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

Author Kendra Warden Forges Riveting Suspense Series

Wow. You can get a copy of our new weekly author's~Kendra Warden~free novella! Just click that highlighted name. Violà! Free book!

Ooops, I spilled the beans on who's visiting this week. You guessed it, author Kendra Warden! She's a busy homeschooling mom who finds time to spin intriguing suspense novels. What to know more? Keep reading...

PT: Hi, Kendra! Let's jump right in. Tell the readers how you chose the genre you write in and why?

KW: First of all, thank you so much for hosting me on The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction! I feel like true book blogs are so rare these days and I absolutely love that you have one. :) And that you invited me to chat with your readers! 

To actually answer your question, I chose to write Christian romantic suspense because I wanted to be a part of the romance genre (and I read various subgenres within it!), but I also wanted the freedom to tell certain kinds of stories that spoke to my heart.

Suspense allows for some darker themes and more ‘grit’ than some other subgenres, in my experience. My books are all 100% Christian and clean – no smut, no swearing, no glorification of sin, active promotion of Christian values – but I also don’t shy away from tough topics. That, and I love a story where I can write a cute first kiss scene followed promptly by something exploding. Haha.

PT: I'm sure everyone want to know what region you hail from and if that setting finds its way into your books? Or do you do a google search for the next book background?

KW: Ha! This is kind of a funny question to me, because I’m from Ontario, Canada, and my current series is all set in Texas. Maybe I’ll do a Canadian series one day… but in the meantime, I really have to dig into researching my various locations. Often when brainstorming a new book, the setting pops into my head first, even before the characters! I try very hard to bring each locale to life. So far, the Forge Brothers Security books are set in El Paso, San Antonio, and South Padre Island… you’ll have to stay tuned for where my current project is going to bring us. ;)

PT: Don't you just love researching a place virtually? It's almost like being there. So, tell us, what else occupies your time besides writing? Work? School? Pets? Travel? Other?

KW: Being a wife and homeschool mom takes up the rest of my life, for the most part! My husband and I are blessed with three kids, and he works a lot, so my days are pretty crazy most of the time. I do try to sneak in time to go to church, read (of course!), chat with friends and readers, take long walks, and obsess over the latest planner. As of late, my awesome assistant, Jennifer, got me hooked on diamond painting.

PT: Now, I want to focus a little on your series, Forge Brothers Security. How did it begin and where is it going?

KW: I love this question - like most authors, I have a plan for where it’s going, but my characters sometimes like to mess it all up. Lol!

My series follows five brothers (plus their cousin, Reilly, who you can meet in my free prequel novella, Forged in Darkness!)--Did I mention you can get this for free!-- who own a private security firm. They’re all passionate about fighting for what’s right, and they keep finding love on the way! I also explore their faith and how it impacts their lives throughout the series. The books stand alone, but I always include those little details that keep readers turning the pages and finding out how everything ultimately ties together. :) I’m currently planning 3 more books in the main series, but who knows where it may go after that…

PT: Your newest, Forged in Secrets, is set at the beach. Give us a little peek of Grace and Ben’s story.

KW: They were such a fun couple to write! The story kicks off right from the very beginning when sweet, bubbly Grace Hinton (who is a long-time friend of the Forge boys and works at their company) gets a phone call that one of her childhood friends has gone missing. She enlists the help of grumpy tech genius Ben Forge (who she may or may not have a crush on…) and they travel to South Padre Island together to figure out what happened to Katie Fairman, and why.

PT: What is next for Kendra for the next books/and tell everyone how you find time to do both.

KW: I’m currently working on Forged in Deception– Asher and Karlin’s story – and I’m really hoping to be able to pull off a late 2024/early 2025 release! It’s taking me a little longer to write this time, with a 9 month old baby in the mix and moving across our province, but I am absolutely in love with the story. 

Readers met Asher Forge in book two, Forged in Secrets, and he’s such a fun guy to write about. He’s kind of the Forge family goofball, and I’m excited to show everyone that his character has more depth than they may have originally thought. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I will say this: the topic of this book is pretty quirky and I doubt you’ll have read a romantic suspense like it!

PT: Gotta know where your writing nook is—office? Dining room table? Recliner? She-shed? Kitchen counter? Other? 

KW: We’re in the middle of moving, so I am including a picture of my old ‘office’, which was just part of our living room in our 2 bedroom apartment! 

Now I’m working on a real office of my very own, and I feel so unbelievably blessed to have it. :) I’ll definitely be sharing the progress on social media. 

I definitely am kind of a boring, habit-driven kind of person, so I usually like to write in the same place most of the time, with all of my pretty pens, planners, and copies of my favorite writing craft/author business books close at hand.

PT: Pretty pens seems to make everything more fun! On to my favorite. Name 5 things fast about Kendra Warden that have nothing to do with writing.

1. I’m really passionate about classical education! Yes, my eight year old is learning Latin. :P Our church uses Latin in worship, so it’s also very practical for us!
2. I enjoy gaming from time to time, especially the point-and-click Nancy Drew computer games! 
3. I love politics, religion, culture, and history. I read just as much nonfiction as fiction!
4. My husband is my best friend, and we’ve been married for four years. We got engaged less than a month after talking to each other for the first time, and I have no regrets.
5. I’m really outgoing and talkative, but actually a HUGE introvert. I love time alone or just with my hubby to recharge.

There you have it, readers! Another busy woman finding time to write entertaining fiction. Show her some love and leave comments about your busy life and how you manage it all. And, for heaven's sake, get your free novella courtesy of Kendra Warden!