Interview with Joi Copeland and a Giveaway!

Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them! I’m excited to have Joi Copeland as my guest today! She’s a transplant from Colorado to Ireland (how cool is that?). I loved reading about her perspective in writing for God’s glory — and her new book sounds SO FUN! Read on to see how you can win a copy of it!

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Hey there! I’m Joi Copeland, and it’s a pleasure to be here with you today. I’m married to the man of my dreams, Chris, for 23 years. We have a long-standing rift: Who’s the funniest. I totally am! We have three boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin, ages 20, 18, and 17. Four of us moved to Galway, Ireland in July of 2020. Why not move overseas in the middle of a pandemic? 😊 My oldest decided to stay in Colorado for college. If you’re ever in my neck of the woods, let’s sit down for a cuppa!

Tell us about your latest release: My current release is A Bride for West, the second book in The Proxy Bride series (I’m a part of a 72 book series with several authors). West Harden is the youngest of three brothers (wonder where I got that idea from 😊 ). His parents offered there children a deal: they can get their inheritance early if they either start their own business or buy a business in the town of Silver Springs, Colorado. The caveat is he has to get married within six months of starting out on his own. Time’s running out, and he decides to send for a mail order bride by proxy. On the way to meet her groom, Comfort Kelsey (Harden) is involved in a stagecoach accident and loses her memory.

How do you push past the fear of your writing being average and be bold enough to sell it to a publisher(or agent or audience if you self publish)? There are so many fabulous writers out there. As I write my books, I often wonder if my writing will make a difference in the lives of those who read my books. I’m really good at comparing myself to others and come out lacking. So when I write, imagine what I go through. But then, I remember that I’m writing for God’s glory. It’s all about Him. Yes, I would love to make millions (I don’t), but it’s not about the money. It’s about bringing God the glory. In almost every story, I try to write about forgiveness, hope, or redemption. Those are my themes. And my books can draw others closer to Jesus in the process, then I’ve done my job. I have to let go of each story and leave it in God’s hands and let Him do with it as He sees fit.

Which of your characters most reflects your personality? Most of them! I tend to write my own issues in my characters. They say write what you know, and I definitely know my own issues better than anything!

What is one thing that you “never saw yourself doing” and either do it now or have done? I never saw myself moving overseas. I grew up in CA and thought I’d live there forever. Then in 2008, my family and I moved to Colorado, and I thought for sure that was my forever home. You ever have those moments when you tell God what’s going to happen, and you just know He’s sort of laughing? Yeah, that was what pretty much happened, because a few years later, shortly after we bought our house in Colorado, we were called to move to Ireland. Now I live in a very different country, and certainly different than my beloved mountainous Colorado! (The tallest mountain is Ireland is 3000 feet. Not nearly as big as the 14,000 footers in CO!)

Do you talk out plot lines with others, and if so, who? I do! I talk with my oldest son, who loves to write, as well. Though we write very different stories. When I ask Garrison what I should do, he tells me to kill everyone. 😊 After we get over our differences in writing, he often helps me get a storyline together. And when I can’t get a hold of him, I talk with my husband. Both of them are very helpful in getting my thoughts together.

I often wondered….when you sit down to write that first line/paragraph in a new book/novella, is it difficult to get that started or do the words flow easily? It’s so difficult for me to get started! I spend hours staring at a blank page. I’ll write something, then delete it. I repeat this process at least half a dozen times before I finally get that opening line! It’s so hard for me!

Find Joi online:

Facebook: Joi Copeland’s Book Page | Facebook
Instagram: Joi Copeland (@booksbyjoi) • Instagram photos and videos
Amazon.com: Joi Copeland: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
www.joicopeland.com

Joi is giving away a copy of her book A Bride for West! Here’s how you can enter to win!

16 comments

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    • bn100 on May 18, 2022 at 09:18
    • Reply

    fun interview

      • Joi Copeland on May 18, 2022 at 13:21
      • Reply

      Thank you! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

    • Litany on May 19, 2022 at 06:55
    • Reply

    Great interview! I am glad to not be the “only” one who has a hard time getting started when writing.

      • Joi Copeland on May 19, 2022 at 15:00
      • Reply

      It takes me a while to get that first sentence! I think a lot of authors feel that way! You’re not alone! 🙂

    • Phronsie on May 19, 2022 at 07:14
    • Reply

    Ireland?! Bucket list country! Plus, my great-greats (I think) came from Ireland so it’s in my blood (or at least my DNA).

    I love writing, but I hate putting myself out there. Most of my stuff is just blog posts that don’t get much traffic; I also don’t publish posts frequently so I think that’s the biggest thing there. I figure, though, that when I get the nudge to write and hit publish, it’s something people need to hear. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s not about the numbers as much as it is being a word of encouragement or wisdom that someone somewhere needed to read.

      • Joi Copeland on May 19, 2022 at 15:02
      • Reply

      I say do what you feel called to do! If it means writing blogs, do exactly as you are doing: because you’re right. Someone might need that encouragement and wisdom that day.
      Let me know when you make it to Ireland! We can meet and have a cuppa! 🙂

    • Marcella on May 19, 2022 at 08:03
    • Reply

    It sounds exciting to move to Ireland but I imagine it must be hard to assimilate into the community during the pandemic.

      • Joi Copeland on May 19, 2022 at 15:04
      • Reply

      When we told people we were moving to Ireland, many told us since it was an English speaking country, we wouldn’t have a difficult time. But my goodness! It is very different than America! Different names of foods, different way to drive, different shops/coffee shops that aren’t like my Starbucks and are open until 9:00 pm. And yes! During a pandemic was tough! We were quarantined in our new house for 10 days. We had to shop online, and when you don’t know what things are called, you get some interesting things! 🙂

    • Kim Bakos on May 19, 2022 at 08:04
    • Reply

    Thanks for introducing me to a new author!

      • Joi Copeland25 on May 19, 2022 at 15:05
      • Reply

      Kim, thank you for commenting and stopping by! 🙂

    • Paula on May 19, 2022 at 08:21
    • Reply

    This sounds like a great book!

      • Joi Copeland on May 19, 2022 at 15:05
      • Reply

      Thank you, Paula!

    • Trudy on May 19, 2022 at 08:44
    • Reply

    I’ve read quite a few of the books in the series!

      • Joi Copeland on May 19, 2022 at 15:06
      • Reply

      Trudy, which ones were your favorites (It’s ok if you haven’t read mine or if mine aren’t. I support all the authors!)

    • Sonnetta Jones on May 19, 2022 at 20:49
    • Reply

    That was problem anytime I had to write a paper. The first sentence was the most difficult. To this day I hate to write anything that someone has to read.

    Ireland is a place I want to go and visit one day. It is always because when you follow God’s calling and see what He does.

      • Joi Copeland on May 27, 2022 at 17:14
      • Reply

      It is the hardest, Sonnetta! I agree! And when you get to Ireland, look me up and we’ll get a cuppa!

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