Introduction So, what inspires you for your books? Because
you've written 80 of these! I'm just floored. You know, it's interesting. I think what
inspires me is a friend of mine asked me. She looked at me and said, "Do you like what
you do? Do you enjoy writing?" And I said, "Well, yes. When the words are coming, it's
wonderful. When they don't, it's torture." And then I laughed and said, "But I have to write. I
have to write. I'm not happy if I'm not writing, and I'm compelled to write. There's
something inside me that compels me." But I think I'm really inspired by reading. When
I read a book that is really well-written, to me, that's like a symphony. Or if I watch
a well-crafted show or movie, it just speaks to my soul, and that inspires me. I'm also
sometimes inspired by people and circumstances. The "Secret Song of the Ditch Lillies," I know
that's one that is very literary and I love. The story behind "The Secret Song of the Ditch Lillies" Thank you, I love that one too. And you know,
it's kind of interesting because it's making a resurgence. People are starting to really
like it, which I'm thrilled about. You Comparing "The Secret Song of the Ditch Lillies" to "Where the Crawdads Sing" need to send that off to Reese Witherspoon. If
anybody watching this knows Reese Witherspoon, connect her with Jen. Reese, if you're
listening to this, you would really enjoy this. It surprised me how similar it was to
"Where the Crawdads Sing." It's definitely a different and unique story, but the tone felt
similar. It was encouraging because I thought, "Wow, people love that, maybe they'll love
this if it just gets to the right people." So yeah, if anyone out there is watching, read it
and let me know what you think. The inspiration for it came from my husband and me driving in the
back of the mountain where we live in gorgeous countryside. I said, "Honey, isn't this just
beautiful?" He looked around and said, "Well, all I've seen for the last several miles
are a bunch of trailers, pines, and power lines." I was like, "I love that title!" At
first, my mom and I called each other and I said, "Do you think we could write a book about
trailers, pines, and power lines?" She said, "Yeah, I think we can," and that's how it started.
I didn't realize it was going to be so deep. It's funny how stories take on lives of their own.
We ended up changing the name to "The Secret Song of the Ditch Lillies," but that line is
in there, at the very beginning of the book. So the inspiration comes from a lot of different
places. I think when you have that mindset, when you're in that creative mode, you
see something or someone says something, and it triggers inspiration. You're looking
for it when you stay in creative mode, and so you're open to it because
you're looking for it. I pray a How prayer and divine inspiration play a role in her writing lot for inspiration too. I don't write
a book without praying for inspiration. People always talk about a muse.
I'm sure after this life is over, a little guardian angel will say,
"Hey, you've got me to thank for that inspiration." Do you think we have unseen
help when we ask for it? Definitely, for sure.