BROKEN TRUST
LILLIAN DUNCAN
GIVEWAY INFORMATION:
To celebrate the release of
BROKEN TRUST, I’m giving away Amazon Gift Cards. All you have to do is hop over
to my blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment under one of the Broken
Trust posts and you’re entered. Easy Peasy!
OFFICIAL BLURB:
Life is all about choices…and
consequences. Chryssie Mason longs to soar like a butterfly, but a lifetime of
bad choices has kept her in the caterpillar stage. After years of struggling,
her dreams are finally within her grasp. Her only goal is to graduate from
nursing school so she can have a better life—so she can morph into a butterfly.
With her final exam only days away, she witnesses a murder. A butterfly would
call the police, but she decides to take the easy way out…once again. Life has
taught her to never trust anyone, especially herself. With her freedom and her
very life at risk, it’s time to trust. And that choice changes everything.
Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.
Lillian is a multi-published
author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband
and a menagerie of pets. After more than 30 years working as a speech
pathologist for children, she believes in the
power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.
Lillian writes
the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch of
romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. To
learn more about Lillian, you may visit her at www.lillianduncan.net or www.lillian-duncan.com. She
also has a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com.
INTERVIEW:
Tell us
a little about you.
My husband and I live in a small town in Ohio Cleveland
When
did you realize you wanted to become a writer?
That’s an interesting story. I was turning 40 and like lots
of other 40 year olds, something was missing in my life. I was watching some
show (probably Oprah) and her guest recommended writing your own obituary but
not to include anything you’ve done up to that point. They said write in
outlandish things that you couldn’t imagine.
One of the things I wrote was that I was an author. What? Up to that point, I’d never
thought of writing a book in spite of how much I loved books. When I reread
those words, something sparked.
And a writer was born.
What is
your 'how I got published' story?
I only need two words to tell that—hard work…and
perseverance. OK, technically that’s four words. It actually took me fifteen
years to get a traditional contract. I can’t tell you how many times I quit
writing but I always started back up which is why I always tell writers—DON’T
QUIT!
How did
you develop your love of story?
From my love of reading. From the moment I learned to read,
I loved stories. From the time I learned to read, I rarely went anywhere
without a book. To the grocery store, to my relatives’ houses, camping. And
yes, I was one of those people that read under the covers and in a car.
What is
your favorite genre to read? To write?
The answer to both is Christian mystery and suspense with a
little horror thrown in from time to time. I guess writing is sort of like
eating. You are what you read, and for me that means I’m a suspense/mystery
writer.
Most
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. And for some
readers my stories might be a bit too graphic or edgy and that’s okay, 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 and show
characters experiencing the natural consequences of their bad choices and bad
actions. My characters are usually on a spiritual journey as well—but some are
further along than others.
Tell us
about BROKEN TRUST.
BROKEN TRUST is my latest book, releasing March 17. There’s
lots of action but it will also make you go…aww. It explores the issues of
trust (of course) but also choices and how one choice can change your life—for
better or for worse.
BROKEN TRUST is Chryssie’s story. Her complete name is
Chrysalis which is another name for a cocoon. Chryssie wants to soar like a
butterfly but she keeps making choices that keep her stuck in the caterpillar
stage.
She’s days away from graduating from nursing school when she
witnesses a murder. Once again she takes the easy way out and once again she
has to face the consequences of her choice—this time with life and death
consequences.
What’s
the setting for BROKEN TRUST?
Broken Trust is set in Cleveland ,
mostly in the Ohio
City
What’s
your day job? Tell us a little about it.
I retired as an SLP from a large city school district in Ohio
I loved my job and miss it. Mostly I miss the children, not
the paper work. If it weren’t for serious health issues, I would still be
working.
What
sort of serious health issues?
In 2012 I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors and
subsequently a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis Type 2. A long name
that basically means I can develop tumors at any time on my nerves but
especially in the brain.
It’s been a long, long journey but God is good. There’s a
lot of things I can’t do these days, but I can still write! And for that I’m
very thankful.
What do
you want readers to take away from BROKEN TRUST?
We all make bad choices and then have to face the consequences
of them but God is a God of second chances and third and fourth and… We do not
have to let our past dictate our future.
What is
your writing process?
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.
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’m surprised right along
with my readers.
How
does faith play a part in your writing?
That’s changed a lot over the years. When I first started
writing, I wrote mainstream (secular) mysteries ad suspense. As I grew closer
to God in my daily walk, my writing began to reflect that and so I started
writing Christian mysteries and suspense. In 2012, I was diagnosed with
bilateral brain tumors and have had to learn to rely on God in a whole
different way and so my writing reflects that now as well by having a deeper
spiritual message than before.
In fact, I have my first non-suspense novella scheduled to
be released in October of this year. PUZZLE HOUSE is a complete departure from
what I usually write. I would classify it as simply Christian Fiction, a story
about a woman who is asked the question, ‘Do you want to be healed or to be a
healer?” by a very important person.
What
inspired you to write this series, or this novel in particular?
I first “met” Chryssie in a short story I wrote but I wanted
to learn more about her and her story so….BROKEN TRUST is the result.
Do you have personal
experience with any of the events in Broken Trust, and if so, could you share
about that?
Only in that I worked and lived in Cleveland for many years as a school speech
pathologist.
Paper or e-reader?
There are certainly pros and cons to each. Which is your favorite?
I prefer a “real” book with paper. Unfortunately, I don’t
read them that way very often because of my eyesight. So, I use an e-reader almost
exclusively these days.
Do you
have a favorite or “life” verse? Why is that one important to you?
Romans 8: 28: And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love
him, who[a] have
been called according to his
purpose.
In 2012, I was diagnosed with brain tumors. The treatments
and the side effects wreaked havoc on my health! I was very sick but I kept
repeating this verse over and over. It kept me trusting God and it kept me in
peace and joy in spite of how bad I felt at the time.
How did your education or previous career
impact your journey to publication and where you are now?
My day job was as a school speech pathologist, better known
as a speech therapist. So for more than 30 years I listened…and listened…and
listened some more. I think it helped me in a lot of areas but certainly with
writing dialogue of my characters.
If you could offer a word of encouragement
to an aspiring author, what would you say?
DON’T GIVE UP! It took me 15 years to get a traditional
contract, and now I have almost 20 books published! If I can do it, so can you.
But not if you give up. KEEP WRITING!
What
are you working on now?
I already mentioned my next release, PUZZLE HOUSE—the
tagline is Life isn’t a box of candy, it’s a puzzle. At the moment, I’m working
on a sequel for it called THE DAVID YEARS. I’m also in the middle of revising
and editing another book, ENCOUNTERS, that explores several issues including
how our encounters with others is like a spider web. They link us to each other
in ways we don’t always understand. Plus I have a couple ideas for new suspense
books swirling around in my brain as well. So many ideas—not enough time!
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 & TENNIS SHOES at www.lillian-duncan.com. I’m also on Twitter as @LillianDuncan and on
Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lillian.k.duncan.
