Genre: Christian Suspense, Mystery

Format: ebook, paperback

Buy:  Dark Alleys

Homeless and alone, she knows the authorities won’t believe someone like her, leaving her only one option—to run.

1. Where are you from?

I live in a small town in Ohio in the middle of Amish country.

2. Tell us your latest news?

My book, DARK ALLEYS, just released. I’m also working on final edits for  a novella that will be coming out at Christmas time—THE CHRISTMAS STALKING.

So, it’s been a busy year for me. On a personal note, I was diagnosed with two brain tumors this year. Thankfully, benign but much of my time’s been taken up with doctor’s appointments and such things.

3. Do you have a day job as well?

I’ve been a speech pathologist for more than thirty years for school districts. Sadly, this year due to budget crunch, I don’t have a position so it will be an interesting adjustment for myself and my husband.

4. When and why did you begin writing?

I came to writing later in life. I started my first novel when I was forty. I always wanted to be a writer but didn’t do anything about it. I guess I assumed someone would come knocking on my door one day and ask me to write them a novel.

I started writing after I did an exercise of writing my own obituary. In the obituary, I wrote I was a multi-published author. That surprised me since I’d never written anything but poetry before. I decided I better get busy and I did and I haven’t stopped yet.

And I am now a multi-published author for real!

5. How did you choose the genre you write in?

I would say it chose me. I write in the mystery/suspense/romantic suspense genres. That’s what I love to read so I guess it’s natural that’s what I write. I once tried to write an Amish story since they are so popular and I live in the middle of Amish country, but it didn’t take too many pages before a dead body popped up in the story.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

I think in the 17 years I’ve been writing, I’ve only had two episodes of real writer’s block where I couldn’t get the story to move forward no matter what I did. I have many mini writer’s blocks over the years. In those cases, I would go back and start the story over and as I edited, I would figure out where the story fell apart and fix it up from there.

In the two cases of real writer’s block, I gave up writing for awhile and focused on other things until I felt the urge to write again. After so many years, I’ve learned to trust the writing process so I don’t panic when I need a break.

7. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

In DARK ALLEYS, the theme is a message of hope for all us who mess up. The main character is a homeless alcoholic but discovers God still loves her and that’s the message I want my readers to know. God still loves us even when we mess up.

8. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I love the books of both Terri Blackstock and Brandilynn Collins. When I discovered their books, I was so excited because they write the type of books I write. Before that, I had no idea there was a real market and readership out there for Christian suspense.

9.  Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

In the beginning of your writing, don’t worry about technique as much as getting the story on paper. Once the story’s finished, then it’s time to learn about the craft of writing.

The second piece of advice is not to be in too big of a hurry to get published. Let your writing develop and mature. Give yourself time to find out who you are as a writer.

Lillian Duncan writes suspense novels with a hint of romance. She believes books can be entertaining and uplifting at the same time. Along with novels, she writes devotions for ChristianDevotions.us

She lives in the middle of Amish country in Ohio with her husband and menagerie of pets, including four parrots, a Jack Russell Terrier and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that she’s thinking about renaming Clifford–since he continues to grow and grow and grow…

She’s been a speech-language pathologist for over thirty years. Most of those years were in the Cleveland Municipal School district where she worked primarily with deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

As a writer, speech pathologist, and an educator, she believes in the power of words to change lives, especially God’s Word.

Visit Lillian at her website: www.lillianduncan.net, www.PowerUpWithGod.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.