About the Book

Book: Fleeing Egypt

Author: Jaycee Pierce

Genre: Women’s Fiction (Christian)

Release date: October 24, 2022

When Jennifer (Jen) Hoyt leaves for college, the word ecstatic feels like an understatement for how she feels. She can finally move away from the dysfunctional family who neglected and abused her to make a better life on her own. After being an overachieving outcast in school, Jen is confident of academic success, but what she wants most is to be a part of a loving family.

During her first year of college, Kyle, a friend of a friend, captures her heart, but her attempts to “make him love her back” have dire consequences. When Jen finds out she is pregnant, she knows one thing: she wants to keep her baby. Will Kyle decide to form the family she so desperately wants? If he doesn’t, how will Jen keep her baby safe from those who hurt her? Jen doesn’t know the Lord yet, but He’s already making a way for her.

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About the Author

No one is more surprised than I am to read the word author and know it applies to me. I had different dreams as a child, and this was not remotely on my radar. At three, I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer. When I was eight, I “ran for president,” telling people to vote for me in the election year when I would finally be thirty-five (I had calculated it precisely). In my teens, I had lowered the barand just wanted to be a lawyer. While those doors never opened, God has faithfully led me on a winding path to get me where I am today.

I have held a variety of jobs: customer service representative, loan processor, professional video game player, city councilwoman, church secretary, math teacher, and most importantly, mother. While I was training to be a teacher, God inspired me to write a yet-to-be-published children’s book. Not long after, I began this novel. I wrote a week each summer between school years while my son and his father were camping without me. Depending on how you want to count time, it either took me five weeks (of actual time in front of a computer screen) or three years (looking at a calendar) to finish. Then I spent several years editing and finding a publisher. I hope that you find as much pleasure from reading it as I got from writing it.

More from Jaycee

God works in mysterious ways. I honestly never intended to be a writer, and this entire endeavor started in a way that seemed almost accidental at the time. I had just finished my first year of teaching mathematics. That summer, the members of my immediate family went on a five-day “male bonding” camping trip.

Left home alone, I called friends and family members to reconnect and fill my need for social interaction. One conversation in particular left me with a lot of “what if” questions about how life would have been different for me without God in the picture. I wrestled with different scenarios and then decided I needed to organize my thoughts.

I started writing and thirteen hours later ended up with about 40 pages of text. I sent those to my cousin, Jill, who wanted to know what happened next. Her encouragement kept me writing until this novel was completed, two summer camping trips later.

Author Interview

How do you overcome writer’s block? Do you have any advice for others in finding their process to overcome it?

When I find myself blocked, I start by rereading what I have already written. I normally base my characters on people I know. I ask myself some leading questions such as the following:

Does what just happened make sense or is the block a result of having something illogical or not relevant happen? (Maybe I need to remove something and re-write to proceed).
In this situation what do I think the person I know would do?
What would the other characters involved say or do as a result?
What is the goal for the story, what would need to happen for the characters to reach that goal?

If all that fails, I try to rest, eat, or do something fun to give myself time to process what should happen next. I guess my best advice would be for others to try not to get too stressed. The pressure you put on yourself to write is part of why you get blocked. Instead get some rest and relaxation and come back to it later – just don’t let too much time pass.

Do you read the genre you write? Why or why not?

I read a wide variety of genres. I love legal and political thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, and several others. I do also read Women’s fiction, which is what I write, but not as often as some of the others. I think I avoid this genre a little because part of me is afraid that I will incorporate other people’s ideas into my work without realizing it. I want what I write to be as uniquely mine as it can be. At some point, I might write other genres, but for now I want to finish the story that I have started.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

The story is primarily a young woman’s faith journey, which will ultimately be told in three parts. In the beginning, she is not a Christian. She has grown up in an abusive and dysfunctional family and all she wants is to get away from those who might do her harm. As the story progresses, she must deal with the emotional damage from the events she has endured. Eventually, she will find peace in a relationship with Christ. The titles of my books are all inspired by a famous journey in the Bible.

Fleeing Egypt (book one) has the main character leaving her home to make a new start.

Crossing the Desert (book two), which will release in 2023, has a theme of forgiving the unforgivable and the main character is struggling to find her way.

Entering the Promised Land (book three) which I am currently writing has more layers to it, but is where she finally finds Jesus and all of the promises that God has for her.

What’s your favorite writing snack, drink, and/or music?

I tend to just eat whatever I am craving at the moment, so there is not one specific snack. I almost exclusively drink light lemonade from a mix or water even when I am writing. The music I pick varies depending on the scene I am writing. If something sad is happening, I choose slow, sad music. If something exciting or happy is happening, then I pick up tempo praise music. For much of the first book, I listened to 80’s music because the book was set in that era.

Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Why or why not?

I have not participated in any writing challenges yet. At this point, my life is hectic. I am a single mom of a high school senior. I have a “real” job to pay the bills. I attend church regularly and am involved in those activities. Then I write and edit when I get time. At some point, I would like to find the time to do challenges and create more of a social media presence. Maybe I will have more time in the future.

How did publishing your first book change your writing process?

When I started my first book, I didn’t have any plans to publish it. It was inspired by a conversation I had with a family member. I wrote it haphazardly, a little every summer. When it came together, my friends and family encouraged me to try to get it published. Then I edited it and I waited for several years before I got the nerve up to submit it.

When I wrote book two this year, I knew book one was going to be published. I set goals for myself to write a certain number of words each day. I wrote down more details so that I would be able to be consistent without digging through my document as much as I did with book one. I got more organized.

Is your writing space pristine or organized chaos?

Almost everything about my life is organized chaos including my writing space. I honestly do not have a set place where I do my writing. I use my laptop in whatever space seems most logical at the time.