Jill Eileen Smith Interview

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba,, all part of the "Wives of King David" series, and of Sarai and Rebekah books 1 and 2 in the "Wives of the Patriarchs" series. Her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Jill, it’s great to have you back at Novel PASTimes today! Could you share with us some of the challenges you’re experiencing as a multi-published author?

It’s a challenge to keep things in perspective and balanced. I’ve always believed that people are more important than things, even work that we love, so I do my best to remain available and interruptible, especially to family and close friends.

But I have deadlines that I can’t ignore, and they have increased this past year because I took on another novella series to write during the same time I am working on each full-length novel. So I build in time for breaks and vacations where I do my best to turn off the writer side of me, to allow God to refresh me.

Please tell us something about your latest novel, Rebekah, which I am looking very much forward to reading.

Thanks, Kathy! I hope you like the story!

Rebekah is a story of relationships. It explores the marital relationship of Isaac and Rebekah along with the changes they faced when the twins were born, when the prophecy was given to Rebekah, and how favoritism and betrayal nearly destroyed their love.

Here is the back cover copy:

Can love heal the rift between two souls?

When her beloved father dies and she is left in the care of her conniving brother Laban, Rebekah knows her life has changed forever. Though she should be married by now, it’s clear that Laban is dragging his feet, waiting for a higher bride-price to line his pockets. When she is given a chance to leave her home to marry Isaac, a cousin she has never even seen, Rebekah’s hope for the future is restored. Little does she know what a wondrous and heart-wrenching journey she is beginning.

As Rebekah experiences the joy of young love and the bitterness of misunderstanding and betrayal, her resolve will be tested. When the rift between her and Isaac grows so wide it is surely too great to be mended, can she trust the God of Isaac’s father, Abraham, to bridge the gap?

Rebekah is set in the time of the Patriarchs, like your last novel, Sarai. What are you enjoying about researching this period of biblical history?

Most of the research happened as I wrote Sarai. That was a challenge to step back 1000 years from David’s time. I enjoyed learning about Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. It was a completely different era, but I enjoy the research.

Have you found similar themes throughout your writing? Or has your focus changed with your latest series?

My focus is always the characters. Who were they? What did they go through and what did they learn? But I think I naturally lean toward themes of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Part of the reason for this is my own experience of God’s grace and forgiveness to me, but I also think this is a basic cry of every human heart – to know that God is a God of mercy and love, and that if they will come to Him, He will not cast them out. He longs to extend grace to those who seek it.

How do you feel writing biblical novels compares to writing other historical novels?

In both cases, writers need to research well and stay true to the times as best they can. Biblical novels are different, depending on your perspective. If, for instance, you see the Bible as a book of history and nothing more, then the stories within it are open to change as the author sees fit. If, however, you view the Bible as the very Words of God, then you will take greater care not to alter the story to fit your imagination. You will adjust your imagination to fit what God has already written.

Do you have any new favorite books that you’ve read? Is there a genre that you enjoy in particular outside of Biblical fiction?

I love historical fiction, but I also enjoy a good contemporary now and then. Regency has captured my fancy these days. I’m looking forward to reading Julie Klassen’s latest. I just read Tosca Lee’s Iscariot for endorsement (biblical), and found it compelling. It is a little edgy, but I dare say the reader will come away with a new appreciation for what Judas thought and felt and how he viewed Jesus.

I reread Two From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes over Christmas. That story never fails to evoke emotion in me. But to be honest, I’ve been reading more non-fiction lately. Heaven by Randy Alcorn, 31 Days of Encouragement by Ruth Myers, Billy Graham’s Nearing Home. I also read Suzanne Woods Fisher’s A Lancaster County Christmas and truly enjoyed it!

Have you found new and different resources for historical research for your “Wives of the Patriarchs” series?

We'll continue our interview with Jill Eileen Smith tomorrow.
Please leave a comment by answering the question Jill is
asking below for a chance to win her novel, Rebekah.
Only U.S. residents qualify this week. Don't forget to include
your email address in the form of name[at]domain[dot]com before
8:30 a.m. EDT this Friday morning to qualify for the drawing.

Jill's question: Who is your favorite woman from the Bible and why do you like her?