Spotlight on Jennifer AlLee and The Love of His Brother

Today, I have yet another debut novelist with her first novel. The end of this year has been a big time for new authors. Enjoy learning about this one as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer AlLee was born and raised in the heart of Hollywood, California. Never one to be too normal for too long, she now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and teenage son. Jennifer has done considerable contract work for Concordia Publishing House, most notably through her numerous contributions to their popular "My Devotions" series.

THE LOVE OF HIS BROTHER
By Jennifer AlLee
Published by Five Star Expressions (Harcover)
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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. In your debut novel, you have a brother returning home to care for his sister-in-law and finding his brotherly love turning into something much deeper. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I knew I wanted to set the story in Montana because it's beautiful, and at the time it was the only place in the country I'd visited outside of my native Southern California. Then I started thinking about my characters, and what kind of conflict would keep the two of them apart. The idea of a young, pregnant widow falling in love with her brother-in-law gave me a lot of conflict to work with.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the characters of Whitney and Doug?

Whitney is a self-reliant person who doesn't like to ask for help. I tend to operate that way, too. Although years of trying to do it all myself have finally proven to me that it's impossible! I'm much better at delegating, now. Doug is a horseman and I love horses, so that's what we have in common. Other than that, the characters really are unique to themselves. I try not to put too much of me into a character, because that would just bore me. I want to get to know new people, even if they do come out of my own head.

3. What themes exist in The Love of His Brother that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

The main theme is that God loves us and never leaves us, even when the circumstances of life might indicate otherwise. Another theme that really developed as the story moved along relates to dealing with loss. Obviously, Whitney has lost her husband, but I never intended to delve too deeply into those feelings since I thought Whitney had addressed them before the book began. But as I got farther into it, it became clear that dealing with loss is really an integral part of this story.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The middle was hard! I've always fancied myself to be an intuitive writer. The idea of writing an outline made me cringe. I knew my beginning, and I knew my ending, so the rest of it should be a piece of cake, right? HA! Let's just say I struggled through the middle. Now, I make a brief chapter outline before I start writing, just enough to plan out where I want to go and how to get there.

My favorite part of the process is when I write something I never saw coming. You know how writers say that the characters take over and go off on their own? It sounds crazy, but it does happen. For me, those are the times when I know I've finally let go of the reigns and let God take the story where He wants it. For example, in the last third of The Love of His Brother, four teenage characters showed up that I'd never planned on... they hadn't entered my mind at all. Not only were these characters fun, but they really strengthened the theme of dealing with loss. To me, that’s a God thing.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

My next book, The Pastor's Wife (or Yesterday's Love...I can't decide) is currently looking for a home. It's about a woman who has to return to a small town three years after she left both it and her pastor husband. I'm really excited about it because I've had a lot of those "wow" moments where God moved it into a direction I didn't see coming (even with my outline). Hopefully, I'll have good news about it soon!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed. I've really enjoyed it. If you'd like to find out what's going on with me, please check out my web site. While you're there, sign up for my newsletter to be entered in the current contest.

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Thank you, Jennifer, for being in the spotlight. Readers, leave a comment for your chance to be entered in the drawing for a FREE, autographed copy of The Love of His Brother. If you don't wish to be entered, but still wish to comment, say so when you post. This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.