JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Jacquelin Thomas, author of The Ideal Wife
(Pocket Books)

Marrying a handsome, wealthy lawyer and living in a Hollywood Hills mansion…it’s a dream come true for twenty-four-year-old Jana, from the moment Lawrence Collins swept her off her feet and into his luxurious world.

True, she put her studies at a local Bible college on hold in order to wed after a six-month whirlwind romance. Beautiful and vivacious, with a stunning body, Jana knows men like Lawrence don’t come along every day, and she vows to be a perfect companion — the ideal wife — to this sexy, powerful man. But at what price?

From her wardrobe and hairstyle to her friends and her choice of church, Lawrence seems to want to change Jana into someone she’s not…and soon, the man Jana thought she knew will test her values and her faith with a shocking revelation that goes against everything she believes.

How far will Jana be willing to go to keep the man she loves?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write The Ideal Wife?

Jacquelin Thomas: I was reading about Esther and Queen Vashti in the Bible. I was very familiar with Esther’s story, but found myself wanting to know more about Queen Vashti. The King became furious when she refused his request to show off her beauty to the men in his court and basically divorced her.

Some theologians believe she was not being a submissive wife, while others believe she was a woman of high moral character and her refusal was because she felt her beauty should be reserved for only one man—her husband.

The Ideal Wife was birthed out of my curiosity about the queen.

JP: What sets The Ideal Wife apart from other Christian Fiction novels?

JT: I don’t know that it’s set apart from other Christian Fiction novels in that, the end result should entertain, educate and minister. However, this book is written to spark an open conversation about sex as it relates to marriage.

There are debates on whether or not swinging or wife-swapping is considered adultery. In The Ideal Wife, I attempt to guide readers into the right direction for answers.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to The Ideal Wife getting out to the public?

JT: I always strive to tell a good story, and I tend to write about what’s really going on in the world. My characters are flawed human beings who truly love God, but fall from time to time.

I think that’s what readers really enjoy about my books. They can relate to my characters.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish The Ideal Wife?

JT: I am a full-time writer, so I am in my office most days from 10–4, and I usually write 20-25 pages per day. I try not to work on weekends because those are family days for me.

I write a very detailed outline before I actually begin to write a novel (research is covered within the outline). When that’s done, I then began working on my novel. I took me almost four months to write The Ideal Wife.

JP: What’s next for Jacquelin Thomas?

JT: I’ve just finished Samson, which will come out in 2010. It’s an adaptation of Samson in the Bible.

http://www.jacquelinthomas.com/
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