Jennifer Deibel
https://jenniferdeibel.com/
Author of Heart of the Glen, releasing January 2025
T4JYM: You have a new book set to release the end of next month. Exciting! Can you share with our readers what it is about?
JD: Sure! I am so excited about this story.
When Saoirse Fagan arrives at Drumboe Castle to start her new job as a housemaid, she is dismayed to learn that the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her family members, Saoirse wanders the road through the darkening glen with nowhere to go until Aileen McCready offers her a lift and a place to stay for the night.
Aileen’s brother, sheep farmer and weaver Owen McCready, is known for his intricate and impeccably woven tweed. But when he’s injured, his entire livelihood is endangered. A new — and distracting — mouth to feed adds fuel to the fire, and Owen struggles to keep his family afloat. Though Saoirse is eager to help, even offering to learn the weaving craft, Owen is hesitant to accept aid from this strange young woman, no matter how inexplicably magnetic he finds her.
But Saoirse is not one to give up easily. She’s determined to convince the McCreadys that they need her — perhaps as much as she needs them.
T4JYM: Please tell our readers about some of the books you have written. Which book is your favorite?
JD: Heart of the Glen is my fourth book. My others are A Dance in Donegal, The Lady of Galway Manor, The Maid of Ballymacool, and The Irish Matchmaker.
They are all standalone (not part of a series), but there are some “Easter eggs” in a few of them that connect the locations, but all the storylines are separate. It is impossible to choose a favorite of mine, because they all have a special place in my heart. All of them are set in Ireland, and all of them explore the themes of faith and home through the lenses of culture and identity.
T4JYM: What are some of the awards your books have received?
JD: My debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, won the Kipp Award for Historical Romance. That award is special because it was my first, and it is a readers’ choice award.
My third book, The Maid of Ballymacool, won the 2024 Selah Award for Historical Romance.
T4JYM: What comes next? Are you working on something new?
JD: I am so excited to have my first devotional releasing next spring through Revell. This is a 31-day devotional book inspired by Irish blessings. Each day will have a blessing, Scriptures that relate to the theme of the blessing, a devotional thought from me, and an application/prayer suggestion.
T4JYM: Where do you get ideas for your books?
JD: Almost every story idea has been sparked by some random fact or video I’ve stumbled across, and then asked myself a “what if” question. “What if the matchmaker could match everyone else… but not herself?” “What if someone found that missing silver platter?” Things like that. I also draw a lot from my own experiences of living in Ireland for six years.
T4JYM: What was it like living in Ireland and Austria compared to living in Arizona?
JD: The weather has got to be the biggest thing! We went from the land of 40 Shades of Brown to the land of 40 Shades of Green. LOL But besides that, the pace of life is a lot slower—even in the big city of Vienna. Relationships seem to be the driving factor of all they do, especially in Ireland. While we did miss good Mexican food while living there, I miss Ireland and her people every single day.
T4JYM: What kinds of books do you enjoy reading? What are you reading currently?
JD: I love reading historical romance, but I can’t read it when I’m drafting a novel, so I also enjoy contemporary romance and I’ve just gotten into romantic suspense. I just finished Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright. So, so good!
T4JYM: If you could pick any character from one of your books or another author’s, who would you want to spend an afternoon with?
JD: I’d really love to hang out with all the quirky side characters of my novels. LOL Colm Sweeney, Seamus Jennings, Fionnuala Brannan, and John and Bridie. They all are so much fun and full of so much wisdom. Everyone needs friends like them in their life!
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing their work?
JD: Write and read as much as you can. Read all different genres, and play around with different types of writing. Get connected with a local writer’s group. Many public libraries have teen writers groups, and even a Writer in Residence, which will provide guidance and mentorship to aspiring writers. Then, study the craft. Learn as much as you can about both the craft and business of writing.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to the youth of this world?
JD: Anchor yourself in Christ and The Word. Find your solid identity in Him and who He says you are. Everything else will flow from that.
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