2019 Carol Award Finalists Q&A (and a Giveaway!): Jody Hedlund & A Worthy Rebel

Happy Friday! Continuing through Saturday (culminating with a list of winners), I have the privilege of sharing mini interviews with nearly all of the 2019 ACFW Carol Award Finalists! Today I’m covering the speculative & young adult categories, including Jody Hedlund and her Carol Award nominated novel A Worthy Rebel! You can check out a list of all the finalists HERE.

FYI – There will be several posts per day, and a week-long giveaway, so make sure you catch them all!

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. She lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy teens, and five spoiled cats. Visit her at jodyhedlund.com

A WORTHY REBEL
SERIES: An Uncertain Choice #5
GENRE: Young Adult Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Northern Lights Press
RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2018
PAGES: 208

A desperate noblewoman, a rebellious peasant, and a forbidden love.

While fleeing an arranged betrothal to a heartless lord, Lady Isabelle becomes injured and lost. Rescued by a young peasant man, she hides her identity as a noblewoman for fear of reprisal from the peasants who are bitter and angry toward the nobility.

Cole Warwick cannot turn his back on a person in need and soon finds himself falling for Izzy, the gentle and beautiful runaway who is mending in his cottage. As the leader of an imminent uprising against the nobility, he tries to resist his growing feelings for Izzy to protect her from the dangerous life he’s chosen. But the longer she stays, the more he hopes she’ll never leave.

When Izzy’s true identity is revealed, Cole feels betrayed. With the rebellion underway, can Cole forgive Izzy and find a way to save her from an unhappy marriage? Or will he and his peasant army be destroyed before he has the chance to fight for the people and the woman he loves?

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Hi, dearest Jody! Welcome back to the blog!

Q: Why do you write fiction? And, why specifically Christian fiction?

Jody: One of the main reasons I write YA fiction, particularly YA Christian romance, is because I’m right in the middle of those critical dating years with my own five teens and young adults. As I offer wise counsel to my children in their relationships, I also feel passionate about sharing that counsel with others, especially in a culture where relationships are often so twisted and broken. Thus my stories demonstrate what healthy, God-honoring relationships look like by modeling timeless truths about purity, sacrifice, and chivalry.

Carrie: And this is one of the many reasons I love you & your books! 🙂

Q: Other than the Bible, what are a couple of your most cherished books and why?

Jody: Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorites as a child because it played a role in developing my creativity as a writer. (Followed closely by A Little Princess and Little Women because they also featured strong, creative girls.)

Carrie: Those are delightful role models to have!

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled while researching a book?

Jody: The strangest research always seems to happen when I’m researching my medieval books. A quick look through my book-marked sites include: Animal Talk: All About Animal Communication, Medieval Torture, A Brief History of Painkillers

Carrie: LOL!

Q: If I asked your characters to describe YOU as an author, what would they say?

Jody: She certainly loves putting us into the most desperate of situations without having any idea of how to get us out! With such dire straits, I don’t know how she is able to make it to the happily-ever-after!

Carrie: hahaha yes but she DOES! plus… desperate situations lead to some pretty swoony kisses 😉

Q: What is one of your favorite quotes from A Worthy Rebel & why do you love it?

Jody: In relation to the above question about my YA romances being a platform for demonstrating what healthy relationships can look like, here are a few of my favorite quotes from A Worthy Rebel:

“Commitment was easy when everything was going well. But it counted most when things were falling apart.”

“Wasn’t that part of the caution with kissing? Such intimacy only served to stir the appetite for more contact . . .Wasn’t it better to build on a foundation that went deeper?”

“A man would be wise to look upon a woman’s inner beauty first as the outer will change and even fade.”

Carrie: I always have multiple highlighted quotes in my Kindle versions of your books by the time I’m done reading them. Such great insights!

I am offering one reader any TWO books (print copies) that finaled in the 2019 Carol Awards! (open internationally as long as Book Depository ships to your address) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What interests you most from Jody Hedlund’s Q&A or the Carol Award finalist A Worthy Rebel?