Coffee with Jenny Erlingsson

It is a chilly, rainy morning here in Michigan. So, I am nursing a steaming cup of peppermint tea in my “Harley Davidson” mug as I prepare to introduce Jenny Erlingsson, a new author, to Me.

Jenny is the author of Her Part To Play, a story about two people on entirely different paths who seem to find one another under the lights of Hollywood.

Thank you, Jenny, for joining us here on Back Porch Reads. It is a pleasure to meet you. 

To start, I like to ask authors about their writing experience. I have several who are thinking of writing that first book but might be a little unsure of where to start. What advice would you give a new writer or someone just starting out?

Keep writing! Don’t wait for the perfect words, or even the perfect moment. Write in a disciplined way if you can and in random spurts and moments.

I have found writing sprints to be a great way to start the creative flow. What is your most interesting writing quirk?

My most interesting writing quirk is probably how I write by hand. As a child, the proper way to hold a pen or pencil never clicked with me, so my writing technique is a little different. I hold my pen between my point and middle finger. It is hard to explain without seeing it, but it is how I’ve written all my life.

 Some habits seem to stay with us. 

Let’s talk about Her Part To Play. What was the inspiration for the story?

The inspiration for this story came when I started watching behind-the-scenes videos of The Chosen. Sometimes we forget how many people work behind the scenes of a production and, how closely they work with each other. I thought it would be fun to explore what kind of relationship could unfold between an actor and a make-up artist.

I have also watched many of those. They seem to have a great time and a tight bond. What is the key theme and/or message in the book?

I like having an anchor verse for my books. My anchor verse for Her Part to Play is Isaiah 43:19 so the theme for the book is how God does new things in our lives, in sometimes unexpected ways and places. The new thing doesn’t have to be flashy or elaborate. Sometimes the new thing is the same place but the new you in the midst of it.

I love that. And I love knowing that God is always working on our behalf. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I have written three full-length books and two unpublished manuscripts. I also have several devotionals I’ve written with others. Picking a favorite is like choosing between your children! But I think Her Part to Play is definitely my current favorite because it is my first novel, and writing fiction is my first love in writing. Thank you so much for taking the time to connect with me and my debut novel, Her Part to Play!

Thank you, Jenny, for coming for a visit. I pray this tour blesses you and helps launch your writing career. I look forward to seeing what God does through your work.

Readers, please be sure to continue reading about Jenny and Her Part To Play, enter the giveaway, and maybe even pick up a copy of the book for yourself. 

About the Book

Book: Her Part to Play

Author: Jenny Erlingsson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release date: June 18, 2024

Desperate for extra income after her mother’s passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She’s working to save her parents’ legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he’s ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set–and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension–and could that be attraction?–fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John’s scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what’s right in front of them?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jenny Erlingsson is an author and speaker of Nigerian descent. After 12 years working in junior high and women’s ministry, she moved with her family from Alabama to Iceland. When she’s not running after her four kids or ministering alongside her husband, she can be found writing romantic fiction and creative nonfiction to inspire deep faith in diverse settings, as well as encouraging other writers. Her other writings have been featured on (in)courage, Live Original, Velvet Ashes, and more. And in the margins, you might find her reading five books at a time with a side of Icelandic chocolate.

More from Jenny

Sometimes it can be easy to underestimate the significance of our part to play in God’s story, especially when it’s something behind-the-scenes. I wanted to portray that in the story that unfolds between my characters Adanne and John. In Her Part to Play, readers are introduced to a make-up artist who had dreams of becoming successful in her career, but she sacrificed that to take care of her dying mother and ended up getting fired in the process.

This idea actually developed while I watched behind the scenes footage of The Chosen. Like any industry, profession or product, what we see is only a small part of the process. There are details that we don’t consider when we are being swept away in a story.

On the surface, working with the actor who got her fired was not the way Adanne wanted to earn much needed income. But there’s so much beautiful redemption that can be found in hidden places and that’s what John finds as well. Every day that Adanne works on his face to get him ready for his scenes, God starts working on both of their hearts. A beautiful transformation is carried out through someone who may not have seemed valuable in the grand scheme of things, but who was a very important part of the process.

Her Part to Play gives a glimpse of that through a charming romance between two people with different roles and from different cultures, but they both have a core need to be known and loved for not just what they do, but for who they are.

Blog Stops

Back Porch Reads, June 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 26

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, June 27 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 27

Inspired by Fiction, June 28

Blossoms and Blessings, June 29 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 1

Vicky Sluiter, July 2 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 3

By The Book, July 4 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 5

Blogging With Carol, July 6

For the Love of Literature, July 7 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, July 7

Pause for Tales, July 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jenny is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, a custom journal and copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.