Author Interview: Jennifer Arrington

Can you imagine turning what could be deemed a tragedy into something good? Guest author Jennifer Arrington did just that, and I am in awe of her ability to take a bad thing and turn it to good. You're going to love this interview!

You grew up in South Africa, but now live here in the USA. What are some of the things you miss from being over there?
 
I miss the windows-open lifestyle!
In Johannesburg, South Africa, we didn't have extreme temperatures like August in Florida or February in Minnesota, so our windows were open most of the year. When I went to college in the US, I was constantly in trouble for opening my 7th-story dorm window! My favorite time of year in Florida is what I call "windows-open weather."
 
I also miss what I perceive was a simpler lifestyle. I'm unsure if this still applies since I was 18 when I left, but birthdays, Christmas decorations, house décor, table settings, weddings, outfits, even make-up – it was all minimalist. Someone living in South Africa will have to chime in and tell me if things are still like this. It seems so based on my friends' Facebook posts, but I may simply have minimalist friends.
 
What do you hope readers learn about South Africa from your book?
 
I want readers to experience the country's beauty – that's why there are descriptions of God's Window, the drive down Van Reenen's Pass, and the South Coast beaches. My good friend Gillian (if you've read The Counting Tree, you've met her namesake!) recently sent me pictures of their travels along the Garden Route, the coastal drive that includes Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, and the Storms River. The images call to me, and I need to return and experience it all again.
 
Conversely, I want readers to know the history of apartheid and how it stained the beautiful landscape with an evil perpetrated against millions of people. It's surprising to me when I encounter young people who don't know this history. 

You're actually the second author I've interviewed lately who used to teach Chemistry. Do you find ways to work your love for Chemistry into your books?
 
Katherine of Trusting for Tomorrow is a math teacher, and Heidi of The Counting Tree works with children and teenagers. So, my books include my love of teaching, but I haven't yet figured out how to write chemistry into the books. I could write a fun novel about a chemistry teacher (imagine handing teenagers fire and chemicals), but it would be too close to my actual life, and I'm afraid I'd be running around getting people to sign off on the stories. I'll have to wait until a few years pass before attempting such a thing. Is there a statute of limitations on using others' stories in fiction?
 
Which character in your books is most like you and why?
 
In Trusting for Tomorrow, Katherine's daughter has celiac disease, and in The Counting Tree, Heidi gets breast cancer. So, both stories incorporate my medical experiences. But as far as the actual characters, I don't want my main characters to be too much like me. Yet people who know me say they see elements of me in both Katherine and Heidi, so I guess I've written what I know! Fun fact: I did pattern Johann of The Counting Tree after my husband, Albrey.
 
I am always in awe to chat with a cancer survivor. Can you tell us how going through that battle has blessed your life?
 
After I was diagnosed with breast cancer the second time, I got really down and prayed about what to do with all the sitting around recovering since I love to be active and outdoors. God heard my prayer and nudged me to get out a manuscript I'd started over ten years ago. That manuscript became my newest book, The Counting Tree. It centers around thankfulness, and the book became my personal therapy. I look at that book sometimes, hold it, and smile at how God works: it is a direct result of getting breast cancer! And now I write full time with some chemistry tutoring mixed in to help fund the writer lifestyle.
 
Right around that second diagnosis, two ladies I knew passed away. They each had ten years from first diagnosis until they died. This sounds morbid, but I told my husband we needed to focus on the next ten years and imagine how we would want our life to look if we only had ten years left. Then, we each made some drastic changes. I had taught full-time through all five surgeries and did the zoom-hybrid-wear-a-mask COVID teaching thing and was exhausted. So, my dear husband gave me a "coupon" two years ago at Christmas that told me to leave the classroom, tutor online, and write. And now, I wake up and think, "How can I make today count?" Life is short, and I say "no" to many things that used to drain my energy and joy. I also avoid chronically negative people (not those who need help, but those who constantly complain), and I don't engage in negative social media posts. We can't bury our heads in the sand and must be aware and sensitive towards others' needs, but unnecessary negativity robs joy.
 
Do you think you will ever include your experiences with cancer in a future story?
 
Full disclosure: Heidi's cancer story in The Counting Tree is mostly my first cancer story. I found writing breast cancer into the book therapeutic. But once I'd completed the rough draft of the book, I got cancer again and then went through a double mastectomy. So, all that valuable information is still waiting to be told in story form. When I was going through cancer, I searched for fiction books with breast cancer in the storyline and mostly came up empty. I found the online resources either too sugar-coated or too horrifying. There was nothing out there that remotely matched my experience. So, poor Heidi got breast cancer, and my hope is that anyone who reads the book finds comfort and gains helpful knowledge through her (my) experience. A friend told me that reading about Heidi's fears while waiting for her biopsy results was comforting as my friend awaited hers.
 
Want to give us a sneak peek into what you're working on next?
 
Yes! I'm all over the place – I blame my years of teaching three different preps (subjects and levels) in a day on my inability to work on only one book style at a time. I am working on a kids' adventure series, the brainchild of my husband. The first book is with beta readers. I have also written my friend's biography. That is also out for edits, and we hope to have it published the first half of 2024. And then there's the book I'm "not supposed to be writing," a sequel to The Counting Tree. My goal was to keep my contemporary romance novels as stand-alone books, but Heidi, Johann, and Darla just won't leave me alone. Heidi and Darla especially have things to say and obstacles to overcome, and the ideas keep coming. So, the book "that shouldn't be written" currently stands at 46,000 words.
It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out – which book is ready first. I'm assuming the biography, but you never know which characters will yell the loudest!
 
Last but not least, can you tell us one thing about yourself that very few people know?
 
For all my book posts and book people, I don't think anyone realizes that I play the piano. I call the piano my weekend job, but now that I work for myself, it is becoming more of my days, and I am also teaching piano again. In high school, I wanted to be a concert pianist, and I dreamed of playing for an orchestra. I used to wake up, play scales before school, and then come home and practice for another hour and a half. I even completed my first year of UNISA, the South African university music degree. But when I moved to the US for college and enrolled as a music major, I had a bit of a crisis. I realized my love for the piano was more a hobby than a lifetime commitment. After being surrounded by true future concert pianists, I decided I could still be a school music teacher, which would've been great, except I can't sing. So, I switched my major to science, taught chemistry, and eventually did a research-based master's degree assessing how nutrition alters immunologic function. I took time off to raise my wonderful daughters and then returned to teaching chemistry.
The beautiful thing is that I now belong to a church that has a choir and orchestra, and I get to play for them. It doesn't escape me that God still gave me that dream, the dream to play with an orchestra, and I am continually grateful. 

Thanks so much for chatting with us today and sharing so much hope that comes through your stories!
Readers, keep going because you're going to want to know more about Jennifer's books and how to find her.

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The Counting Tree

Are you ready for a breathtaking, cross-continental love story of faith and perseverance spanning nearly two decades? Connected by one poignant weeping willow, The Counting Tree takes you on a thrilling journey with Heidi, a young woman who defies her destiny and embarks on a life-changing adventure as a camp counselor in 1987 South Africa. But what she finds there isn't what she expected, and she must navigate cultural differences and the camp's enigmatic director, Johann, who challenges her at every turn. Desperate for success, Heidi works tirelessly to provide hope amidst the dark shadow of apartheid, betrayal, and hostility. But just as she finds a sense of belonging, her world is rocked by the devastating news of her mother's breast cancer diagnosis.

Fast forward fifteen years, and Heidi unexpectedly finds herself at another camp – this time in the United States. Surrounded by an eerie sense of familiarity, she's about to unravel why.

Filled with emotional twists, spiritual growth, inspiring characters, and humor, The Counting Tree is a heartwarming tale of love and loss, heartbreak and hope. Don't miss out on this unforgettable tale of a love that defies all odds. Order your copy today, and let the journey sweep you off your feet!

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Jennifer Arrington started her first novel as a 9-year-old, writing in messy cursive, filling pages of an empty notebook. Her book was set in a boarding school for girls and included a schematic of the school, the dorms, the grounds, and, of course, the netball courts.
Given that Jennifer has lived in four countries and five states within the United States, that manuscript is long gone. However, writing and journaling have always been her own personal therapy, and reading a reason to “get everything done” so she can focus on her TBR pile.
During her stay-at-home mom years, Jennifer used nap times to pen her first novel, Trusting for Tomorrow, inspired by her experiences with celiac disease. Ten years later, while recovering from multiple surgeries after recurrent breast cancer, she completed The Counting Tree, incorporating parts of her own breast cancer experiences into the story.
Jennifer self-publishes and spends her days on marketing, networking, and writing, determined to share God’s love through the art of story. She is currently working on a biography of a friend who has lived through five cancers and also a middle-grade children’s adventure series. Although the styles and genres are far apart, Jennifer maintains that bouncing between the two keeps her brain fresh and helps maximize her writing time.
With a master’s degree in nutrition from Texas A&M University, Jennifer spent much of her career as a high school chemistry teacher and still tutors chemistry via Zoom. She enjoys paddle boarding, snorkeling, and beach walking in her free time. Always reading, she often enjoys three concurrent books: an e-book, an audiobook, and a paper copy. That, she maintains, ensures a book is always on hand!


https://linktr.ee/jenniferarrington_author