JR: I've had the honor of interviewing you back in
the day when I read my first Nancy Mehl novel in 2014 (Gathering
Shadows, book one of the Finding Sanctuary
series). I'm currently reading #16. (For the record, that ties you at
second with Donna Fletcher Crow, and only seven behind Agatha
Christie.) So if I asked you way back then how you got into writing,
I had forgotten. So would you refresh my failing memory?
NM: It was a combination of two different things.
First of all, I used to love “Murder, She Wrote.” One day I said
to myself, “I know what I want to be. I want to be Jessica
Fletcher!” Up until then, I’d tried all kinds of things, but
nothing was the perfect fit. Then I heard someone teach that if you
wanted to know what you were called to do, sometimes you could go
back to your childhood and look at what you did naturally. Well, I
was a voracious reader. I loved books! And I wrote “things.”
First of all, I wrote a small book (pieces of paper stapled together)
titled “Danny Goes to the Circus.” (Danny was my younger
brother.) Then I wrote poetry in high school. I also recalled an
assignment by my high school English teacher to write three poems.
She would then read them to the class. She read mine and accused me
of plagiarism in front of everyone. I never challenged her. (I wish I
had.) But it got me to thinking. Had she believed I’d stolen those
poems because they were good? Was it possible I was a writer? Maybe I
really could be Jessica Fletcher Junior! So I decided to give it a
try. After a very clear confirmation from God, I started writing and
never looked back.
JR: My short term memory tells me that you have won a
Carol award this year. My long term memory is saying it may not be
your first award. Could you tell us about your award winning books?
Did winning the awards in any way feel different from each other?
NM: The first award I won was in 2009. It was called
the ACFW Book of the Year Award for mystery/suspense. The book was For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. It was a cozy mystery which
was part of my Ivy Towers series. That same award became the Carol
Award shortly after that. Last year I won the Daphne Du Maurier Award
for Excellence in Inspirational Mystery and Suspense for my book, Dead End, book three in my Kailey Quinn Profiler series. This
series was about a behavioral analyst for the FBI. The same book won
the Carol Award as well. I’ve been nominated for the Carol Award
two other times. I was also nominated for the Reviewers Choice Award
twice from RT Book Reviews. And I was thrilled to be nominated for
the prestigious Christy Award for my book, Mind Games, book one
in the Kailey Quinn series. I would love to win this award at least
once during my career.
I don’t think the awards felt any different from
each other, although winning the Daphne Du Maurier Award was neat
because the contest was actually sponsored by a secular organization.
JR: Kaley Quinn is one of my favorite fictional
characters, and I was happy to see her in the novel I'm currently
reading. Would you like to tell us about Dead
Fall and the Quantico Files series?
NM: The
Quantico Files series tells the story of Alex Donovan and Logan Hart,
both behavioral analysts for the FBI’s prestigious Behavioral
Analysis Unit (BAU) for the FBI.
Here’s the synopsis for Dead Fall:
He
has a deadly endgame in mind--and he's already chosen each victim . .
. including her.
After
putting to rest the most personal case of her career, Alex Donovan is
ready to move on and focus on her future at the FBI's elite
Behavioral Analysis Unit. When the BAU cofounder is discovered dead
in his hotel room, the FBI is called in to work on the strangest case
they've ever faced. How do you find a killer who murders his victims
from a distance?
When it becomes clear that the killer is
targeting agents in Alex's unit, they are ordered into lockdown,
sheltered in the dorms at Quantico. Alex bunks with controversial
agent Kaely Quinn, and as they work together, Alex discovers in Kaely
the role model she's never had--despite being warned away.
As
Alex questions the type of agent she wants to become, things get
personal when the brilliant killer strikes close to home. Now Alex
will do anything to find the killer--even at the risk of her own
life.
JR: Another of my favorite characters is Hilde
Higgins from your Curl Up & Dye trilogy. I'm sure Hilde and Kaley
regularly meet for coffee a fiction world diner, since they have so
much in common. Or let me put it a different way - what is it like
writing different genres such as the cozy mysteries of Curl Up &
Dye, romantic suspense like Finding Sanctuary, and thrillers like
Kaley Quinn profiler and the Quantico Files?
NM: The genre I’m writing now is what I’ve
always wanted to write. (Although I would love to tackle a few novels
that look more deeply into the spirit realm – kind of like what
Frank Peretti writes.) I started off writing cozy mystery because
that’s the door that opened. I actually love cozy mystery so I
truly enjoyed that opportunity. Then I was asked to write
Mennonite-themed suspense. That changed to romantic suspense. Then my
books became more suspense (less romance). Now my books are
suspense/thriller, although I believe every book I write has a
mystery flavor since mystery is probably the genre of my heart.
JR: I've mentioned that I'm working toward reading my
sixteenth Mehl novel, and yet I haven't hit the halfway point yet.
Besides the different genres, what changes have you made in your
writing? What advice would you give a young writer? Are there people
you still consider mentors, and do your characters sometime help
mentor you?
NM: Wow. Lots of questions there. I think the changes
in my writing have to do with doing more research into law
enforcement. I love law enforcement and it means a lot to me to be
able to represent these brave men and women in my writing.
To newbie writers I would advise three things. First
of all, study the craft of writing. If you don’t, you’ll pay the
price for it. Don’t send out proposals to agents or publishers
before you know what you’re doing. They’re looking for writers
who understand how to write a book. If you don’t, you’ll be
rejected. Just remember that you wouldn’t want a surgeon to work on
you who hadn’t gone to medical school. Same thing with writing. Go
to school. I always advise Christian writers to join American
Christian Fiction Writers. There is so much information there as well
as great connections.
My second piece of advice is to read books released
by the publisher you’re targeting. Find out what they like and
write that.
Number three, find a good agent. Not one that asks
you for money. Legitimate agents don’t do that. When querying, send
them exactly what they ask for. Read their requirements. If you
don’t, your query will be rejected.
Not sure if I have a mentor. I’ve certainly had God
put people in my life that have helped me. Susan Downs is one of them
and Raela Schoenherr with Bethany House is another. I love these
women and will always appreciate them.
JR: Thank you for your time. I'm sure that Dead
Fall isn't the end of the Quantico Files;
what else are you working on? How's your family (both the two and
four legged members)? How can we keep up with the latest?
NM: The last book in the Quantico Files is “Free
Fall.” It will be out in June. I’m working on a new series now
that features two retired behavioral analysts that have started a
detective agency.
My family is fine…now. Norman and I were both hit
with COVID around Christmas. He recovered after a couple of weeks.
Mine took longer. I had what is called “long term COVID.” It was
rough. I’m just now starting to feel like myself again.
Our dog Watson is doing fine. Still thinks our bed
actually belongs to him. Since we moved he is determined to protect
us from the evil deer that come into our yard. Sigh.
I’m on Facebook. I have a regular page and a fanpage. I’m also on Twitter. My website is: nancymehl.com.
Thanks for the interview, Jeffrey.
