Interview: Janice Elizabeth Duval Author of My Father's Voice #Interview

Janice Elizabeth Duval (Jan) is a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father changed careers and joined the Army when she was 2 years old, and so she was raised in a military environment.  She met her husband, Aaron, also a military man, at Fort Knox, KY and their marriage allowed her to travel to several countries, which broadened her life experiences. She and her husband of 58 years have a total of seven children, six sons, and one daughter. Growing up as an only child, and an Army Brat, Jan learned early on to be content without having a large group of people around her. She entertained herself with books, listening to the radio and making up plays for her parents. In High School, she excelled in History and Literature and Drama.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website Address: http://www.myfathersvoice.net
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/My-Fathers-Voice-183096021801663

I still stood dumbfounded as she began to attempt to behead this big white bird in the same manner; she had witnessed both Mr. Thomas and Ralph do in the past.  She tried to wring the bird’s neck by whirling him around and around and then snap ... the head was supposed to come off! But it didn’t!  The bird was staggering around, with its head cocked to one side, looking desperately for a way of escape.  She grabbed it the second time and began her whirling thing again, when Mr. Thomas came running, yelling, “Ruthie, Ruthie, no, that is Ralph’s prize rooster!” Oops! The rescued rooster staggered away, wandering in semicircles, wondering just what had happened!

--From MY FATHER'S VOICE

 

Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning?  When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

When I learned that I could know God personally and I could have fellowship with Him, I started keeping journals. I was not very organized, so my writings were often not dated or contained in the same notebook.  I wrote my inspirations on bits of paper in my purse, napkins, envelopes, multiple yellow legal pads, composition books; you name it.

I started sharing my writings to minister to others. There were times I would hear someone’s concern about something, and I would remember that the Father had addressed that thing with me and I would share it. Over time many people would tell me that what I shared had blessed them or answered the heart cry. People began to ask me to share a written copy of what I said.  That is how I decided to collect and publish my writings.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

My publisher is Higgins Publishing and through a Facebook group I connected with Shanene Higgins.  It was actually an invitation to be a co-author in the 2019 Women of Purpose Anthology when we first worked together that I observed, first of all, her Christian character, and then her professionalism, that I decided to approach her about re-publishing my book.  The year before I met Shanene, I had my book published by another company, who did nothing but scam me for money. So, with hesitancy I approached her and believe she came into my life at the right time.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

I was surprised that my book did not fly off the shelves! Although I had many calls from agents who wanted to “make a movie” of my book, I was surprised that the first publishing netted $1.84.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I believe the book cover is often more important than the title.  A cover can catch your attention and make you investigate more closely. It will make one open the book to see what is inside.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

It was not hard to write the book, because of the resource I used, however, it was hard to edit, without destroying the original heart of each piece. Editors wanted to ‘correct’ what I had written to be more Grammarly correct, but that would have taken away the spirit of what was written. My suggestion is to stay true to the message you want to publish, otherwise, it will be someone else’s thought and not yours.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

After publishing My Father’s Voice, which contained the many lessons and conversations I have had with the Father over the years, I realized that the back story is just as interesting as the articles and some of the first writings will reveal how the book came about. So my next book will be my story and the beginnings. No current plans to publish soon.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

One fact about my book that will surprise most people is that God really has time to spend with you. In fact, that is what the whole sacrifice of Jesus Christ is all about. God loves His family and wants each of us to know Him personally.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

The message of my book is that God is a loving God who wants to reveal His love for us. There is nothing in our lives that He is disinterested in. Nothing is insignificant. Trust Him.

About the Book

Many years ago when I became a Christian, I was like many people who did not really know God as he is-a loving and gracious father. When my family and I moved to Kansas and then to Oklahoma, it was right in the midst of the Charismatic Renewal. It was at the point in my life I began to see God in a totally different way. I did not realize that he loved me, Jan Duval. I certainly did not know that he wanted to talk to me personally! As I studied the scriptures and learned more and more about Jesus and his relationship with his father and understood that the Father wanted a similar relationship with me, I was over the moon! Each morning, I could hardly wait for my family to leave for the day so that I could have my time of fellowship with God. It was during these times that I began to write the things I felt God was telling me. I love how tenderly and patiently Father God teaches profound, amusing, and down-to-earth life lessons from everyday events. God is amazing! I hope these writings will encourage, inspire, and add some humor to the reader.

PRAISE AND ACCOLADES:

“Every person I know is in need of encouragement. The problem is that our daily grind and the routine of life sometimes rob us of this precious commodity. Janice Duval has done us all a service by compiling her short stories, antidotes, and heart conversations with God.  I think you will be amazed at how God uses understandable stories to make a profound and lasting imprint on your heart.  No doubt, the encouragement that you receive from this book will cause you to share it with others.”
Bishop Michael Pitts, Bestselling Author

ORDER YOUR COPY

HIGGINS PUBLISHING → https://smarturl.it/mfv