Looking Out the Window: Heidi Glick Tells Us about Her New Book, Dog Tags, a Suspense Novel with Love and Faith.

Welcome, Heidi. First, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m the youngest of three children, married, and have a son and two dogs. Fiction is my passion, but technical writing and editing currently pay my bills.

Lots of writers enjoyed reading as a child. How about you? If so, what did you read?
I was an avid reader as a kid. When I couldn’t sleep, my family gave me books to read. I enjoyed reading Sugar Creek Gang books.

Tell us about your latest book.
Dog Tags is a suspense novel set in two fictional towns, Beaumont, Ohio, and Riversdale, California. In it, a former Marine determines to protect the woman he loves at all costs, and yet his own secrets might turn her against him forever.

Ahh, a noble hero. What inspired you to write this particular book?
I took a romance novella I'd written and revamped it to make it a suspense novel. The suspense version made for a better story.

I wanted a villain with certain weaknesses that might help lead to his demise, but at the same time, I wanted the villain to be able to capitalize on the weaknesses of the hero. Also, I wanted a strong female as my heroine.

I used my husband as part of my inspiration for my hero. My husband is quite the history buff and can spout off trivia facts at random. Also, one of my dogs served as the inspiration for the dog in the novel. And like the heroine, I'm a free spirit.

Sounds as though you've got lots of interesting characters in Dog Tags. Where do you get ideas for your books?
I get my ideas from everyday life and experiences.

In three words describe your style of writing.
Humorous, scintillating, and suspenseful.

What a great mix. How do you get to know your characters?
I tend to put myself in my stories, and so that helps me to get to know my characters. I also get to know my characters through research. Hero Mark Graham is a former Marine, and so I read parts of three books on Marines written by Marines in order to get inside Mark’s head.

What themes do you write about?
Death, grief, and forgiveness, to name a few.

What is your writing schedule and where do you write?
I don’t have a set schedule. With a full-time job, grad school, and a newborn in my house, I write whenever I can find time.

Do you have to juggle writing with a job, family responsibilities or other obligations? How do you balance it?
In the past, I’ve juggled writing with a full-time job and graduate school. As of late, I’m trying to balance writing and spending time with my newborn. He takes precedent over writing, as he should. I balance it by getting help from my family, especially my husband. Also, I use every available minute. I try not to waste time.

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
I’m 80% plotter and 20% pantzer.

Does your faith affect your writing? How?
My faith influences my writing. I write stories that adhere to the principles of my beliefs. I try to encourage others in their faith through my writing.

Do you put yourself in your books?
I do tend to put myself in my books. The heroine of Dog Tags is a free spirit, and that pretty much describes me.

What are you working on right now?
I like to work on several stories at once. I’m working on a sequel to Dog Tags, a series about EPA CID agents, and a romance novella set in Mexico.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Be open to learning more about writing and learn all you can.

What is the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?
When I graduated from college, I taught high school science. During the first week of school, I slipped on the floor and fell in front of the entire class.

Oh no. Thanks, Heidi 

About Dog Tags
When disabled ex-Marine Mark Graham reconnects with his best friend’s sister, he finds himself falling in love. But Beth Martindale’s presence is a constant reminder of events he’d rather forget. Mark wants to move forward, but the secrets surrounding her brother’s death as well as his own confinement to a wheelchair threaten to tear them apart. When a psychopath who calls himself The Knight fixates on Beth, Mark is determined to give her the protection he failed to give her brother on the battlefield, yet he discovers that a wheelchair isn’t the only impediment he has to keeping Beth safe. Will terror win or can Mark find the strength of mind and body to rescue Beth and find his own redemption?

What others are saying about Dog Tags:
In Dog Tags, author Heidi Glick, composes a provocative and compelling novel. This gripping suspense story has well-developed, realistic characters, and a scintillating plot line. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it! - Marcy G. Dyer, author of Down and Out.

Breakout author, Heidi Glick, scores with a brilliantly fast-paced romance infused with a mystery that has twists and turns you'll never see coming.
~ Suzanne Hartmann, author of Fast Track Thrillers, Peril and Conspiracy

Heidi Glick accomplished her mission with Dog Tags. Her debut novel is a great mix of suspense, mystery and romance. Mark and Elizabeth are both authentic and delightful as they navigate through secrets and danger on the way to love. Well-researched, beautifully told, Dog Tags is a winner.
Carole Towriss, In the Shadow of Sinai, November 2012 (DeWard Publishing Co.)

Bio
Heidi Glick has a B.A. in biology, a minor in Bible from Cedarville University, and a passion for writing Christian fiction. She has over seven years of technical editing experience, a certificate in technical writing from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and is working towards her Master of English at Utah State University. Additionally, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has written two articles for Intercom. When not working, Heidi spends time with her husband, son, and two dogs, Cocoa and Sparky. She attends Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio.

Heidi's Links:
http://heidiglickbooks.com
http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com
http://queencityquill.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/authorheidiglick
https://twitter.com/sheglick