I’m so excited to introduce you to a fellow Scrivenings Press author!
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.
Christina: What is your book called?
Jennifer: FreeFalling Book 1 in The Reconditioned Series
Christina: When was it released?
Jennifer: January 14th 2025
Christina: Can you share with us your book blurb?
Jennifer:
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.
Christina: That sounds like a great story! What inspired you to write this book?
Jennifer: FreeFalling came from my experience 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.
Of course, more than one thing inspires a book, and when I was contemplating FreeFalling, I considered what I saw 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.
Christina: What-ifs are a great place to start a story. What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Jennifer: I love to revise. Nothing beats the moment I get to turn the rough into the diamond. I love watching a story sparkle and shine once the bones are layed and the foundation is set.
Christina: I love that. Can you share any challenges you faced during the research or writing process?
Jennifer: Yes! Because Serenity isn’t a Christian, and religions do not exist as a part of the culture in this book, it was incredibly hard to weave in the thematic scriptures as the backbone of the story. It had to be done carefully through a still small whisper that speaks to Serenity, guiding and teaching her.
Also, since FreeFalling is based on the concept of God’s truth, I had to do 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)
Another challenge I found was in writing the Science Fiction aspects of the story. Even light sci-fi requires a lot of research. I got stuck in a rabbit hole with a scientist about sustainable fuel for the futuristic vehicle that carries the main characters around, and then I ended up scrapping all of that material as unnecessary detail.
Christina: Very interesting! If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives, what would it be?
Jennifer: My main piece of advice for budding creatives is to learn to take one step at a time and build consistency and discipline. However, as a teacher, I love to give advice to new writers. So here’s a list.
- It’s a lifestyle, not a destination vacation. If you think you are writing to finish the book, you’ll find that there’s just another book, another revision, another edit, another something that you have to do for your book. Writing the book is simply the first step in a journey of steps. When I was younger and dieting, I used to hear all over the place. I’m changing my lifestyle–not dieting. Writing a book is much the same way. It’s a lifestyle, so create systems that support your writing consistently.
- One step has more power than huge chunks. When my husband was going through brain cancer—a whole story in itself—I learned I had to just make the next step through life. I couldn’t think about big picture or end results. I put on blinders and forced myself to take the next step, no matter how much it scared me. In that, I found the journey went more quickly, each step grew a touch easier, and I could accomplish incredible things in very short periods of time.
- Work with yourself, not against yourself. If you are a morning person, write in the morning. But if you are a night person, write in the night. Don’t try to be something you weren’t created to be. God made you on purpose the way you are. There’s enough in this world to fight against. Don’t let your war be against yourself.
- Learn! Learn! Learn! The minute you think you’ve arrived, you will grow stale. In my writer’s group, we try to study a book a year. This year’s book is Susan May Warren’s The Story Equation. Other books I’ve learned from and loved are Hawker’s 17 step method, unfortunately named “Take off your Pants” referring to pantsers learning to plan; Story Genius by Larry Brooks; John Truby’s “The Anatomy of Story”; “Break into Fiction” by Mary Buckham and Dianna Love; “The Emotional Wound Thesaurus and that entire series by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi. And I have at least fifty more on my TBR that I can’t wait to dig into.
- Work to the end. So many newer authors get lost in the spiral of starting a book, writing to chapter four or five, then having a new idea or learning something or any other distraction, and then they go back to the beginning and revise, cut, edit, get to chapter four or five, then have a … You get the idea. It’s essential to learn to persevere to the end of each phase of writing.
Christina: Great advice! Can you describe your writing routine for us?
Jennifer: Every day after dinner, I write until sometime before or after eight. Ending at eight-ish is critical because my brain requires time to loosen its grip on creating exceptional problems for my characters. If I don’t quit around that time, then I don’t sleep at night. The only exception to my evening writing is if I have the day off and then I aim for late afternoon. I’m a night person, so that’s when my brain is clicking at full power.
I’m a converted pantser who now plans with room for pantsing in the corners and between the lines. Whenever I write a book, I outline for a month. I create 17-25 of what I call cards (think 3×5 cards) that help me know the specific points and details I have to hit in that scene/chapter, whose POV I’ll be telling it from, the location, etc. Then, I allow myself to pants the rest of the story in through dictation or typing over about 2-3 weeks. This has worked extremely well for me. Then I let it rest for at least a month. The next phases I complete over a month and work from beginning to end in the period of that month. First, I revise, then work with a critique partner, followed by a final polish–usually takes two-three weeks, and I usually end up with a 70-100k word story depending on genre.
Christina: Tell us about your workspace, name something quirky on your desk or where you work. Can you give a little backstory about said item?
Jennifer: I have an expensive microphone above my writing desk. Why? I thought at one point it would be fun to do audiobooks. LOL. I shake my head and my past self. How did I think I would find time to narrate books?
It’s still a dream, and I have the equipment–besides God doesn’t bless us with anything He doesn’t plan for us to use, but for right now, it’s just my microphone floating above my head as I write.
Christina: What is your favorite snack to get your creative juices flowing?
Jennifer: Decaf Coffee or Ginger Tea. (I try not to snack because I’m diabetic.)
Christina: What childhood story has stuck with you through adulthood?
Jennifer: Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness.
Christina: What book are you reading right now?
Jennifer: Elizabeth Goddard’s Storm Warning
Christina: If you could have dinner with any author, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
Jennifer: Susan May Warren because her book’s are AMAZING, and I just want to sit next to her and glean all I can!
Christina: I like her books too! What upcoming writing projects are you working on?
Jennifer: I’m working on Awakening, book two in The Reconditioned Series, where we follow Sere on a wild path into the Outlands, a world outside the Dome, a place of certain danger, lawlessness, and devastation—or so she’s been told all her life. What she discovers isn’t a far cry from what she’s been told, but there is a lot more life than the devastation promised her.
Thank you so much, Jennifer, for giving us a peek into your writing life!
For more information on Jennifer’s writing journey and her books check out these links below:
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/ (This is the board for FreeFalling and it includes the inspiration photos for the world and the key characters in the story.)
Website: www.jlburrows.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/freefalling-the-reconditioned-book-1-by-j-l-burrows
LINK FOR JOINING J. L. BURROWS NEWSLETTER :
https://BookHip.com/TTZQCBA – Includes a freebie Prequel Anthology – Invading Darkness the origin stories to my Balance Keepers main characters.