Her second and third books also achieved best-seller status, with the third book coming in as a finalist for Christian publishing’s 2017 Christy Award. Her nonfiction writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Today’s Christian Woman, and Proverbs 31 Ministries.
Now let’s move on to finding out how she started writing.
Your first novel tells the story of your husband’s Mennonite heritage. Why did you choose that background for your story?
I wrote my debut novel, The Outcast, after hearing a true story about my husband’s extended Mennonite family, and the cost of desire that was left unchecked and how it trickled down through this generation, also affecting the generations that came after it. The details of this story reminded me of The Scarlet Letter (infidelity, a child born out of wedlock, hiding the parentage, etc.). The Amish and Old Order Mennonites are the closest we have to that puritanical world, so that is why I chose to set it there.
Tell me about the process of writing that first novel.
Tell me about the process of writing that first novel.
Well, The Outcast wasn’t my first novel, but it was my first one that got published. 😉 I wrote two other novels before that one, and I doubt they will ever see the light of day. However, I am still glad I wrote them. The best thing about any creative process is that nothing is ever lost. I was not in a critique group when I wrote The Outcast. I just wrote on my own while expecting my firstborn daughter (who’s now six).
Did you start writing it as part of your college courses?
I did take creative writing classes in college, under the tutelage of my wonderful professor, Nancy Jensen, but this story didn’t germinate until three years after I graduated.
Who helped you with the editing?
My agent helped me with some light editing before we submitted it to publication, and my Tyndale editor, Kathy Olson, helped me from there. She is wonderful at seeing the small details and helping me strengthen themes. My husband also helps read my manuscripts. His viewpoint was especially crucial while creating the voice of Moses in The Alliance series. Before him, Moses sounded like a girl.
Our family is no longer Amish or Mennonite, but we still adhere to some of the same themes found in our heritage: faith, community, simplicity, and a hard work ethic.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about the Amish and Mennonite communities?
The biggest misconception about the Amish and Mennonite communities is that they are somehow above any of the hardships the rest of us face. They are just people, and therefore they struggle just like the rest of us do. However, their faith and their community help to ease those burdens.
Your bio says your agent was a Mennonite. How did you happen to meet him?
I met my agent, Wes Yoder, at an author reading. It’s pretty rare to hear a Dutchy last name in downtown Nashville, so I squealed when I heard it and said I’m a Petersheim. Here, we’re probably related through my husband’s Stoltzfus family!
I didn’t know Wes was an agent when we met, but after I told him about my story, The Outcast, he asked me to send it to him. I Googled him when I got home (I didn’t have a smartphone back then) and realized he was very respected in the publishing world. It felt like a “God moment.” I am so grateful.
What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Tension?
What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Tension?
The hardest part for me is finding the time. I have three young girls, and I am determined to be a present mom, so I write during dance class and naptime. I also get to go to town one day a week to work, which is where I am right now, working on this post. 😊
What does your editor remind you to do most often?
My editor, Kathy, often reminds me to strengthen my story’s spiritual themes. She is great at pulling out threads and then giving me the ideas to weave those threads together.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of one you’ve had, and how you learned to write past it.
I started seriously pursuing publication while working in the outlet grocery story my husband founded. I would write in the office for two hours after lunch and polish and send out some short stories to various literary magazines, and then file all of my rejection slips into a little recipe box so I wouldn’t keep sending them the same stories.
My debut, The Outcast, was also rejected by a few publishing houses because of the omniscient perspective of the deceased bishop, Amos King. But this unique perspective was also why Tyndale House accepted it. You just have to find your niche. And you will, if you don’t take rejection personally and continue to persevere.
What has surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing?
I am the most surprised by the marketing side of things. I do marketing for an hour each day, and I only write for two hours each day, so it’s a balancing act to make sure that one doesn’t take over the other because marketing can promote books, but it cannot produce them. If I am not careful to balance, I can become frustrated that I am not fueling myself creatively. Reading quality literature and being outside always helps get me back on track. 😊
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I know now to pace myself. I must continue to fuel my creativity by reading, writing, and experiencing life instead of just writing about it. Life fuels my art, not social media. 😉
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The best advice I received was from a very kind author who had just won a major award, which I had lost in another category. He told me that he knew that feeling because he had experienced it, and that display of empathy was such a gift. He also said to allow my busy, motherhood years to fuel my writing. It helped me relax and kind of ease into this season of young motherhood. I want to use these years well, in every capacity.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
I am a firm believer in reading and writing every day to help hone your skills. A friend, who is artistic as well, once told me about a famous artist who would have a rose delivered to him in the morning, and he would draw that rose just to warm up his hands and mind. That showed discipline and dedication to his art. Writing doesn’t always produce warm fuzzies; we have to be committed to the craft and allow ourselves and our work to constantly evolve.
What is the next book coming out?
What is the next book coming out?
My next book is called How the Light Gets In, and it’s releasing March 5, 2019 through Tyndale House.
It’s a creative retelling of Ruth set in a Mennonite cranberry farm in Wisconsin. 😊
That’s all for today’s interview. I hope you’ll take Jolina’s advice about balancing writing with reading. I would even suggest reading outside of your writing genre to open up your perspective.
If you’d like to learn more about Jolina’s books, here are some links to get you started.
Twitter: Jolina_Joy
Pinterest: JolinaPetershei
Instagram: jolinapetersheimauthor
Thank you so much for hosting me, Christine! What a blessing!
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