Writer’s Desk with Dana Mentink
Tricia GoyerDana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and the recipient of a Holt Medallion for excellence in mystery/suspense. She was honored to receive the Author of the Year award from West Coast Christian Writers. A California native, she’s written over fifty titles for the general and Christian markets in the suspense, lighthearted romance, and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, and Poisoned Pen Press.
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More about Fire MountainFire rains from above as they fight to discover the truth and stay alive.
In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to recall what happened or why she’s suddenly in possession of someone’s baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that perhaps this time she could use a little help.
As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why he’s the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody handprint on the interior, he realizes that he’s in this thing, like it or not.
When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby’s missing mother–all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above.
Purchase a copy of Fire Mountain.
Enter to Win a Copy of Fire MountainQ&A with Dana MentinkARCF: Let’s start with the obvious: What makes Fire Mountain sizzle?
DM: We start out with a woman truck driver who wakes up in a crashed rig with a stranger’s baby, trapped in a volcanic eruption zone with no memory of how she got there. It’s a wild, page-turning survival adventure!
ARCF: What sparked the idea for Fire Mountain—a headline, a place, or maybe a character?
DM: The Mt. St. Helen’s eruption in 1980 left a huge impression on me. Who would guess it would turn into a book forty-five years later.
ARCF: What’s more intense: writing a cliffhanger scene or trying to keep your dogs quiet during edits?
DM: Ha! There is no way I can keep Junie the Wonder Dog quiet if she senses the approach of the diabolical squirrel or the shifty UPS guy. At least the box turtle is quiet!
ARCF: What’s one moment in the book that gave you literal goosebumps while writing it?
DM: Have you ever heard of a limnic eruption? It happens when bottled up gasses under a lake suddenly erupt. It’s a silent killer and it chilled me to describe it.
ARCF: If the main character were stranded on an actual mountain, what three things would they bring (besides snacks)?
DM: Kit is a planner and she’d bring a fully packed first aid kit, a variety of jackets and hats, and her precious stuffed teddy that she never goes anywhere without.
ARCF: How does your faith influence the choices your characters make in Fire Mountain?
DM: My books invariably focus on the theme of God’s precious forgiveness. It’s hard to accept sometimes, because we know how imperfect we are. Throughout this novel, both Kit and Cullen have to come to grips with this issue and come to realize who they are in Christ.
ARCF: If the setting of Fire Mountain were a character, how would you describe its personality?
DM: A hot mess!
ARCF: What snack or beverage powered you through the writing of this novel? (Be honest!)
DM: I hate to admit it, but I love candy. (I wish vegetables were as enticing. ) I love those long sour ropes, the Sweet Tart Rainbow punch are my favorite. Lots of chewing satisfaction but they don’t yank out my fillings.
ARCF: Which side character in Fire Mountain might deserve their own spin-off?
DM: Well I can tell you that Cullen’s brother Gideon is the star of the next book.
ARCF: If readers could only know one secret about Fire Mountain before diving in… what would you whisper to them?
DM: Watch what Kit can do with Doritos!
ARCF: And finally, what is coming up next for you?
DM: The next book, Raging Waters, releases next summer sometime. In that installment, Cullen’s brother attempts to escape a town threatened by a failing dam.
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