Janice Cole Hopkins's Blog, page 17

Ten-Year Publishing AnniversaryI received copies of my fi...

Ten-Year Publishing Anniversary

I received copies of my first published book, Cleared for Planting, in March 2014, making this my tenth anniversary. It has been a lot of fun, learning, and making new friends. In that ten years, I've published 69 books and had many new experiences. I feel fulfilled and have no regrets about my second career as an author, and that's exactly how I treat it -- as a second career. My first career was teaching history and English.

Cleared for Planting

I feel that God called me to be a Christian writer, and I write, wanting to glorify Him. Most of my books are historical fiction, but I have a few contemporary ones and even two Christian non-fiction books with another on the way in 2025. It has been an exciting journey, and I try to let God lead me in everything. I can look back at my life and see how He was training me to become an author all along, but of course, I didn't know it at the time.

On the Road to Jericho
From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea
My readers and fans have been most gracious. It still amazes me that people like, even sometimes love, my writing. But I know -- all the glory goes to God!
Janice Cole Hopkins's book page on Amazon___________________________

The Best Friend of AllYe are my friends, if you do whatso...

The Best Friend of All

Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends: for all the things I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you (John 15:14-15).

Jesus Himself calls us friends if we are His, if He holds our hearts. Think about that; let it sink in. Isn't it amazing? We are His friends, and His friends obey Him because they know and trust Him. They know He wants only the best for them and is always right and perfect in every way.

The hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," with the words written by Joseph Scriven in 1855, emphasizes this wonderful fact:

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEverything to God in prayer!O what peace we often forfeit,O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEverything to God in prayer!Have we trials and temptations?Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged:Take it to the Lord in prayer!Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our every weakness --Take it to the Lord in prayer!Are ye weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?Precious Savior, still our Refuge --Take it to the Lord in prayer!Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?Take it to the Lord in prayer!In His arms He'll take and shield thee,Thou wilt find a solace there.
Is He your best friend?___________________________

A Journey for JillianI've found that novels set on wagon ...

A Journey for Jillian

I've found that novels set on wagon trains west to be very popular, and they can be fun stories to write. A Journey for Jillian, which publishes tomorrow (3-5-24), is my fourth book taking place on a wagon train, and there's another one coming in April. (Zoe is on preorder now.)

In A Journey for Jillian,, Jillian Barker's father and older brothers are harsh drunks, so when the most responsible one of her brothers decides to run away to the West, she talks him into taking her too. However, when they get to St. Louis, he decides to stay there. The wagon master refuses to take an unmarried woman with him, and she doesn't want to remain with her brother, who is working in a saloon, so her only option is to wed. The wagon master assures her that he can find someone who will agree to an annulment when they get to Oregon, but can she risk having a man in charge of her again?

One of my favorite narrators, Jared Walters, has just finished the Audible version of the book, and it will be out as soon as ACX approves it. Jared was tied up with another project when I first contacted him, but his voice fit this story so well that I was willing to wait for him to become available. I prefer for the Audible versions to be ready to release at the same time as the other ones, but I think getting the right narrator for a book is even more important. I'm looking forward to seeing what readers think of Jillian and Vance. I fell in love with both of them, and Vance quickly became one of my favorite heroes. I think you'll agree.
My Wagon Train Books -Through the WildernessSecond-Choice BrideSauerkraut Cake by SophieA Journey for JillianZoe: Prairie Roses Collection

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Eternal LifeSometimes Christians talk about having eterna...

Eternal Life

Sometimes Christians talk about having eternal life after we accept Christ as our Savior. The truth is that we will all spend eternity somewhere -- either in heaven or hell. The Bible is clear on this. Jesus himself spoke of it in Matthew 25:41, saying, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." And again, in Matthew 25:45, he says, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Paul tells of much the same thing in 2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9. "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 

None of us like to think about the punishment that awaits many people, but we need to be reminded of it from time to time. We certainly need to be sure we're right with God, but we should go even further. We've been commissioned to bring as many people to the saving knowledge of Christ as we can before it's too late. Let us be earnest and diligent in doing this with loving kindness.

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The Prehistoric Indian Village and Writing about Native A...

The Prehistoric Indian Village and Writing about Native Americans

The Prehistoric Indian Village is a less-attended tourist attraction in Mitchell, South Dakota, than The Corn Palace, but I probably enjoyed it more. I have always had a special place in my heart for minorities like Native Americans, and I've taught about them in my American history classes. Because of my background in history, I may not have found a lot of new information in the museum, but I still enjoyed seeing what they had and refreshing my memory.

The museum gives a visual record of the way of life of the earliest Indians in South Dakota. Many such early civilizations had a corn culture, supplemented by hunting, fishing, and gathering.  However, hunting and large game became more important to the first inhabitants of South Dakota, and that meant hunting the bison. Of course, corn, fishing, and gathering were used as supplemental food sources.

One of the things that makes this museum special is that it's a working archaeological site tourists can visit. In a separate building, you can walk the perimeters, look down, and observe the excavation as well as see some of the artifacts they've uncovered on display. The site was actually discovered by a student at Dakota Wesleyan University in 1910, and students from different universities still work the site. If you're ever in Mitchell, South Dakota, I would recommend a visit.

Bull boat - made from a single bison skin, stretched over tree limbs




I have included Native American characters in twelve of my historical novels, and there will be more to come. You can find the list below. Click on the name to be taken to the link. Sometime in the future, I would like to go back to those early days in America and write a novel with mostly or all Indian characters, but my schedule is full for the next two years. As I often tell those who ask where I come up with my ideas, I have more ideas than I'll ever get to write, even though I've published seventy books (counting preorders) in nine years.
Cleared for PlantingSown in Dark SoilUprooted by WarTransplanted by Red ClayWhen Winter Is PastThrough the WildernessSecond-Choice BrideSterling OrphansPoor RelationReturning NeighborSouthern BellesA Few Bumps in the RoadGrandma's Match for Garrett
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The BestRead John 2:1-11One of the things my father alwa...

 

The Best

Read John 2:1-11

One of the things my father always stressed to me was to do my best. I can still hear him saying, "It's better not to do something than to do it halfway. Whatever you do, do it right. Do your very best." I've tried to hold to that principle, and the Bible supports it. We all should follow Christ's example.

Jesus' first miracle came when He, His disciples, and His mother attended a wedding feast in Cana, and the host ran out of wine. This would have been a social disaster, so Mary asked her Son to take care of it. He was reluctant to do so but did it anyway. He turned huge pots of water into excellent wine of a much better quality than the host's best wine served at the start of the celebration.

Since Jesus hesitated to do the task, He could have not cared and made a mediocre wine, but that's not who Jesus was, even in His earthly humanity. He gave His best wherever He went and in whatever He did. The Bible tells us that we are to do the same. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23). 

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I Make No Apologizes for Writing Christian RomanceIn the...

 I Make No Apologizes for Writing Christian Romance
In the publishing/writing world, the romance category is often put at the bottom of the list in regard to significance or importance, not that it's not a big category with many readers. I don't understand this. When we get down to the basics, all of us want to be accepted and loved. We may carry baggage that makes us see things differently, but love is a powerful force. Even the Apostle Paul said, "The greatest of these is love." According to him, love is greater than faith or hope.
God called me to be a Christian writer, and I proudly write for His glory. I can look back at my life and see how He was training me for this, but of course, I didn't recognize it at the time. Not only do my books provide clean, wholesome reading for entertainment, but each one also delivers a message or messages, and I hope they also motivate, inspire, and encourage readers to draw closer to God. All except two of the 70 (and these are Christian non-fiction, which show God's love) I've written so far are romances, but some have only a touch, while others have more.
I have 11 inspirational romances scheduled for 2024, and 10 Christian romances and one Christian non-fiction for 2025. I am happy to be largely a Christian romance author, and the peace and joy I find when I'm writing them let me know I'm doing the right thing. And I say with all sincerity, "To God be the glory!"_______________________

Powerful PrayersRead Acts 4:31.The early church was grow...

 Powerful Prayers
Read Acts 4:31.
The early church was growing rapidly. Even though they didn't have a permanent place to meet, the Spirit of the Lord was upon them, and it was an exciting time. And then two of their leaders, Peter and John, were arrested and thrown into prison. They were threatened, told they would be severely punished if they spoke of Jesus again, and released. The first thing they did was gather together with the other Christians and pray.
"It was a united prayer meeting as they raised their voices together to God. The early church was marked by its love and care for one another. God the Father does not want his children to squabble. Division in the church has always hindered our prayers and robs the church of spiritual power" (Encounters with God through Prayer, Brad Simon).
"They did not pray to have their enemies removed from office, for new laws to be enacted, nor for their circumstances to change. Instead, they asked God to continue to perform His miraculous work amid their circumstances. They did not pray for personal safety. They only asked that God would strengthen them to speak with boldness despite the opposition, and that God's work of ministry would increase" (Encounters with God through Prayer, Brad Simon).
Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your God-given tasks. Then the doing your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God" (Going Up to Jerusalem, Phillips Brooks).
"The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. ...What the church needs today is not better machinery, not new organizations or more novel methods. She needs men whom the Holy Spirit can use -- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer" (Power Through Prayer, E.M. Bounds).______________________________________

The Corn PalaceOne of the best-publicized museums in Sou...

 The Corn Palace

One of the best-publicized museums in South Dakota is the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Whenever my husband and I have talked about going to South Dakota, someone invariably asks if we saw the Corn Palace? We did stop on our way to Deadwood for an author-reader event and to do research for my Western novel, Beckett's Brides, which is set in Deadwood. In fact, around half a million people go to the Corn Palace each year.

Built in 1892, the building was meant to be a place where area residents could gather, especially for a harvest festival in the fall. There they could celebrate, meet with friends, and enjoy some entertainment. New palaces were built over the years with the last one being completed in 1921. The Corn Palace Festival is still held in late August of each year to carry on the tradition. Similar ideas made it into my book, Lily, as her family moves to Iowa, a neighboring agricultural state.

Today, the building is used for purposes other than being a tourist attraction and home for the area's fall festival. Events, such as dances, proms, graduations, banquets, meetings, dramas, and basketball tournaments, are also held there. The edifice has been called "a folk-art wonder," and corn murals done by Dakota Wesleyan students help substantiate the claim.
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AskingRead Luke 11:5-13."We go through our day, seldom sp...

Asking

Read Luke 11:5-13.

"We go through our day, seldom speaking to God. Then something unexpected happens in our lives, and in desperation we anxiously run to God, pounding on heaven's door. We feel helpless and alone and our prayers seem hollow. We knock harder and call out louder ...."*

"What a misrepresentation of who God is. We are not the desperate friend outside, frantically trying to get God's attention. We are inside, the dearly loved children. He is our loving Heavenly Father and desires to give us wonderful gifts if only we ask. We don't have to beat down heaven's doors. All we need to do is whisper. He is that close to us, and we are that dear to Him."*

We need to keep our focus on Him and make Him the center of our lives, our anchor through the storm. We need to put Him first in our lives, far above everything else. We need to spend time with Him in the study of His Word, prayer, and meditation. He should be our all in all, our everything.

*Encounters with God through Prayer - Brad Simon

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