Jenny L Cote, Another Author Named Cote!–Interview

For some unknown reason, earlier this year I decided to google my late mother in law’s name and I discovered an author by the same name! And she’s a Christian author too! I have a guess where the idea  to google my mil’s name came from, do you?

Anyway Jenny L Cote agreed to be my guest. Jenny writes a mixture of Christian history and fantasy for children.(The fantasy comes from her animal characters.) And I fell in love with the cover of her latest book. So without further ado, here’s Jenny:

1-Share one fun or interesting fact about your life or books.

My children’s historical fiction books span from Noah’s Ark to World War II. The best thing about writing these books for me is the RESEARCH! I have a driving passion to go see where history happened in order to bring it to life in the pages of my books. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel and gain unprecedented access to places I never dreamed I could visit, and to meet people I never imagined meeting. Some highlights include: sitting in George F. Handel’s composing room in London to write the scene of him writing Messiah; staying in the Kilns-home of my writing hero C.S. Lewis in Oxford; sitting in the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford with Walter Hooper (secretary to C.S. Lewis) where the “Inklings” Tolkien and Lewis met; having dinner in Paris with Comte Lafayette, sixth great grandson of the Marquis de Lafayette; and attending the 70th DDAY ceremonies in Normandy, France. I’ve also been to Israel, Egypt, Rome, and of course all over Virginia researching Patrick Henry and the Revolutionary War. So it should be obvious that I have to write books to support my research habit! ?

2-Why do you write?

I can’t help myself – I was wired to write! I love God, history and young people, and blending these loves together through my pen is pure joy. When I was eight years old I wrote stories about talking fruit, so I told Phil Vischer that I wrote “fruity tales” long before he wrote “Veggie Tales.” But I never thought of being a writer as a profession until I was an adult.  And this was after I already had a long career in marketing and strategic planning. So although it took me a while to discover what I was truly meant to do, I now never work a day in my life. It’s pure fun.

3-In what ways does your heroine show strength? And where does she draw this strength?

My heroine is a petite, intelligent French cat named Lizette Brillante (Liz). Her strength is her intellect, given by the Maker for her role on missions with the Epic Order of the Seven animal team.  Her intellectual prowess shines when she keeps it couched within faith. But her greatest strength can become her greatest weakness when it overshadows her faith. Liz sometimes struggles to “lean not onto her own understanding” and trust what she cannot explain or figure out. This makes her a teachable, lovable, relatable character for children and adults as well. –Jenny L

Learn more about Jenny L. Cote at booksbylyncote.com.