by Jocelyn on July 13, 2011
ATLANTA–This year I took the plunge and attended my first International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), which took place in Atlanta right after the annual conference for the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. If you’re not famliar with ICRS, this is where publishers exhibit their new releases, and booksellers come to buy them for their stores. It was an exciting time, and I was privileged to do two book signings and three interviews for the new release of Faith Deployed… Again.
Just as much fun was getting to know some wonderful fellow authors. I roomed with Janet Thompson, who is an expert on mentoring, and has published several books for women including the new release: Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby? Janet was so much fun and such an encouragement to me. She even helped me figure out part of my novel’s main character’s backstory while we were brainstorming one day!
- Janet Thompson and Jocelyn Green
Of course, while I was in Atlanta, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to look into the local history since my third novel in the Civil War series is set in this fascinating city. I paid a visit to the Atlanta History Center and enjoyed the Civil War exhibits as well as a tour of a plantation-plain house built in the 1840s which survived the near-total destruction of Atlanta in 1864. It was a whirlwind trip, but very fruitful!
by Jocelyn on July 4, 2011
If you haven’t already noticed the buzz on Facebook and Twitter, I am thrilled to announce that the highly-anticipated sequel to Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives is here! Faith Deployed . . . Again has even more devotions in it, written by even more contributors from every branch of service. There is something in this book for everyone–even Blue Star Moms! I recognize that many military wives become Blue Star Moms when their sons or daughters enlist in the military, which ushers in a new range of challenges. So Faith Deployed . . . Again offers a bonus section of devotions written by and for mothers of service members. I’m sure it will encourage even those Blue Star Moms who are not also military wives.
Get to know all the contributors here. Pictured below: Jocelyn Green and Kathy Guzzo hold their first copies of the book. (Kathy, a contributor to the book, was in Jocelyn’s hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a writer’s conference last week when the books arrived.)
Now here’s a sneak peak at what’s inside. More than 100 devotions are categorized by the following sections:
[click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on April 16, 2011
I admit I have been a little quiet on the blog lately–now I can finally tell you why.
I have just signed a four-book deal with Moody Publishers for a historical fiction series set in the Civil War! Each of these four books are inspired by women who actually lived, who I discovered while doing research for Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front. The first book, Narrow Passages, focuses on the work of female nurses (during a time when that was revolutionary) aboard the hospital transport ships in Virginia during the summer of 1862. I’ll share more with you later– but it’s due to release next spring, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the events which occur in the book. It will be a novel, not a biography, but will have plenty of interesting (and accurate) historical details.
So if you don’t hear from me on the blog for a while, know that it’s not because I’m not writing. I’m just writing something else!
by Jocelyn on January 11, 2011
Last night I experienced a first. A day of very unsuccessful potty-training with my two-year-old son was made a whole lot sweeter when I brought the mail in and found not one but TWO book contracts for new books! Moody Publishers will be releasing Faith Deployed . . . Again in August 2011, and AMG Publishers will be releasing Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front some time after that (not sure when yet).
Faith Deployed . . . Again is a sequel to my first book Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives, and I am again relying on the talents of more than a dozen other contributing writers from every branch of service. The Battlefields & Blessings book will be the sixthe book in that series, and will be co-authored with Karen Whiting. (I co-authored the Iraq/Afghanistan volume as well, which released in November 2009.)
by Jocelyn on December 4, 2010
If you are an aspiring writer and would like to take your writing a step further, consider asking for it for Chrismas this year: a course, a book on writing (see my recommended books in the “On Writing” section, or registration to a writers conference.
For some great online courses on writing, check out this link from one of my good author friends: http://janiceathompson.com/blog/?page_id=52 She has a couple of excellent courses that can be taken online in two different genres- fiction and freelance.
If you are looking for conferences to attend, we have a great one coming to my hometown, Cedar Falls, Iowa, in June 2011, where I will be speaking a couple of times. Registration isn’t open quite yet, but will be soon. Click here for contact info in the meantime..
There are also very good ones in other locations. Here are some links:
http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/ (California)
http://www.writetopublish.com/ (Chicago)
http://www.writewithpurpose.org/ (Muskegon, MI)
http://writehisanswer.com/colorado/ (Colorado)
http://www.brmcwc.com/ (North Carolina)
Find something you would enjoy and put it on your Christmas list this year!
by Jocelyn on November 27, 2010
First of all, I should say that my trip to Dallas went very well. The book research was fruitful, my workshop for military wives at the PWOC conference was well-attended and generated positive feedback, and I absolutely loved being able to meet so many military wives. I counted it a privilege to hear their stories, pray with them and even cry with them at times. Now back to the current subject:
I’ve been invited to speak at two events in 2011 so far, and I’m very happy to do so:
Chicago
1) I will be offering two workshops at the Evangelical Press Association convention in Chicago, which will take place May 4-6, 2011. Here’s the first session description: [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on November 4, 2010
In a few days, I’ll be Texas-bound! I’m excited about this trip for two reasons:
1) I will be going to the PWOC International Conference. PWOC stands for Protestant Women of the Chapel- they are a great organization with women’s Bible study chapters at military bases all over the world. This year I get to co-lead a workshop with Ronda Sturgill, one of the contributors to my book Faith Deployed. I’ve never met her, so this will be a treat! I also will be meeting Rebekah Benimoff and Sara Horn, two other FD contributors. Between workshop sessions I’ll be at my book table in the vendor area and hope to meet many of the women I’ve come to know through the Faith Deployed Facebook page.
2) I’m making a side trip to the Dallas Historical Society to do research for my next book, Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front. In this book, my co-author Karen Whiting and I will be writing devotions based on stories of the family membes and civilians at home during American wars. While I’m in Dallas, I’m going to be looking up stories from the Mexican-American War, the Texas War for Independence, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
I can’t wait!
by Jocelyn on October 5, 2010
Adams County Historical Society. This building once held wounded soldiers from the Battle of Gettysburg.
I just returned from a jam-packed trip to Washington, D.C., Gettysburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! From Sept. 29-Oct. 3, I used just about every mode of transportation available to get around- plane, rental car, subway, taxi, and Amtrak train (no boats this time). The trip was a great success. Here are the highlights:
1) Spent my first night with Bettina Dowell at her home outside of Washington, D.C. She has written for FaithDeployed.com and we’ve spoken on the phone, but this was my first time meeting this kindred spirit, a Navy wife, in person. And bless her heart, she had just had knee surgery the day before, but that didn’t stop her from being a great hostess from her recliner! [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on September 20, 2010
by Jocelyn on September 1, 2010
Drumroll please . . . after several months of praying, planning and posting, I am pleased to announce that the official online magazine of Christian Military Wives ministry is born:
Wives in Bloom is live, and ready for your viewing enjoyment at
www.wivesinbloom.com. The name
Wives in Bloom comes from CMW’s motto, “Bloom Where You Are Planted.”
As the editor of this new online magazine, I’ll be collecting and posting stories weekly. If you like to write and are a military wife, see the Writer’s Guidelines at the top of the page of www.wivesinbloom.com. See you there!
