Looking Out the Window: Award-winning, Best-selling Author Nancy Mehl Talks about Her Latest Suspense, Rising Darkness

A Warm Welcome to Nancy Mehl

 

Nancy will give away a print copy of her new book, Rising Darkness. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below

Hi Nancy, first, tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. Two years ago, my husband and I moved to Missouri to be near our son, daughter-in-law, and our precious grandson.

I’ve worked in a lot of areas, including Christian radio and banking. But most of my working life was spent doing social work. I loved it!

I’ve been married 43 years this month, and I have a 36 year-old son, Danny. He’s been married for 4 years and has a 2 year-old son named Aidan. Aidan is such a blessing. We just can’t get enough of him!

Since my husband Norman and I have no more children at home, we spend a lot of time parenting our puggle, Watson. Watson is part pug, part beagle. It seems he got the most rambunctious qualities of each breed. LOL!

When I’m not writing, or watching Doctor Who, I spend time doing embroidery. I just recently took it up again after a thirty year break.

Lots of writers love to read as children. Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read?

Oh, yes. I read constantly. In fact, I volunteered at the school library just so I could find out what new books came in! I could read 3 or 4 a day – even staying up late at night, reading with a flashlight under the covers.

Let's talk about your writing. Why do you write?

I believe it’s what I’m called to do. And I love it.

Tell us about your latest book.

Rising Darkness is about Sophie Wittenbauer, a character in a previous series. It was great to have the chance to finish her story. Here’s a synopsis:

Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. After a rough childhood, her teenage poor choices harmed others, leaving her with no choice but to change her life. Her entry-level writing job at a newspaper puts her in the right place at the right time to overhear office gossip about a prisoner who has information on a decades-old unsolved crime. While the other reporters write off the tip as the ravings of an angry criminal, Sophie can’t ignore it because she knows the name of this prisoner from her old life.

Upon learning from the man that one of the other suspects is hiding out in the Missouri town of Sanctuary, she takes on a false identity to investigate and meets the young pastor of a local church–the very man she’d loved as a troubled teenager. As she gets closer to finding the suspect, will the truth of her own past come out before she discovers the identity of the criminal–or the very person she’s seeking puts a fatal stop to her investigation?

What inspired you to write this particular book?

When the Road to Kingdom series ended, I couldn’t get Sophie out of my mind. I wanted to finish her story. When my editor gave me the green light to bring her back, I was thrilled!

What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?

It’s a story of redemption. I hope readers will identify with Sophie and through her story will see God’s loving hand on their own lives. With God, nothing is impossible!

Where do you get ideas for your books?

Most of them just come to me. Sometimes a real life situation will spark an idea.

What themes do you write about?

Although my books contain suspense and mystery, I always add a theme of hope to each story. Usually, it’s the ability to overcome adversity and find God’s good plan for your life. This has been an important part of my own journey, so I like to share it with my readers.

Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to write if I couldn’t put faith into my stories. I want my readers to leave with more than a good story. I want them to walk away with hope. With the knowledge that God loves them and has a wonderful future planned for them.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a new series about the U.S. Marshals Service. The first book, Fatal Frost, will release in 2016. I’m very passionate about supporting law enforcement, and I get to do that in this series. I believe we need to stand up for our men and women LEOs. They are willing to put their lives on the line for us, and lately they’ve been unfairly attacked. My story will address this current attitude. Maybe it will change some minds.

I'll look forward to that. Thanks for visiting.

Nancy Mehl – Short Bio

Nancy Mehl lives in Festus, Missouri, with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored twenty 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 working on a new series based on the U.S. Marshals. The first book 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.  

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.