Meet and Greet Monday: Jill Eileen Smith

Book Giveaway! See the details at the end of this post. 

Jill Eileen Smith is the best-selling author of Michal, book one in The Wives of King David series. She has more than 20 years of writing experience, and her writing has gathered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of David's wives has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family; in person, over the webcam, or hopping a plane to fly across the country. She can often be found reading Christian fiction, testing new recipes, grabbing lunch with friends, or snuggling one or both of her two adorable cats. She lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Jill Eileen Smith:

I'm a wife, mom, and author of a biblical fiction series - The Wives of King David. The books in the series are: Michal: A Novel and Abigail: A Novel published with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The final book, Bathsheba: A Novel, is coming in 2011. I'm currently working on the first book in the next series, The Wives of the Patriarchs. I love to travel, spend time with my family and friends, am a cat owner, aspiring Bible scholar, amateur historian, musician, and above all a follower of Jesus Christ.

Abigail is the third wife of King David and her journey is one of heartache and shattered dreams, but in the end she grows stronger for what she has endured and her relationship to David takes an interesting turn. Here’s the back cover blurb:


What price must she pay for true love?

Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. When her husband Nabal’s foolish pride angers David and his men, she boldly steps forward to save her family—and David, the would-be king, takes notice.

Circumstances offer Abigail a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, and she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. But her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?

Abigail follows the bestselling Michal and continues Jill Eileen Smith’s rich story of David’s wives.

As I said above, the next and last story in the series is Bathsheba, which is in house right now and ready to undergo everything necessary to make it a printed book. While I await the galleys from my editor, which will come several months from now, I’m writing the first book in the next series, tentatively titled Sarai, Book One of The Wives of the Patriarchs. This will also be a three-book series focusing on Sarai, Rebekah, and Rachel. I’m also working out another biblical fiction book series proposal, which I hope to hand in to my agent soon.

My greatest desire for my books is to have them inspire readers to read the real story found within the pages of the Bible. Biblical fiction caused me to love the Bible, to realize with stark clarity that these people were real. I hope my books impart that same love of Scripture to my readers that I gained as a result of reading this genre.

I also hope to impart a sense of peace and hope for women who might not be living in the best of circumstances. None of King David’s wives had an easy life despite the wealth and opulence they might have had as wife of a king. They all were forced to share their husband; something I can only imagine as horribly difficult!

Whatever their struggles, they are no different than the struggles of every woman everywhere. Time may separate us, but the human heart does not change apart from God’s grace. I want my readers to see women who did change and grew to be better people.


Purchase Information
Abigail at Amazon
Michal at Amazon

Abigail at Christianbook.com
Michal at Christianbook.com



Find Me Online:
http://www.jilleileensmith.com

http://www.thewivesofkingdavid.com

Book Giveaway: Jill has graciously agreed to give away a free copy of either Michal or Abigail. To enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment below or email me privately (click here). You must have a mailing address within the United States to enter. Entries taken until this Thursday at midnight (Pacific time). Winner announced Friday.