Author, Spotlight

Veiled in Smoke with Jocelyn Green q&a

Beth Erin

Hello, reader friends! Author friend Jocelyn Green is joining us for a quick chat in honor of her new release Veiled in Smoke!

about the author

Jocelyn Green

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Mark of the King; Wedded to War; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman.

Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award, the gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and the Golden Scroll Award from the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association.

She graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. She loves Mexican food, Broadway musicals, strawberry rhubarb pie, the color red, and reading with a cup of tea. Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two children in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Visit her website and connect with Jocelyn on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

 

q&a

What is your favorite activity or hobby not related to books?

J: Not related to books? That really narrows it down! I would say baking in the fall and winter, gardening in the spring and summer.

B: Sometimes I have to ask hard questions to keep you on your toes. I love baking too but mostly cookies… so I can eat them!

Veiled in Smoke endorsementDescribe Veiled in Smoke in five words.

J: Turbulent, historical, emotional, family drama.

B: From where I’m reading near the beginning of the book, you have accomplished all five!

Share your inspiration behind Veiled in Smoke.

J: The inspiration for this novel was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. That historic event was my starting point, but from there I built characters whose suffering and triumphing would be a microcosm of the city’s rebuilding. That’s all I will say without giving too much away!

B: You are a kindred spirit, no spoilers! 

What are some of the challenges you faced while writing Veiled in Smoke?

J: One of the characters, Stephen Townsend, is a Civil War veteran who spent two years in Andersonville. Depicting his form of PTSD, his triggers, his family dynamics, and even time in an asylum was such a delicate and nuanced challenge. His scenes are my favorite in the book, even though he made me cry the most.

B: My heart breaks for him, his daughters, and the millions of soldiers over the centuries and their families who have similarly suffered.

What is your reading style?

J: I am an equal opportunity book format lover. I read print books in the daytime, audiobooks while driving or doing chores, ebooks at bedtime.

B: All the books, all the time. Preach!

workspace
Lauren Mancke on Unsplash

Do you have any writing quirks?

J: I do my best writing in my office, surrounded by my research/reference books, with a thermos of hot tea. I also need to be wearing writing pants (pajama pants which are for writing only) for the best possible creativity.

B: Hmmm… I’m intrigued by these writing pants! I do believe I need these in my life!

What is your next release and/or what are you working on now?

J: I’m currently writing the second book in The Windy City Saga series, which will tell Sylvie Townsend’s story during the World’s Fair of 1893. (Veiled in Smoke is the first book in this series.)

B: Aw, yay! You’ve been writing so many fabulous stand-alone novels lately, it’s exciting to have a series to look forward to! Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Jocelyn!

 

about the book

Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green (The Windy City Saga book 1)

Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green

Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago’s business district, they lose much more than just their store.

The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire–he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.

Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father’s innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook | bookbub 

 

giveaway

Thanks to the author, we have a print copy of Veiled in Smoke for one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader!


US only | ends 2/5 | complete giveaway rules

enter giveaway here
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Join our chat by sharing your thoughts in the comments!
I am currently reading Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green!
Are you adding it to your tbr, reader friends?

34 thoughts on “Veiled in Smoke with Jocelyn Green q&a”

  1. Enjoyed the interview with Jocelyn. Always enjoy learning more about author’s whose books I want to read. We share the same hobby of baking and gardening. Loved her five word description of the book.

    “Veiled in Smoke” with Jocelyn Green sounds like a wonderful book. Definitely adding it to my TBR list. Fabulous cover! Can’t wait for the opportunity to read it.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  2. I just read my first book of Lady Jocelyn, “A Refuge Assured” set during the French Revolution. Looking forward to reading her next novel…so many twists & turns!! I love reading stories about Chicago; it has so much history! Thanks for sharing the interview!!

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  10. Thank you so much, Beth Erin, for hosting me! And thanks everyone for all the kind words. I can’t wait for you to read this story.

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  11. Yes! A historical/inspirational novel that also has suspense/mystery…and a story line that tugs on the heart and spirit. I’m adding it to my wishlist now. Thank you for the interview.

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  13. Hallo, Hallo Beth & Ms Green,

    I’ve been enjoying visiting your blog off/on for awhile now as I love reading INSPY Lit myself. Being a hybrid reader of both mainstream & INSPY stories, you’re blog combined with others I regularly read like Relz Reviews help clue me into newer releases whilst also happily are highlighting authors or publishers I haven’t yet explored to read. This particular author I crossed paths with online years ago when she was still releasing her Civil War novels; sadly for me, I realised those were a bit more graphically intensive and I had to take a pass on reading them. However it was her dedication to her craft, the wicked brilliant research she put into those novels and her capacity to passionate tell a story which has remained with me. I was simply awaiting finding one of her future stories which would resonate with me, strike up a healthy curiosity and then, be one I would love to try to read.

    I’ve previously read a novel about the Chicago Fire – which was The Gilded Cage. I was truly connected to not just the scope of the Fire itself but the impact it had on those who survived. Not just in their own generation but the foundation they had lay for those who would follow in their suit. It was a very evocative novel from all angles and this is the first time I felt I was motivated to re-circle round this era of Chicago’s history because sometimes I have to take breaks from reading the harder hitting passages of the past.

    I also love how this is the start of a saga and that truly convinced me to not just add this to my TBR but to seek this out even if another winner is drawn! These kinds of posts are lovely as they help grab our attention to the stories we might not have found otherwise but I actually spied this last week and was going to seek out more information about it! Talk about a well-timed Q&A! (big smiles) Definitely going to make sure a request goes through @ my library!!

    Thanks for the keen information about the novel and a slight preview of the rest of the saga!

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    1. Jorie, you’re blessing my socks off by including me in the same sentence with Rel (I love her to bits!)!! You are so wise for knowing when to put a book down and recognizing an author’s strengths even when that particular story wasn’t a good fit for you! I’m delighted to be partnering with you as a fellow reader seeking good books for our book journey. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences and happy reading!!!

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  14. Being from the Windy City originally, I must read this book. I very much dislike spoilers also and drink tea while reading.

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  20. Wow, what an intriguing sounding book! I love the cover, and I love family drama! I would love to read this book. Thank you for sharing about it. Have a Great week. God Bless you.

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