Jen Dodrill is living out her dreams on the pages of her books, bringing readers compelling stories of inspiration and hope for good times and bad. Her family-focused novels depict her values of cooperation, connection, compassion, and community, demonstrating the importance of helping one another brave the waves of the world together. As a mother of five, family life and travels have left her with decades of stories to tell, and she cherishes the time she has now to tell them, in between her honored role as Grandma, her passion for reading, and her adoration of all things coffee.
Her first book, Birds Alive! An Empty-nesters Cozy Mystery was released in 2024. Book #2 in the series, Where’s the Quetzal, was released February 25, 2025. Book #3, No Egrets, will be published in 2026. Jen has co-authored a novella collection, Trinity Sands Beach Club, with Deborah Sprinkle and Sharon H. Carpenter. It released June 17, 2025.
For more information about Jen, her books, writing tips, and author interviews, check out her blog: https://jendodrillwrites.com/
Happy Saturday, Reader Room! Please help me welcome Jen Dodrill to the blog. I know you’re going to enjoy this interview with her. Keep reading to get a sneak peek into this author’s life and work:
Welcome to the blog, Jen! We first met in an ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) critique group. It’s been so fun to cross paths again years later as cozy mystery writers! Let’s lead in with a question about reading. Imagine you could form a dream book club, kind of like a fantasy football league. Which authors, living or not, would you invite to be a member of the club? What made you choose those individuals?
A dream book club! I love this idea. First, I’d have several of my favorite authors attend – Greg Iles, James Patterson, Fredrik Backman, Stephen King, Patricia Bradley, Jessica Patch, Deborah Sprinkle. How many can I invite? Although the first four of these writers don’t write Christian fiction, they’re writing has influenced me for years. All of these authors have specific strengths. Here are a few examples: Greg Iles – his books are mostly set in Natchez, MS, and his descriptions are thorough without being over the top. His characters are amazing. Fredrik Backman – he has a way with words that I’ve never read before. His writing is honest and deep. I love that. Pat Bradley’s books are plotted so well. Great characters and depth. I could go on and on about my favorite authors!
I completely understand! I think every author has other authors who they admire and are inspired by. Tosca Lee and Susie Finkbeiner are a couple on my own list! Authors aside, what do you love about the genre or genres in which you write?
So far, I’ve written a cozy mystery series, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction! I love mysteries. Writing them is challenging, because you have to plan and include red herrings. It’s fun. In women’s fiction I feel like I can explore deeper subjects. The one I’ve written, Finding Ginny, is about a mom whose daughter is an addict. The daughter comes home and brings her own daughter for her mom to keep. It’s not “fun” to write about difficult family relationships or addiction, but I loved the opportunity to show hope – hope in loving an addict and hope in seeing God move in your family.
That’s so powerful and such a good motivation for writing a novel. I hope readers check out that book because it sounds so compelling. You said it’s not “fun” to write about difficult subjects, but we all have projects that are a real bear! Which book of yours was the toughest to write? Why?
The third book in my cozy mystery series has been the hardest so far. I’ve never written a series before, and this third book is the last for this series. I had to not only write the story but wrap everything up. It was challenging.
I can imagine so. I’ve worked on series before as well, and there are a lot of loose threads to tie up. I think you’ve done an amazing job in No Egrets, though. (By the way, Readers, No Egrets releases on February 24th! Here’s the Amazon link for book #3 in the Empty-Nesters series!) Which part of the book creation process do you like best–brainstorming, writing, editing, marketing?
Definitely brainstorming. It’s so fun to think what if this happened, what if that happened? Anything I watch or read, I tend to take it apart and ask those questions.
Yes, “what if” is one of the most powerful imaginative tools in a writer’s arsenal, I think! Moving on to some more personal questions, where did you grow up, and do you use this setting in your novels?
I live in Virginia and Florida, and yes, I’ve used both places in my novels. My cozy mystery series is set in Pensacola. I lived there and in Gulf Breeze, so I’ve been able to use that area in the series. My grandmother lived in Virginia Beach, so I used her house in my women’s fiction. It’s been fun to revisit old memories!
I can’t think of a better way to memorialize people or places than in a book. Speaking of, which character in your books is most like you?
I’ve had people that know me say the main character in my cozy series, Peg, reminds them of me. I don’t base my characters on any particular person though! My main character is always a woman in her 50s/60s because I like having books to read for my age group.
That’s great. We need more books with older characters. There’s such a strong readership for that. How about your writing “must haves?” Any favorite snacks or drinks you need while writing?
I love coffee. Typically, I write in the morning, a cup of dark roast coffee close to hand.
A definite must for me as well. I switch to tea at some point in the day so I don’t get the jitters, but nothing beats a good cup of coffee! Let’s end on a faith-filled note. In the Bible, do you have a “life verse” that’s significant to you? Do you find yourself exploring this theme often in your work?
I wouldn’t say I have a life verse, but I always want to offer hope to my readers. The hope we get from God is so amazing, and I know it’s life changing. There are a lot of verses in the Bible about hope. I often use one or two in each story.
I love that. What a great, inspiring way to end the interview. Care to tell us a bit about your featured book, Where’s the Quetzal?
Peg Howard has planned the perfect baby shower for her oldest daughter.
But the return of Estelle and Roger Keaton disrupts her peace, reigniting old mysteries. A chance discovery of a centuries-old shipwreck sets off a chain of events, thrusting Peg and her friends into a perilous game of deception. As they unravel the mysteries surrounding a rare quetzal bird, they uncover a plot that threatens their very lives. With Detective Marcus Sharp and her mother-in-law Hazel by her side, Peg races against time to solve the mystery. But as she digs deeper, she realizes that some truths are better left buried. In a tale full of twists and turns, Peg confronts her deepest fears, facing an adversary more cunning and unexpected than anyone anticipated. Join Peg and her friends on a journey through intrigue and peril, where bonds of friendship and family may be their only salvation. Will they uncover the truth before it’s too late, or will the past come back to haunt them all?
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Where’s the Quetzal?, click here for all the info!
Also, Jen is kindly offering a prize copy of Where’s the Quetzal? to one reader in the Reader Room (US residents only at this time). Leave a comment below if you’d like to enter to win! Contest will close on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Jen. It’s been great to have you on the blog! Thanks so much for sharing about some of the books in your cozy mystery series. If readers want to find you online, where should they look?
Website: www.jendodrillwrites.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendodrillwrites/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenDodrillWrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jen-Dodrill/author/B0CSDW3CHR
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47887511.Jen_Dodrill
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jen-dodrill
Keep reading!
Shaen
*Featured image from Unsplash.
2 comments
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Shaen! It was fun. 😊
Thrilled to have you here, Jen! 🙂