I’m thrilled to interview award-winning author Janine Rosche today! Her recent novels, “With Every Memory” and “The Road Before Us” were among some of my favorite reads in the past year. So, so good! If you haven’t treated yourself to one of Janine’s stories, definitely try them out. Without further ado, here’s Janine!

Janine Rosche is the Selah award-winning and ECPA bestselling author of six novels, including The Road before Us and With Every Memory. Prone to wander, she finds as much comfort on the open road--including Route 66--as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her stories. When she isn't traveling or writing novels, she teaches family life education courses, produces The Love Wander Read Journal, and takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs. 

Thanks again for meeting with me today. I’m so excited to get to know you better!

Janine: Thank YOU, Carrie! I’m glad to be here!

First let’s learn a little bit about you. Can you share a few things about yourself that have nothing to do with writing?

Janine: Well, two years ago, my family bought a restaurant here in Ohio. When I’m not writing novels or driving my children or labradors around town, you can find me wiping down tables or making milkshakes!

Ooo. Next time I’m in Ohio, I’ll have to stop by for one of those milkshakes! What drew you to write?

Janine: I was always a daydreamer, especially when it came to my crushes, and it got me in trouble in school. When I was in third grade, my teacher told me daydreaming was fine, but I should write it all down. It took me thirty years to finally take her advice. Better late than never, I guess.

I’m so glad she gave you that advice (all of us are!) What’s your writing process? 

Janine: It’s changed quite a bit since I started. I’ve become a plotter, and my favorite method is The Hero’s Journey. I have a big board with laminated post-its so I can envision the storyline. For character development, I think through the master archetypes and how they will interact since relationships are the most essential part of my novels. Once I have a good sense of it, I write for about four hours a day until it’s drafted.

That’s interesting! I may have to read up on that method. How do you come up with your story ideas?

Janine: Goodness, they hit me out of nowhere and won’t leave me alone until I’ve written them down! I have dozens of ideas in my head at any given time. Most of them come from travel experiences I have or “what if” scenarios regarding people in the news or my life.

Having spent some time on Route 66 during a vacation a couple years ago, I was itching to get my hands on “The Road Before Us.” Tell us about your new release. 

Janine: This is a multigenerational story set along Route 66 that explores the different reasons people have chosen to take this road throughout history. In 1956, Benny (aka Berenice) sets out for Hollywood and a grand adventure. Her brother’s best friend, Paul, comes along to keep her safe and, hopefully, to escape the nightmares from his time as a prisoner of war. Nearly seventy years later, Jade, my modern-day heroine, hits the road to fix her mistakes, including the one that lost Benny and Paul’s life savings as Hollywood’s most beloved couple. Her love interest, Bridger (who is elderly Benny’s adult foster son), wants a fresh start from his own dark past. Unfortunately, with every mile they travel, secrets threaten to unravel the bonds between them.

For anyone who hasn’t read this story yet, you’ve got to meet these characters (Bridger made me smile the second he walked on the page). Are there certain themes explored in the story?

Janine: When John Steinbeck coined the term “Mother Road” in reference to Route 66 in The Grapes of Wrath, he hit on a point that I felt deep in my core during my own journeys from Chicago to Santa Monica. For a century, travelers have been adopted by this stretch of dirt and asphalt. They’ve been sheltered and sustained despite all kinds of trials. Adoption and the concept of the families we choose play a huge role in this story, just as it has in my own family’s life. 

Do you have any favorite characters in your books?

Janine: I love my fun-loving heroes! Like Robbie in This Wandering Heart and Bridger in The Road before Us. They both are goofy and flirty and yet, when they need to be a rock, they step up.

Those are two of my favorites as well! What are you working on now?

Janine: I’m thinking through which story God wants me to write next and what that should look like. The story ideas I have in my head cross multiple genres, and I’m honestly unsure which direction to go! I’m praying through that.

That’s always the perfect plan :) When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

Janine: I’m a big traveler. My dream is to visit all the national parks so I’m often planning a trip to scratch a few more off the list. I’m also a big movie buff so I like sneaking out to the movie theater when I can. But more than all that, I love supporting my fellow writers by reading their stories and sharing about them! I’d love for you to join my Love Wander Read Book Club if you do the same! Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/600718360423024/

Thank you, Janine! Check out here newest book, “The Road Before Us.” (https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553568)

Learn more at janinerosche.com or follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janineroscheauthor