A Chat with Lillian Duncan

Today we continue our visit with Lillian Duncan, author of stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem. Lillian is a multi-published writer who writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word. Lil, tell us a little about your newest release, Betrayed.

Betrayed is the second book in my Sisters By Choice series and will be released in January 2014. In Deception, the first in the series, there is a terrorist. I kept wondering what kind of woman could be married to a terrorist and not know it. Betrayed answers that question. It is Maria’s story and her struggle to get past the betrayal of her husband and create a new life for her daughter.

What’s the setting for Betrayed?

Most of the story takes place in or around a small fictional town in Ohio called Sunberry. Coincidentally, we have a small town in Ohio called Sunbury that is very similar to the fictional setting!

Yes, I've been there! It's a nice little town. Does the title of the book have to do with Maria's betrayal by her husband?

In part, yes. But as the story continues, Maria begins to believe she’s been betrayed yet again. But by whom?

Is Betrayed the first book you published?

No, I’ve published several others in the past few years, including Deception and Pursued also published by Pelican Book Group along with a novella, The Christmas Stalking.

I read Pursued and enjoyed it. What's the history of this latest title?

I had actually written much of Maria’s story in Deception, but it was taken out of that book. Maria wasn’t happy about that and begged me to write her story, so I did.

That's funny! But I completely understand. What do you hope readers will take away from Betrayed?

Bad things happen to all of us. How we react to those things will determine the quality of our future. We can make the choice to stay in the past and be angry and bitter, but a much better choice would be to forgive and move on with our own life.

Does Betrayed have a theme?

Beauty for ashes is a phrase that comes up several times throughout the book and I consider it the theme. It comes from Isaiah 61: 3. A second theme is about honoring God with our choices and our actions even in the midst of a crisis.

You say this is the second book in a series, Sisters By Choice. What's the connecting theme for the series?

This series definitely has romance in it, but I also wanted to explore the strong bonds that form between women—through blood or through the choices we make. Each story focuses on a relationship between two women that becomes as important to the story as the romantic plot.

The first in the series, Deception, focused on the broken relationship of identical twin sisters, Patti and Jamie. The lesson was to not waste time arguing with those you love—you may not get a second chance to repair that relationship. Betrayed focuses on two strangers bonding and becoming friends as they face a crisis together. One of the characters teaches Maria about how to honor God by her actions even in the most horrible of circumstances.

What is your writing process?

I am not an outliner. I wish I were—it seems easier to me. But my mind doesn’t work that way. I never know what is going to happen in my story on any given writing day. It’s as if my mind is a movie screen and I watch that day’s events and then I write it.

When I start a new story I usually have a clear picture of the main character in mind and what obstacle he/she will face, but anything goes after that. If I’m writing and start to feel bored—then I kill someone or blow something up. And that way it’s a surprise to me and to my readers.

Love it! Next time I'm bored, I'll try blowing up something. Do you know who the bad guy is when you begin your story?

Not usually. Most of the time I have several characters who it might be and as the story comes to a conclusion, I am surprised right along with my readers. Betrayed was no exception. I wasn’t sure who it was until the very end.

Many people don’t think of murder mysteries and suspense novels as Christian fiction. What do you say to them?

I can certainly understand their point of view. Some readers might find my stories a bit too graphic or edgy, and that’s ok, I understand that. I would say my readers are those who like traditional suspense and mystery novels but are tired of all the explicit language and sex scenes that aren’t necessary to a good story.

I don’t promote or glorify violence in my stories, but I show characters experiencing the natural consequences of their bad choices and actions.

Then what makes your stories Christian fiction?

They always have an element of faith in them. How that plays out depends on the individual plots of each specific story. My main characters are always on a spiritual journey, though some may be further along than others.

Incidentally, Christian fiction has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Other than erotica, readers can find their favorite genre as Christian fiction as well as mainstream fiction. There are Christian fiction books out there for every book lover—historical; romance; regency; science fiction; even horror novels.

If Betrayed were made into a movie, who would you like to see play your main characters?

Oh, I can see Angelina Jolie playing Maria. In Deception, Maria was a bit of a wimp, but life has changed her. She’s tough now—like Angelina. I think Mark Harmon, better known as Gibbs, would make the perfect male lead.

What are you working on now?

I have a devotional blog POWER UP WITH GOD’S WORD: Secrets For a Better Life, at www.PowerUpWithGod.com. I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors this past year and so many of the devotions focus help others who are facing a crisis—physical or spiritual.

Along with that, I'm in the process of rewriting the third book in The Sisters By Choice series, Redemption. I’m also working on a new mystery novella series, Deadly Communications. It features a crime-fighting speech pathologist. Having been a speech pathologist for almost 35 years, this story was so much fun for me to write.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.lillianduncan.net and I have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com. My blog is Tiaras and Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. I’m also on Twitter as @LillianDuncan and on Facebook.

Thank you, Lil, for taking the time to speak with us today.
My pleasure, Yvonne! But may I add one more thing?

Of course! Have at it!

To celebrate the release of BETRAYED, I’m giving away a virtual gift basket at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. It includes a copy of my books, SERENITY SPRINGS, OHIO; DARK ALLEYS; and GEESE MATE FOR LIFE.  Along with the books, a $25 Amazon gift card is included plus a few books from some writer friends. To enter the contest, simply hop on over to Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment on the post titled CELEBRATION! Winner will be chosen and announced on February 14.

Great! Thanks for sharing that.

Readers, in addition to the above opportunity, don't forget to stop by The Borrowed Book tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of Betrayed!

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3 Steps to Publication--Guaranteed! by Author Lillian Duncan

All stories have a beginning, a middle, and end. If you want to get published you need to write the BEST BEGINNINGS, MARVELOUS MIDDLES, and EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS. 

Succeed with these three easy steps and you’ll have a contract before you know it. OK—maybe they aren’t all that easy to master. It took me years to learn the writing craft and I’m still learning! 

BEST BEGINNINGS for any novel, but especially mystery/suspense starts with action—action—and more action! Today’s mystery/suspense readers don’t have time or patience for characters sitting and pondering life’s heavy questions. They want action! 

Best beginnings have someone doing something interesting and it can’t be a dream or a nightmare. Why not? Two reasons—first, it’s tricking the reader into believing something is happening that’s not. And more importantly, many editors/publishers list novels starting with a dream as one of their pet peeves. 

Why risk irritating them on the very first page.

So, the writer’s first task is to hook the reader. The key is to arouse the reader’s curiosity so they will want to turn the page to see what happens next. In Betrayed, I started with a prologue that shows my main character, Maria as she struggles to stay alive in order to keep her daughter safe. No back story, no introduction, no pondering. She’s on a yacht and her terrorist husband is out to kill her. Here’s a brief excerpt from it, let’s see if it piques the readers’ curiosity: 

No way off. No way to escape. No way to get to her daughter. Why had she ever thought a yacht was a good idea for a benefit? Maria Hammond pushed her way through the throngs of partygoers towards the exit. She had to get off this yacht and get to Layla before Raymond did.

So, is that enough to pique the reader’s curiosity?

Once you’ve written your best beginning, it’s time to tackle the hard part—avoiding the sagging middle syndrome. But how? Here’s a few ways to ensure MARVELOUS MIDDLES. 

Introduce a new character. If they have a secret—even better! In BETRAYED, I have a police officer, who obviously has a secret, but I keep the reader guessing until the last third of the book what the secret is.  

Add a ticking time bomb to the original problem. By a ticking time bomb, I mean add a time limit to whatever’s going on, such as not only is the child missing but she needs her medicine.

Add a red herring, give the reader several choices for the murderer. This one is crucial as far as I’m concerned for mystery/suspense readers. We love to figure out who the bad guy is. It makes us feel smart!

Avoid all that back story you are dying to write. No matter how much you love it—it doesn’t move the story forward. Readers want to know what’s happening now, not what happened in the past!

Whew! Now you’ve got your best beginning and a marvelous middle, so on to that EXPLOSIVE ENDING that will wow that editor and have them clamoring for your manuscript. 

One of the keys to creating an explosive ending is to resolve all the story plots, not only the major one. Readers have invested time and emotion in your story. Don’t cheat them by leaving them hanging.

Many books actually have two endings—mine usually do. Often the crucial resolution scene (stopping the murderer—rescuing the damsel in distress) happens in the next to the last chapter and the final chapter is used to tie up all the other story lines with a happy little bow. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a good plan. 

And there you have it, three steps to publication—guaranteed! BEST BEGINNINGS + MARVELOUS MIDDLES + EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS = Great Story (and a book contract). Now, get busy writing.

Lillian is a multi-published writer who writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net.  She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com  as well as her personal blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com 

Come back Friday for a chance to win a copy of Lillian's newest book, right here at The Borrowed Book.

AND

To celebrate the release of BETRAYED, Lillian is giving away a virtual gift basket at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. The virtual gift basket includes a copy of my books, SERENITY SPRINGS, OHIO; DARK ALLEYS; and GEESE MATE FOR LIFE.  Along with the books, a $25 Amazon gift card is included plus a few books from some of her writer friends. To enter the contest, simply hop on over to Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com , leave a comment on the post titled CELEBRATION! Winner will be chosen and announced on February 14.

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