WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE THE LAST TARGET?
I wrote The Last Target because I began asking myself the age-old question of “what if…?” What if a single mom’s name was found on a terrorist hitlist? Why would that happen? How far would someone go to kill her? To protect her? The book grew from there.
STARTING OUT, WHO WERE THE AUTHORS WHO INSPIRED YOU? WHO INSPIRES YOU NOW?
I’d have to say they’re probably the same authors. I really enjoy reading Linda Hall, Terri Blackstock, Colleen Coble, Mary Higgins Clark…too many to name, really! As a child, I devoured Nancy Drew books.
HOW DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCE YOUR WRITING?
My faith is so much a part of me that it’s easily a part of my writing. I don’t necessarily sit down with the intent to write a book with a faith storyline. That storyline grows naturally out of my character’s lives. Oftentimes, it seems, those storylines begin to mirror parts of my own faith journey. I try to be honest and convey that even if you have a steady faith, the emotions that can come because of life circumstances can be very up and down. Throughout all of it, we’ve got the trust God and know that he has a plan for our lives that’s better than anything we can envision.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN THAT YOU WANTED TO BE AN AUTHOR?
I’ve been fascinated with stories since I was a child. But in high school, I wrote my first novel. And then another. And then another. That continued into college. In college, I actually began submitting some of my novels to publishing houses and they were rejected. After college, I worked at a Christian publishing house and kept pursuing my dream of being published. Eventually, I got that first contract!
WHAT DO YOU MOST HOPE THAT READERS GET FROM READING YOUR WORK?
My intent is that, first and foremost, readers will be swept away into story world for a bit. Aside from the entertainment aspect, I hope my readers realize that hope exists, that faith can be real, that love can flourish and that change is possible. In other words, I hope they walk away knowing that, though life can be tough, God is good and, through him, all things are possible.