Author Interview with Jacqui Jackson
Read the following author interview from Smashwords with Jacqui Jackson about her new book, God’s Got This: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Your Adoption Journey. Check out her author biography there! The book’s release date will be announced January 17, so keep a close eye on our social media accounts!
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
My kids for sure. With four littles, there is no extra rest for the weary, but after praying so hard to become a mommy at all, I can always frame an early start with the truth that these sweet kiddos are my answered prayer. There are other mommies out there who need the hope of finding their own children too.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The first story I ever wrote was called “Perry the Perch” (or “How I Learned to Dance Lambada”). I co-wrote it with a friend from youth group, and I honestly had no idea what the lambada was. (It is a dance.) It was the first multi-chapter book I wrote, being two chapters. It was in honor of the perch I was asked to dissect in school for a test grade.
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
We are a homeschooling family, so if I’m not writing books or blogs, I’m working on lesson plans! I sometimes call our gym my home office because I can sneak in and workout (or not) and write while the kids get a chance to play for an hour or so.
What is your writing process?
Usually, I wake up around 2AM and after an hour or so of tossing and turning, I finally realize that God is telling me to write something important down. When it happens in this organic kind of way, it just flows so easily. When I try to force it to happen, I can sit at the keyboard for 20 minutes, typing one line at a time before immediately deleting it. The 2AM thing is when the best stuff happens.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I was four-years-old, and my momma sat outside with me at night during the summer before kindergarten and read me E.B.White’s “Charlotte’s Web.” I loved the pretty words and the wonderful characters, and I just felt in my little heart that if writing was a job, it’s what I wanted to do when I grew up: move people with words.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
That is such a hard question because I keep breaking it down by genre, season, or need. Overall:
1) “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L’Engle.
Oh my word, I could read this over and over and over!
2) “Maniac Magee” by Jerry Spinelli.
I used this for years in my classroom when I was helping kids learn how to make their stories come alive.
3) “Seven” by Jen Hatmaker.
This book changed my life. I went from being a stay-at-home mom to starting an orphan-care ministry with the Hubs. Don’t read this unless you want your comfortable life upended!
4) “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.
I just can’t say enough good things about this! It’s heart wrenching to read as a momma, but I think it is important for every woman. This book is anointed.
5) “Good Night Moon” by Margaret Wise.
This was the first book I ever bought for my as yet unborn, unmet children, knowing that one day God would bless me with children, and I’d be a mommy for real and forever.
What do you read for pleasure?
I love what my mom calls bubble gum books – anything that could be made into a romantic comedy and ends happily is a possibility. I also really loved the Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins books about the end times. I read them after studying Revelation in the Bible; the books were eye-opening fiction about real prophecy in Scripture.
Describe your desk
My desk is a really cool glass-topped, sleek business wonder in our office. What I actually type on is an old TV tray in the living room while I binge-watch Hallmark movies on Netflix in the dark.
When did you first start writing?
I first started writing in elementary school, usually writing stories, series, research reports, and interviews. Pretty much anything was game. I’ve always connected with and through words. That medium just makes sense to me.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
My latest book is my first book and it has been a two-year labor of love. This book, “God’s Got This: A Strategic Prayer Guide for your Adoption Journey,” comes out of my felt need walking out an adoption journey that had way more twists and turns than I was prepared for, even though I walked a similar journey previously. It’s what I desperately needed but couldn’t find.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy I’ve found in writing is the ability to process through my own life, my own seasons, and to realize my struggles are relatable to others. Maybe someone else needs the same hope and encouragement I needed. Maybe the mess is the message.