Good morning, Jordyn and welcome to Fiction with Faith. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into writing. 
Jordyn: I’m a wife, mother of two beautiful girls, critical care nurse of almost twenty years and suspense novelist. I’ve loved to tell stories since the time I could put sentences together. The active pursuit of publication started around 2006 and has definitely been a God led endeavor.
Speaking of endeavor, tell us about your debut novel, Proof.
Jordyn: Proof deals with the real life possibility of DNA testing setting a guilty criminal free.
Is that how you were able to come up with the novel’s title?
Jordyn: The title was a joint venture between me and my publisher.
Where do you get the majority of your ideas to write about?
Jordyn: Good question. I definitely get ideas for my fiction from non-fiction sources. News pieces, documentaries of certain health conditions, and non-fiction novels which I will read as research. I am a true medical nerd at heart. I do enjoy reading medical textbooks for fun!
Does the medical nerd in you like to lean more towards plotting or outlining your books before you write, or are you more of a SOTP (seat of the pants) writer?
Jordyn: I would consider myself a combination of the two. I have found that it is valuable to work from a detailed plot synopsis—as much as I hate to admit it. You’ll need one for your book proposal anyway. A PS basically ensures that the structure of the novel will hold the story up but still allows for those fun twists and turns that happen during the writing process.
What is a typical day like for you as a writer?
Jordyn: I usually will spend an hour on e-mail/social media at the beginning. This helps me to settle into the writing piece. Then, I’ll reread a little of what I did the previous day but not really with a point of editing and then try to get my allotted word goal in—right now this is about 2000words/day. After that, it’s off to writing blog pieces, interview questions and wrap up additional e-mails. This is about 5-7 hours a day on the days I’m not nursing and I try to take one day off per week. I’ll have to be honest and say I haven’t found great success in doing that yet but I am trying!
An emotional connection with the reader is essential in writing. What are your tips on how to do that successfully?
Jordyn: Good question! The emotional aspects of writing tend to be more difficult for me. Generally, when I lay down a scene, I’ll sketch out the setting and then write the dialogue. Those are the easiest components. After that, I will add in the layers of emotion. When I first started writing, I felt that it was the reader’s job to let their imagination fuel the emotional elements as they read the story. What I found was that readers needed me to put the emotions on the page in order to feel a connection. I do find books like The Emotion Thesaurus helpful in adding these elements, too.
Sometimes readers like to have a spiritual connection as well as an emotional one. As an author, why is the Inspirational Fiction genre important to you?
Jordyn: Writing from a Christian worldview is important because my faith is the well from which my writing grows so I’m not able to separate the two. I want people to know that there is hope. Even in the worst circumstances, God is working.
Which authors have influenced your writing?
Jordyn: So many but my all time favorite is Dean Koontz. Just a master of the suspense genre.
With the exception of Mr. Koontz’s novels, what other books would be on your nightstand?
Jordyn: The Woman Who Can’t Forget by Jill Price, Red Tide by Peg Brantley, Fallen by Karin Slaughter, and Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler.
Are you currently working on any other projects?
Jordyn: Right now, I’m writing the third book in the Bloodline Trilogy currently titled Peril and developing my next book series.
What would you like your readers to take away from your novels?
Jordyn: A true understanding of the sacrificial nature of Christ’s love for us.
How may your fans contact you?
You can find me at my website at www.jordynredwood.com or e-mail me at jredwood1@gmail.com.
Kara—thanks so much for having me. It’s been a true honor being here.
The pleasure’s been all ours and we look forward to talking with you again soon!
