Fiction Friday Getting to know you interview with Jenny Glazebrook
Welcome Jenny Glazebrook to our blog today. It’s Fiction Friday and today we are going to have a little fun while we learn a little more about Jenny.
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in the country town of Gundagai with my husband Rob and our four children. We also have many pets including cats, a budgie, a cockatoo, chooks, two blue tongue lizards, a dog, a sheep who thinks she’s a dog and goose who thinks he’s a human.
My family face many medical challenges between us, including diabetes type 1, diabetes type 1.5 (a rare genetic form), cleft lip and palate, chronic asthma, high functioning autism, ADHD, anxiety disorders, a rare neurological condition and other syndromes and immune issues.
Upon each diagnosis I grieved and begged God to take it all away, but He showed me that for our family, His miraculous healing has been an eternal one of the heart and soul, not a temporary physical healing. He has used our weaknesses to show His strength and provided many opportunities to reach out to others despite and because of these struggles. We are so grateful to have Him and each other.
2. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?
I loved Enid Blyton’s ‘Shadow the Sheepdog’ and ‘The Children at Green Meadows’.
3. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and to write?
I enjoy writing young adult Christian fiction and my favourite genre to read is inspirational fiction.
4. Did you have any favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?
Again, Enid Blyton. As a teenager, Lori Wick, Janette Oke, Jane Austen and LM Montgomery.
5. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I can’t pinpoint an exact time. My love of writing developed over many years and became so much more meaningful when I committed my life to God at the age of 13. I remember dreaming of being an author when I was studying at school and Business College, but I knew I would need a ‘normal’ full time job first and so worked for 3 years in an Accountant’s office before heading off to Bible College. All through those years, even while studying and working, the ideas kept coming, so I would stop work to write them down on yellow post-it notes. And then I’d feel really guilty about it. But I still use some of those ideas today.
6. How did you go about becoming an author?
I just wrote. And wrote. I couldn’t help it – it made me feel alive and helped me sort out my thoughts/feelings and discipline my over-active imagination. When I gathered up the courage to let some other people read my work at Bible College when I was 21, the Dean challenged me about ‘hiding talents’ God had given me. So, I let others read my work and some of them sponsored me to self-publish through a vanity publisher. I soon learned it wasn’t the best way for me to go about being published, so I sent my work off to publishers and was accepted for publication.
7. If you were not a writer what would you like to be?
Full time animal rescue worker or hospital chaplain.
8. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do?
Spend time with my family (we enjoy playing pool, table tennis and cards together), care for animals, rearrange furniture (for some reason I find it easier to totally change things around than to dust or tidy up).
9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?
I would love to visit England one day, particularly Surrey, where my husband was born.
10. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why?
Does Jesus count? I guess He’s a given. So other than Him, I would say my husband Rob because I love spending time with him, and my childhood friend Ali Stone and her husband James. I don’t see Ali often and she’s one of those people who knows me so well she just gets me. After spending time with her I always come away feeling refreshed, challenged and appreciated.
Finally can you tell us about your latest release. Where can we buy the book and where can we find you on the web?
‘Daring Clare’, is due for release 7th December this year. It will be available through places like Amazon and also through my publisher, Elephant House Press. It is being published under their imprint, D.O.L.L. which stands for Daughters of Love and Light.
The novel is the first in the Bateman Family series and is based on a story I began writing back in High School. It was then published in 2010 but was never properly edited or marketed. So now, after another 9 years of growth as a writer and child of God, it is being released with a totally new name and I believe it is so much better.
I have always believed teenagers are capable of incredible depth and understanding of spiritual concepts so in ‘Daring Clare’ I don’t shy away from difficult issues, but through it all, show the hand of God and the way He works miracles in peoples’ hearts and lives. I try to encourage teenagers to see that God wants to use them right now and that as they seek to find God’s calling on their lives they can know it is first and foremost to love God and love others right now, right where they are.
You can find out more on my website www.jennyglazebrook.com
Yay Jenny! Congratulations on your upcoming release! It’s exciting seeing what God is doing in and through you and your family xx
Thanks Carolyn. I’m excited but nervous too … I guess that’s normal, but it’s been such a long, hard journey for this one that’s it’s all heightened.
Great to hear you have another book being released. Just looked at your website – good job. Clear, neat and book pages are excellent.
Your faithfulness in following Jesus and encouraging others is an inspiration.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Christine! I still haven’t read your third book yet. Must get onto it!
Lovely interview to read–thanks to the two Jennys! A great encouragement for us all to keep going, whatever challenges we might face. And congratulations, Jenny, on your upcoming book release. God bless.
Thank you Jo-Anne. I know from your books and the impact they’ve had on me that God can really use our words to touch and change hearts. May He continue to use our writing gift to draw others to Himself!
Love getting to know more if your story Jenny G, you are an inspiration as you faithfully follow Gods calling. Congratulations on your book release too!!
And Jenny B you’re a girl after my win heart! God, books and cricket! What more do we heed?
Thanks Kaye. It was such a joy to get to know you this year. God always knows exactly who is going to be an encouragement and blessing in our lives! Looking forward to connecting more in the future!
Hi , I enjoyed meeting and reading about Jenny who is a new author to me. Her book wounds very inspirational and like a very good book to read, I love the cover. I would love to read this book, so I will be adding it to my TBR list. Congratulations on your new upcoming book release.
I’m so glad you love the cover, Alicia. Titles and covers can be so hard to settle on! I really hope you enjoy the story and I’m always open to feedback (including constructive criticism!) God bless.
Congratulations Jenny. Lovely to read a little of your story. I love the re-arranging furniture. I might have to try that!
Thank you Cindy. Ha ha, I recommend re-arranging the furniture. It unsettles the dust enough that I have to do something about it. I think we’ve also got too much stuff so that it never sits just right. Maybe I’m convincing myself that I’ll find a place for it to all fit if I keep trying. It also makes me feel like I’ve made a fresh start and can have a new perspective on life. I do that with my books, too – change the font size and type if I’ve been working on one too long and get tired of it and need a fresh perspective. It really works!
What a lovely family you have Jenny, both human and non-human members. It’s always a delight to read more of your testimony. Getting writing out there can be a circuitous path, and I’m so glad you stuck with it. It’s a real time juggle to carry out all you’ve mentioned, but you do it so graciously.
Sometimes non-human members are easier to care for than the human ones, lol. And yes, Paula, I know you understand the circuitous path – and likewise, I am so glad you stuck with writing. Your books have been a real blessing to me and many others.
Your new book sounds great! Can’t wait to read it.
Thanks Elaine. And I love that we share that same heart to reach young adults and encourage them through our writing.
I have so much love for this author!
So glad we met all those years ago in Brisbane, Jenny.
Love that you’ve suck with writing and rewriting.
Everyone is going to love this new book!! I have goosebumps thinking about it.
You’ve warmed my heart, Michelle! I am so glad we met, too. You’ve been such a blessing and encouragement. And I cannot thank you enough for all the time and skill you put into proof reading/beta reading for me! Your gifts of wisdom and discernment are priceless.
Thanks all for stopping by and encouraging Jenny.
Jenny I enjoyed getting to know you also
And thanks for this opportunity, Jenny! I love the questions you came up with – really got me thinking and opens up great opportunity for sharing and discussion.
Thanks, Jenny and Jenny. This is an inspiring interview! I’m looking forward to reading Daring Clare.