Meet Aussie Christian Author Jenny Glazebrook
“I have been so encouraged to see the Australian Christian authors who have not given up writing and who are producing incredibly high quality, world-class books. They also write books we can relate to, because as fellow-Aussies, they understand our culture and we can connect with their stories and writing on a deeper level.”
Q How long have you been writing, and how did you get started?
I have loved writing ever since I learned how and I’ve always loved stories. It became my passion at the age of 13 when I first understood how much God loves me. Words bubbled up from the new life within and I wrote many poems and stories. At first I was too scared to share my writing, but over time my confidence grew and the positive response encouraged me to seek publication.
Q Tell us about your writing journey so far?
My first novel was published in 2010 but was a difficult experience because the publisher was unethical. However, I was encouraged when that story was a finalist in the CALEB awards and so kept writing. Since then I have been traditionally published by DOLL Ministries, self-published with the support of Book Whispers as a book shepherd, and then more recently, completely self-published. The journey has been harder than I expected, but I have also found that God’s plans are so much greater than I ever dreamed. One of the things I most love about being an author, is being invited into Christian schools and sharing my journey with the students and encouraging them in their personal faith. I also enjoy running writing workshops and teaching writing techniques.
Q What sort of books do you write, and why?
My first two published series are Young Adult Christian fiction because I first began writing them when I was a teenager and I wanted to write the kind of books I enjoyed reading. All my stories had action, adventure, animals and redemption and the characters learned what it means to walk with God in this broken world. Now I’m older I’ve ventured into general Chrisitan fiction as well as non-fiction. This is because of my love of stories and the way they can not only bring enjoyment but also reach deep into our hearts and minds.
Q Where do you get your ideas and inspiration?
A lot of my ideas come from my own life experiences and the lives of those around me. I love the way God writes the stories of peoples’ lives. Ideas also come from the question of ‘What if’. My first series, The Aussie Sky series, came from a random question that came to mind after a trip to the circus when I was in high school. The question was, ‘What if a family left the circus and came to a public school for the first time?’ It was fun exploring what that would look like.
Q Where are you based, and does that affect what you write about?
I live in the small country town of Gundagai, Australia. Although I have lived in cities before, I love small towns and nature. This definitely impacts what I write about. My husband, children and I currently live on a large block of land with many pets and rescue animals. I almost always have animals in my stories and a lot of them are based on real pets we have. I set most of my stories in small towns and farming communities in Australia.
Q What’s the best / worst thing about being a writer?
The best thing about being a writer is the adventures you can go on. I love escaping to another world, partnering with God as my inspiration to see where the journey will take me. I love the way words can impact people and last beyond my own lifetime.
The worst part is marketing. I find it hard to find time to write, with four children of my own and everyday life getting in the way, and so the marketing side feels like a burden. I might be gifted with words, but I’m definitely not gifted with the business and promotion side of it all.
Q What do you want readers to know about Australian Christian writers?
Australian Christian writers have had to be resilient due to the smaller Christian market in Australia and the many books available from other countries at cheaper prices because of mass production. However, I have been so encouraged to see the Australian Christian authors who have not given up writing and who are producing incredibly high quality, world-class books. They also write books we can relate to, because as fellow-Aussies, they understand our culture and we can connect with their stories and writing on a deeper level.
Q Have you won any prizes or awards that you’d like to tell us about?
Since 2011, eight of my books have been finalists in the CALEB awards for Australasian Christian Writers. I am so grateful for this award because sometimes as writers we can begin to doubt the quality or effectiveness of our work. Validation like this is a great encouragement to keep publishing and sharing our writing.
Visit the author at www.jennyglazebrook.com
