Good afternoon, Arrowheads! Welcome to the fourth Blog Tour stop on Authoring Arrowheads this year, this time for Christian author, Jesseca Wheaton. She’ll be joining us today for an author interview, and afterward I’ll be reviewing her newest release, the adorable novella, I Don’t Dance. Without further ado, let me introduce you to Jesseca! 🙂

Jesseca Wheaton

Jesseca is a daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano. And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed page has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she’s convinced there’s no place like home.

Author Interview

Q1: When did you first feel that God called you to be a Christian author?

I’m not sure if there was ever one time that I could pinpoint where I felt God called me. Rather, He worked through several different events in my life to show me that He did, indeed, want me to write. And not only to write, but to use the gift He had given me to bring glory to His name. I was around 16 when that happened.

Q2: What has been the most random experience you’ve had as a published author?

Random experience… hmm, I haven’t really had any. At least not that I can recall. I’ve been blessed to have a rather smooth journey as an author.

Q3: What advice would you give to someone who is writing their first novel?

Don’t give up. Keep writing. Even on days where you feel you’re not getting anywhere. Remember, only you can write the story you have in your head. Also, surround yourself with people who will give you kind but honest feedback. This is invaluable.

Q4: What is your favorite method for finding names for your characters?

I don’t really have just one method. Sometimes I want one with a certain initial, so I try and find a name I like with that initial. Other times, I want a certain meaning, so I look up names with hidden meanings. Other times I just want them to have an amazing nickname so I pick a nickname I like and find the name that goes with it. Which is kinda what happened to Ty. xD

Q5:  What would you say is your favorite part of writing?

The actual writing. Because it means I have my plot (for the most part) ironed out, and I can just sit and write and create and let the characters come to life. I love everything about the actual writing process, including the times when you hit a brick wall. Because then you get to find another way to make things work that you hadn’t thought of before.

I Don’t Dance

Book Review for I Don’t Dance

A tale of love in its purest form, I Don’t Dance is a contemporary Christian novel I didn’t want to put down! The novella focuses on a young man named Ty who just graduated college and is planning to join the military. Back at home in Highlands, North Carolina, lives his best friend from childhood, Jen Davis. After communicating back and forth via Instagram while being apart, Ty realizes that he’s in love with Jen and wants to go about initiating a relationship with her. The question is, will Jen accept his wishes to enlist? Is it even in God’s will for them to be in a relationship?

I don’t want to spoil this adorable novella for anyone, so now I’m going to overview what I loved about the story (there aren’t any dislikes! 😊 )

What I Loved:

• Ty: The definition of a good, old-fashioned sweetheart! I greatly admired Ty’s focus on God and wanting to please Him in all aspects of pursuing Jen. He’s also romantic in a non-cheesy way, which was absolutely adorable! Y’all will be swooning over him, I promise!

• The Setting: It’s no secret that I love the mountains of NC, being it’s my home state, though when I found out it was set in Highlands, I fell in love with this story even more! I couldn’t imagine a better or more romantic setting than Highlands in the summer and fall. I could easily imagine the beauty of the town and the shops that the characters visit.

• Country Music References: When I first saw the title of this novella on Goodreads, I suspected that it was named after Lee Brice’s song “I Don’t Dance”. I love that the author referenced current country music in the novel, including a major focus on Scotty McCreery’s music. Like Jen and Mike, I’m a fan of Scotty, so reading about a couple falling in love with his songs playing a role was pretty epic!

• Overall Outlook on Love: Gah ❤ As a hopeless romantic, I adored the novella’s focus on consulting God before making any major decisions in a relationship. I’m a firm believer that any romantic relationship should include three: the man, woman, and God as their center. This novel presents two other godly relationships in that of Ty and Jen’s parents, and it shows how each couples’ love and dependence on God has impacted their children. This novella truly shows that God is love and that human relationships can only thrive when He is included. Add all this to the cute and quirky romance elements featured in the novel, and it’s an amazing combination!

Overall, I’m rating I Don’t Dance⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five stars. This is my first time reading anything by Jesseca Wheaton, and I’ll definitely be checking out her other releases. Thank you to the author for providing me a free ARC for blog tour purposes.

For more from Jesseca Wheaton, follow her on:

Blog | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway!

Before you go, make sure to enter Jesseca’s giveaway! First place will receive a paperback copy of I Don’t Dance, as well as Scotty McCreery’s Clear as Day album! (U.S. Winners only). Second place winners will receive a free e-book copy of I Don’t Dance and a $5 Krispy Kreme gift card!

Blog Tour Schedule:

For more blog stops on the I Don’t Dance tour, check out these lovely blogs:

Wednesday, June 20th

Libby May//Review – Geoturtle

Allyson Kennedy//Author Interview, Review  – Authoring Arrowheads (You are here 🙂 )

Liz//Author Interview, Review – Home with the Hummingbirds

Victoria Goodbrand//Author Interview – Victoria’s Book Nook

Thursday, June 21st

Soleil Bourdon//Review, Book Spotlight – Reviews By Soleil

Faith Potts//Review, Book Spotlight – Stories by Firefly

Janelle Martin//Review – The Ramblings of a Bookworm

Friday, June 22nd

Laura//Review – Beautiful Things

Chloe//Review – Purely by Faith Reviews

Rebekah Eddy//Review, Author Interview, Book spotlight – Rebekah’s Remarks

Molly Anne//Review – Set Apart for Him

Abigail McKenna//Review – Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors

Saturday, June 23rd

Angela Watts//Book Spotlight – The Peculiar Messenger

Kaylee H.//Book Spotlight – Keylee’s Kind of Writes

Kellyn Roth//Review – Reveries

Kate//Book Spotlight – Twin Thoughts

Are you a Christian author in need of blog tour stops? If so, please visit my Contact page! I’d love to help support you! 🙂

-Allyson:D