Interview with Jody Hedlund - Work

Welcome again, Jody, thank you for sharing how you juggle home and work with us. Now, I've read The Preacher's Bride and loved it (and I'm not just saying that because you are here) and I finished the Doctor's Lady not too long ago--I'm not sure which I liked better--they were both excellent.

What project are you working on right now?

I’m currently enjoying spreading the news about my second published book, The Doctor’s Lady (which released Sept. 1, Bethany House Publishers). The book is inspired by the first American woman to cross overland to Oregon. Her bravery and determination to make it West paved the way for all the women who would later travel the Oregon trail.

What's the book blurb?

Priscilla White knows she’ll never be a wife or mother and feels God’s call to the mission field.

Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field. Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs.

Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God’s leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

 

What jobs have you attempted while working at home? 

Currently, I’m a full time contracted author. My job responsibilities include writing, editing, and marketing.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of this job? 

The pro is that I absolutely LOVE writing. I get to make up stories and write them down. I can’t imagine a better job in the world!

The downside is that in today’s tight and competitive publishing industry, writers have to put in long hours but often aren’t compensated monetarily for all of that time. In fact, for the average author, the monetary rewards and sales are often low. Building a successful writing career takes a lot of upfront time, energy, and devotion with no guarantee of payback, other than personal satisfaction in a job well done.

How do you deal with your feelings when you find yourself in a rough spot and think it’s just too hard?

Fortunately, I have a great support system surrounding me—including my husband, my mom, my agent, my critique partner, and other writing friends that I’ve made. When I get particularly discouraged or down on myself, one or more of them will encourage me, inspire me to keep going, and remind me why I’m writing. Because they believe in me and my abilities, I’m able to believe in myself.

What's your favorite aspect of working from home?

I appreciate that I get to be with my children throughout each day. We have time to talk about deeper issues, to address character growth, to share, to laugh, and to love together. Of course there are days of bickering and hardship too. But we get to grow through those times and hopefully come out stronger as a result.

If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?

I’m not sure that I would do anything differently. When my children were younger, I took a hiatus from writing and focused on them for quite a few years. I used that time to become a better parent and to grow spiritually. When I felt the nudge to begin writing again, I was a richer and deeper person because of my time away from my writing. And while I’m certainly not perfect in how I handle my writing career, I believe that God prepared me to be where I’m at right now.

I always like money savings tips. What do you do to save money?

We eat at home most of the time. We all know how expensive restaurant food is nowadays. Even fast food can add up. In today’s busy world, it’s easy to fall into the habit of eating out several times a week (if not more). But even though I’m juggling a lot, I still make time to cook homemade meals (very simple dinners!). My husband has also learned to cook over the past several years, and so he pitches in with making meals. And now my older daughters are also learning to be proficient in the kitchen. 

Any other words of wisdom you would like to share that you haven’t mentioned in the questions above?

When we pursue the things we’re passionate about, we set an example to our children that they can pursue their dreams too. We can model to them hard work, diligence, perseverance, and so many other traits that will hopefully make an impression. It’s not easy to juggle a career and mothering, but it is possible and can even be beneficial if we have the right outlook!

Thanks so much for that parting bit of wisdom, children do follow our example and that should make us constantly evaluate what we are doing. 

If you are a US resident and you'd love to get your hands on a copy of the Doctor's Lady, leave a comment with some way to contact you on this blog post by October 7th midnight to get into a random drawing.

(If you leave your email address, write it in a form such as this:

me AT gmail DOT com 

so the spam robots don't get you.)

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