1--What is the title of your latest release?
DAUGHTER OF EDEN, EVE’S STORY
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
From the moment of their creation, they had it all until the Unseen One told them they didn’t, and she believed him. If only she could go back and make a different choice.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
The Bible made that choice for me since the story focuses on Adam and Eve before and after their fall into sin.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Definitely. I find Eve fascinating, and I would love to get to know her in a real-life way, not just in my imagination. One day, in heaven, I will.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Conflicted, Forgiving, Loving
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I came to better understand and appreciate the unseen realm.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I write, but I still do at least four rewrites of every book, sometimes more.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My official “office” is one of our spare bedrooms, which also houses most of our books and my mother’s piano. So, it’s kind of a library/office/music room. I don’t actually write there though. Most of the time, I write sitting on our recliner couch with a view of our back yard. If the weather is nice, I may sit on the back patio and enjoy the sunshine.
10--Who is an author you admire?
That’s a tough call, but I’m going to go with C.S. Lewis. He was so prolific in both fiction and non-fiction, and so many of his words are still quoted today. He and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote some of my favorite characters.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes. It’s a love story of Joseph and Mary (biblical fiction). I read it when I was sixteen and fell in love with the Bible when I read the last word. Those people were real, and I suddenly wanted to understand what I’d been taught all my life.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I believe it happened on a Saturday, which would not have been a normal day for my agent to be working, but she called me that day because she knew I’d been waiting for this for SO long! She wanted me to know as soon as she did. I’d been with her for about a year or so, and she had decided to shelve my biblical fiction because the story had been seen by publishers in Christian fiction too many times. (I’d been trying to break into publishing in any genre for twenty years.) So, when she discovered an editor was looking for biblical fiction, she sent her Michal. I knew we had made it to pub board, but the final approval had to come from the president of Revell. When it came, Wendy (Lawton) called me right away with the offer. The experience was exciting and kind of surreal.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m not sure I have a favorite. I read most any genre except horror, and I don’t like violence, though I do like romantic suspense. Right now, I’m reading the classic, Anne of Green Gables and loving it. I tried to read it many years ago and couldn’t get past the omniscient point of view, but it works for this story.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I’ve seen it several times and could watch it every year.
15--What is your favorite season?
Probably Spring. I enjoy every season to a point. I’m pickier about the temperature than the season. I’m goldilocks on so many levels. Not too hot, not too cold. I’d probably do well in a climate like San Diego where the weather is more temperate year-round.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
If I could make a wish and have my dream come true, I’d celebrate with all my kids and grandkids in person every year. Distance makes that pretty hard to do. So, I celebrate with my hubby and some good friends of ours. We go out to dinner and play games afterward. One year we hiked in the snow at the cider mill and then went to the movies. It usually snows on my birthday. A few years ago, we celebrated with one of our kids in Oregon. And of course, it snowed that day too – though it almost never snows there!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Chosen! Hands down my favorite tv series. We’ve watched it three or four times already and it won’t be the last. There is something calming and uplifting about seeing the life of Christ depicted so well on the screen. Makes me wish we could be on set to watch them film, but mostly, I just wish everyone I know and love could see it. I think it would change the way people think about Jesus if they give the show an honest chance.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Hmm…I like a variety of foods, but not big on spicy types. Seafood (salmon in particular) and chicken are my favorite meats, but I wish restaurants would include a large variety of veggies to go with their meals.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Spend too much time online shopping! Actually, I like to get out of the house. Go for a drive someplace to visit something new. Hang out with friends. Visit family.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on the story of Noah’s wife right now. I will turn it into my editor next March. Her story loosely follows Daughter of Eden, so readers will see a few minor connections.
The first time she opens her eyes, Eve gazes on One whose beauty nearly blinds her, whose breath is in her lungs. Her Creator takes her hand and gives her to one like her and yet different. Together, she and Adam experience pure joy as they explore Eden. But her favorite moments are when the Creator comes to walk with them, day after day.
Until everything changes. With one act of disobedience, Eve finds that her world is no longer a friendly place. With remorse in her heart, she must face the unknown future--the births, the deaths, the sacrifices, the loss of the one home she has ever known. Perhaps worst of all is the loss of trust, not only with her Creator but with the man who shares her life. How will they ever survive out of Eden?
Bestselling biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith imagines the life of the first woman to ever live, unspooling a story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.
Inspirational Romance [Revell, On Sale: February 14, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800742614 / ]
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Daughters of the Promised Land, the Wives of the Patriarchs, and The Loves of King Solomon series. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
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