Meet author Lori DeJong

The really fun thing about being a Scrivenings Press author is getting to interview other SP authors! Today, Lori DeJong is on the blog. Welcome, Lori! Tell us about yourself.

Lori – Thanks, Jen! Really a privilege to be here. Well, I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, lived in Seattle for a couple of years in the early 90’s, then returned to Arizona, where my husband and I settled in the Chandler area before moving to our last Arizona home in Gilbert. In 2005, we made our way, with our then five-year-old daughter, to Georgetown, Texas, where my parents had settled in the mid-90s, and we’ve been here ever since. I love the Texas Hill Country and, at this point, will only leave if we can move closer to my daughter and her husband-to-be in the DFW area in the future.

The most significant thing that happened to us that really galvanized my faith would be when my husband was laid off in 2009, and we lost pretty much everything. Had to move in with my parents, and I went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom for the past ten years. There were some really scary, dark times when we just leaned hard into the Lord and trusted that He saw us, He heard us, and He was with us, even when it was hard to tell. It took us a long time to rebuild after that, but last year, we moved into a newly built home and are so grateful for the faithfulness and provision the Lord showed us through those years of financial upheaval.

Jen – Thank you for sharing that. I love to hear stories where God reminds us of who He is.

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Lori DeJong’s books

Jen – What genre do you write in? What books have you written?

Lori – I write contemporary Christian romance, all set in Texas. Love’s True Calling, my debut novel that was released in June 2023, was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis award for Romance prior to being contracted, and it has since been a double finalist in the Selah Awards and placed second in the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards. I was so blessed and humbled at how God took that little story He put on my heart and did such amazing things with it. Love’s True Home came out last June, and Love’s True Measure will be released next June.

Last month, my first ever novella, Jingle Bell Matchmakers, was published as part of A Match Made at Christmas, a collection of Christmas romance novellas, along with my friends and fellow Scrivenings Press authors Amy Anguish, Sarah Crouch, and Heather Greer. That was a lot of fun, writing that novella. And the first book of a new series, as yet untitled, will be released in October 2025.

Jingle Bell Matchmakers by Lori DeJong

When country music star Aubrey Mayfield is lured home after years away, she’s bewildered when she and ex-fiance-now-widowed-dad Cody Lansdale keep finding themselves in the same place at the same time. As they become reacquainted, however, old feelings stir. Aubrey is at a crossroads in her career and is contemplating a change. But when a chance at headlining her own tour takes her back to Nashville, Cody realizes her dreams may once again come between them. Unless God, with a little help from the Jingle Bell Committee, has a better plan.

Lori’s writing habits & research

Jen – I can’t wait to read the novella. Amy has been on my blog too! I’d love to hear about your writing habits. That’s something that fascinates me because everyone does it a bit differently.

Lori – I’ve just recently retired from the day job to write full time, so I’m still working on honing my daily writing habits. But I do spend time each day writing, whether it’s working on a first draft, editing, or researching for an upcoming novel I haven’t started yet. Writing a first draft is the most fun part of the process for me when I’m free to just write, and I’m not self-editing (or at least not much) along the way. I struggle a bit more with the editing process. I’m mostly a pantser, but I do plot out the five major plot points, then write by the seat of my pants to move from one plot point to the next. So I call myself a planster—part plotter, part pantser.

Jen – I have always been more of a panster, but I’m trying to plot more! It’s a work in progress. 😉 Did you have to do research for your story? If so, what did you find most interesting?

Lori – I didn’t do as much research for Jingle Bell Matchmakers as I’ve done for my three novels. My female protagonist is a country music singer, so I looked into what makes an album a gold album, platinum album, and that sort of thing. Novellas are short and don’t (usually) have subplots or deep themes, especially lighthearted Christmas novellas. So it was a lot of fun to just let my imagination go and write some fun characters getting a second-chance at their happily-ever-after, with a little help from the ladies on the church Jingle Bell Committee.

Lori’s goal in her writing

Jen – Church Jingle Bell Committee – how fun! I can’t wait to read it. I’m curious: why do you write, and what are your goals for your readers?

Lori – I write because I feel God put it on my heart to write books that bring Him the honor and put out messages of hope, redemption, forgiveness, joy, whatever He wants to bring to the work. Selling a lot of books is great, but for me, it’s more important that my books get into the hands of folks who need a life-giving message of love, joy, peace, hope, or all of the above. That’s what really matters in the kingdom view, although the world measures success entirely differently.

Jen – They do, but your measure of success – what God wants to tell people – is the true measure, I think.

Fun facts about Lori DeJong

Jen – I always like to ask authors for some fun facts your readers would love to know!

Lori – Hmm. Fun facts. Well, I’m definitely a Fall/Winter gal. It’s hot here in Central Texas, so when the temps dip into the 40’s and 50’s, I’m in my happy place. I love putting on warm sweats and wrapping up in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate any day over needing a fan on me constantly to cool down.

My favorite passage in the Bible is from Philippians 3: 7-14. Paul’s talking about how things that had been important to him in the past were no longer valuable to him compared to the value of knowing Christ. My favorite line is from verse 10, where he says straight out, “I want to know Christ … “ Those five words always resonate with me because, boiled down, that’s the Christian life. Knowing Christ. Following Christ. Abiding in Christ. Everything else is background noise. The rest of the passage goes on to say that he hasn’t yet attained all there is, but he presses on, forgetting the past and looking to the future to the end of the race and the ultimate reward in our heavenly home.

Oh, and I’m a dog person. 😊 My two fur babies are Buddy and Lily, and they’re spoiled rotten.

Lori’s advice for new writers

Jen – I love what you said about Phil. 3:7-14. Just beautiful and so incredibly true! If you were talking to a new author, what would you tell them?

Lori – Find community. Find your people. Writing is solitary, but the writing life doesn’t have to be. I just spent the weekend with some wonderful ladies at a writers’ retreat and I always come away filled to overflowing with inspiration, encouragement, and just plain joy. Community is essential for edification, support, education, networking, promotion, and a myriad of other things that go into being an author. So, find your tribe. That’s what will keep you going when you want to quit.

Jen – Yes! Where would we be without our tribe?! Last question: what inspired you to start writing?

Lori – Well, to be perfectly honest, early on, it was my pride. I would read those little Harlequin romance novels by the dozen or so, pack them up, take them to the used bookstore, and trade them in for a dozen or so more, and repeat as necessary. And I started thinking, hmm, I could do this. I have all these ideas, and I’m sure Harlequin would be delighted to have my stories. Fast forward a couple of years to when I found my writer people (see aforementioned advice to a new writer), and I realized there was a lot more to being an author than having a good story and getting it down on paper. It’s a craft that must be studied, practiced, and honed.

There are so many classes, conferences, websites, and online educational resources out there, all focused on the training of writers. After a couple of years of belonging to a local writers’ group in Tempe, I surrendered to God’s call to write only faith-based fiction. Writing mainstream fiction wasn’t working for me because a faith element would also work itself into my stories, which just doesn’t really fly in the secular market.

That’s when I realized I was working against my grain. That I had a heart for God and a heart for writing, and putting the two together was the perfect match. Has it been an easy road? Not always. There’s a lot to learn, and there’s a lot of trial and error and rejection along the road to publication. But for me, it’s all been so well worth it for the friendships I’ve made along the way, the things I’ve learned, and the stories that the Lord has allowed me to share.

Jen – I’m so glad you were on my blog! It’s been great to get to know you! Thanks.

Lori – Thank you, Jen, for letting me take part in your blog!

Lori DeJong (pronounced DeeYung) is a contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies and is the mother of one grown daughter. Lori’s debut novel, “Love’s True Calling,” was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance and was released in June 2023. “Love’s True Home” released in June 2024, and “Love’s True Measure” will release in June 2025. Lori’s Christmas novella, “Jingle Bell Matchmakers”, released as part of “A Match Made at Christmas” novella collection in October 2024.

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Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 37 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024 with Book #2 in the series on the way in 2025!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)