Holland, JoJean 1936–

(Veronica DeTerre, Jo Holland, Jo Jean)

PERSONAL:

Born November 26, 1936, in Pittsburgh, PA; daughter of John Baptist and Josephine Daout; married Thomas Holland, June 11, 1959 (divorced, June, 1993); children: Jeanne Victoria Holland Thoes, Jon Edward, Jennifer Jo. Ethnicity: "Italian-Belgian." Education: Geneva College, B.A., 1958; attended University of Pittsburgh, 1960-61. Politics: Independent. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, rescuing cats and kittens.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Mesquite, TX. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Dallas County Community College District, Dallas, TX, biology instructor at Cedar Valley College, 1989-2001, and editor of district newsletter, Pulse.

MEMBER:

Texas Retired Teachers Association.

WRITINGS:

(Under name Jo Holland) One Little Branch (nonfiction), Brentwood Christian Press (Columbus, GA), 1988.

(Under pseudonym Veronica DeTerre) AVAM: Avenging America (novel), Infinity Publishing (West Conshohocken, PA), 2003.

(Under name JoJean) Twilight in the Vineyard (spiritual commentary), Outskirts Press (Parker, CO), 2007.

Contributor to a Christian newspaper.

SIDELIGHTS:

JoJean Holland told CA: "Writing is a gift. I feel God has called me to use this gift. As I study or read the Bible I begin to get insights and revelations that lead to my writing. I share knowledge with others and encourage others through my writing. Islam is a major concern, and my book AVAM: Avenging America was written to educate people about this religion by using a fictional story."

"Since first grade, I have been an avid reader. I loved animal stories, fairy tales and mythology. Then [writer] O. Henry introduced me to the short story with a surprise ending. This started me writing my own short stories with surprise endings. I also began writing poems."

When asked who or what influence her work, she said: "In nonfiction, it is God (Yahweh, the Almighty Creator). In fiction, it often stems from my love of science.

"When writing fiction, I just sit at the computer and began to type. Then I go over what I've written, often many times. It's true that there is only good ‘rewriting’! When doing nonfiction I often have scriptures come into my mind that lead me in beginning a topic."

When asked the most surprising thing she has learned as a writer, she responded: "That too often people only buy or read those books that receive lots of attention or make it to the top-sellers list or are about a well known person, event or scandal."

When asked which of her books was her favorite, Holland said: "Twilight in the Vineyard because it was written at the leading of Yahweh and proclaims truths that are for now.

"[I hope] that readers will seek the truth in all things, especially regarding the word of God."