Fabulous Friday Feature-Jill Eileen Smith.How a Bible Study Led to A Writing Career

Today we welcome author: 

Jill Eileen Smith

To win a copy
of Jill's new release:
The Crimson Cord

Scroll to the end of the post 
to see how to get your copy.

Mary Vee here. I'm always amazed how God brings me in contact with someone who is a neighbor in some way or another. I read Jill's bio and realized I had grown up in her neck of the woods. Hah! Isn't that amazing!  Jill also has the same love for digging into the lives of Bible people. I completely understand the drive to want to get to know these real people who lived real lives and experienced many of the same things I have. I can't wait to read one of her books.  

I asked her to join us and share how God has led her on her writing journey. Here is what she said:

How A Bible Study Led to a Writing Career

I guess you could say that my writing journey began when a Bible study I was co-teaching came to an end. My girlfriend and I were co-teaching a women’s Bible study on the life of King David, and when that study was over, I wasn't ready--I wanted to know more. I wanted to read a novel on his life.

I looked high and low for such a novel, but I could not find one that satisfied my desire. So I began to write the book I wanted to read. That beginning led to twenty years of writing at least eight novels in various genres before I understood the craft well enough to interest a publisher. But that seed of an idea about King David became the Wives of King David series in 2009 and beyond, published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Since that series sold to RevelI I have continued to write for that company. They purchased the Wives of the Patriarchs series, the Daughters of the Promised Land series, and the Loves of King Solomon e-book to paperback series. 

There came a point in my writing journey, however, where I almost quit trying. Breaking into publishing was too hard, and I was not sure whether I had heard God's direction correctly. When something takes so long, when prayers go unanswered year after year, doubt surfaces. And "hope deferred makes the heart sick." I had grown weary and heartsick of trying so hard for so long to no avail.

So I journal prayed one more time then let it go. But a few months later, the urge to pray came again, stronger than before - specifically for the Wives of King David series. I prayed and imagined and prayed a little more. Then set it aside once again. 

Long story short, within a few months I had an offer from Revell for the series. Quite by accident, a month or two after the contract was signed, I found that journal prayer I'd prayed in heartsick desperation when I was so ready to quit. God had answered. I had not misunderstood his leading.

The journey is far from over. But God has shown me that He is in it. He cares about the things that trouble me. He hears my heart cries. And if He can be trusted with the beginning of this journey, then He can be trusted with what remains.

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Jill Eileen Smith is the author of The Crimson Cord, Rahab’s Story, #1 Daughters of the Promised Land series, The Desert Princess, #1 e-book short Loves of King Solomon series, the Wives of the Patriarchs series, and bestselling author of the Wives of King David series. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, eat at healthy restaurants (when she doesn’t feel like cooking), or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Contact Jill through: 

email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), 

her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), 

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or 

Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith). 

She loves to hear from her readers.

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Click Here to See or
Buy The Crimson Cord

The Crimson Cord:

Wife to a gambler who took one too many risks, Rahab finds herself sold as a slave to cover her husband’s debt. Forced into prostitution by Dabir, counselor to the Syrian king, Rahab despairs of ever regaining her freedom and her self-respect. But when Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.

In one risky moment, she takes a leap of faith, puts her trust in a God she does not know, and vows to protect the spies from the authorities. When the armies of Israel arrive weeks later, Rahab hopes they will keep their promise, but she has no idea what kind of challenges await her outside Jericho’s walls–or if she will ever know the meaning of love

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Other books by Jill Eileen Smith

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Jill's  new release: 

"The Crimson Cord"

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Thank you, Jill, for Joining us This Weekend!

We love chatting with you and are looking forward to reading your comments and questions. Or at least your hi, hello, hey, or ...

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