Author, Spotlight

Jocelyn Green: author spotlight

Beth Erin

please read disclosures & policies

purchases via affiliate links offset the cost of this website. thank you!

Readers (like me) who enjoy deep, rich, authentic historical fiction NEED to read a novel crafted by today’s featured author! Every one of her stories is an epic adventure on paper and in my heart. Plus, she brought along a giveaway too!

About the Author

Jocelyn GreenJocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.

Her books have finaled in the Christy Awards and Inspirational Readers Choice Awards, and have won gold from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.

Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, Toblerone chocolate bars, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.

website | facebook | twitter | pinterest

 

Five Favorites

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomeryfavorite childhood books

Jocelyn: The entire Anne series by L.M. Montgomery. Rilla of Ingleside was my favorite!

Beth: We can be bosom friends, Jocelyn! I love the Anne series, too!!! ????

favorite book you’ve recently read

Jocelyn: I just finished an advanced readers copy of Many Sparrows by Lori Benton. It was stunning!

Beth: We’re still friends but I’m a little bit jealous! I’m looking forward to this book!

favorite seasonal outdoor activity

Jocelyn: In our neighborhood, we have weekly Porch Nights during the summer, where families volunteer to take turns hosting our neighbors on our porches, or decks, or patios, etc, for a couple of hours every Thursday night.

summer gatheringsIt’s a great chance to reconnect with community and enjoy the warm weather after a long Iowa winter. It’s my favorite thing about living here.

Beth: That sounds like a lovely tradition! 

favorite place to read/write

Jocelyn: On my patio, surrounded by gardens in bloom. Or at least, NOT full of weeds, because otherwise, I’d be distracted by the need to yank them out.

Beth: I usually choose to stay indoors, bugs like to chew on me and I burn easily.

favorite character name

Jocelyn: Boozie Unfortunate, a character in Cynthia Ruchti’s As Waters Gone By. I love the character as much as I love the name.

Beth: That is one humdinger of a name! I have to add this book to my tbr!

 

Books

Tell us about your latest release

Jocelyn: My latest full-length novel was The Mark of the King.

The Mark of the King by Jocelyn GreenAfter being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.

When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne’s brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?

With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king’s mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.

review | goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook

 

Beth: This book, Jocelyn. I don’t even know how I got through writing a review for this book because it is just so powerful and raw and I just can’t #swoof anymore but I LOVE it.

 

Jocelyn: Since then, I also had a Civil War novella release in The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection, which I co-authored with the very talented Heather Day Gilbert, Amanda Dykes, Maureen Lang, and Joanne Bischof!

The Message in a Bottle Romance CollectionJoin the journey as one word etched in Latin on an ancient bronze bottle travels through the centuries to reach five young women who are struggling to maintain their faith in God and love.

An Irish princess, a Scottish story weaver, a Post-Colonial nurse, a cotton mill worker, and a maid who nearly drowned each receive a message from the bottle just when they need their hope restored.

But will the bottle also bring them each to a man whose love will endure?

review | goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook

 

Beth: Y’all NEED this book in your lives, reader friends! Best novella collection ever right here! It’s a historical fiction lover’s smorgasbord and every story is DELICIOUS!!!

 

Tell us about your next release

Jocelyn: My next fiction release is A Refuge Assured, coming in February 2018.

A Refuge Assured by Jocelyn GreenLacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?

Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

Beth: I am marking my calendar RIGHT NOW for this one, Jocelyn! Thank you so much for dropping by to chat with us and share your bookish news!

Giveaway

Jocelyn Green has generously offered to send one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader a paperback copy of either The Mark of the King OR The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection (signed by all five authors)!

winner's choice Jocelyn Green giveaway on Faithfully Bookish

US residents only
complete giveaway rules

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Can you believe all these gorgeous covers?!!! Which one is your favorite?

69 thoughts on “Jocelyn Green: author spotlight”

  1. I loved Jocelyn’s Civil war series and I really look forward to reading, The Mark of The King.. I’ve already read and really enjoyed The Message In A Bottle!

    Like

    Reply

  2. Well, you’ve put me on the spot here because I really enjoyed reading all of her books and the covers are all fabulous but if I had to pick I’d say, Spy of Richmond. The green dress is very fetching on the cover.

    Like

    Reply

  3. I have nwver read Jocelyn’s books but they are on my to read list. I love the cover of The Mark of the King.

    Like

    Reply

  4. I love all the covers but A Refuge Reassured is so pretty! The novella collection is a great one – rarely do I enjoy every single novella in a collection, but I loved every one one the novellas in The Message in a Bottle.

    Like

    Reply

  5. A Refuge Assured is my favorite and would be the first of the books I would pick up on a display…..with no prior knowledge of author or writing….which, of course, I do have!

    Like

    Reply

  6. I love the The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection cover but the upcoming A Refuge Assured cover is beautiful too!

    Like

    Reply

  7. Love the cover for A Refuge Assured!

    The Mark of the King is the only book of Jocelyn’s I have read, but it hooked me on her writing.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Heard so many good things about Message in a Bottle. I already have Mark of the King and it’s next on my very huge TBR pile! Thanks

    Like

    Reply

  13. I love The Mark of the King’s cover and the book itself. The cover for A Refuge Assured looks beautiful with the details and the woman’s profile. The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection definitely looks fun with the scenic view and elements in the front. I haven’t read this one yet and would love to win an autographed copy!

    Like

    Reply

  14. Hi Beth & Jocelyn! Enjoyed the interview.
    All the book covers are beautiful, but my favorite one is A Refuge Assured (I love green & the dress is beautiful). The Mark of the King is my second favorite. All three books are on my very long & ever growing TBR list.Thank you for the giveaway.
    Blessings, Tina

    Like

    Reply

  15. You are a new author to me and I would love to win one of your books. Thanks for the chance to do so. ????

    Like

    Reply

  18. I am so intrigued with A Refuge Assured’s cover. It makes me want to grab it and read it! I also love the other two covers. The Message in a Bottle is a gorgeous book. I love that it has deckled edges to make it look older–that adds to the feel of the story.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I think I am the only person who does NOT love the deckle edges. Yes, they look cool but they change my page turning experience and I DON’T LIKE it! 😉

      Like

      Reply

      1. I’m sorry, Beth! It probably does change how you turn pages. I think it makes it a little harder to turn, BUT before you read and after you read, it looks cool! 😀

        Like

  19. I have really enjoyed Jocelyn’s Civil War series and am really looking forward to reading The Mark of the King and the others mentioned. I really love the cover for The Mark of the King, in fact it may be one of my favorites this year.

    Like

    Reply

  23. A Refuge Assured is a gorgeous cover….I love that outfit she has on!!

    Thanks for the chance to win. I have “A Message in a Bottle” already but I’ve been dying to read “Mark of the King”!!

    Like

    Reply

  24. My favorite cover is A Refuge Assured. I too am a huge Anne/Rilla fan (and Emily fan and basically a fan of anything written by L.M. Montgomery)!

    Like

    Reply

  25. Honestly, my favorite over is actually Widow of Gettysburg (Heroines Behind the Lines Book 2)
    But if forced between ONLY the two above … I’d have to go with Message in a Bottle.

    Like

    Reply

  27. Beth Erin, thank you so much for hosting me here, and thanks everyone else for stopping by!

    Beth Erin, you are not the only person who does not like deckled edge pages! 🙂 They look cool, yes, but I agree with you, its trickier to turn the pages. I have a couple other nonfiction books with deckled edge, and it’s really hard to flip through and find the exact page I’m looking for.

    Also, I feel I should confess that writing outside only happens during a limited window of time. I live in Iowa so it’s either too cold most the time or too hot and humid. But there were several weeks of pure glory this spring/early summer where I could actually work out that and it was bliss. 🙂

    Thanks again for having me here! I’m thrilled you’ve enjoyed the books of mine you’ve read so far.

    Like

    Reply

  28. I loved reading Jocelyn’s The Mark of the King, and I love the cover. Looking forward to Message in a Bottle in the future.

    Like

    Reply

  31. Oh I can’t wait for “A Refuge Assured”. The cover is gorgeous. I really like the cover of “The Message in a Bottle Collection” the scenery is beautiful. Someday I will visit a place such as that…I envision Scotland or Ireland.

    Like

    Reply

  34. A Refuge Assured us such a pretty cover, with the rich green dress, detailed fan snd swirls in 3 corners!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment