My goodness, are y’all in for a treat today! Please welcome my funny friend, author, singer, and speaker, Jane Jenkins Herlong, as she shares the scoop on her new book, Bury Me with My Pearls: Humor with a Spiritual Twist. And let me tell you, I have this book, and it is hilarious!
Be sure and read Jane’s full bio below, but let me just preface her interview by letting you know her tagline is Finding the Fun in DysFUNction! How’s that for a set-up? Okay, ready for some fun? Read on!
And friends, don’t forget to leave a comment for Jane and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book! Be sure to check back next week to see if you’re the winner!
Welcome to the Christian Writer’s Den, Jane. Even though I’ve read your book, I can’t wait to hear more about how it came about. Since this is a writing blog, let’s start with something serious about writing. Where did you get that great title for this book?
I was in the hospital spending the night with my mother who had many heart related issues and she told me that her mother, my Grandmother McElveen, said to “Bury her with her pearls.” I thought that statement had a profound meaning beyond the obvious.
I know you’re a pearl kind of girl. Tell me about your Pearl analogy.
I love wearing pearls, as do most women I know. All strands are different but the one thing our strands have in common is that genuine pearls began with an irritant, a grain of sand. This is the beginning of the pearls process. The same is true for our lives. Our beauty or character building moments begin with an irritant. The Bible tells us to “count it all joy” when these trials come our way. God is doing a work in us.
Who is your target audience?
The book is for young and old alike. There is solid advice for young women and mothers, plus it’s a spiritual guide for dealing with difficult situations and advice on how to build a household of faith.
Why did you write Bury Me with My Pearls?
As I travel and speak, I see so many women who are not living a successful Christian life. They have all the head knowledge but implementing their faith for victory has been challenging.
Your stories are hilarious. How do you find them?
I feel led to combine humor with Biblical truths. I observe a situation and try to find a life lessons in any happening. Just look around!
Your book is funny, but it addresses some very serious topics. What needs do you address with your audiences?
I’ve included stories and spiritual truths related to motherhood, baggage, leaving a legacy, and much more. I hope my readers find courage and seek Godly wisdom in handling issues in life.
Tell us about your singing and humor.
I began singing and speaking in churches when I was Miss South Carolina and this continued after I was married. I then started speaking and singing for schools and other education groups. I had no idea there was an association to help speakers nurture their careers. This is when I joined the National Speakers Association. Through this group I learned how to write and share comedy and now my music and singing is on Sirius XM Radio.
How do you feel the use of humor helps the reader?
Physically, it has been documented that humor has healing components. It increases blood flow, it raises the levels of immune cells, lowers blood sugar and helps with sleep and relaxation. Mentally it helps the reader remember the point and life lesson.
In your opinion, how important is it for a writer to be a speaker or a speaker to become a writer?
I think the spoken word translated into written words can help organize thoughts and create more effective wording. Writing and speaking are different forms of art, but with both, you must be careful not to become too wordy. I do believe it is important to be able to share verbally what you have written and vise-versa.
As the founder and co-director of Christian Communicators Conference, I can’t agree with you more! Thank you for joining us today, Jane. I know our friends are going to love your book as much as I did!
And friends, be sure to leave and comment and then come back next week to see if you’re the winner of Jane’s book. Also, this is a great book for Christmas gifts for all the ladies in your life–and inexpensive, too! I’ve ordered several as gifts myself. 
Click here to order your own copies of Bury Me with My Pearls. You’ll be glad you did!
BIO: Humorist, author and professional singer, Jane Jenkins Herlong finds the funny in dysfunction while entertaining with her comedy and singing heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Jane helps audiences confront negativity with grace and humor to increase performance and productivity as she did overcoming being labeled Dyslexic and other challenges. From the tomato fields of Johns Island, South Carolina to a Miss America runway and beyond, Jane’s funny original, Southern stories and award-winning singing helps audiences learn life-skills and the healing power of laughter when dealing with stressful issues thrown at their field of dreams. You will love this farm-girl’s Southern-style recipe for balancing your own personal journey with a sense of humor, hope and heaping helping of folksy wisdom.
Along with entertaining audiences from coast to coast, Jane has performed at the legendary Radio City Music Hall sharing the stage with well-known personalities such as Colin Powell, Rudolph Giuliana, Charles Stanley and the late Charlton Heston. Not bad for a Lowcountry farm girl! As a humorist, author, parody writer and recording artist, Jane’s products and digital downloads are featured Amazon and iTunes.
Simon & Shuster Publishing House says of Jane: Jane Jenkins Herlong’s blend of Southern humor and folksy wisdom is just priceless. She deserves to be right up there with Anita Renfroe and Chonda Pierce- in some ways, she’s even better. The more suburban and bland our culture gets, the more precious genuine Southern culture like this becomes.
