Jocelyn Green's Blog
Based on your feedback from earlier this year--along with my own preference--I am officially re-releasing my Heroines behind the Lines Civil War series! This series was originally published by Moody Publishers, and though each book won an award of some kind, they went out of print a while ago. Now I have the rights back to the stories. These are the novels titled Wedded to War, Widow of…
I have book news! But first, a smidge of background... In 2017, my book Free to Lean: Making Peace with Your Lopsided Life released from Discovery House (now Our Daily Bread Ministries). This was the nonfiction book of my heart, the one in which I metaphorically link arms with you and we talk about what it means to live an unbalanced life. (Hint: Not only is it OK to not do it all, it s biblical…
Now available: a FREE book club kit to go along with my new Civil War novel, A River Between Us! Even if you re not in a book club, you might enjoy what I ve put together for you: Printable Discussion Questions I didn t add these to the back of the novel itself, so you ll want to grab them here. A River Between Us Spotify Playlist This playlist begins with Civil War-inspired music from various…
A River Between Us is now officially out into the world, and I couldn t be happier to finally deliver to you the full story of hope and home these characters deserve. Many readers have asked how they can support the launch of the book. Thank you!! I m so grateful that you asked. The most obvious way is to buy a copy of the book. (You can check with your local bookstore, order a signed copy from my…
Whew! Last weekend was the third Windy City Saga Tour that I ve hosted in less than eighteen months. It was an unmitigated success. This time we were at capacity again with 22 readers plus my husband and myself, and two special guest authors on Saturday--Kate Breslin and Laura Frantz! These tours are based on the sites readers see in my historical novels in the Chicago-based series called The…
C ome celebrate the launch of my newest Civil War novel: A River Between Us Sunday, October 1, at 2pm! The Civil War-themed party will be held in the ballroom of the Cedar Falls Woman s Club at 304 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, IA, and will include: L ive string trio provided by Cedar Valley Strings A program by the author, Jocelyn Green A Victorian dessert buffet with tea and coffee A Civil War…
Today is the 108th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster, which was the historical event my novel Drawn by the Current revolves around. (For those unfamiliar: on July 24, 1915, the steamship SS Eastland tipped over in the Chicago River while still tied to the docks. It held 2500 passengers, most of them Western Electric employees on their way to a picnic across the southern tip of Lake Michigan, in…
Last weekend I had the opportunity to explore an exhibit on King Tut s tomb and treasures while in Columbus, Ohio! This exhibit was hosted by Cosi and will remain open until September 4, 2023. Given the King Tut fever that served as the backdrop and catalyst for my novel, The Metropolitan Affair, I couldn t resist visiting--and of course I took along a copy of the book. (Quick recap: King Tut s…
I’ll be at the Columbus Book Festival at the main Columbus Public Library branch in Columbus, Ohio, next month, along with many other authors! Specifically, on Saturday, July 15, I will: Participate in an Author Speed-Dating session from 11:30am-12:30pm (Meeting Room 2A) Speak on a panel on Historical Fiction Set in the 1920s from 1-2pm (Author Stage 2) and Sign books directly after the panel…
One of the great things about writing a novel set in 1925 Manhattan is that many of the settings are still around and can be visited today. If you’ve not been there personally, I hope this virtual tour of some of the sites will help you picture the scenes in The Metropolitan Affair. Let’s start with the obvious: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is where the protagonist, Dr. Lauren Westlake,…
On Saturday, I stopped in Michigan City, Indiana, on my way home from the Fiction Readers Summit. I pulled up to the parking attendant at Washington Park Beach. “I’m looking for any kind of Eastland Disaster memorial,” I told him. I had read it was around here somewhere. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. So I told him what many of you already know if you’ve read my novel, Drawn…
A River Between Us, a new full-length Civil War novel, will release October 3, 2023! Some of you may remember I d written a novella by this title that was included in The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection, published in 2017. That collection has since gone out of print, so I was able to get the rights back to the story and give it the word count the story always deserved. A River Between Us is…
The Metropolitan Affair was born out of three separate strands of inspiration woven together to create the right characters, plot, and setting, each of them inextricably linked with the other two. For the protagonist, Dr. Lauren Westlake, I was inspired by the first professionally trained female Egyptologist in America. The brilliant and humble Caroline Ransom Williams served as assistant curator…
Happy book birthday to The Metropolitan Affair! This novel happens to be my 20th published book, so this year, I decided to actually celebrate with an in-person launch party. This felt like such a luxury after the last three books, my Windy City Saga, all released during the pandemic. What made our launch party even more special was holding it at the Tea Cellar here in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (I feel…
Do you ever wonder about the people novels are dedicated to? Please, allow me to share why The Metropolitan Affair is dedicated “To Mindelynn, Of course.” Mindelynn and I went to college together, but we weren’t really friends until after we’d graduated and found ourselves both working in Washington, D.C. She is the friend who approached me in the prayer chapel the day after the terrorist attacks…
Join Christy Award-winning author Jocelyn Green for a weekend in Chicago like none other. This will be my third time hosting a Chicago readers trip, and this one promises to be an incredible experience drawing on the best that Chicago and I have to offer historical fiction lovers! (It doesn t hurt that this time we ll have the best weather of all, with local temps typically in the low 70s at this…
Join us on Saturday, September 2, at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers. Meet and hear from bestselling and…
Do you give yourself reading goals for the year? Lately I ve heard about one that I am totally up for: to read 23 backlist titles in 2023. If you re unfamiliar with the term, "backlist" refers to a published book that is not a new release. I love this idea because it helps me focus on catching up on a variety of wonderful books I haven t been able to keep up with. I already had a list in mind, but…
I hosted 20 wonderful readers in the great city of Chicago for a World s Fair Christmas weekend Dec. 8-11. The weekend centered around the 1893 World s Fair as the setting for my novel, Shadows of the White City. My husband Rob (pictured at left) came with me this time to act as my right-hand man, although he preferred the term "henchman." His help allowed me to feel like I could be in two places…
Yesterday was my 45th birthday. The most memorable gift came during the Christy Awards, which were presented at Lipscomb University in Nashville last night. I was absolutely gobsmacked that Drawn by the Current won in the category of historical fiction! I wasn t able to attend the gala in Nashville, but I watched from home as Raela Schoenherr, representing Bethany House Publishers, stepped up to…