Q: When did you first decide you might like to become a writer? 
 

I was born into a family of writers.  I grew up reading, playing word games like Scrabble, and writing stories.  I majored in drama in college, then switched to journalism. The combination of writing and creating characters on the stage helped ground me for the techniques I’d need when I embarked on the journey of learning how to write fiction. I wrote marketing copy and articles for clients through my own company for years, then began the challenge of learning the craft of fiction around 1990. The full story of my journey toward publication in fiction can be found in the archives of my blog, Forensics and Faith. (Titled “How I Got Here,” starting around 2/05.) It was a ten-year journey full of struggles. Lots of kicking cabinets and numerous time of “quitting.” The story has become well known among Christian novelists, and was dubbed the Never-Ending Saga, or NES, on my blog, because of the months it took to tell it.  (I used suspense techniques of hooks for most posts, so people kept coming back day after day to see what happened next.)

Q: When you write, are you more a planner – outline, notes – or “stream-of-conciousness”  (write as it comes to you)

I write suspense that is full of twists and written on multiple levels. I have to know the twists I’m writing toward. There may be some surprises and new thoughts along the way, and fleshing out of the story, but the main plot is in my head. Sometimes I know the final twist but am not quite sure how I’ll get the protagonist there. During the writing I figure that out.

Q: What role do you think religion should play in writing fiction? Do you favor more of an indirect role, or direct role in your style? 
 

I am a writer of “Seatbelt Suspense.” The Christian part is there and will continue to be there because of who I am as a writer. But it must ultimately be driven by the story itself.

My Christian life cannot help but bubble up in my writing. I’ve had, and continue to have, many experiences of seeing God’s supernatural power (through spiritual, emotional and physical healing of myself and others). These experiences drive me, whether I set out to do so or not, to write about God’s power over evil.

That said, I have no particular “style” when approaching a new story as to how much Christian content to include. The amount of Christian content must be driven by the events and characters. This is why, within my books—even within books in the same series—there will be varying degrees of Christian content. It must be a natural part of the story. For example, in Web of Lies, the final book in my Hidden Faces series, there was a fair amount of Christian content, given that the protagonist was a Christian by that time, and naturally turned to prayer in her difficulties. In Violet Dawn, the protagonist is not a Christian and knows little about God. Plus the action of the story takes place within a 14-hour period, leaving little room for a large spiritual character arc. If I went into the story with an agenda, I’d force some sort of conversion at the end of that story. I shudder to even think of that. It wouldn’t be natural. The most that Paige Williams, the protagonist, can do in her situation is see that maybe God is Someone she should become more open to.

Q: What would you say has been your biggest challenge in writing Christian “suspense”?
 

My plots can get so convoluted, I lose myself in my own maze while writing. You just wouldn’t believe how many levels I’m writing on at the same time. I may lead the reader to assume A or B or C, while the truth is really D. That means every occurrence, every bit of dialogue, every thought of a character must be able to be interpreted as supporting A, B, C or D—four totally different scenarios (as to who’s the culprit and why, etc.) Then there are layers under that—the theme layer, the subtext layer. In other words, the meaning underlying the suspense plot that’s on top. What’s this plot really saying about life, about the human condition? Then I have to remember which character  knows what details of the crime, how much I’ve let the reader see of the truth in any given chapter, and what I’m still withholding. Of course, I see the big picture, so it’s easy to forget where the reader’s supposed to be at that moment. On top of all this, you must remember that a suspense author, unlike an author of any other genre, is writing to a wide array of readers—everyone from a first-time reader of suspense to those who read suspense full-time and are “smart readers,” knowing how to interpret symbolism and red herrings, and find the real clues amongst the false. I always write to the smartest reader. If I can keep this reader on his/her toes, I’ll keep everyone on their toes. And writing to the smart reader makes me write the best story possible. No getting sloppy when I know these bright folks are reading me, doing the best to figure out the twists before I reveal them.
 

Q: Meta-fiction – making characters seem real – is so cool, in my humble opinion. Tell me a little more about the Kanner Lake project.

Although I write suspense, which is usually thought of as plot-driven fiction, I spend a lot of time on characterization. Really in the end, regardless of genre, the story must be driven by the characters. My time spent studying drama, and my resulting book on writing fiction, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors, have drummed into me the importance of discovering who a character is, starting from the inside and working out. This plays out in many ways in my writing, and I could easily teach for days on the various techniques. But one common thing the reader will pick up in each of my suspenses is that the main characters (those whose point of view I show) all have issues in their private lives with which they struggle. A strong character is not simply a person caught in the dangerous suspense plot. Who was this character before those events? What are the ongoing challenges in his/her life? How can these struggles be brought into the suspense plot, and how might these experiences end up influencing the choices the character makes when facing danger?

Kanner Lake is different from my previous Hidden Faces series (featuring a forensic artist protagonist) in that I’ve incorporated a larger cast of supporting characters who lend the small town flavor to the north Idaho setting. This supporting cast of characters can’t be the “round” characters—that is, the ones who are more fully fleshed out and have a distinct character arc (a change within the character from the beginning to the end of the book). I can’t possibly spend that much time on all dozen or so of them. But they are used to lend an aura to the overall story. And in fact, one of the supporting characters, Wilbur Hucks, has the distinction of having the last line in the book. I used Wilbur as a bit of comic relief, and so his last line on the upper, plot level allows the reader a bit of a smile at the end after a rather intense book, but that line is really there for its subtext. What is Wilbur really saying to the protagonist through his final words and his action?

The most interesting thing about this cast of supporting characters is that they’re being fleshed out more outside of the actual novels. Scenes and Beans, the Kanner Lake character blog, features posts written by these twelve characters. They talk about their lives in the town, how the town’s been upset by the recent murder, etc. Although no plot points from the book are given away in the posts—so any mention to the Violet Dawn story and subsequent plots in the series are oblique. Writers from around the world auditioned to play these roles on the blog. Now each character is written by anywhere from one to four of these writers who won the roles. They come from the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. They get to play the roles through December of this year. Beginning in January 2007, readers of Violet Dawn will be writing the posts. Starting this month, any reader can send in a post to audition for use on the blog. If it’s chosen, that person will receive an autographed copy of Violet Dawn and recognition on the Kanner Lake Web site for writing the post. Details for how to audition are here. 
 

Q: What's your next project?

Kanner Lake continues for four books. Coral Moon releases in  March 2007, and Crimson Eve releases September 2007. Book four, currently untitled, releases May of 2008. Past that I have three more contracted suspense novels that are stand-alones with Zondervan.
 

Q: Do you see the Christian fiction market changing any time in the future? Where do you think it’s headed?

Oh, my goodness, it’s changing so rapidly I can hardly keep up. My first CBA novel was published in 2001, only five years ago. How far the industry has come since then! My first suspense, Eyes of Elisha, pushed the envelope for suspense at that time. (The story was based on visions—can you imagine!) Door after door was closed to me because publishers, although they loved the book, were scared to publish it. Until Zondervan took the chance. Today, visions in a story doesn’t cause us to blink an eye.
 

Also when Eyes of Elisha was published, suspense was just a fledgling genre in the Christian market. Look at it now. So many new authors, so many new stories—it’s terrific.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors/writers? Which one would you say has been your biggest influence?

I love reading Dean Koontz for his sense of story, his characterization, his sentence rhythm, and his metaphorical language. He is a consummate pro.

Q: What’s the best thing aspiring writers can do to hone their craft? What would you say to aspiring writers to encourage them in their own writing?

I tell my fiction students not to forget to read. Learning the craft of fiction is 50% writing and 50% reading. Read novels with pen in hand, marking what works and what doesn’t. Pay attention to how novelists handle point of view, plot twists, chapter hooks, symbolism, the use of icons, etc., etc. Also read books on how to write fiction. And for the best learning in story structure, watch movies. Strategically see movies that have been highly rated because of their plots. In two hours you can learn a lot about the classic three-act structure. I used to go to matinees a lot, alone, so I could just focus on the screen. I’d pay attention to the very beginning chord of music, the cinematography, even the font of type used for the title and roll of credits. These things in the very beginning set the mood for a movie. Then I’d ask myself—if I wanted to set a similar mood in the opening pages of a book, how would that translate into words.

Q: Here’s my “fun question.” If a movie were written that was based on Violet Dawn, what actors would you have as the lead roles?

Angelina Jolie as Paige Williams. She has the right blend of sultry and mysterious. That cute, perky blonde, Reese Witherspoon as Leslie Brymes. Sean Penn as the Black Mamba. Penn can be coldly calculating. John Travolta as Chief of Police Vince Edwards. Travolta’s got the right mix of character empathy, a trusting face, yet the firmness of a policeman.