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When did you first know you wanted to write?
Since I was a young girl, I've always loved stories. I was fascinated by people - their choices, their secrets, and what happens when circumstances push them beyond what they thought they were capable of. Writing became my way of exploring those things and creating stories that keep readers turning pages. Who doesn't love a good cliffhanger?
What draws you to psychological suspense and mystery?
I always begin my stories with 'who killed whom and why.' I love the uncertainty. The most interesting question isn't always, Who did it? Sometimes it's, why did they do it? I enjoy taking my readers inside my characters' minds and letting them wonder who they can - and cannot - trust.
Tell us about Palmetto Connection.
Palmetto Connection is a story of secrets, danger, and betrayal. I wanted to create characters with something to hide and put them in situations that challenge their faith and leave them knowing their secrets could come back to haunt them. As the story unfolds, the line between who can be trusted and who cannot becomes blurry.
What inspired you to write Palmetto Connection?
I wanted to write a story using my hometown as the setting. Though there is no such town as Patriot, I wanted to give the Patriot I created, based on my hometown, that southern, everyone-knows-everyone feeling.
What do you want your readers to feel when they read your books?
I want my readers to become completely involved in the story. I want them to feel the suspense, question the characters, and keep turning pages because they have to know what happens next. My characters are Christians, but they're human. They aren't perfect or puritanical. They make mistakes, make bad choices, and sometimes behave badly. That's real life. Even knowing we're redeemed, we're still human - and we still have to deal with our choices and the consequences.
What makes your characters different from the typical characters in Christian fiction?
In most Christian fiction I read, the characters fit a stereotype. My characters are not stereotypical. Like me, they make poor choices or act before taking the question to the Lord. And then come the consequences. I find Christian human beings, like myself, experience times of jumping into action only to find themselves sinking. I want my readers to know we are all human. Christian, yes. Redeemed, yes. But we're still human beings.
What is the hardest part of writing a mystery?
I find the hardest part of writing a mystery is sticking to the formula while freeing myself to let my characters speak for themselves. They say a character can take over the writing, and I found that not only true, but invigorating. I love it. Then, after writing a chapter, I have to go back over it to make sure I didn't break any of the rules without good reason.
What would you say to someone who is discovering your books for the first time?
To someone who is discovering my books for the first time, I hope they recognize the difference between mainstream suspense and my stories. I focus on the mystery, but never lose sight of the part faith plays in the story, just like in real life. My characters face danger, make mistakes, struggle with their choices, and sometimes have to find their way back to what they know and believe. If you enjoy suspense with characters who are human, flawed, and still searching for answers, I hope you'll give my books a try.