Interview with Elizabeth Goddard

I’m delighted to host one of the Suspense Sisters, Elizabeth Goddard. When you’ve finished reading the interview, leave a comment to be eligible to receive a copy of her latest book, Deception.

SS: When did you realize you wanted to be an author?

EG: I’ve always been a writer—it’s just an inherent gift or calling, I guess. It’s either in you or it’s not. I wrote my first novel when I was fourteen—or I attempted to write one. I dreamed of being an author for years, but it wasn’t until 2001 when I joined then ACRW (now ACFW) that I had hope of realizing that dream.

SS: What are some of the challenges you face as a writer? Are there aspects of your life that are hard for family and friends to understand? What are they?

EG: Juggling life is always hard for writers, but for the first time in my life, I have a good writing schedule and I get my word count done in the morning and the afternoon is for my family and the rest of life.  The toughest part for my family to understand is that I need quiet, and any interruptions could cause me to lose my thoughts.

SS: What genre do you write and why? Are there other genres you’ve written or would like to try?

EG: I’ve always loved reading suspense novels—thrillers, romantic suspense, historical romantic suspense so I love to write romantic suspense stories. I think suspense needs a little romance, and romance needs a little suspense.

SS: How do you create characters? Are they based on people you know?

Creating characters is fun. I don’t try to use people I know, but I think we draw off what we know, so yeah, some small piece of someone I know will go into developing a character. 

SS: Tell us about your current release.

EG: Deception is the sixth and last book in the Mountain Cove series set in stunning southeast Alaska. Here’s the back cover blurb:

TRAIL OF SECRETS 

Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide

Jewel Caraway thought she'd left her mistakes in the past—but then her past arrives at her door. Though she's thrilled to reunite with her estranged sister, something about her sister's new husband makes Jewel uneasy. Does he know her secret? Is he the one behind the growing list of attacks against her? And if he is involved…does that mean her sister is, too? With nowhere else to turn, Jewel must rely on police chief Colin Winters—the first man to make the widow question her resolve to never love again. But will he stay by her side when her guarded secrets are revealed? 

 SS: Where did you get the idea for this book?

EG: After writing five Mountain Cove books, a couple of the secondary characters were strong enough and I knew they needed their own HEA.

SS: Tell us about your main characters. 

EG: Jewel Caraway runs the Jewel of the Mountain Bed and Breakfast. She’s widowed and in her mid-forties. Chief Colin Winters is also in his mid-forties. Both have secrets in their past they’d like to forget about—but those secrets are on a collision course.

SS: Is there a spiritual message in your book? If so, what is it?

EG: Definitely. Have you ever made a decision, a choice that turned out to be a mistake? What if that mistake finds you years later and the repercussions are far more than you could have imagined? Thank God for His grace and mercy! As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

SS: What are you working on now?

EG: I’m working on the third book in Wilderness, Inc., my new series set southwest Oregon.

SS: Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

EG: I wanted to be a marine biologist but scuba diving terrified me. I played the cello in the high school orchestra. My great-grandmother was a Bruce, as in “Robert the Bruce.”

SS: Favorite TV shows?

EG: I’m hooked on Broadchurch

SS: Anything special you eat or drink while you’re writing?

EG: I used to eat Peanut M&M’s to power my brain, but I’m bordering on pre-diabetic so now I have to find something else to fuel my mind. Suggestions?

SS: How do you celebrate after completing a book?

EG: Take the family out to eat.

SS: Where can readers find you on the Internet?

EG:

My home page, my Facebook page, and on Twitter. Also, sign up here for my Great Escapes newsletter. 

Leave a comment below (plus your email address) to be eligible for a copy of Elizabeth Goddard’s latest  book, Deception.

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A WRITER'S PATH

Nancy Mehl lives in Festus, Missouri, with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored twenty-two books and just finished a new series for Bethany House Publishing. The first book in her Finding Sanctuary series, “Gathering Shadows” was released in May of 2014. The second book, “Deadly Echoes” became available in February.  The third book, “Rising Darkness released in November. Now she’s writing a new series based on the U.S. Marshals. The first book, “Fatal Frost,” in her Defenders of Justice series, will release in November of 2016. She is also working on an Amish cozy mystery series for Guideposts. The first book, “Blessings in Disguise” was published in June, 2015. She will write at least three more in this series.   

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

Readers can learn more about Nancy through her Web site: www.nancymehl.com. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.

A WRITER'S PATH

Most writers start out with a plan. They know what they want to write – and they write it. But sometimes our paths take a detour. This is what happened to me. In November, the first book in a new series debuts. And it’s different. So, how did I get there?

I was forty-five when I began to wonder if I was called to write. I jumped in with both feet – until I realized the kind of dedication writing would take. I went to the Lord – laid out a fleece. I had to know for certain this was something God wanted me to do. I knew it would cost me something, and I needed to know that this was actually God’s will. He answered in a miraculous way, and I’ve never looked back. Truthfully, I’ve never thought about quitting or changing my mind. I am an author. It’s just who I am. But has the path always been smooth? No.

When I first started writing I wrote straight mystery. In my mind, I wanted to write for unsaved readers because it would give me a chance to share the Gospel. After three books sold to small publishers, an opportunity opened to write cozy mysteries for a large Christian publisher. I took that opportunity and it led to six novels. I thought I would spend my writing career writing cozies. I love them. But then…

The publisher closed their cozy line. I was out of a job. But then…

An editor with this same publisher asked me to turn a proposal for a cozy mystery into a proposal for a Mennonite-themed suspense novel. And I did. That led to three novels. But then…

Another publisher contacted me. They wanted me to write Mennonite-themed novels for them. And I did. Six novels. As time progressed I was able to add more and more suspense to my novels. And I enjoyed it! But then…

I gave the publisher a proposal for a suspense series that revolved around the U.S. Marshals’ Service. This theme was close to my heart. I love law enforcement, and this was something I really wanted to write. Something I was passionate about.  And then…

They accepted it!

So in November FATAL FROST releases. And I’m excited.

This is how a mystery writer went to cozies, to Mennonite-themed suspense, to writing about law enforcement. It’s been a strange path. I’ve seen writers give up along their path because it takes twists and turns they didn’t expect. But if you trust God, eventually you’ll end up exactly where you want to be. God is good. By the way, I still get to write cozies for Guideposts. If I stay exactly where I am for the rest of my career, I will happy. But…

Wherever God leads I’ll follow. He knows the desires of my heart even better than I do. My prayer is that if you’re a writer and right now you’re somewhere that seems far away from where you want to be, hearing about my curvy and changing path will encourage you. God’s path may not always be straight – but it will get you to exactly the right place if you just keep believing!

 Here’s a brief synopsis for FATAL FROST – and an excerpt. If you’ll leave a comment, along with your contact information, you could win a copy of FATAL FROST when it comes out in November! (U.S. only please.)

FATAL FROST

Mercy Brennan followed in her father's footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she's assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis's most powerful gang.

When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent--a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy's ex-boyfriend--to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety.

Initially unaware of the danger she's in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy's frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn't until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive--if help is even coming at all?

EXCERPT

There was absolute silence in the van as they waited for the order to start the operation. Mercy clasped her AR-15 rifle against her vest. All LEOs had on their tactical gear. Underneath it, most of the cops wore uniforms. The marshals and the police detectives were dressed in street clothes. With their coats zipped up against the cold, the only way to tell the difference between the various law enforcement agencies represented were the words stamped on the back of their jackets. But tonight, departments, and even rank didn’t matter. They were one unit with one goal.

Mercy’s grip tightened on her rifle as the sound of the rain intensified. It was as if it were directly connected to the increased concentration surging through all the members of the unit. Seconds later, the commander yelled, “Go! Go! Go!”

The doors of the van burst open and everyone jumped out, intent on taking their assigned position. Mercy ran around to the back of the house, keeping as low to the ground as possible, thankful for the dark and the heavy showers. They were shields of protection until the residence was breached. She crouched down near the back door. Seeing another deputy take his place at the back of the yard, she signaled him with a wave of her hand to let him know she was in place. He signaled back. They were set. They both had to be ready to move quickly. If they had the right house, there would be runners. There were always runners.

Seconds later, she heard a shout. “Police! We have a warrant!” Several other voices echoed the same warning. Then came a loud bang, making it clear the front door had been broken down and everyone inside the house was now aware of the raid. Mercy pulled the flashlight out of her belt and trained it on the back door, her rifle held firmly with her other hand.

“He’s over there!”

Mercy swung her flashlight toward a lone figure running away from the house. He must have exited through a basement window. “Watch the door,” she yelled to the other deputy. She sprinted after the runner, identifying herself as a police officer and commanding him to stop. Even though she was actually with the marshals’ office, calling herself a cop made it simpler for everyone to understand, especially the perps.

It was obvious this guy wasn’t going to make it easy for either one of them. As she raced through an adjoining yard, a woman came out onto her back porch and began screaming obscenities at Mercy, ordering her to get off her property. Mercy swung her flashlight toward the woman and instructed her to get inside the house, but this seemed to incense her even more. Mercy had no choice but to ignore the irate resident and stay focused on the fleeing suspect. The icy rain not only made it hard to see, the ground was slick and Mercy slipped several times. Hopefully, the suspect was having the same problem. As she rounded the backyard, she saw someone in the alley. As she approached, the figure turned toward her. A street lamp revealed a gun in his hand.

Mercy dropped her flashlight and took her stance. She raised her rifle to firing position. “Put it down now,” she shouted. “Drop the gun, or I’ll fire.” She was close enough to see fear on the man’s face. She didn’t want to shoot him, but if he didn’t comply with her order, she might not have a choice. Instead of lowering his gun, he raised the barrel. In that instant, Mercy hesitated. For just a moment. That one second of uncertainty cost her. She felt the first bullet hit her vest. The second pierced her shoulder, and searing pain knocked the gun out of her hand, sending her to the ground. The shooter advanced slowly, the apprehension gone from his expression. It had been replaced with hate and victory. He pointed his gun at her, and Mercy prepared herself for the bullet that would end her life. She wanted to scream out that she was only twenty-six. Too young to die. But she knew the man with the gun wouldn’t care.

As expected, she heard the sound of a shot, but surprisingly the expression on the suspect’s face changed once again. This time he looked shocked. As he fell to the ground, Mercy heard Tally’s voice calling her name.

Then there was only darkness.

 

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Interview With Cozy Mystery Author, Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower, a national bestselling and Agatha Award winning mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. She also writes mysteries as USA Today bestselling author Isabella Alan. In addition to being an author, Amanda is librarian in Northeast Ohio.

Interview: If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?  

I’ve wanted to be an author my entire life and now I’m living my dream with God’s grace.

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?

I like to spend as much of my free time as I can with my friends and family, especially my niece and nephew, who I love like they are my own children.

What was your favorite book as a teen or child?

Charlotte Web

Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.

1) I’m a vegetarian.

2) I like to cross country… even though I’m not very good at it.

3) I’ve always wanted a pet goat.

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?

Mystery. I’m always wanted to write mystery. I would never say never, but I can’t imagine writing anything else.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest criticism was from my creative writing teacher in college who thought my writing was trivial. I took that on as a challenge to prove her wrong. She was an adjunct professor, and I don’t even remember her name but I remember what she said, and I’m grateful to her to put the fire in me to get published.

The best compliment was from a friend who said she loved my book so much that she forgot that I was one the who wrote it because she was so wrapped up in the story.

Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?

I like to read some Urban Fantasy and Sweet Romance.

If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be?

I’d be a librarian like I am. I am a fulltime librarian and a fulltime author.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

Keep trying. Don’t give up. Success in publishing is more dependent on determination and a strong will than natural talent.

Can you tell us something about your latest novel,  Crime and Poetry, first in the new Magical Bookshop Mystery series.

Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...

Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...

Please leave a comment for Amanda, along with your email address, for a chance to win a copy of Crime and Poetry. US residents only. 

Book-signings in an era of brick and mortar bookstores by Mary Ellis

     I often think back fondly of my very first book-signing. I had just published a romantic suspense geared to the literary/library market. So the binding and packaging were top-notch—it would truly hold up to heavy wear-and-tear. And the cover photo was embedded in the hardback cover, beneath the paper jacket. The only problem was the list price of $27.00 for an absolute “nobody” of a writer. I was so tickled with getting published that I scheduled a signing at my local independent bookstore. (Borders and Barnes and Noble kept asking: Who did you say you were?) This was an adorable shop in a valley surrounded by ski slopes and quaint art galleries. Unfortunately, it is now out-of-business. I send out dozens of publicity postcards to my family, friends, neighbors and business acquaintances. I paid for ads in my local newspapers and tried every avenue of free publicity I could find.

     

     The day of the event I wore my new dress and took extra time with hair and make-up. I brought a tray of cookies and fruit tarts from the nearby bakery. The store owner had a fire lit with a comfy armchair for me to greet my “fans.” And in they came—my neighbors, cousins, and coworkers at my day job. It was like a cocktail party minus the cocktails. Everyone mingled and had a great time, including me. One hapless tourist wandered in and noticed the commotion. I spent fifteen minutes weaving an intriguing synopsis of my mystery. He kept thumbing through the book and nodding his head enthusiastically. Then suddenly he said: “Your book sounds good, but I’ll just check it out at the library.” And he disappeared out the door.

     In the end, I didn’t sell a single copy to anyone who wasn’t related to me or knew me personally, but I did sell almost thirty books. When we were leaving with our empty dessert tray, my husband said: “This obligates us to very nice wedding/shower/baby/graduation or whatever gifts to everyone for the rest of our lives.” But you know what? It was all worth it, because for one special afternoon I felt like an author instead of just a writer.

     Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances. Her latest, What Happened on Beale Street, is part of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, from Harvest House Publishers. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. She enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or www.facebook.com/Mary-Ellis/Author

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