It’s time for the first author interview of the year! I am so excited for you all to meet today’s special guest, Jenny Knipfer. Living in Wisconsin, Jenny Knipfer is an author of multiple books, and her stories center around themes of encouragement and inspiration. She is a sweet, supportive, and authentic soul who describes herself as creative, introverted, and encouraging. It is truly a blessing to have her on the blog today!
When asked what she likes to do, Jenny stated, “I am a very artistic person and have had many pursuits over the years: gardening, crafting, painting, drawing, sewing, quilting, jewelry making, reading, writing, and more, but I’ve had to give up most of those pursuits because of my MS. I no longer have the strength and dexterity in my hands to do them. I can still do machine sewing with some adaptations, and of course I can still write, but I have had to adapt how I do that as well. I primarily do dictation these days.”
Keep reading to learn more about Jenny!
Q) How long have you been writing?
A) I’ve been writing since middle school, mostly short stories and journaling then. In college I also started to write poetry. In my early thirties, I drafted my first fiction novel but set it aside when life got busy with work and family. Around that time, I started a blog in which I shared poetry that I had written and my random thoughts.
When I had to retire from my job as a floral designer in 2018 due to increasing disability from multiple sclerosis, I decided to resurrect the novel I had started years prior from an old computer file, and even with disability in my hands, I completed it. I have since gone on to write 11 more titles.
Q) Why do you write?
A) For many years, I wrote mostly just to get my thoughts out. It was a release in a form of therapy and also a way in which God spoke to me. I was always brutally honest in my journaling, but by the time I got to the end of myself on paper, God would shine the light in those hurting spots and healing would begin.
In more recent years, I have used my writing in similar fashion, but also because it has given me something positive to focus on besides my poor health. There is very little I am able to do these days, and this is one outlet in which I can still be creative.
“I cannot write a book without weaving my faith into it. It’s who I am as a writer.”
Jenny Knipfer
Q) What are three of your favorite books and why?
A) Anne of Green Gables is the book that ignited my fire to become a writer. I wanted to be Anne Shirley. The Chronicles of Narnia series fed my imagination and will always remain among my favorite books. Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book. I think it has a little bit of everything, romance, mystery, intrigue, moral dilemmas, and the kind of detail and character development that I enjoy.
Jenny’s Published Books
Q) Can you tell readers about what books/stories you have currently available?
A) Currently, I have three different historical fiction series available.
My By the Light of the Moon series is set around Lake Superior in the late 1890s through the 1920s and deals with various topics: accidental death, living with MS and the division of twin siblings, WWI, and the plight of First Nation Peoples in Quebec.
Titles in the series are:
- Ruby Moon— A tale of grief, guilt, and redemption, set on the shores of Lake Superior
- Blue Moon— A tale of true things, more rare than a blue moon
- Silver Moon— A World War I tale of courage and hope in the darkest of times
- Harvest Moon— A tale of finding grace and blessing amongst life’s hardships
In my Sheltering Trees Series, set in the late 1890s through the 1980s, I write about marital discord, grief, Alzheimer’s, depression, living with scars, second chances, family strife, and forgiveness.
Titles in the series are:
- In a Grove of Maples— A historical novel of the perils of newlywed life, and all that comes to divide lovers (inspired by my grandparents)
- Under the Weeping Willow— A historical novel of a mother and daughter, and the secret shipping their rocky relationship
- On Bur Oak Ridge— A historical novel of finding healing and a second chance at love
- By Broken Birch Bay— A historical mystery of family, romance, and hidden deception
My Botanical Seasons novella series currently has two titles, but I am perhaps planning on two more. Current titles are:
- Holly’s Homecoming, set in the late 1890s, is a Christmastime story of restoration with a hint of romance.
- Violet’s Vow, set in the same time period, is a springtime story about a secret love and a passionate vow.
And of course, in all of my books, there’s a thread of romance, mystery, and faith.
Jenny’s Future Projects
My future book projects are a Retold Fairy Tale series in the Christian fantasy genre. I will release the first title this spring. I also am spearheading a multi, indie author series, Apron Strings, that our group will publish throughout 2024, one title each month. One cookbook connects all of the books in some way. The individual stories span from the 1920s to the 2020s. This series is women’s fiction. My title is Priscilla and is set in the late 1940s after World War II.
Q) You have a new book, The Regal Pink, releasing this year. Can you tell readers about it?
A) Yes, as of right now I am striving for a release date of around Mother’s Day of this year, 2023. Although the book has magic and a classic fairytale feel, it is very much a book about a mother seeking her son and identity. There is both romance for the young and the young at heart and clear lines of good and evil.
The description: A young man who can grant wishes. A fairy hoping for her wings. A king and queen seeking an heir.
Far, far away, in the fairy tale kingdom of Evermoor, young, gifted Daniel dreams of escaping his life in captivity and his dastardly Uncle Aldrich. Diana, a flower fairy charged with guiding Daniel, helps him channel his ability to grant wishes, but his uncle exploits Daniel’s gift, stealing the wishes for himself.
Warned not to fall prey to mortal love, Diana keeps a friendly distance from Daniel, but she cannot deny her growing feelings for him. Will she shield her heart or risk losing the chance to ever go back home to the Green Glade and gain her fairy wings?
In the same kingdom, childless King Roderick and Queen Rosalind have become divided by a great sorrow. Battling the wounds of the past, the monarchs make a valiant effort to move forward, but can they learn to trust each other again? What future can the kingdom have without an heir?
Readers of fantasy, Christian fantasy, clean romance, and YA fantasy will be enraptured with this gripping tale of overcoming the past and embracing hope, layered with romance for both the young and the young at heart.
“Knipfer has created a well-constructed story with all the elements of a classic fairy tale: a royal family, a lost prince, magical creatures, and determined villains.”
— Readers’ Favorite, five-star review
More About Jenny
Q) How would you describe your writing style?
A) Poetic, atmospheric, faith-based, dramatic, emotional, hopeful
Q) What song would be your life’s theme song?
A) My favorite hymn is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I can do nothing without Him, and He has been my friend pretty much as far back as I can remember.
Every night I go to sleep, praying and imagining where I am with the Lord at that moment. That image has varied so many times throughout my life, in spiritual valleys, plains, and hilltops.
Sometimes He shelters me, sometimes we walk hand-in-hand, sometimes He is before me, or behind me, or even laughing with me. I am thankful that He is my savior, my Lord, and so many, many things to me, but I am so very thankful that He is my friend.
Q) Who is someone that inspires you?
A) Much of my writing inspiration has come from past authors and poets like LM Montgomery, Madeline L’Engle, CS Lewis, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and my favorite author Charlotte Brontë. Recent inspiration has come from many of my author friends that I have connected with online. They are a constant source of encouragement.
Q) Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I am thankful that God can work good through anything, even the ashes of heartbreak and disease.
- Hebrews 11:1, which I have in large vinyl print on my kitchen wall. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse is a constant reminder to me that there is more to life than what we can see, and that there is a solidity to hope, which all of us need. But more than that, I see hope as the spark for faith, which fulfills that hope, in the unseen but real spiritual realm.
Q) Do you have an interesting fact about yourself you would like to share?
A) Music has been a big part of my life since I was a small child. My father was very musical and could play almost any instrument by ear. I both played the piano and sang and often sang in church services, weddings, and funerals.
About 13 years ago I recorded a CD of all original songs. I had planned on doing more with my music, but my health declined shortly after that. Fast forward a few years, and I was diagnosed with MS. Around that time, I also had gone through a thyroidectomy to remove a large, lime sized goiter from my thyroid, pressing against my esophagus.
The surgery damaged my vocal cords, and after, I had to go to speech therapy to be able to even talk normally again without feeling like I was being choked to death. My singing voice was pretty much destroyed after that. And then by that time my fingers were starting to be affected by MS, with pain and lack of dexterity, so playing the piano gradually faded out of my life as well.
But that old saying is true; when God closes a window, he opens a door.
Jenny’s Advice to Authors
Q) What advice would you offer aspiring authors?
A) I started out not knowing enough about the business of being an author. Learn everything you can about writing fiction. It is one thing to write a book, but it is altogether another to market, publish, and get it out into the world.
Another huge piece, I believe, is networking. Find your readers, connect with other like-minded authors and those in your same genres. The philosophy of “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine” goes an incredibly long way. Think of being an author not as being in competition with other authors but as traveling the same road together.
Q) What else would you like to share with readers today?
A) I would also like readers to know that a lot of my stories have been fueled by personal experience. The books that have been the most real to me as I’ve written them have been the ones that I have put the most of myself in. I never set forth to write just a well-written story but one with substance and one that will instill hope into readers, and might help them along their particular path. My tagline—writing to inspire, encourage, and enjoy.
Connect with Jenny Knipfer!
Learn more about Jenny Knipfer through her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She also has a Facebook group, and a newsletter.
Which one of Jenny’s books are you most excited to read? I will be sharing my review of The Regal Pink closer to its release date this year. I also cannot wait to dive into her other works starting with The Sheltering Trees series!
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Great interview