WINNER OF THE AMAZON GC
Congrats Lena Nelson Dooley
When Alex and Lucy pick out wedding invitations, they wonder if they can be printed in vanishing ink.
Former NFL star Alex Sinclair is a man who has it all–except the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancee in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy will find her heart on the line–and maybe even her life.
When God asks Alex and Lucy to scrap their playbook and follow his rules, will they finally say, “I do”?
I fell in love with Jenny B Jones as an author when I read Just Between You And Me, so I was waiting impatiently for Save The Date. You know when you get very excited for something but fear it won’t live up to your anticipation, well let me tell you Jenny B. Jones does not disappoint. Save The Date is funny and witty, but you learn a powerful lesson on how lies you believe about yourself shape who you are. It is only when you believe what God says about you, that you can live the life He has for you.
I believe you will love Jenny B Jones so much that I am offering one reader a $30 Amazon gift card (emailed to them). Leave a message below this post and tell me one thing you learned or laughed about while reading the interview. Winner will be selected on Feb. 14!!!–because I love ya!
Without further ado Jenny B. Jones
1. Jenny thank you for joining us, please tells us a little bit about yourself?
Hey, Lori, thanks for letting me stop by! I do not have a glamorous bio. I live , write, and teach high schoolers in Arkansas. I love to read, watch movies, go to plays, and sing show tunes at annoying decibels. I am gifted at procrastination and food ingestion, not as gifted at house work and long division. I write romantic comedies for the lady-folk as well as YA for teen girls. I love to travel. I love to people watch. And I’ve been waiting many years for Ben and Jerry’s to return my call about the test-tester job I know I deserve.
2. You captured my heart in Just Between You and Me, but I think you out did yourself in Save The Date. You had me laughing out loud while educating me about Saving Grace. Can you tell our readers more about Saving Grace?
Wow, what a compliment. Thank you. I’m so glad you enjoyed the books. (A declaration of immense dislike would’ve made the rest of this visit kind of awkward.) Seriously, it is an honor to talk about Saving Grace. In our country, if a child is in the foster care system and not placed in a home when they “graduate” at eighteen, they have a few options, but most of them opt to striking out on their own. It’s all they know. Their chance of winding up in prison are significantly higher. Their likelihood of going to college almost nonexistent. Pregnancy and poverty rates are through the roof. Research says that when these kids have mentors and adults in their life to help them with life skills and “keep tabs,” their chances of success rise considerably. Also many of these kids, once they leave the system, are totally unprepared to support themselves and many become homeless.
Saving Grace is a group home in Arkansas (and now featured in a fictional sense in Save the Date) for girls who have graduated from the system, but have no place to live. This home was dreamed up and is run by a dear woman named Becky, who was herself in the foster care system and a product of some of these statistics. She has a great burden for changing young women’s lives, and she’s doing just that. When a girl comes to Saving Grace, she stays for a reduced cost of rent, lives with other girls in the home, has her own professionally decorated bedroom, has three mentors, and is encouraged to work part time and enroll in college or trade classes. Like many states, Arkansas has more foster children than foster parents (over 7k kids in need of placement and about 950 families to take care of this urgent need). So you can imagine that many of these kids will age out of the system without having experienced adoption or even inclusion into a loving home. Or any home. Saving Grace provides that home, stability, and a chance to be just another statistic.
3. How much of your character Lucy Wiltshire do you see in yourself?
Oh, gosh. I think we all write ourselves into our characters a little bit. Lucy has my independent streak, my love for vintage, my clumsiness, my nervous tendencies, and a desire to work with children. I do not share in her love for all things Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings, I’m not as stylish as she, nor do I recall ever attracting the romantic and/or business attentions of a pro-football quarterback-millionaires. But the week is young…
4. One of the themes in Save The Date is lies we believe about ourselves. As a teacher, an author, and woman what are some of the lies you see that people struggle with on a regular basis?
Working with teenagers has really provided opportunities to see this in action. Girls/women especially buy into the lies that we’re not pretty enough,not smart enough, not worthy of being picked first, not sophisticated enough, not wealthy enough, not wearing the right clothes, shoes, handbag, etc. I think the big lie we all buy into, from small to large doses, is “I’m not good enough.” We see blogs all over the place of moms telling you how accomplished they are at motherhood, cooking shows that make a gourmet meal look easy, PhotoShopped magazine covers telling us we can have Michelle Obama’s biceps in two weeks. We see the luxury car our neighbor’s driving as it passes our ten year old minivan. You’re. Not. Good. Enough.
Satan loves that lie and our culture is helping him out in a big way. We’re trying to survive (not thrive) in this culture of rampant insecurity. But God says, “Hey, I gave you my peace, strength, wisdom, and love. I told you you’re beautiful and my favorite. Why are you buying into these lies?” As in Saving Date, events from the past whispered lies and they stuck with the characters for years, shaping their futures. We can’t be free until we acknowledge some truth and let some old things go.
5. Do you have anything coming up you can share with our readers?
I’m going to Ecuador this summer with Susie Magazine and we’d love for you to join us. The two week mission and retreat trip is for tweens/teens and it’s going to be a great time.
This fall I have my next YA coming out, There You’ll Find Me, the story of Alex Sinclair’s sister from Save the Date. It’s set in lush, lyrical Ireland and involves a young hotel heiress, a foreign exchange program, and one very famous vampire-movie actor.
6. Also when you are not running from tornadoes or painting walls what do you like to do in your spare time?
Ha. I have spare time? Painting and weather watching takes a LOT of my luxury hours… As mentioned above I love to read—romance, historicals, humor. And I’m a total magazine addict. I am constantly working on my house, prettifying it, then re-prettifying it. I love to spend time with my family and friends, and I can’t get enough of working out. . .just kidding. But for a second there, I sounded really good.
6. Thank you for your time, before you go can you tell us about Southern BelleView?
LOVE that question! Southern Belle View is a new blog and sistership made up of fabulous Southern-writers Rachel Hauck, Beth Webb Hart, Marybeth Whalen, Lisa Wingate, and myself. We are five ladies dedicated to Southern culture, our faith, and, of course, books. Every week we tackle a new topic, from favorite recipes (fried chicken! chocolate pie!) to hometowns. Each of us has our own day of the week to write, and it’s so fun to see our different perspectives on these same topics. We hope it’s like sitting on the back porch with a friend with a big glass of tea, some conversation, and some sunshine. Minus the flies. And the mosquitoes. And the sweltering heat that makes you sweat right through your Dry Idea.
And for an encore I am posting Jenny’s book trailer (I would go potty first, I laughed so hard watching this). And don’t forget to leave a comment to enter to win the Amazon Gift Card.
Save The Date by Jenny B. Jones can be purchased here.
I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series, A Charmed Life series, and my first contemporary romance, Just Between You and Me. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.
When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.
My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.
Okay, that’s not exactly true. (Read More Click Here)
FTC Disclosure: Special thanks to Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media, LLC for sending me a review copy of Save The Date by Jenny B. Jones.
{ 37 comments }
I really enjoyed this post! I’m a bride to be and this helped put things into perspective for me. I learned that I’m good enough to do whatever I put my mind to. I can handle anything. There will be tough times but I can get through!
Loved reading this interview Lori!!! Of course you know how much I love JBJ since you are the one that got me hooked in the first place! Would it be considered a nepotism for me to go into the Amazon drawing??
hee hee. xoxo
Love this interview! Especially since I am supposed to be working on a synopsis for an upcoming workshop and am stalling . . . Your humor is so evident in your comments, and I am really looking forward to reading this new novel! And of course it would help if I were the winner
Wow I love that interview Jenny B. Jones is one of my favorite writers! Love the way her characters are so well rounded and…real! My favorite part of the interview was learing about Saving Grace, I’m so glad that there is a program like that helping young women, awesome! Another part of the interview that touch me, when you two talked about the lies we struggle with, and It’s so true. We compare ourselves to each other, hold on to hurtful words of the past for so long, and not enough God’s healing words. So everytime I look in the mirror and start feeling self concious I remember God’s word that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and God does not make junk!
I learned about the Saving Grace home from this interview. I’ve never heard of it before, but what an awesome idea. It just breaks my heart to know there are so many kids that have never known the love of a family. Saving Grace is such a gift of God! I also cannot wait to read the book. It sounds great!
Thanks so much for letting me stop by. So fun to hang out with you all!
What a wonderful interview with Jenny! I also enjoyed JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME and SAVE THE DATE. Jenny’s a great writer…and a hilarious person!
I am a mega huge Jenny B Jones fan. Was a fan since the Katie Parker series. Fell in love. Never going back to the way it was before. I learned that when I bought ‘Save The Date,’ I helped feed her cat and get her out of a tent.
I’ve heard so many good things about Jenny’s books. I’m looking forward to hosting Save the Date on my blog during the CFBA tour.
What did I learn? I knew about young people aging out of foster care, but I never heard of a place like Saving Grace. And I love that Jenny and I share two gifts — procrastination and food ingestion. I praying that God will decrease these gifts in me and increase other less troublesome ones.
I know this isn’t going to sound all spiritual or introspective like the awesome posts above, but this quote made me laugh: “nor do I recall ever attracting the romantic and/or business attentions of a pro-football quarterback-millionaires. But the week is young…” I also loved the blooper-reel-type ad.
The interview reinforced my believe of how awesome Jenny is. And Save the Date? Absolutely stellar!
The thing I learned is that the group home in Jenny’s new book is based on the real one. Also, I always laugh at Jenny, but I laughed at sweating though your Dry Idea. I can’t wait to get my copy of the new book.
I mentioned this on my twitter page – but after reading Save the Date I *actually* changed my major to Psychology! ha! Seeing the impact Lucy made fictionally (and going to the website of the actual program), it was like God totally opened my eyes and spoke new vision into my life! While reading, all of the sudden I had a lightbulb (or GOD!) moment and had an overwhelming peace settle over me. After struggling to find direction for a long time this new inspiration was such a beautiful thing. I prayed about it – and felt ever MORE peace!
I love a book that speaks truth, inspires, and has me in stitches from cover to close. I highly recommend Save the Date (and Just Between You and Me)!
Great interview!! =D
I learned that Jenny B Jones is going to Ecuador WITHOUT ME, and I didn’t even know!
Love this woman, love her books, AND, hers is the only blog I make time to read in my frenetic schedule.
Loved the interview, especially the outtake video of Jenny! I read this book a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it! I’m so thankful to Jenny for enlightening her readers to the plight of girls and guys aging out of the foster care system. I’m so thankful there are places like Saving Grace out there.
I didn’t know about Southern Belle View. I’m going to have to look that blog up. I love Jenny B. Jones and her books.
wow… I didn’t know about Saving Grace until now, either. Now I doubly want to read the book and I will be stalking my mailman for my copy. Poor guy is already terrified of me.
Great interview – neat lady! Please throw my name in the hat!
Blessings -
Andrea
(resubmitting as I entered my blog address incorrectly)
Jen, you are a riot!
Seriously (is that okay, here?) I did not know the connection between foster kids and future homelessness. Can’t wait to read it!
What a fun interview, and the book sounds like an enjoyable read.
Oooo I’ve learned that I simply must read There You’ll Find Me! I love YA and now since I’ve read Save the Date I have to know what happens next in the Sinclair family!!Squeee I’m super excited!!!!!!!
XOXO~ Renee
Great interview. What did I learn….I learned what a great organization Saving Grace is.
Love the interview! Jenny B. Jones is so funny- I love her books. “Save the Date” was amazing! I love the main theme of the story, because I can definitely relate to believing the lie that I’m not good enough. I can’t wait for “There You’ll Find Me”!
~Kristin
I learned “one very famous vampire-movie actor” will be a part of Jenny’s next book. But did I really learn that, or are you just yanking our chains Jenny? Sometimes I wonder…
Great interview by both ladies!
I learned about Southern BelleView. Not sure how I missed it, but yay for finding it!
I just discovered Jenny’s writing with the Charmed Life series. I loved it.
In the interview, I learned about Saving Grace. I have taught kids in foster care, and I have had a heart for them. I now even mentor a teen in foster care to help her get ready to exit the system. It’s rewarding, and I’m so glad Jenny is promoting getting involved with helping out these kids abandoned by the people who should have loved them unconditionally!
Awesome interview!!! Jenny B. Jones is an awesome author and totally cracks me up! I didn’t know there’s a sort-of-sequel about his sister! GASP! I am so, totally excited!!!!!!!!!!
Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Blessings,
~Prism~
I love Jenny. I own all of her books so far. I also love to watch the weather. Any time I hear anyone talking about being a weather watcher I think of that movie Laws of Attraction with Julianne Moore, because her character is completely weather obsessed.
I want Jenny’s new book. I’ve been waiting and waiting for it to come out. So excited!!
AHhh!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE <3 Jenny B. Jones's books!!
She taught me that you can talk about God, but still be funny!!
I laughed about Jenny being a taste-tester for Ben & Jerry. What aspirations! LOL
I learned that Jenny loves going to plays and singing show tunes! My kinda girl!!!
I laugh at just about everything she says – she has a good sense of humor.
What a marvelous interview. I think it is so cool that JBJ weaved in “Saving Grace” into her story. What a great place for young adults.
And the trailer for her book is just hilarious!!!! Tears streaming down my face from laughter
Great interview! I love Jenny Jones so much, and this book looks SO good! I loved reading about the Saving Grace, and I think that it is so great that she put it into this book, can’t wait to read it! If I win this gift card I am using it to buy this book
One of my favorite lines from Save The Date is: Lucy counted to ten in Klingon before she was able to think of something civil to say. LOL…who counts in Klingon???? Only Lucy would! She is such a great character and I love her sassy wit. LOVE it!
Thanks so much for a great interview and a peek at the upcoming book later this year!
I learned that I’m totally dying to read Save the Date, and that I’m not the only one who likes show tunes…and that, sorry, Jen, but I hate snow. Snow is slowing down the mail carriers, which is making it take FOREVER to get my book!
Reading stuff like this only puts me in greater suspense lol
Great interview
Lori,
I loved hearing about Jenny B. Jones, Erin has been telling me I need to read her books because she always laughs so hard. She is on my blogroll and her sense of humor is right up my alley. The one thing I love love love about this lady is that she is so real!! She just says what she feels and thinks…I appreciate true authenticity in a world that is so much a facade!! Thank you!!!
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