Sunday, October 6, 2013

Featured Debut Novelist: Jordyn Redwood

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Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense author at night. As a self professed medical nerd and trauma junkie, she was drawn to the controlled chaotic environments of critical care and emergency nursing.

Her debut medical thriller, Proof, released June, 2012. It received a starred review from Library Journal and has been endorsed by the likes of Lynette Eason, Mike Dellosso, and Dr. Richard Mabry.

Poison, the second book in the Bloodline Trilogy, and the third book, Peril,  both released in 2013.

The following is an October 2013 interview with Jordyn.

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ENTER THE GIVEAWAY 
AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW

Be in to win a copy of 
Peril 

by Jordyn Redwood

One print copy to be won

Contest open to entrants in the USA and Canada only.

Contest runs from 4-17 October NZDT


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Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a wife, mother of two amazing daughters, and a pediatric ER nurse. In my “spare” time I write the type of suspense novels I love to read—a mix of medical mystery/police procedural/ and psychological thrillers.


What inspired you to become a novelist, and did you always want to write?

I really have always told stories from the time I could write sentences. My first story was in elementary school and was about a rabbit that needed to go the hospital so I guess I was always destined to write medical thrillers. The pursuit of publication was a whole other animal and I ventured down that road out of frustration in my nursing career and as a dare to God to see if it would ever happen.


What do you think is significant about Christian fiction?

I think Christian fiction plays a part in relaying Christ’s message in a less threatening manner. It’s easier for someone to hand an inspirational novel to a non-believer than a Bible. So I view my stories as an avenue to strengthen the faith of the believer, challenge the status quo on moral issues and maybe spark an interest in the non-believer to check out the Christian faith by weaving in the nature of Christ’s sacrificial love for us into the plot. 


How do you hope your readers react to the stories you write?

First and foremost—I want them to be entertained. I want them to stay up late in the night reading and I want the characters and the situations to stay with them. My dream is the next day, the first person they meet, they say, “I read the greatest book!”

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What has been the most surprising aspect to becoming a published novelist?

This is an interesting time to ask me this question because I’m in the middle of submitting a new book proposal and it’s taking longer than I thought to sell my next trilogy. The most surprising—just what work writing is for such little pay—at least in the beginning. Right now all the money I make is going right back into the business so after almost two years of working nearly full-time hours writing—I haven’t made enough to leave my nursing career—not even close. The reality becomes—can I still do both of these jobs for another several years? Is it worth it to me and my family? What do I do if I don’t get another traditional publishing contract? These are the questions I’m praying over.


How has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ?

It has definitely strengthened it. God has shown up in some pretty amazing ways on this writing journey. Ways that are definitely goose-bump worthy.


Other than being a novelist, what other goals do you have for your life?

I want my daughters to develop a deep relationship with Christ. To be able to stand up and fight for what they believe. I think this is the best legacy to leave behind.


What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spend time with my family. I’m also a cross-stitcher and a quilter and these activities help me unwind from busy days.

What can you tell us about your debut novel?

Proof deals with the real medical possibility of DNA testing clearing a guilty man of his crimes. Lilly Reeves, an ER physician, is absolutely sure she has indentified her assailant and then DNA testing sets him free. Proof is her journey of proving this man’s guilt and seeing Christ’s sacrificial love for her in some very real ways.

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What stories can your fans expect from you in the days ahead?

I hope many more stories! I love exploring spiritual implications of medical phenomenon so I developed a trilogy around near-death experiences (NDEs) that I’m hoping will find a home with a traditional publisher.


What would you like to say to your upcoming fans in New Zealand and around the world?

New Zealanders—you live in a beautiful land that I would LOVE to visit someday. I’m happy to Skype with bookclubs who have read any of my books and I love hearing from readers. I can be reached via e-mail at jredwood1@gmail.com.


Do you have any parting words?

It’s been an honor to be here! Thanks so much for hosting me.


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Proof

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. 


Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?




Purchase Proof (Bloodline Trilogy #1): 
[Amazon.com | Amazon Kindle | 
The Book Depository]



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Poison

Five years ago, Keelyn Blake's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father's frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI's hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man's delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

Now, Lucent is back, and he's no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven's daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she can emerge unscathed a second time.



Purchase Poison (Bloodline Trilogy #2): 
[Amazon.com | Amazon Kindle | 
The Book Depository]


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Peril

Dr. Thomas Reeves is at the pinnacle of his career. The Department of Defense has awarded him a lucrative contract for his new research into superior autobiographical memory, which promises the ability to create combat troops able to quickly learn complex battle plans and enact them perfectly under the most demanding battlefield scenarios.

An elite unit has received neural grafts from fetal cadavers of genetically altered brain cells with enhanced NMDA receptors. The results are remarkable . . . until the recipients begin suffering hallucinations, nightmares, paralysis, . . . and death. Dr. Reeves searches for answers, but DOD insiders want him to stop the search.

The situation becomes public when pediatric ICU nurse Morgan Adams, Dr. Reeves’s daughter, is taken hostage by three research subjects in an attempt to force Dr. Reeves into disclosing why they are sick. If answers aren’t revealed within twenty-four hours, patients in the pediatric ICU will be killed.

This spine-tingling conclusion to the Bloodline Trilogy raises spiritual and ethical dilemmas torn directly out of today’s headlines. When does life begin? How far does commitment to family go? And can the sins of the father ever be forgiven?



Purchase Peril (Bloodline Trilogy #3): 
[Amazon.com | Amazon Kindle | 
The Book Depository]



Buy Jordyn's Books at The Book Depository

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

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Be in to win a copy of 
Peril 
by Jordyn Redwood


One print copy to be won

Contest open to entrants 
in the USA and Canada only.

Contest runs from 4-17 October NZDT


Please comment about the interview or leave a message for Jordyn when making a blog post comment - simply commenting about entering the draw or wanting to win the books does not qualify for valid entry into the draw. All entries must be made using the Rafflecopter contest to be eligible for drawing.


Read Previous Featured Author Interviews


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