If you’ve read my blogs, you’ve heard this before: Christian fiction is not boring! There are so many different kinds of stories (genres) available. Today, I am talking with an author who writes “dystopian” fiction. Her story take place in the United States about one hundred eighty years from now. If you have any friends who never read Christian Fiction because they think it’s too predictable, tell them about Jennifer Burrows, and her new book, Freefalling. It’s the first book in the Reconditioned Series
Jennifer Burrows has a message in her heart about God’s love, and she’s shared that when she was a musician in her father’s church, as a missionary to underprivileged children in a third world country, and as a wife who stood by her husband through terminal brain cancer that God miraculously healed.
Now, she’s sharing God’s powerful love through the art of fiction, pouring herself into edifying and helping other writers, and teaching others how to use faith in the face of adversity. Jennifer teaches in the greater Nashville area where she lives with her husband and their two children. Get to know Jennifer better at jlburrows.com, or connect with her on social media at www.facebook.com/jenniferlynnburrows or www.instagram.com/jlburrowsauthor
Let’s hear more about Jennifer and her book.
Jenny: Thanks so much for stopping by today. I’m always happy to talk to another Jen. First of all, can you tell us about your favorite authors, and what you’ve learned from them?
Jennifer: As an avid reader, my favorite authors shift with time. Two who have a ton of wonderful books and that I’ve been reading for some time are Susan May Warren and Roni Kendig. I adore Warren’s romantic suspense books and often binge read a series that I then review in Clean Fiction Magazine where I’m a reviewer. Kendig is like me, a multi-genre author! I discovered her Breed Apart series and fell in love with the retired war dogs and how the romance played out in her stories, often with angst and witty banter. Over Christmas break this year, I read her science fiction novel Brand of Light, and I’m about to read the second in that series because it was so good.
Reading for me is a daily habit, so I’m always finding new books I love. If you want to know more about what I’m reading, follow me on Goodreads, my newsletter, and Clean Fiction Magazine for my quarterly published reviews.
It’s hard to put my finger on what I’ve learned from the authors. It’s not a specific skill or thing, but more of an edification of my journey with Christ, a sense of camaraderie and kinship, both with the mind of the author and the character’s journeys. I’m inspired to walk my faith, see God’s work in the moments that seem darkest, know with increased certainty God’s plan is good and something I can trust, and when my heart hurts, God is working to heal and save me. For me, that’s why I read Christian fiction, and what I love about it. For a long time, I only read secular fiction, and God has slowly saved my reading and brought it into His love and truth. Maybe the thing I’ve learned the most is that our God is amazingly detail oriented. He holds the whole world in His hands and yet cares about the ache of our heart.
Jenny: I love that. I think this is why I enjoy Christian fiction, too. It’s like the author and the characters”get” where I’m coming from, and how I feel. Like me, I would imagine you are excited about having a published book. When did you feel you had really “arrived” as an author?
Jennifer: I believe we are always in God’s making. This journey isn’t a place of destination, but a series of moments designed for our learning. It brings me incredible joy and comfort to know the Holy Spirit is working in me, on me, and through me. That said, this year has felt like I’ve moved from one level to another, especially with my newest release, FreeFalling.
In 2021, I started as an indie author with the launch of my first book. Through a series of events and signs, I have confidence that releasing Indie was God’s plan for my writing, but I longed for community. In my power and with the help of social media, I found several authors and groups who offered community, but they didn’t align with my faith, and often encouraged me to remove God from my stories. I struggled with a terrible sense of loneliness in my writing journey. After praying and asking God to bring good Christian author friends into my life, God delivered hugely.
Two years ago, God brought Amber Mileusnich into my life, the author and sister-in-law to one of my students, and together we started Charis–our local Smyrna, TN author’s group. In that group, I met Amy R. Anguish. Another amazing Christian woman I’m honored to call friend and sister in Christ. She introduced me to Scrivenings Press, her editor pals, and helped me find more Christian writing companions. Eventually, as life got harder with my kids growing up and my father falling ill, she encouraged me to submit my books to Scrivenings Press.
Funny story. I had no intention of submitting my book to a publisher. But after many months, an increase in family need, and a few meet ups with some of the other awesome members of Scrivenings Press community, I understood God was blessing my life once again with His amazing direction.
Now, FreeFalling book 1 of The Reconditioned Series is out on January 14th 2025 with two other books in the series under contract. Awakening book 2 releases January 2025 and Vanquishing book 3 releases 2027. In August 2024, I was officially a Scrivenings Press author and a part of their Facebook community. The publisher invited authors to come together and cowrite a novella collection. Six months later, I finished my first novella, Quantum Christmas, and my coauthors and I are about to submit it to the publisher January 12th.
November, I attended ScrivCon, Scrivenings Press’s annual conference. On the drive back, Amy and I thought it would be fun to teach a class because we are both super busy professional women who are consistently involved in raising our kids while also putting out book after book. We submitted, and now we will teach the class “The Efficient Writer’s Balancing Act” at ScrivCon 2025. So lately I’m grateful God is moving on my behalf and in my writing. I am so excited to see where He’s planning on taking me next!
Jenny: We have so much in common. Scrivenings Press has been such a great company to work with, right? And Amy Anguish is pretty great, too. So glad I finally got to meet her in person at ScrivCon 2024. Now, about this particular story. What was your inspiration? Did a real event in your won life inspire anything in the book?
Jennifer: As a public school teacher, I work with students who struggle with very real-world problems, but in that capacity, I can’t share with students the real solution and Truth that God loves them and has a plan for their lives–that they matter and are loved more than they’ll ever know. In that same vein, I often see on the news or in social media society speculating on the best way to educate kids without being the boots on the ground. And then, it was just a matter of “what if” questions.
What if we did away with harder subjects because only a select few students really need those courses? What if there was such a terrible teacher shortage communities had to find a creative way to care for and educate students? What if we only taught students the basics and allowed their future jobs to complete their education? What if the government took more and more control of our health, education, and communities?
You get the idea. My biggest “what if” question in FreeFalling is, “What if we were forced to accept everyone’s individual truth instead of knowing and experiencing the freedom and power of God’s Truth?” And of course, the main character is a teacher which is born straight out of my life experience of teaching for eighteen years.
Jenny: Even though this is a book about the future, your “What-ifs” make it easy to imagine. A big part of writing is research. What was the most interesting thing you learned while researching Freefalling?
Jennifer: Since FreeFalling is based on the concept of God’s truth, I did research into verses about God’s truth. As I dove deeper into the thematic message of this story, I discovered a need to include and address fear, as it often is the reason we do not do the very thing we need to do.
Out of that research came the following three thematically related verses that came to be the spine of the story:
“When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13.
“Do not be afraid; stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”—Exodus 14:13 (NIV)
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—John 8:32 (NIV)
Because Serenity isn’t a Christian, and religions do not exist as a part of the culture in this book, weaving in these scriptures as the backbone had to be done carefully through a still small whisper that speaks to Serenity, guiding and teaching her.
Jenny: How interesting to think of that still, small whisper (the Holy Spirit?) and His way of reaching our hearts. What is the major takeaway you want for readers after reading this book?
Jennifer: In the darkest of darkness, God’s light is there with you.
There is always hope because we can trust God in all things for everything. We are loved more than we will ever grasp this side of heaven, and while we are here, we can rest because God is always working on our behalf, leading and training us, and setting the table before our enemies.
Jenny: “Setting the table before our enemies.” I love that image from the 23rd. Psalm. Okay, now just for fun, tell us about your favorites:
Day of the week and Why? Saturday because I can sleep in and write earlier in the afternoon.
Hot Beverage: Coffee, especially from Starbucks, but always with almond or oat milk.
Holiday: Does my birthday count? If yes, then that. If no, then Christmas, because Jesus is the greatest gift of all.
Jenny: Yes I think your birthday does count, LOL. This has been such a fun interview. Do you have any parting words for our readers?
Jennifer: FreeFalling is an exploration of truth and God’s love for us even as we bumble about trying to make our way through this world. There’s a lot of trials and tribulation that Serenity faces, and often she doesn’t know what to do in the face of forging her path that is so different from the paths of the people around her. I pray her story of courage and seeking the truth encourages you to embrace your journey on the path less traveled as we, the divinely called members of His kingdom, all grow into the places God calls us to stand firm. There are people in our lives who need for us to make a way, to be the change, and to stand out when everyone else is falling in line.
Alongside Serenity, the heroine of my story, I pray readers discover the power of our Almighty God who loves us more than we’ll ever understand and cares for the details we don’t even know to be worried about.
And of course, I’d love to have readers join me in any of the following social places:
BOOK LINKS:
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222350373-freefalling
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPTFGM8S
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferlynnburrows
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferlynnburrows
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlburrowsauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferlynnburrows/freefalling-book-1-in-the-reconditioned-series/
Sere, her illegal AI tech, furry beast companion, and ragtag group are pitted against a government with cutting edge technology and genetically modified bio-weapons. The odds are stacked against them, but the Truth needs to rise out of the deception. Will Sere find a hero within herself and face down a future on the brink of oblivion?
Under the Dome, peace reigns … forcefully.
BOOK BLURB:
One hundred and eighty years in the future, the U.S. government eradicates warfare and violence.
Serenity should feel safe, but she doesn’t.
Serenity Knowles knows two things for certain. Finishing her government assigned community service as a teacher is mandatory in order to start her adult life. And stopping those in power from reconditioning two of her favorite students will ruin her chances at a future and a life.
Everything she thought she once knew to be true, suddenly is now in question after her typically peaceful girls fight in plain view of everyone at school. The Federal Bureau of Acceptance storms in and collects them both for reconditioning—chemical brain washing. With no one to help, Serenity is driven into a wild rescue and escape plan. The girls can’t be made into shadow children, brainwashed and limited to a menial future.
All that stands between the overreaching government and her girls is Serenity’s budding faith, a furry beast companion, her modified illegal AI, and a ragtag group of men and women set against the use of cutting edge technology and genetically modified bio-weapons on citizens under the Dome. If any of them get caught, they will be reconditioned. If they don’t move fast enough, the girls will be lost. If she doesn’t become a hero, any hope of a real future will be forfeit.
In her transformation from a teacher with a broken family to a radical defector leading a team of rebels, Sere discovers America’s deadliest threat—its own government.
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