Jenny Knipfer–Author

What is success? It’s a question that I’ve struggled with off and on. My creativity has circled through my life in a number of ways. Several times I pursued avenues of enterprise with both roads fizzling out at some point. I let that bother me. It hinted at failure to me, but now I recognize outside forces played a primary role in disrupting my plans. 

My health has always been my biggest enemy. I won’t name all the ways; no one really wants to know those kinds of details. A TV commercial from years past flashes before my memory. Picture a man with a cast on his arm. People keep asking him how he is feeling, and he goes into an uncomfortable amount of detail. It played off an ironic point of comedy: we want to be polite, but the nitty-gritty details of our lives “in the trenches”, so to speak often overwhelms our friends and stretches our family ties. 

Why did I trail into this topic? I thought we were talking about success? 

We are. Let me explain…

At one point during my explosion of health issues, I felt overwhelmed, swallowed by it all. You see, I’ve always journaled. The process of writing my thoughts down, with sometimes brutal honesty, has kept me sane—that and the grace of God. But my handwriting capabilities took a dive, and I could no longer manage to write with my dominant hand. Traditional typing had presented a problem as well. This squelching of my inner voice caused me great pain. My thoughts were trapped inside with no where to go. Oh, I prayed, but I had mostly written my prayers out before—those pent-up words that threatened to drown me always transformed to life on the page. 

Here enters a simple tool: 

Then my husband gave me an iPad for Christmas, and at the time, I had trouble with migraines and the use of it bothered me. But those improved, and my iPad gradually became a tool of freedom. I managed to tap out my inner trappings with a few fingers on my left hand, mostly my index finger. Fast forward a few years, and here I am, an author. Looking back, it really amazes me. 

This is success:

My prayer at the beginning of my serious health trial sounded like this: “Lord, please let my health improve, so I can interact with people and be a part of their lives.” Even at my lowest time capability—when I couldn’t go anywhere or hardly speak—I wanted my life to count for something. I made it my mission to encourage someone each day by my prayers for them, a message sent via text or FB Messenger, or a small act of kindness. To me, that’s when I’ve been the most successful. 

Why I write:

Yes, I write for me. Because I have to. Because the words and stories are in me, but my primary reason is YOU. You, reader of my blog or books. You, listener of my podcasts or watcher of my videos. I desire to use what I’ve gone through, or am currently going through, to enrich your life. Yes, I want to write entertaining novels but also deep ones. 

My books are based on more than fluff characters and light difficulties. I take you to the heart-wrenching dilemma of having caused a horrific accident and the deep grief resulting in Ruby Moon, and to a possibility irrevocable rift in the relationship of twin sisters in Blue Moon, and to the trenches of WWI in Silver Moon, where characters not only battle to stay alive but wrestle with the duty they signed up to perform. 

My byline and brand:

I recently updated my byline here on my website and social media. I decided on: Jenny Knipfer—Author, writing to inspire, encourage, and enjoy. It’s both what I want you to experience when you read my work and what I want to do as I write. 

I am successful if I’ve accomplished that.!

Share in my joy!

Help me with book launch day.

My latest book, Silver Moon, releases tomorrow. I am eager to get it into the hands of readers. It’s a WWI tale of courage and hope in the darkest of times. I’ve never been in a war, but I survived the trenches of some very dark days. By reading Silver Moon, I hope to point to the Light, who helped me navigate when I could hardly see. 

How you can help: 

1. Read my book: Silver Moon is free on Kindle Unlimited, now through October and only $2.99 for a Kindle copy. Paperbacks are priced around $12.90. 
2. Tell others about my book and/or books. Word of mouth is a great tool to spread awareness of my books to readers. Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and Facebook are essential. Books don’t sell without reviews, and my primary way to sell as an indie author is online.
3. Join my team. I have many ways for you to be involved. Check out my page, Join My Author Team for more details.
4. Follow me on social media. All of my social icons are on my homepage, but this a link containing everything: LINKTREE

You make all the difference to me.

Thank you for reading. I pray blessings on your journey today, wherever that may be. J