Nancy Mehl and Free Books!

A random photograph of a Mennonite teenager sends television reporter, Wynter Evans, on a dangerous search for a brother who went missing under mysterious circumstance almost ten years ago.

Today we're chatting with novelist Nancy Mehl, author of Gathering Shadows : Book One in the Finding Sanctuary Series (Bethany House Publishers, April 2014).

Nancy Mehl lives in Festus, Missouri, with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored eighteen books and is currently at work on a new series for Bethany House Publishing. The first book in her Finding Sanctuary series, Gathering Shadows, was released on April 29th, 2014.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do.”

Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

-- I’m an animal lover. All of our pets have been rescues.

-- I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.

-- I used to take singing lessons with an emphasis on opera.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Gathering Shadows.

Wynter Evans is a promising young reporter for a television station in St. Louis, but even a bright future doesn't take away her pain over the disappearance of her brother nine years ago. So when she stumbles across a photograph of a boy with an eerie resemblance to him, she can't pass up the chance to track him down. With research for work as her cover, she sets out with one of the station's photogs for the place where the picture was taken: the town of Sanctuary.

Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets the town's handsome young mayor, Rueben King, and together they begin to uncover long held secrets that could tear the small town apart and change everything Wynter thought she knew about her life. As the truth of her family's past hides in the shadows, it's clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the answers she's searching for hidden forever--even if the cost is Wynter's very life.

What is it about Wynter that will make your readers care about her?

Wynter is a vulnerable young woman who finds it hard to trust people after her brother’s kidnapping. Although the people she works with would say she is very professional and confident, the truth is that her emotional life revolves around the day her brother disappeared. Many of us have had bad situations from the past that still affect us today. Wynter will have to confront the realization that she can’t move forward as long as she’s looking behind her. I hope readers will identify with her struggle.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

Wynter could be played by Kristen Bell.




Rueben King, the mayor of Sanctuary, Missouri, could be played by a young Ewan McGregor.


Sometimes a writer’s imagination can be triggered with word mapping. If I give you the word "challenge," what three words first come to mind, and how would you word a sentence (or 2, if needed) using all four words?

1. Interview

2. Question

3. Clueless

I am clueless as to how to answer this interview question about the word challenge. (LOL!)

Oh, that's funny--I assumed you were writing that sentence just to me, and I almost deleted it without realizing you had used your mapped words in a sentence. I need to pay better attention to my own questions!

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

Forbidden (The Books of Mortals) by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. I love the thought-provoking world the authors have created, the outstanding characterizations, and the extremely compelling story. The writing is so good I was able to easily fall into the role of a reader. It can be difficult for authors to read books without critiquing the writing technique.

What are you working on now?

Book three of my Finding Sanctuary series for Bethany House and an Amish cozy mystery for Guideposts.

Where else can readers find you online?

www.NancyMehl.com, www.nancymehl.blogspot.com (where I have a newsletter), www.SuspenseSisters.blogspot.com (along with several other popular suspense authors), and on Facebook.


The book can be purchased in fine book stores and online via the following buttons:




CBD.com



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

When it comes to a fiction series, do you enjoy seeing a different main character in each book or would you rather see the same main character continue throughout the entire series?

Thanks, Nancy, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Nancy has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, July 10. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Nancy's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Be sure to check out my interview with Creston Mapes and DiAnn Mills, below. Leave an appropriate comment at the bottom of the post to enter the drawing for a signed copy of the book.

Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.