The Good Books

By LEE WARD / The Independent

ASHLAND July 01, 2009 03:29 pm

— During the wee morning hours, First Presbyterian Church’s Associate Pastor Jennifer Johnson can be found praying and reading Scripture.
Then, when there’s time, she begins her writing process.
Sometimes she is writing a sermon, but sometimes she is working on a romance novel.
Johnson, 39, has written two romance novels. The first, titled “The Jinx,” is about a woman who falls in love with a man who has terrible luck; the second, “The Clergy Affair,” scheduled for release this month, is about a woman pastor who gets into a situation which she’s concerned might cause her to lose her church.
She began writing romance after reading one of her older sister’s romance novels when she was a tween.
“I thought, ‘I could do this, I could write something like this,’” she said. “Pretty much after that, I carried a notebook around all the time. In junior high, I was reading it to friends. It’s just something that I have done throughout my life.”
It started as scenes but about 11 years ago, she completed a novel.
“A good friend of mine was going through a divorce and she lived in Georgia and I lived in Mississippi and we e-mailed often,” Johnson recalled “We went to college together and she always loved my stories in college, so we started this, not exactly a collaboration, but she was my critique partner. It was something we did to try to help her get through a real difficult time in her life.”
When the book was finished, Johnson said she submitted it to and was rejected by a publisher, so she put it away.
“There were a lot of things I did wrong and it was naivety. I didn’t know about the query letter, I just didn’t know about those kinds of things,” she said, adding receiving a form letter was devastating.
It was three years ago that Johnson and her family moved to Ashland and she learned about the KYOVA Romance Writers, which she joined at the encouragement of her husband.
“He knew being published has been a life-long dream of mine,” she said. The group was a great help and support and eventually she attended a writer’s conference that afforded her the opportunity to pitch her new idea, “The Clergy Affair,” to publishers. She also had the chance to mention her completed work, which had been rejected by one publisher. She connected with The Wild Rose Press, which ultimately published both of her works.
She said the small publisher was very supportive and helpful through much rewriting.
“I never felt like it was an insult,” she said of the editing process. “I was just so thankful they were giving me a chance. Anything they said to improve it, I would always consider it. Both of the editors I’ve worked with were so wonderful. ... they cared about the craft and certainly were a a lot more knowledgeable than I am about grammar and what would make the story pop.”
Reconciling her job as a minister with a romance novel career on the side wasn’t as difficult as one might expect, although Johnson said she was hesitant to tell her church about it.
“I didn’t want them to be embarrassed,” she said. “I realize I’m a reflection on that church and I always want to be a blessing to that church. I just didn’t want them to say, ‘Oh, what is she doing now?’”
But there was no problem, she said. The congregation was supportive of her writing.
“I had a book signing and this is when I said. ‘OK, I need to tell them about this,’ and I put it in our weekly newsletter that I had published a romance novel and have another one coming out. The church just came out in droves. It was so wonderful! I was humbled and I was also relieved and just felt they want to celebrate with me,” she said.
Since then, many congregation members have told her they read romance books and they want to get hers. Johnson said modern romance novels are not the same as the used to be.
“They are more sophisticated now than they used to be, and they’re just a better piece of work,” she said, adding everybody wants to read something that is positive, and romance novels are just that.
“We like a happy ending, there’s so much pain in the world,” she said. “To say, I’d like to have something I can pick up and read in an afternoon or maybe a little longer and I’m going to feel good when I put that book down, or I’m going to think my time was well spent and that I’m happier and that this was a good way to spend a few hours.”
Just as Johnson hopes reading one of her books is a feel-good experience for the reader, the process and accomplishment of writing is an enriching experience for Johnson.
“I really feel like I have the heart of a writer and I’m blessed in my job and in this endeavor that I’m able to use that,” she said. “I don’t think I’d be very happy if I wasn’t able to write as much as I get to.”
However, her romance writing career isn’t the most important part of her life. Her call to the ministry is one that she has had most of her life, just as her desire to write has been.
“Writing sermons is also writing,” she said. “I’m using my gift and that is more important in the grand scheme of things.”

Jennifer Johnson’s second book, “The Clergy Affair,” is scheduled for release July 31. She plans a book signing from 5 to 7 p.m. July 31 at BJ’s Discount Books in Meade Station. For more information, visit booksbyjenniferjohnson.com or thewildrosepress.com.
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.