learn along the way to publication that made the craft click for you? Or had a big impact on your success?
This is a good question. I don’t think the craft really clicked for me until I submitted my first proposal to the person who is now my agent and she mentioned that it wasn’t marketable enough yet. I had submitted a proposal, probably 15 years before that to another agent, and after his very kind rejection, I didn’t write for a few years. I had no idea what it took to get published and took it personally. But when my current agent said that the initial manuscript I submitted to her wasn’t ready, it made me wonder what it took to get ready. So then I decided that I would do my best to learn the craft, glean all I could about publishing, and trust God’s timing.
How did you research for this novel?
I don’t think I did as much research as I should have, haha. A lot of it was writing down the story and then looking up information as I went along. But watching behind-the-scenes clips of movies, actor interviews, and hearing from professional makeup artists really helped.
I can tell that you are a busy mom with other endeavors as well as writing fiction. How do you keep it all together? What does your writing routine look like?
If you had asked me this a few months ago, my answer would look totally different than now. I honestly don’t know how I am keeping it together in this season of a lot of transition for my family, but I think what is consistent is that I do my best to write in the margins. I love creating a rough outline of how I think the story is going to go. Then I put the outline in my notes app, and type or dictate scenes under the headings of those chapter ideas. It’s not much of a routine yet, but it’s what I am able to do in this season.
What advice would you give to new authors, or authors who are not new, but have struggled to keep at it in the face of obstacles?
I think I would give the advice that I needed to hear when I faced that rejection in my 20s. I needed to hear that I should trust God’s timing. And if I did not have a yes, at that moment, it did not mean that it was a forever no. I would advise that rejections may allow you the time to grow, to sharpen your skills, and to build a community. I did not do those things initially and wish I had as I leaned into trusting the Lord.
What is something unique about your story?
I think the multicultural aspects of this story bring some uniqueness. There are many organic layers of culture that the reader will experience from the various foods that will make your mouth water to the sweet romance between two people of different races, careers and family backgrounds.
What do you hope readers gain from reading Her Part to Play?
I hope that readers are encouraged through this sweet story of love and second chances that the something new they have been praying for may be right in front of them. Like my anchor verse Isaiah 43:19 says, God is faithful to make a way, we just need to have eyes to see it.
Finish this sentence: Every author should know or do______
Every author should know what their goal is. When I help other authors with their book projects, from coaching to book formatting, the first question I ask is what is your goal? Because that determines the steps that a writer needs to take. For some, the goal is to be published traditionally and for others, their book is more of a legacy project. When you know what your goal is, then you can line up your actions and your persistence towards that.
Thank you, Jenny, for your openness and advice. It has been so encouraging.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Terri Thompson is an author, foodie, nature lover and philanthropist. She loves walks along the beach at sunset, dancing in the living room with her grandchildren, the beauty of flavors expertly combined, and the joy of words creatively knit together to bring truth to life. She blogs about writing, life and inspiration at www.terrilynnthompson.com.
Tell us about yourself and your family. Include something that is not on your website, if you can.
I have a pretty multicultural family. My parents were born in Nigeria, so I am a first generation American. I am married to a man who was born and raised on the southern coast of Iceland. There are various quirks about our family and pieces of fascinating history. One part that people may find interesting is that my grandfather, my mother’s father, actually had six wives.
What inspired you to write Her Part to Play?
I was actually inspired to write Her Part to Play, after watching some behind-the-scenes footage of the Chosen. I loved seeing various guests come on set and the interactions between cast and crew. I began to wonder what kind of relationships develop between these people who are in each other’s lives for such an intense period of time. These crewmembers see the cast in their most vulnerable moments, so I thought it would be fun to explore what can take place when sparks fly.
Is this your first novel?
Yes, this is my debut novel. I have written other nonfiction books, but this is my first work of fiction to be published.
How does your faith affect or inform your fiction writing?
Faith is definitely the anchor to my writing. I hope that it pours out of me and into my stories in organic ways because it’s such an integral part of my life. I usually start my manuscripts with what I call an anchor verse. As I chew on that verse, it trickles into various areas of the manuscript development, plot and characters.
What inspired you to write for this specific audience/genre?
I always enjoy a good love story. And even better if the characters and the story impact me in a deep way, with romance that is sacrificial and subtle and swoony.
What authors have inspired you in your life? In what way?
I think Francine Rivers was the first Christian author that I read. I jumped into her Mark of the Lion series and never looked back. I have been an avid reader since childhood from Babysitter Club books, to Nancy Drew ministries, to Sweet Valley High, but discovering Christian fiction really impacted me. Like the parables of Jesus, I was able to walk with a character in a story and be deeply affected by their own growth. Some of the current authors that impact me in similar ways are like Tessa Afshar, Amanda Cox, Connilyn Cossette and Patricia Raybon.
What did you learn along the way to publication that made the craft click for you? Or had a big impact on your success?
This is a good question. I don’t think the craft really clicked for me until I submitted my first proposal to the person who is now my agent and she mentioned that it wasn’t marketable enough yet. I had submitted a proposal, probably 15 years before that to another agent, and after his very kind rejection, I didn’t write for a few years. I had no idea what it took to get published and took it personally. But when my current agent said that the initial manuscript I submitted to her wasn’t ready, it made me wonder what it took to get ready. So then I decided that I would do my best to learn the craft, glean all I could about publishing, and trust God’s timing.
How did you research for this novel?
I don’t think I did as much research as I should have, haha. A lot of it was writing down the story and then looking up information as I went along. But watching behind-the-scenes clips of movies, actor interviews, and hearing from professional makeup artists really helped.
I can tell that you are a busy mom with other endeavors as well as writing fiction. How do you keep it all together? What does your writing routine look like?
If you had asked me this a few months ago, my answer would look totally different than now. I honestly don’t know how I am keeping it together in this season of a lot of transition for my family, but I think what is consistent is that I do my best to write in the margins. I love creating a rough outline of how I think the story is going to go. Then I put the outline in my notes app, and type or dictate scenes under the headings of those chapter ideas. It’s not much of a routine yet, but it’s what I am able to do in this season.
What advice would you give to new authors, or authors who are not new, but have struggled to keep at it in the face of obstacles?
I think I would give the advice that I needed to hear when I faced that rejection in my 20s. I needed to hear that I should trust God’s timing. And if I did not have a yes, at that moment, it did not mean that it was a forever no. I would advise that rejections may allow you the time to grow, to sharpen your skills, and to build a community. I did not do those things initially and wish I had as I leaned into trusting the Lord.
What is something unique about your story?
I think the multicultural aspects of this story bring some uniqueness. There are many organic layers of culture that the reader will experience from the various foods that will make your mouth water to the sweet romance between two people of different races, careers and family backgrounds.
What do you hope readers gain from reading Her Part to Play?
I hope that readers are encouraged through this sweet story of love and second chances that the something new they have been praying for may be right in front of them. Like my anchor verse Isaiah 43:19 says, God is faithful to make a way, we just need to have eyes to see it.
Finish this sentence: Every author should know or do______
Every author should know what their goal is. When I help other authors with their book projects, from coaching to book formatting, the first question I ask is what is your goal? Because that determines the steps that a writer needs to take. For some, the goal is to be published traditionally and for others, their book is more of a legacy project. When you know what your goal is, then you can line up your actions and your persistence towards that.
Thank you, Jenny, for your openness and advice. It has been so encouraging.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Terri Thompson is an author, foodie, nature lover and philanthropist. She loves walks along the beach at sunset, dancing in the living room with her grandchildren, the beauty of flavors expertly combined, and the joy of words creatively knit together to bring truth to life. She blogs about writing, life and inspiration at www.terrilynnthompson.com.
For more great interviews, visit our Author Interview Archives.