ASK THE SISTERS!

This week's question was asked by Debbie Wilder. Debbie's won a copy of E.E. Kennedy's book, MURDER IN THE PAST TENSE! If you have a question for the Sisters, leave a comment, along with your contact information. We'll pick a new question next week, and you could win a mystery or suspense book from one of the genres best authors!

Here's Debbie's question: How did you become interested in writing suspense novels? Were there specific books or series that you read that piqued your interest?

Dana Mentink

I'm a big mystery lover which got me started writing that genre and suspense was a natural next fit. It's what I love to read so most of the time I've got my nose in a mystery/suspense novel.

Elizabeth Goddard

I've read widely my whole life but I found I enjoyed reading books with the suspense element because I didn't want to put them down. Then when I sold my first story in 2006, I naturally put in mystery and suspense  and I guess it just comes naturally to me. As far as books that piqued my interest, decades ago I got caught up in reading Bodie Thoene's WW II series, which to me was historical romantic suspense. Her series inspired me to write for the Christian fiction market.

Marji Laine

Growing up as a quasi latch-key kid, I had some of the greatest tutors of their time: Perry Mason, Columbo, Ellery Queen. And the teachers kept coming: Jessica Fletcher, Dr. Mark Sloan, etc. Yes, I watched a lot of television and mysteries were my favorite.

And I inhaled books: Trixie Belden mysteries, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew. By the time I was in high school, I'd graduated to Mignon Eberhart, Agatha Christie, and my favorite, Phyllis A. Whitney. I was floored when I read my first Christian mystery suspense! I hadn't known that was even a genre! Finding something that touched my heart and intrigued me all at the same time made want to jump right in and start writing!

Cynthia Hickey

LOVE to read anything where the characters I've come to care for are in danger. I want a page turner. Something that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I want to see justice done in a world that often has a skewed version of justice. I love James Patterson. Someone once told me to write what you like to read.  So, I chose to write suspense.

 

 Nancy Mehl

I devoured Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys when I was a child. From there I went to Agatha Christie and the Sherlock Holmes’ books. I also remember watching Murder, She Wrote. At the time, I’d never seriously considered being a writer. But as I watched Jessica Fletcher, I began to see myself following in her footsteps. (Without the trail of dead bodies behind me. LOL!) After getting a confirmation from God, that I really was called to write, I jumped in with both feet and have never looked back!

Our thanks to Debbie for her awesome question. Now, what would you like to ask the Suspense Sisters?