Author Spotlight: Joanne Bischof DeWitt
award-winning fiction authoress shares about her next release!
Hello! A few months back, I reached out to Mrs. Joanne Bischof DeWitt about obtaining an ARC of The Heart of Bennet Hollow, to which she very kindly responded that they weren’t ready yet, but if I kept an eye out, I might be able to snag one. Fast forward a month or two, I invited Mrs. Joanne to do a Q&A here on A Bibliophile’s Notebook, and today’s post is the result. 🙃 I am so, so excited for you to learn more about Mrs. Joanne and her heart behind her (not yet published) book!
If you don’t already know, Joanne Bischof DeWitt “is a Christy and Carol Award-winning author known for her emotionally rich and layered fiction. She has received several honors, including the 2014 SDCWG Novel of the Year and 2015 Mount Hermon Writer’s Conference Author of the Year. Her self-published novella This Quiet Sky was the first of its kind to become a Christy Award finalist, followed by To Get to You in 2015. Her 2016 novel The Lady and the Lionheart earned top critical acclaim, including a 5-Star TOP PICK! from Romantic Times. Joanne lives in Southern California with her husband and six children, and her next book is set to be released in 2025 from Tyndale House Publishers.”
The Heart of Bennet Hollow will release on October 7, 2025, and I can not be more excited!! As soon as NetGalley released the ARC of The Heart of Bennet Hollow, I requested it and was approved. That was a very happy day indeed. 😄 Check out my Goodreads review here!
Keep reading this post for the Q&A with Mrs. Joanne! (side note: we did this interview BEFORE I got approved to read The Heart of Bennet Hollow)
Hi, Mrs. Joanne! Thank you for doing this interview!!
Thank you for having me!
You've published fourteen books and one novella (correct me if I'm wrong) and will be publishing your fifteenth book in October. Could you share with readers a little about The Heart of Bennet Hollow because, oh my goodness, it sounds incredible! 🤩
The Heart of Bennet Hollow takes readers to a fictional coal town of New River, Virginia where the Bennet family live on a small farm. Soon, a few coal barons will be riding in on the rails which is the very night that "Elizabeth" and "Mr. Darcy" will meet and their story begins. It's full of all the beloved characters and twists and adds a few new touches that I hope readers will love.
Artfully mashing Jane Austen's sophistication with the Appalachia charm is such a unique concept. What gave you the idea for it?
Thank you! The Heart of Bennet Hollow really stemmed from two things -- my love of writing historical Appalachian romance and all things Jane Austen. One day I realized I could merge the two together and the series was born.Okay, so on your website, it says "A Jane Austen Series." We can expect more stories along the vein of The Heart of Bennet Hollow, right??
Yes! I am currently working on book #2 soon and I'm excited to announce which one that will be.If you had to choose just one, what would be your favorite Jane Austen story and why?
I would have to say Sense and Sensibility. I grew up watching the Emma Thompson version with my mom and it's where my love of these stories first began. Sense and Sensibility is such a tender, quiet story with a beautiful pair of love stories woven in. Add in the sweet sisterhood element and it's just an all around, feel-good story.When did you first realize God was calling you to write and to write fiction?
I knew I wanted to write fiction since I was a little girl and over time, I began to feel God shape my craft, my career and me as I entered into adult hood.
How would you describe your writing process? Are you a "pantser" or a "plotter"?
I have always been a pantser as plotting was really hard for me to stick to. But once I began to teach the art of plotting at The Author Conservatory where I work, it slowly began to feel much more natural. Now the novel I just finished was written entirely based off of an outline and it was a great process!How do you unwind after a long day of work?
I love to be outside in nature or on a long walk at our local park. I also love watching movies with my husband and cross stitching!Do you have a community or support-group for your writing?
I have a book launch team that supports me around cover reveal and launch season which is such a blessing.Where can we find you online?
You can find me at my website, on Instagram and Facebook!What struggles in your early writing journey helped you become the person and author you are today? Are there any tips you would give to an aspiring author?
The biggest struggle I had was hitting success relatively young -- I had a 3 book contract with one of the big six publishers in my early twenties. Then going on to encounter discouragement with book sales and having to start over. I really felt like a failure. I learned from writers who are older and wiser than me that this industry is a process. It will have ups and downs. That's when God helped me to rally and I began self publishing which changed everything. I was back in action and I could truly feel God leading the way and opening up doors to where I am now, working with my third major publisher and getting to share all new stories with the world. So my tip is to hang in there with any lows that come -- see them as a 'not yet' and then figure out what to do for your next step to keep moving forward. It might be something you least expect.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this Q&A today! I so admire the skill you show in each of your masterfully written books. Do you have any last words for our readers?
Thank you so much for having me! I hope any readers were inspired by our chat today and I hope they enjoy reading The Heart of Bennet Hollow!
I hope your curiosity is piqued and perhaps, found your next favorite author! If The Heart of Bennet Hollow sounds like a book you would love to read, then be sure to preorder right now!! Currently, the best place to do so is through Baker Book House. You can also preorder it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Tyndale House Publishers.
Maybe you enjoyed this post. Maybe you love Mrs. Joanne’s books. Whatever the reason is, don’t forget to ❤️ this post, restack to spread the word, and SUBSCRIBE if you haven’t yet!!
Thanks for reading. 🤗
oooh I can't wait to read this book! :)
Aw, I love this! ❤️