Enter handsome and easygoing Jesse Chapman, the roofer she meets on her first foray into volunteer work for Homes For Hope. In every way, the quirky man is her opposite—confident, a people kind of guy, and most importantly, happy. His likable qualities continue to draw her in, and for some reason he keeps coming back to her. But they can’t be more than friends—he’s made that crystal clear. Except for a handful of times…and the confusion is driving her crazy.
Sarah’s quest for self-definition becomes more tangled than she ever imagined, and she discovers that the journey will take her deeper than clothes and makeup. Filling the void in her heart becomes an obsession she cannot escape. How far is she willing to go to discover who she really is? 
Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. The draw to fiction has tugged hard on her heart since childhood, and when she began pursuing writing she set on stories that pointed to the grace of God. Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic. She would love to hear from you! Please connect with Jennifer on:
It’s all coming together. In a handful of days, Sarah Sharpe will launch from my imagination into the world. Can you tell that I’m excited? Good. Because I am.
So while I do a happy dance in my kitchen, which I can’t show you, and you probably really don’t want to see, I’ll hand you the cover of my newest novel…. 
Tada!!!
This cover was fun, and I love that my sister, Joanna Jerome (Conn—almost! She’s getting married the day after The Carpenter’s Daughter launches. How fun is that?), and my sister-in-law Lorie Jerome were able to participate in the cover creation.
I have to say right off that I’m usually not a fan of decapitated heads on covers. So, why’d we go that route? Well, let me take you through the process… The photo shoot lasted a little more than an hour, and we had quite a few laughs during that time. Joanna is a stage actress, and she really showed her talent as she captured Sarah Sharpe’s quest for identity during the session. Here’s a few shots that didn’t make the cut: 
Copyright: Lorie Jerome, 2015. Used with permission.
This was nearly perfect. Joanna and Lorie captured Sarah’s heart ache and longing. I love the hat. The dress ties into the story. And that hammer… every carpenter needs a hammer. However, we decided the background, as lovely as it is, didn’t make her pop.
We moved to an old shed, painted red. Better back ground. Pose…well, maybe. But Sarah’s hair is shorter, and darker. The wispy strands over her face make that element difficult to change.
Ohh…I like. The longing in her expression is perfect. The hair could be manipulated in this picture. Bummer, though, I don’t like the way the dress is laying at her shoulder…
This went on for hours. Days. And in the midst of it, and through talking with my critique partners and beta readers something important came to the surface. Sarah Sharpe could be any of us. She could be our neighbor. The shy girl who never makes eye contact at the coffee shop. The outspoken woman who is too bristly to embrace. She could be you. Heaven knows, she’s often me. In the story I give vague details about character’s physical descriptions—hair and eye color and that’s about it. In fiction, this is often frowned upon. People want to be able to “see” the characters they’re reading about, right? I want my reader to become Sarah Sharpe. To live in her skin. I feel like there is a greater impact when we don’t focus on the face but rather on the heart. I want a reader to literally take this journey with Sarah, because what she discovers is universally important. Life changing. How do I know? I took that walk with her, and it has made all the difference . In the end, we decapitated my model (poor Jo!). On purpose. I hope that you’ll forgive me (Joanna already has). I’m thrilled with the cover for Sarah’s story, and I can’t wait to show you what’s inside. To celebrate the fact that I’m actually ahead of schedule (Whoa. Mark it down, scribe.) the preorder is live and you can lock in your Kindle copy for $0.99. The link is below. The Carpenter’s Daughter on Amazon. Like I said, I’m so excited! Sarah’s story is pretty special to me, and I can’t wait to hear what you think. Thank you so much for allowing me to gush! 
Smiling Book Reviews--Guest Post: Introducing the Carpenter's Daughter...and Sharing a New That Lasts
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Emily Endrizzi
4/8/2016 11:04:34 pm
I do not recall reading any transformational Christian books. Comments are closed.
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