Today on the Brave Blog, I’m interviewing Jennifer Q. Hunt about courageous reading and writing, and her new release All Now Mysterious.
Sarah: Welcome Jennifer, to the Brave Blog! We’re happy to have you. Although not officially a “Brave Author”, you certainly write and champion brave stories. What was the last book you read that you felt was brave?
Jennifer: Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle. It’s about Christians in ancient Rome, specifically Saint Valentine. Seeing the persecution that those early believers faced with courage and even joy was so convicting. It also made me question if my life displays the hope, light, and peace that makes people in the world see the difference Christ makes.
Sarah: I love Jamie’s book as well and am so excited for its release. Great choice! What’s your favorite genre to read? Why do you write in the genre you do?
Jennifer: My favorite genre to both read and write is historical fiction. I love well-researched stories that illuminate specific historical events. It’s encouraging to see how people in the past have bravely followed God through difficult times and uncertainties. It also reminds me that God will always be faithful to His people “even to the end of the age.”
Sarah: That’s so good. I love that reminder. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Jennifer: I’ve been writing stories since I was five years old. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an author or when I wasn’t making up stories. I used to tell stories to my friends and siblings. A short story that I wrote when I was eighteen became the basis for my first novel. I did a lot of ministry-related writing and ghostwriting for several years in my twenties, but it wasn’t until around the time I turned forty that I got serious about writing novels again.
Sarah: What is your brainstorming process like? Where do your ideas come from?
Jennifer: A lot of my ideas come from actual historical events and imagining how it would be for regular people to live through those events. How would disciples of Jesus respond to deception or difficulties that were ravaging the culture at large?
My new release, All Now Mysterious, takes place in 1925. That year was the peak of the second resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. That summer the famous Scopes Monkey Trial captivated the nation. These events naturally formed a great backdrop for a book with an underlying theme of God’s design. In the story, my characters are wrestling through their own family issues which are then exacerbated by trouble from the Klan. Spiritual questions that one character is facing are magnified by her work as a reporter covering the Scopes trial.
Sarah: I love how you wove those historical aspects into your story in such a natural way. Do you enjoy drafting or editing better? Why?
Jennifer: My first drafts are all over the place. I don’t write in order, but write scenes as they come to me, then go back and connect them and add in dates. I call it “patchwork quilt drafting.” So my favorite part is when I take that hot mess and make it kinda pretty in the second draft, adding in all the precise historical details and the various things that make each character unique and memorable.
Sarah: That’s so interesting. It sounds a bit stressful to me, but it obviously works for you because your finished novels are magic. It’s fun to hear about your process. What is your author tagline? Why did you choose it?
Jennifer: Historical fiction with faith and purpose.
Obviously, historical fiction lets you know what you are getting into. As far as the faith and purpose: All of my books are unapologetically faith-filled and written for more than entertainment. My main characters quote Scripture, attend impactful church services, experience redemption and growth in their walk with Christ, face conviction and repentance, and have to make hard choices with prayer and trust. None of them are perfect. Faith-filled fiction doesn’t mean “preachy.” The faith elements aren’t added in to try to force a Christian label, but they are integral to the plot itself. Their purpose is to showcase God’s faithfulness throughout history as well as how believers can live for Him through danger, difficulty, and decisions.
Sarah: You do the faith element so well, by the way. Which book of yours was your favorite to write? Why?
Jennifer: Probably Through Thorny Ways, the first book in the Wisteria House series. It was my fifth full-length novel, so I felt a little more confident going in about my process and what to do. I loved the characters and the setting so much, as well as the twists and turns along the way.
Sarah: Who has helped you grow the most as a writer? What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to write their first book?
Jennifer: The biggest game changer for me as a writer has been surrounding myself with a team of like-minded authors who are dedicated to growing in their craft. We help each other brainstorm, edit, market, and more. For anyone starting out as an author, I can’t emphasize how important it is to not go at this solo, but find your people and communicate with each other regularly. Pray for one another. Do life together, even if it’s virtually. Help one another with projects and promotion.
Sarah: Great advice. How has the Lord shown Himself faithful in your life?
Jennifer: I re-entered the world of freelance writing when my children were still in the toddler, preschool, and early elementary phases. I didn’t know if I could really write a book in such an intense season of motherhood. And even though my kids are older now, homeschooling them takes a significant portion of my day. People ask how I’m able to find time to research, write, and edit, and the simple answer is, “I don’t know.” Each book, I see God faithfully making it happen, bringing ideas together, helping me find the answers to sticky historical questions, giving me insights, themes, and truths to weave into the scenes.
Sarah: Beautiful! What are you working on now?
Jennifer: Technically, I’m working on book three of the Wisteria House series, Purest Joys Restored. But unofficially, I’ve been enjoying a little side project that will probably become a Christmas novella connecting my two series. It’s been a lot of fun, a mental break, and a reminder of how much I love the craft.
For history tidbits, deleted scenes, and more “extras” as well as information about upcoming releases, visit jenniferqhunt.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook at Jennifer Q. Hunt, Author or Instagram @jennifer.q.hunt.author.
A lifelong storyteller, Jennifer has worked as a writer of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as an editor and ghostwriter. She has over twenty-five years of ministry writing experience for churches, pastors, and Christian ministries.
Jennifer writes fiction with faith and purpose. Her Sorrow and Song trilogy shows multi-generations as they wrestle with their place in history and following the Lord through challenging circumstances.
Back in north Georgia after several years away, Jennifer is a happy wife to Christopher and homeschool mother to four elementary-aged children.
I enjoyed this interview! Congratulations to Jennifer on her upcoming release!
Thank you, Priscilla!