54: Jae Hodges- Author of The Rose and the Whip

Jae's historical fiction, set in 1663 describes a barely-known woman Lidia Wardell, a Quaker, who defied her community in demanding religious freedom and was publicly whipped for her ideas. Jae spent years both researching and writing this debut, delving into historical documents, researching her own family history (she's a distant, distant relative) and found her publishing house at the very first pitch session she attended.   Everyone has a history and a story. Jae uses the most alluring stories from the chronicles of her own ancestry to create timeless tales of everyday people making history. On her quest to capture the essence of walking in their footsteps, she travels and uses her pencil and camera lens to imagine them in their own surroundings. Jae lives on the Tennessee River in Alabama with her husband and companion pooch.   To learn more about Jae, click here.