1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
As far back as I can remember, I've enjoyed reading the mystery/suspense/thriller fiction genre. When I was only eleven years old, I asked permission from my father to read some of the adult books he was bringing home from the library each week. After reading a couple of them, I was hooked on spy fiction for life! However, I didn't write my own novel in this genre until after I'd been a freelance writer for several years.
I'm the wife of a minister, and my husband and I have lived overseas in Central and South America, plus several different places in the States. As you might expect, I'm also an avid reader. In addition, I follow world news, especially geopolitical news on a daily basis, and I'm somewhat an expert on the Middle East. To balance out my profile, I'm a Dallas Cowboy football fan.
2. Describe your book One Night in Tehran: A Titus Ray Thriller in 30 words or less.
CIA officer Titus Ray is targeted by an assassin. Is the killer connected to the Iranian couple in Oklahoma? Can he trust Nikki with his secrets?
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
By far, the hardest part of writing One Night in Tehran was to stop writing it. The story kept unfolding in front of me, and, when I realized I needed to make a series out of this thriller, then the difficult part was deciding where to end Book One. As it stands right now, there will be five books in this series.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
My writing style has been greatly influenced by the writing styles of Adam Hall, Daniel Silva, Nelson DeMille, Joel Rosenberg, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and John Sandford. However, my life has been influenced the most by the Bible. I read it through every year, and I've done this for the past forty years.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
After doing some research and talking with other authors, I took their recommendations and joined book clubs, author marketing clubs and social media. I also learned it helped readers become acquainted with a debut author's work by participating in book giveaways. Bookbuzzr and Freado are two websites that combine some of these author marketing tools into one easy-to-use method of introducing my novel to eager readers.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
During the spring and summer months, I love to work in my flower garden and spend time with my two grandsons, and, in the fall, I watch a lot of football. At any time, I enjoy playing a word game on my iPad called Words with Friends. Perhaps, not surprisingly, I incorporated the game as a device in One Night in Tehran. I'm also involved in many activities in my local church.
7. What are you working on next?
I'm about to put the finishing touches on Book Two of the Titus Ray Thriller Series. It will be published in Spring 2015, and it's entitled Two Days in Caracas. I also write a weekly blog at
http://www.hisglorymyjoy.wordpress.com.
