The latest novel from Chris Fabry is Looking into You (Tyndale House): Paige Redwine is haunted by a choice she made when she was only 17. Now just past 40, she lives a tidy life as a well-respected college professor. Nothing could prepare her for when the daughter she secretly placed for adoption walks into her classroom as a student. In this Q&A, Chris shares what inspired the novel, his influences as an author, and how his radio listeners help him write…
Can you describe your plot in one sentence?
Teen mother who placed a child for adoption seeks the courage to begin a relationship with the daughter.
Where did the inspiration for this novel come from?
Looking Into You features a character named Treha Langsam from the book Every Waking Moment. At the end of that first book, we met Treha’s mother who placed her for adoption two decades earlier. So I pick up the story and we discover how Treha and her mother meet and then the fallout of those lost years.
What influences your writing the most?
Each story or novel is a quest into my own heart, so the thing that influences me most is my own desire to understand. New questions surface with each story and the process leads me to deeper places. I have a signed copy of one of Pat Conroy’s books on my shelf—a friend asked him to sign it for me and he wrote, “My best to you in your writing life. Go deeper. Always go deeper.”
Can you tell us about any research you did for this novel?
My best research is talking with listeners on my daily radio program, Chris Fabry Live. I can’t tell you how many times a listener will answer a question I have about the story I’m working on without them even knowing they’re contributing.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Paige and Treha are center-stage. I really like Anna. Her personality comes out when she meets Treha. She says, “I’m Anna Waddel, and don’t ever pronounce it ‘waddle.’” Just about every story I write has some sort of journalist in it because that’s what I was trained to be. Anna wants to be a journalist and her inquisitiveness is both disarming and dangerous.
What makes your protagonist an interesting character?
Paige, Treha’s mother, is an English professor in search of a life. She lives her life through the stories she’s read but isn’t living her own life. I find this can be true, in some ways, for all of us.
Find out more about the book here:
Looking Into You
Chris Fabry
Tyndale House