Thursday, May 7, 2026

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Jessica Brodie

Talkshow Thursdsay: 
Welcome Jessica Brodie!

I'm please to welcome Jessica to my blog for the first time and loved learning more about her. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and read on.

When did you know you wanted to be an author? I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to be an author! I’ve been writing in my mind since I was two, when my mom let me play with her old typewriter. I was an imaginative and terribly shy child, and books were my first friends. I started to read at a young age so I didn’t have to wait for an adult to read to me. On that old typewriter I’d invent stories about my stuffed animals, and I’d play elaborate games in my room where my clothing would come to life as imaginary friends, characters in a book I hadn’t yet written. Fast forward a few years, and I began writing as a way to imitate my favorite authors. I wrote everything from short stories and plays to (bad) poetry. I wrote my first novel at age twenty-one (I call it my “practice” novel), and to date I’ve published three novels, along with devotionals and anthologies. Fiction is my heart, and I can’t fathom stopping.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? I love creating characters who feel like real people I’d enjoy spending time with. In many ways, I’m still doing what I used to do as a young girl—filling my world with imaginary friends, only I get to share these “friends” with the rest of the world. My characters aren’t perfect, and I strive to make them authentic.

How did you learn how to write? I learned to write by reading. I find we humans imitate what we
love, and I love novels—good novels, the kind of books you want to escape into and carry with you throughout the day. I also learned to write by doing—I majored in journalism in college and then got my master’s in English, and I have been a journalist for three decades. For the past sixteen years, I’ve run a Christian denominational newspaper. Having a deadline and an automatic audience forced me to become a better writer, and later challenging myself to write shorter pieces helped me learn to write tighter and stronger.

What does your writing space look like? I actually have multiple writing spaces—that way I never get burned out or stale. Sometimes I write at my desk at my office (either in a chair or standing, depending on my mood and body aches). Sometimes it’s at the kitchen table by a huge window wearing noise-canceling headphones playing some peppy instrumental music. For many years, I wrote in my car before work because it was the only place I could get some quiet. When my kids were little, I’d wake up at four a.m. to write at my grandmother’s old writing desk. One odd place I write is on my feet while taking walks in the neighborhood, voice-texting into the Notes app on my iPhone. It’s surprisingly invigorating—something about movement and fresh air triggers a wave of creative energy for me.

How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines? Deadlines are my “secret sauce,” truly. I crave deadlines. Without a deadline, I can fritter away my time, but when I have a deadline, it forces my fingers to the keys. I hate letting others down, so deadlines become a mantle of responsibility—I know I must fulfill my assignment “or else.” I also use deadlines as a faith challenge. Sometimes doubt will plague me, or I feel like I can’t deliver on a story or an article, but I pray and then choose to believe that God will fill in the missing pieces that I cannot. He always does, and I trust that he always will.

What is one thing you wish you could do? I wish I could do so many things! I’ve always said I write because I can’t paint. I admire how visual artists, particularly oil and watercolor painters, are able to capture a scene and evoke so much emotion and hope and mystery without a single word—I wish I could do that. I also wish I could dance or sing—not just carry a tune but really sing. I think we’re all creative beings in our own way, all striving to imitate the Lord in our own ways and add our gifts to his greater whole.

How do you celebrate when you finish a manuscript? I usually don’t celebrate—because I’m honestly sort of stunned when the book ends. I don’t actually realize I’m “finished” for days, sometimes even longer. By then, I’m editing and onto the next project! Perhaps I don’t want to admit to myself I’m finished, because the characters and worlds I create feel so much like reality that I don’t really want them to be done. When I do remember to celebrate, I usually go out to dinner somewhere yummy with my family, then watch a good movie.

What is your advice to fledgling writers? Keep writing and keep reading. Reading makes us better writers. Writing helps us hone our craft. If you’re doing both of those things every day, then write for publication, even if it’s a volunteer stint or for your own blog or e-newsletter. You’ll surprise yourself with what you’re able to produce when you “have to” do it.

What books are on your nightstand right now? When I discover a book I like, I typically go out and read everything that writer has ever written. Right now, having finished Charles Martin’s Keeper series, I’m now reading everything he’s ever written. Next I’m planning to dive into Francine Rivers.

About Jessica:

Jessica Brodie is the author of the award-winning, Amazon bestselling, faith-based Dahlia Series, where grace meets grit in a small Southern town as faith is tested, hearts are mended, and hope refuses to stay buried. 

About her books: 

The Memory Garden: Book One: This Amazon-bestselling first book in the Dahlia Series is a gripping Southern novel following a broken journalist who finds unexpected purpose in a small town when a troubled boy’s dangerous secret puts them both at risk. 

Tangled Roots: Book Two: Tiff Steadman thought she’d escaped her shameful past—until her recently paroled brother James arrives in Dahlia, threatening the respectable life she’s carefully built. As wedding plans and buried secrets collide, these two siblings must confront the truth they’ve both been hiding and decide if redemption is worth the cost. 

Hidden Seeds: Book Three: Returning to Dahlia after tragedy exposes her fiancé’s betrayal, Natalie Motts rebuilds her life through art and unexpected friendship with Laney, a trafficking survivor hiding a dangerous past. When Natalie’s teenage sister vanishes, Laney must choose between protecting her hard-won safety and stepping back into darkness to bring the girl home. 

Book Four: Coming 2027.


Photo Credits:
Author Photo and book image: courtesy of Jessica Brodie
Reader: Pixabay/Kat Sampang
Restaurant: Pixabay/Pavel Chren

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Location: New York, NY, USA

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