Roxanne Rustand here, delighted to share with you this interview with author Virginia Vaughan! Don't forget to leave a comment or question for her--you'll be automatically entered in a drawing for a free copy of her new book, Cold Case Cover-up!
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as a writer? How long have you been writing? What led you to become a writer? What were some of the challenges and the unexpected twists and turns along the way? Have you always written inspirational fiction, or did you start in another genre?
Thanks for hosting me today, Roxanne! I’m thrilled to be here. I’ve always loved stories! As a child, I made up scenes and acted them out with my dolls and stuffed animals. But when I actually started putting pen to paper, I wasn’t in a good place spiritually. I was living for the world instead of God and my writing reflected that. Thankfully, God was gracious and never allowed any of that writing to get published. When I rededicated my life to Christ, I wondered if my dream to publish a book was gone, but that was the time when God showed up and showed out. He began opening doors for my writing that would eventually lead me to write for Love Inspired Suspense where I’m now working on my 10th book.
2. If you could go back in time and do something differently in your writing career, what would it be?
I’ve always been on the shy side so one of my biggest challenges to writing and publishing was being afraid to ask questions for fear I would look dumb. If I could go back, I would be bolder and ask the questions I wanted answers to.
3. Tell us about your writing process.
I usually start with something that has sparked my imagination—a character or scene that’s begging me to learn more about his/her story. I take that spark and start free writing anything and everything that will come to me about it. Then I try to do some plotting so I have an idea of what needs to happen to make it into a cohesive story. (I’m not a plotter by nature but I’ve learned to do this after my editors at LIS insist on having some kind of plot, lol). Then I start writing, hitting all those plot points. When that’s done, I go back and layer the story with all the emotions and feelings that make us fall in love and take our breath away.
4. What do you enjoy when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me curled up on the sofa reading a book or binge watching a show on Netflix. But I also enjoy game shows, board games, playing cards, and trips to the flea market.
5. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise your readers.
I’m such an avid reader that I once nearly cancelled a trip to the beach with my friends because I wasn’t sure I could finish the book I was reading before we left. Once we hit the road, I would have been obligated to be sociable and wait three days to finish the story! To me, that was like giving up and I was so caught up in this story that a three-day wait to finish was unacceptable. Not to worry though! I hunkered down, called in sick to work, finished the story and still made it to the beach, but *whew* it was a close call!
6. What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Read. Read. Read.
Write. Write. Write.
Don’t ever give up. Persistence is a writer’s best friend.
7. You have a new book out right now, but what are you working on now, and when might that book be out?
Currently, I’m working on the third book in my Covert Operatives series with Love Inspired Suspense. It doesn’t have a release date yet but here’s a juicy tidbit—it involves a secret marriage and a baby selling operation! But while I’m working on completing that project, book two in the series, Deadly Christmas Duty, releases this November.
8. Can you tell us about what led you to write your new book? Tell us about your main characters, and the challenges they face in this story.
I got the idea for this book and the entire series after hearing about the events that happened in Benghazi September 11, 2012 and learning, as did the rest of the world, that covert security operatives were actually a thing. I loved the idea of these secret soldiers who risked their lives to protect our interests overseas. I read several books written by the operatives and, in one of them, while detailing his time in Delta, the operative commented on seeing television reporters in country who would love to expose the super-secret identities of the Delta operators. I started playing the what-if game. What if one of these reporters showed up in the operative’s hometown? What if she had a secret of her own and had no idea who he was? And if he fell in love with her, could he trust her to keep his identity out of the press? My what-if game led to the story to the story that became Cold Case Cover-Up.
She’ll risk everything to uncover her past
The first thrilling Covert Operatives tale
An infant is believed to have been murdered thirty years ago—but investigative journalist Dana Lang is convinced she’s that baby. Now someone’s willing to kill to stop her investigation. And only secretive deputy Quinn Dawson, whose grandfather may have faked Dana’s death to protect her, can keep her safe. But a killer’s dead set on burying the past—and them—for good.
Award winning author Virginia Vaughan lives by the motto ‘It’s not hoarding if its books’. Always the kid with her nose stuck in a book, becoming a multi-published author hasn’t stopped Virginia from continuing to grow her own collection of favorite reads. Her family has refused to help her move anymore because of the sheer number boxes of books, but she’s no quitter. She’ll keep buying books and, the next time she moves, hire a moving van.
If you love stories where romance intersects danger and faith, subscribe to Virginia’s email list at http://eepurl.com/dtFeVP and be the first to know when a new story arrives.
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Wondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Our very own Suspense Sister, Elizabeth Goddard, just released a brand new mystery, Deadly Evidence, from Love Inspired Suspense in the Mount Shasta Secrets series.
