Professor Jan Lemon Writes New Novel

MC psychology professor Jan Lemon

A phenomenal Mississippi educator, Jan Lemon never really left her lane by writing her first novel.

A productive academic writer, the talented Mississippi College psychology professor is thrilled to see “Letters from God” roll off the presses in early June. An avid reader growing up and years later a nightly storyteller to her children, Dr. Lemon believes the work of Christian fiction delivers important messages to readers.

Her novel portrays Father Jake Durand as the book’s protagonist and chronicles his complex spiritual journey. The former Southern lawyer is a man used mightily by God. “He is on a quest to let the world know that the supernatural realm is much more powerful and real than the temporal realm of Earth.”

The MC School of Education faculty member draws heavily on her lifetime in the Magnolia State.

“The book is created out of my own experience of living in the South, loving people, knowing God, and experiencing God’s power,” Dr. Lemon says. It pulls from her understanding that “this life is just a journey onto the hereafter.”

The Trilogy Publishing book will be available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble stores beginning June 7. Jan’s got a plethora of ideas for a sequel at a later date. “Father Jake has a lot more to do.” Readers, she says, will seek to discover more “about his life, his loves, and his calling.”

Mississippi College colleagues predict the former Florence High senior counselor will succeed as the author of “Letters from God.”

Several years ago, Lemon received national recognition as the co-writer of a scholarly article in a major counseling publication. Counseling professor Karen Cathey says the MC teacher will see the same results in her new novel. “The love of words and God’s Word shines through in both.”

Jan “worked hard at honing her writing skills both inside and outside of academia. She’s excelled at both,” Cathey said.

Lemon’s positive impact on students for decades is worth trumpeting, educators say. So is her service as the president of the Mississippi Counseling Association.

The coordinator of MC’s Mental Health Counseling Program, professor James Strickland salutes Jan as an accomplished leader in the School of Education. “All of our students love her and what she brings to the classroom.”

Jan earned a master’s in counseling education at MC in 1995 and a doctorate in counseling at Mississippi State University in 2010. In 2004, she received a doctorate in Christian counseling at Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary in Shreveport. In 2011, Dr. Lemon joined the counseling faculty at Mississippi College.