Better Know An Author – Ginnine Josete

Our weekly spotlight series on authors from around the world. This week we sat down with Ginnine Josete!

Please give a brief introduction, including your name and where you are based

My name is Ginnine Josete and I live in Lewiston, Idaho in the USA. My husband and I relocated here in 2015 for his job. We were both born in Canada, where our families still reside. I spend my days writing and taking care of our one-acre homestead. Sometimes I consult with my chickens and the plants in my greenhouse and my huge vegetable garden. My husband works all day to bring home the bacon, milk and chocolate, which leaves me free to pursue my career as an author. I am eternally grateful that I am able to have this lifestyle.

What book or books have you published or are working on at the moment?

I have published four books so far.

Songs of Paradise was my first published book and it’s the first book in a trilogy that I am still working on. It’s a steamy fantasy with lots of magic and romance.

My second book is Concealed Wounds. This one was very important to me personally and was part of my healing process. It is a fictional account of several women who are dealing with domestic violence throughout time and are finding their way through to a place of healing. It can be graphic at times but that was done with purpose.

My third book A Story of Love is a contemporary love story which takes place in the time of an epidemic. It was inspired by recent events and has some unexpected surprises that I hope will make you take an in depth look at your own perceptions.

My most recent book is called Living With Chickens and it’s a light hearted comedy about a middle aged lady who watches her neighbors with binoculars, confides in her pet rooster and struggles to figure out the internet and Mrs. Google. Her name is Gladys and she has a very strong and persistent voice inside my head. There are three more books coming featuring Gladys and I can’t wait to write them and share them with my readers.

Currently I am working on an MG book called An Adventure in PACTL. This one is so special to me as I started writing books when my own children were little with stories for them. This is a story about five children who find themselves in another world. They have to use all of their own strengths and talents to find their way back home. There are lots of kid jokes, poopy comments and unexpected bravery. This one is for my daughter’s children and I’m excited that she is drawing the cover art. I will be writing additional MG books for my other grandchildren.

I also started writing a Vella on Amazon called Bake a Piece of my Heart. It’s a light romance involving a clumsy heroine and a handsome baker.

I also have a book of short stories in the works. It’s untitled at present but will be a collection of short stories for grown up women about dolls. I love to collect dolls and make cloth dolls. I began writing these stories for my doll club a few years ago and am eager to complete this collection and share it with like-minded readers.

What drives you to write?

For me writing is something I can’t help but do. It’s a part of who I am. I have been writing as long as I can remember. When I was in my teens and early twenties I wrote a lot of poetry as a way of coping with my life and processing things that happened to me. When my children were little I wrote stories for them to entertain them. Honestly, I can’t imagine not writing. Most of the time my characters are talking inside my head, just aching to be let out.

There is definitely a huge high that happens when you finish a novel that I never get tired of. Also, the day I held my first published book in my hands and saw my own words in print was something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I used to be afraid to share my writing with others in case it wasn’t good enough but, with age, comes wisdom. What I have learned is that it’s pointless to write if you aren’t going to share your words with other people and, of course, you won’t appeal to everyone but, for those who do enjoy your stories, it will be well worth it.

Where can folks find you online and on social media?

I’m on all kinds of social media but beware that I’m still learning how it all works. It’s been a steep learning curve and I still have a long way to go.

My email is: ginninejosete@outlook.com

I’m on Facebook as Ginnine Josete

I have a blog and a website: ginninejosete.com

I’m on twitter: Ginnine Josete @GinnineJ

On Instagram: ginninejosete

TikTok: @ginninejosete

I have one YouTube video – author life – Ginnine Josete

I’m on Goodreads under Ginnine Josete

I’m on Amazon where you can find all my books and my author page under Ginnine Josete

Just be careful how you spell my name as it has lots of letter Ns in it. Don’t let spell check change it on you.

What is one piece of advice you would give to another author out there who might be struggling?

My advice is always to be true to yourself and do what gives you joy. Don’t think you can please everyone because you can’t. We’re all different and that’s what makes us human. Just keep writing and sharing your words with the world. My mantra from one of my poems is “treat yourself like a wished for gift.”

What are some of your five-year goals with writing?

In five years time I want to have all my Living with Chickens books done, my first trilogy done, three MG books done, my collection of short stories done and be working on something new. Mainly, my goal, every day of every year is to get my words out to more people.

Final Thoughts?

I am so thankful to everyone in my life who is so supportive of my work as an author, especially my husband John, my daughter Amanda and so many of my friends that I can’t list them all here but particular mention has to go to Heather. Both Amanda and Heather are always my first readers and critics and I love them for it. I also want to say that my mother in law Ruth has passed away but her support when I started this journey has been profound and continues to buoy me up today.

In closing I want to say to all the readers out there….please please write reviews of the books you read. They mean so much to the authors to write. We need your feedback to know that our words are being heard.

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