Rebecca Jepson is a homebody who loves a good book, a cup of freshly ground coffee, and all things autumn. In addition to her debut novella, she has been published in Clubhouse Magazine and currently writes sports articles for The Dalles Chronicle. She has traveled extensively, to places that inspire her stories. Her favorite destinations included Russia, New England, and the Alaskan wilderness. She lives in sunny Reno, Nevada with her software engineer husband, Mike.
Visit her online at www.rebeccajepson.com
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Savanna: Welcome to the blog, Rebecca. I’m so excited to have you here today. Congratulations on your first publishing contract and novella in The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection!
What do you love most about your hero and your heroine in this story?
Rebecca: I like how Henry, formerly a black sheep, steps up and fills his brother’s vacated shoes. He does it with a competence his family didn’t think him capable of. Underneath his prior, couldn’t-care-less exterior, there’s a beating heart, an honesty with himself and others that runs deep. With Katie, I love the way she sticks to her guns. By nature she’s a gentle soul, but there’s a point where she draws the line and won’t be pushed past it. When she reaches that point, I smile—especially when she reaches it with Henry. Sometimes I just want to give her a fist-bump and say, “What a burn!”
Savanna: Haha! Love it. 😉 When did you first start writing A Highbrow Hoodwink and how long did it take you to finish it?
Rebecca: I wrote the first chapter in May of 2014, when my agent (Joyce Hart) sent it to Barbour for consideration. I was offered the contract that August, and started on the rest of the manuscript then. I’m not sure when I finished the actual draft, but I know I sent the polished product off in March of 2015.
Savanna: Can you share with us a little bit of the journey of how you first got connected with your agent?
Rebecca: When I first became serious about writing, I’d read about Joyce and think, “She’d be a dream come true for me.” The clients she represented, the stories they wrote, the soft spot she seemed to have for romance—it all fit perfectly with me and my writing. I wrote a contemporary romance novel and sent proposals to a lot of agents. I targeted less-established agents at first, thinking they might be more likely to work with a newer author. There was some interest, a few requests to see more, but no offers. This went on for months. Then one day, after saying a desperate prayer, telling God I was this close to giving up, I decided to send an email to Joyce. She responded in only three days, asking to see the full manuscript. About a month later, I could hardly believe my eyes when she offered me representation.
Savanna: That is so cool! Who is one of your favorite authors? It’s okay if you want to name more than one. 😉
Rebecca: L.M. Montgomery is my favorite author—I just can’t get enough of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe! Seriously, my copy of Anne of Green Gables is tattered, dog-eared and underlined to the point where I’d be embarrassed to lend it to anyone. Of the more modern-day storytellers, I would say Liz Curtis Higgs is my favorite. I love her books set in Scotland.
Savanna: If you could go back to any place in time and meet anyone, where would you go and who would it be?
Rebecca: I’m sure everyone says this, but . . . Jesus Christ! No question. Even if I didn’t say a word to Him, or Him to me, I wouldn’t be able to breathe, getting to see His face and hear His voice. My top pick for a place to visit would not, however, be the Middle East, so I’ll add that I’ve always been fascinated by American history, and would love to attend a ball at Mt. Vernon and meet George Washington.
Savanna: I know! Can you imagine how beautiful His voice must be?! 🙂 (I’m not talking about George Washington, fyi!) haha!
It’s such fun to have you here with us today, Rebecca. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can share with us?
Rebecca: I’m working on a historical romance novel set in the 1880s. It revolves around a fisherman’s-daughter-turned-nurse and her entanglement with a wealthy family who used to summer near her childhood home. The tagline is: She faces caring for the expectant wife of the man she never stopped loving—at the request of the man who’d kept them apart.
The only other thing I’d like to add is that I’m grateful to be featured on Savanna’s awesome blog, and want to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who, like myself—and Rapunzel, haha—have “got a dream.” The route to its fulfillment will probably be different than we’d pictured, God’s timing and ways often being different than our own. I have no secret formula for the journey, just . . . cry out to Him, friends! When we’re at a loss, He knows about doors and pathways we never would have imagined. Jeremiah 33:3 says it best—“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know.”
Savanna: Thank you for sharing that. God has been reminding me of His perfect timing lately as well. It gives such peace to hold on to. I can’t wait to follow your stories from here, Rebecca. Have a blessed 2016!
GIVEAWAY!!
Rebecca has graciously offered to give away 1 copy of The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection to one lucky winner. Enter below and it could be you!
Thanks for entering! Contest ends January 12, 2016. The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody!
I love reading debut novels/novellas and this story line sounds so engaging. It is paired with some awesome, already established voices in the inspirational market, can’t wait to read the entire collection!
Thanks, Rebecca! And yes, I’m in some amazing company!
I know, Rebecca! It looks like so much fun! 🙂 Hope you get to read it soon.
PS – Novellas are growing on me. “One Enchanted Christmas” was a recent novella read that I loved.
I so want to read that one! That’s by Melissa Tagg, right? I love her books! 🙂
I enjoyed the Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection.
I’m still fairly new to novellas, but I’ll have to look that one up. Thanks, Heather! Good luck in the giveaway too. 😉
Great to meet you Rebecca! I love the ease with which you talk about Henry and Katie. Sounds like you know and love them well. Congrats on the release!
Hi Sondra! I’m so glad you could stop by! 🙂 I hope you get the chance to read Rebecca’s story soon too. Have a great day!
Thanks, ladies! I so appreciate the support! 🙂
Thanks for chatting with us here in the comments, Rebecca. We’re thrilled for you and your writing. Hugs!
This novella sounds wonderful! Thanks for the giveaway. Have not read many novellas, but I am excited to give them a try!
Hi Diana! Well then, we need to get a novella in your hands asap! 😉 Good luck!
I haven’t read any just yet!
Awww, Joanne, you’re in for a real treat. Here’s hoping for a giveaway win, right? 😉
Hi Savanna! Hi Rebecca! I’m so excited to see this interview! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love you both!
Thanks, Dawn! Love you too, and so glad you hooked me up with Savanna! 🙂
Hi Dawn! SO happy to see you here, my friend. Love you too! Hope you’re feeling well and that baby is growing strong. Hugs! 🙂
I love reading novellas!!!!!
Yay, Melanie! You came to the right place today. 🙂 Good luck in the drawing!
I do enjoy novellas at times. I just recently read one by Becky Wade, The Proposal, that I really enjoyed. Loved the interview. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Katrina! So glad you enjoyed our interview. The Proposal was a sweet little story. Love Becky Wade!
They are ok. I prefer full length novels. I don’t have a favorite.
Hi Virginia, I totally understand. I think I still prefer full length novels myself, but I’ve stumbled upon some novellas that have really been great. I think it depends on the author and genre a lot of times. I’m glad you could join us today!
I love novellas. They get me to bed on time. I actually love the short story collection so L.M. Montgomery. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win. Great interview!
Becky
Haha! Becky, I love that. “Novellas get me to bed on time” would make a great marketing line. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway!
Love novellas! Barbours’ Summer Brides collection was fun. I really loved Seekerville’so Home for Christmas Historical Collection. For a single novella, An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti may very well be my current favorite!
Thanks Savanna and Rebecca. I look forward to reading your first novella!
Hi Annie! I appreciate you stopping in. I’ve heard a lot about those novellas you mentioned. Isn’t Seekerville awesome? 😉 Happy Reading this year!
I LOVE the novella’s and no, I can’t name a favorite. As long as they are Amish, historical, or christian historical, they are my favorite, lol.
wfnren at aol dot com
Haha, Wendy, nothing wrong with that! It’s fun to mix up the genres every now and then. 🙂
Yes I do.. Lilacs for Julianna was very good!
Hi Deanna! I haven’t heard of that one before. Thanks for sharing! Good luck in the giveaway too. 🙂
I do enjoy them but don’t have a favorite one.
Hi Kim! That’s alright, it’s a sign of a serious reader when they can’t recall all the books they’ve read. I have the same problem! 😉
Sounds great.
Thanks for joining us, Kim!
This has been so fun, being on this awesome blog! Thank you for the opportunity, Savanna! And thanks to all you ladies for the encouraging comments!
I love novellas. Most recently I read the Christmas Mail Order Angels series and just loved it.
I’ve heard a lot about that one too, Laurie. Glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate you visiting us today. 😉
Novellas are great! I love the Timeless Romance Anthologies!
I’ll have to look that up, Heidi! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I do enjoy novellas but I like so many I do not think I can name a favorite.
That’s still awesome, Angela. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway!
I really like “Toward the Sunrise” by Elizabeth Camden. It is a novella leading up to “Until the Dawn”, which I am reading now. The characters in the novella were romantic and godly. And now finding about another character in the novella in this new book is very exciting. That’s why I like novellas.
You make a great point, Debbie. Novellas often add so much to an upcoming novel from the same author. I love finding the connections between the two. So glad you stopped by!
I enjoyed the Splash Collection from this summer and the Christmas in Snow Valley and Summer in Snow Valley collections. The only problem with novellas are they aren’t long enough. =)
Hi Katy! Yes, I’ve heard of the Splash Collection. A local author friend of mine contributed to that, I believe. 😉 Yes, I’m usually not quite ready to say goodbye to a novella. 😉
I enjoy novellas and An Enchanted Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti is wonderful!
That one looks SO good, Connie. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Good luck in the giveaway.
I am becoming a fan of novellas, having read several this year.
I just finished A Robertson Family Christmas by Miss Kay Robertson with Travis Thrasher. I love the closeness and faith of the Robertson family.
I really enjoyed reading about Rebecca’s story. I am looking forward to reading her novella in The Lassoed By Marriage Collection.
Congratulations on your book. I love the bride collection books published by Barbour, I think they publish some of the best authors and stories .
Hi Jackie! It’s great to see you here! I love hearing what books you’ve enjoyed this year. How fun! Here’s to another year of more great stories! 🙂 Good luck in the giveaway too.
Yes, I enjoy Novellas–recently read several Christmas novellas I had on my Kindle, including “The Proposal” by Becky Wade!
Hi Barb! Becky Wade’s stories are so much fun. I’m glad you could join us today. Good luck in the drawing!
I love these types of books and would love to read this one!
Wonderful, Brooke! Good luck! 🙂
Novellas are great when you don’t either have a lot of time to read or just in the mood for shorter stories. Sometimes I need a break from full time novels and I’ll grab a novella set from my bookshelf (or Kindle) and read. I’ve found some great new authors that way. 🙂
I have several to-be-read on my shelf now, “Among the Fair Magnolias”, “The Convenient Bride Collection”, “The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection”, “The Brides of Chance”, “The 12 Brides of Christmas” & a smattering of others I’ve picked up at second hand shops. There are a lot more that just came out or are just about to come out that I’m excited about too! This one especially 🙂
Rebecca, thanks for the author interview! I enjoyed reading it and learning about your writing journey. Must be wonderful to be included with some other great authors in “Lassoed by Marriage” collection. What fun! Savanna, thanks for the post. I’ve missed being a part of them. Now that a new year has started, I hope to be able to have more time to read them. Yours is among the several I keep up with 🙂 Blessings to you both & may 2016 bring you closer to the Son!
HI TRIXI!! I’ve missed you, reading pal! I’ve thought about you several times over the holidays. Hope you had a wonderful season with family and friends. 🙂
Awww, you have some GREAT novellas waiting! How fun! You’ll have to check back in and let us know which ones turned out to be your favorites. 😉
I appreciate your support in following my blog. It always brightens my day to see you stop by. Have a blessed 2016!
I love novellas! The one I am reading right now is The Substitute Bride by Carrie Fancett Pagels. Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
That sounds like a fun one, Debra! 😉 Thanks for visiting.
The Seasons of Hope series by Jessica Patch are one of my favourite novella collections.
Thanks for doing the giveaway!
Hi Lientjie! 🙂 I’ll have to look that series up. Thank you! And good luck in the giveaway!
I’m fairly particular with novella reading. My favorite kind of novella stories are those that are already part of an ongoing full-length novel series. It’s hard to fully develop the characters of a story in a novella, but some authors do an amazing job of it. I had a chance to read an ARC of Beth Wiseman’s contemporary romance novella, A Tide Worth Turning and it was a fabulous read. That one and Jenny B. Jones’, Wild Heart Summer were my favorite novella’s from the last year.
Thanks for the great suggestions, Terrill. I totally understand how you feel. I think it really depends on your reading tastes and the kind of authors you enjoy. 🙂 So glad you could stop by!
I can’t name a favorite but I do enjoy novellas as well as longer books. When I have a lot going on, I don’t have time to get into a full length book. I don’t like to spend a long period of time on the same book!
I can relate, Joan. If too many days (or weeks!) go by, it’s hard for me to get back into the story sometimes and that always makes me sad. Hope you get a chance to read Rebecca’s book soon!
I love novellas. They are a favorite of mine and hold a special place on my bookshelf. Novellas are perfect for when I don’t have a lot of time to become fully vested in a long story. Perfect for days when I do a lot of baking or child watching. I have been looking forward to reading The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection. One of my favorites is A Match Made in Texas: A Novella Collection. Now that was a fun book.
Awww, fun, Deanne!! You came to the right place, then. 😉 I’ve got A Match Made in Texas on my kindle still to read. I love those authors. No doubt this collection here will be just as good! Good luck to you!