Author Interview: Jo-Anne Berthelsen (+ giveaway opportunity!)

If you've had any familiarity with the Australian Christian writing world over the last however-many-years, you've likely bumped into, or read (or both!), Jo-Anne Berthelsen. And if you haven't, now's your chance! Jo-Anne is a wonderful woman of faith whose generosity of heart and thoughfulness spill into her writing and life. She's an encourager, a pray-er and when I grow up I want to be like her!
Jo-Anne's newest book, God Moments: 101 little lessons for life’s journey came out last month so I figured this would be a good time to interview her. I hope you find her answers to my questions as encouraging as I did!

Penny: How would you sum up your 'author brand' and what do you believe your books offer your readers?
Jo-Anne: I would say my author brand could be described as ‘Books after God’s Heart’. To explain further, I believe my novels offer my readers heartfelt stories that demonstrate key aspects of the Christian faith such as God’s love and grace, God’s forgiveness and our subsequent forgiveness of others, God’s faithfulness, and using our God-given gifts to serve others. As for my non-fiction books, I believe these offer not only glimpses of God’s amazing love, grace and faithfulness but also challenge readers to speak and act in these same ways towards others and to walk closely with God each day.

Penny: Does your Christian faith impact how you write, and if so, in what ways?
Jo-Anne: First, my Christian faith is the reason I write. I believe God called me to begin writing over twenty years ago and, today, I still feel compelled to share key themes about God and faith as best I can through my books and weekly blogs. Essentially, I write to honour God and to draw others closer to God.
Second, my Christian faith impacts my actual daily writing process. I always have my Bible open on my desk beside me to remind me what I read in Scripture that morning but also to remind me to listen to the Spirit’s gentle promptings throughout my day as I write. Also, whenever I am unsure how to proceed or whenever I begin to doubt that what I am writing is worthwhile at all, I am so grateful I can stop, lean back in my chair, remind myself that my heavenly Father, the perfect Creator, is with me and in me, loves me so much and longs to guide, comfort and empower me in all I do.
Third, my Christian faith preserves me from worrying too much about whether my books are bestsellers or not or what my ratings are on Amazon or such like. Yes, I want my books read by as many people as possible because I believe in the truths they contain and I want my readers to know and love God, so it is up to me to market them well and support my publisher. But because I essentially write for God, I can trust God to show me the best ways to promote my books, according to my gifts and abilities – and I can remember too that, in the end, it is what God thinks about my books that truly matters. ​

"Whenever I begin to doubt that what I am writing is worthwhile, I am so grateful I can [...] remind myself that my heavenly Father, the perfect Creator, is with me and in me, loves me so much and longs to guide, comfort and empower me in all I do." 
- Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Penny: Tell us about your most recent book and what you love most about it?
My most recent book is titled God Moments: 101 little lessons for life’s journey and is published by Authentic Media UK. It is a collection of brief reflections based on various experiences and conversations I have had or events I have either witnessed or been part of, as well as insights I have gained when reading Scripture. My aim in putting this collection together has been not only to share moments when God taught me something new or reminded me of some truth about himself with my readers but also to encourage us all to listen to God for ourselves and to look for what God wants to teach us or show us each day in the midst of our ordinary lives.
As for what I love most about God Moments (apart from the cover!), I love how, to me at least, each brief reflection provides a clear glimpse of God’s love and grace that is honest, personal, accessible and hopefully God-honouring – a glimpse that I hope and pray will impact others deeply as they read.

Penny: Were there any lessons you personally learned during the writing of this particular book? And did that change how the book turned out?
Jo-Anne: Time and time again as I fine-tuned each reflection, God reminded me how the event described or the words of Scripture highlighted there had initially impacted me, comforting or encouraging or challenging me. This was quite a journey in itself, but there was more to come. Even as I worked on each one, I found myself listening and looking for new things God had to show me or teach me as I sought to take to heart the key lesson it contained all over again in my life right now. As a result, God not only comforted, encouraged, challenged and revealed truths to me, but also, I believe, enabled me to fine-tune each reflection in a fresh, authentic way so that others could also experience that same freshness and authenticity as they read. So through it all, God has certainly made a big impact on how the book turned out in the end.
​
Penny: Who is an author you love to read, and why?
Jo-Anne: Hmm. I think it could be a tie between Dorothy Sayers who wrote mostly in the 1920s and 1930s and Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) who wrote mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, so I am a bit of an old-fashioned reader! To me, Dorothy Sayers has such a wonderful command of the English language – I love her long, flowing sentences that are so cleverly written and often so witty as well, and the plots and characterisation in her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are always intriguing. As for Ellis Peters, I love the interesting characters she portrays in her medieval whodunnits featuring the truly likeable Broth Cadfael, the devious plots she manages to think up and also her use of the huge amount of historical research that must have gone into creating these stories. 

Here's the blurb for  God Moments: 101 little lessons for life’s journey:
"Does your life seem too ordinary to include moments where God breaks in? 
The good news is that even the most everyday life experiences can reveal God’s riches, if only we would stop and notice. Based on her personal experiences, Jo-Anne Berthelsen reflects on how apparently mundane scenes in daily life have created unexpected ‘God moments’. 
Grounded in Scripture, these 101 uplifting devotions will encourage you to open your heart to God and look out for him as you go about your daily life."

For more information about Jo-Anne, visit:  www.jo-anneberthelsen.com 
Best place to purchase a copy of God Moments is here. 

PLUS: Jo-Anne has generously offered one copy of God Moments to a reader of this post! To be in the draw to receive this gift just leave a comment below. (Anyone can comment, but unfortunately the book can only be posted within Australia.)