Interview with author, Jacquelin Thomas

Today, I welcome author, Jacquelin Thomas, to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Any of you who read Christian Fiction probably know who Jacquelin is. Having stepped out on faith to write the novels the Lord called her to write even though she had a very successful career established in mainstream romance, Jacquelin is one of the early pioneers in this genre. I can still remember reading Jacquelin's first Christian fiction novel, Singsation and crying. Then almost eight years later, reading her novel, Redemption and being moved to tears again. She's way over due as a guest on this blog. For those who aren't familiar with her work, you've been missing out, but as you know, it's never too late to discover a great author. Today we're going to talk about Jacquelin's young adult fiction.

Welcome, Jacquelin. Introduce yourself to my readers.
Hi, I’m Jacquelin Thomas and I am published in romance, women’s fiction and young adult. I have over thirty books in print and have enjoyed a successful career that’s lasted 12 years. The highlight of my career has been seeing one of my books adapted into a television movie and being nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award.

Tell us about the Divine Series.
The series features Divine Matthews Hardison, the teenage daughter of two celebrity parents and sheds light on what it’s like to be a Hollywood princess who has been transplanted to a small town in Georgia, surrounded by ‘normal’ teens and away from the media spotlight. It is in Temple, GA that Divine learns some of life’s greatest lessons.

The books deal with real issues such as Internet dangers, teen domestic violence, teen pregnancy, virtual marriages and challenges faced by blended families.

Jacquelin, you've written four books about Divine. Tell us what makes this character standout from amongst her peers? Divine is a typical teenager, although she comes with a hefty trust fund. She’s a total fashionista and diva, but is fiercely loyal when it comes to family and friends. She’s not perfect and gets in trouble from time to time, but Divine is pretty good about learning from her mistakes.

Learning from their mistakes is something all parents desire for the children. Tell me what have you enjoyed most about interacting with young adults as a result of these books? I’ve always interacted with young adults in one form or the other. I enjoy their zest for life and their honesty refreshing. I’ve found that most teens just want a listening ear, but without judgment.

Share a special email or comment you received from a reader that touched your heart. I love the letters from teens who write to tell me that they are members of the Big ‘V’ Club just like Divine or that they read my books and that they’ve helped them make better decisions.

What’s next for Divine?
Readers have asked for stories about some of Divine’s friends, so coming this month is the first book in the Divine & Friends series: It’s A Curl Thing, which features Rhyann. Divine, Mimi & Alyssa will all put in appearances.

Rhyann Hamilton could not be more jazzed for her sophomore prom. The big event is one day away, and getting prepped is a family affair: thanks to her aunt's designing magic, she's got a dreamy Valentino look-alike gown, and her sister Tameka's doing her hair. But something goes terribly wrong -- and Rhyann's hair color is a total disaster! An emergency trip to a luxury salon saves the day, but how will Rhyann pay for the high-priced appointment? Thanks to the kindhearted owner, working at the salon becomes more than just a way to pay a debt -- for Rhyann is about to discover how beautiful things can happen when your heart is open, and how one bad hair day can be a blessing in disguise.

Sounds "divine", Jacquelin. How can readers learn more about the books on the Internet? They can visit my website: http://www.jacquelinthomas.com/ or http://www.simplydivinebooks.com/
I’m also on MySpace & Facebook.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jacquelin. I look forward to having you back when your next women's fiction title The Ideal Wife is released in October.