Author Interview and Book Giveaway: The Heart's Journey Home

Jen Stephens grew up in a small Ohio town where she developed a passion for writing at an early age. She participated in Young Authors contests in grade school, wrote her first novel in high school, and wrote dozens of poems and short stories in between. She majored in elementary education with a concentration in English and the humanities at the University of Toledo.

Jen lives in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She teaches third grade at a Christian school and is very active with the youth in her church. A member of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Nashville Christian Writers Association, she writes in her “spare” time. Her first novel, The Heart’s Journey Home, released in February 2010.



1: How long did you write before you were published?


I’ve been writing since I was in grade school. My first story was about a boy who befriends an Indian chief and together they capture a burglar who breaks into the boy’s house. I was (and still am) a slow reader with a very active imagination, so I didn’t do a lot of reading as a child, but I was always making up stories. I wrote my first novel when I was in junior high and another one in tenth grade. I took a break from it while I was in college and gradually returned to it after I got married eleven years ago. I’ve been writing—and working on honing my craft—ever since. I discovered that I was a writer at a young age, but didn’t know I could do anything with it until just a few years ago.

2: When you held that first book in your hands, what was your first thought?

That’s a funny story. I was on the phone with a friend who was helping me plan my release party when the UPS guy brought it to my door so my 6-year-old got it and brought it to me. Now you have to know that it’s a strictly enforced rule in my house that my daughters don’t open the door for ANYONE so my very first thought was that Olivia shouldn’t have opened the door. Then it sank in and my two girls and I happy danced in our living room for quite a while.

3: What are you working on now?

The second book in the Harvest Bay Series, The Heart’s Lullaby. It’s about two things I care deeply about – kids and our United States military.

4: Where can readers find out more about your books?

http://www.jenstephens.ne/ t, http://www.sheafhouse.com/ , http://www.amazon.com/,  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/,  http://www.christianbook.com/

5: What message(s) do you want to be clear to your readers?

I want those who read The Heart’s Journey Home to feel sense of hope above all else. I want this book to clearly illustrate Romans 8:28, that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” The key words here, I believe, are “His purpose”. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives that often may not be what we expect, but is ALWAYS perfect. It’s when we put our hope and trust in Him that we can see that.

6: What are two things that people wouldn't normally know about you as a writer and or person?

I’m really an open book . . . and I’m boring. I don’t think there’s too much that my readers don’t know about me, but let’s see. Here are the first 5 of the 25 Random Tidbits on the Getting to Know Me page of my website: 1. I was born and raised near Sandusky, Ohio. It was great except for in the summertime when Cedar Point opened and traffic was a nightmare! 2. I am second out of four girls, and my three sisters are also my very best friends! 3. My school was so small I went to grades K-12th all in the same building. A breezeway separated the elementary from the high school. I LOVED it! 4. I have been married to Chris for 11 years! We never really dated. He already lived in Nashville and I was still in Ohio. We decided we liked each other in September, got engaged in December, and married the very next December! 5. We have two beautiful little girls - Alison (8) and Olivia (6) - who are exact opposites. Ali has long straight hair and Livi has tight corkscrew curls . . . and that's just where the differences begin! But they are my very biggest blessing in my life!

Thank you for being with us today. Any final words for readers?

Thank you for hosting me, Casey! The Heart’s Journey Home is very special to me, and I hope and pray that whoever reads it will be as touched as I was writing it. I believe that many of the scenes were Spirit-led because of the way it flowed and the way I felt as I wrote them. This is NOT my biography, but I come from a blended family and my Daddy went home to be with the Lord nine years ago, so in many ways writing this book was an emotional release for me. I pray that my readers can sense even a fraction of that emotion.

Readers to enter to win Jen's book, PLEASE LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS! If I draw your name and there is no email, YOU WILL NOT WIN!

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Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items of said prize.
Thanks for coming by to enter!

Contest closes on May 28th