Author of Steal Away
by Trisha Bleau Smith
T4JYM: Steal Away sounds like an amazing suspense book that is sure to captivate readers. Where did the idea for the book come from? Where do you normally get ideas for your books?
LH: My husband and I visited the beautiful island of Grand Manan off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada, and hiking down one of the many trails, we came upon an old cabin. I wondered who would live in a place like this, so far away from anywhere. And then I began inventing a women who lived there, who was running from something, a hermit, a recluse. I gave her a story, and that story became Steal Away.
T4JYM: How much editing was involved? Did you do all editing of your work alone or did you send it to people to edit?
LH: Other than my editor at Multnomah, the only person who reads my books is my husband. He’s a great editor because he’s a great reader. Both my husband and I read a lot. We don’t have cable television, and our antenna picks up channels depending on which way the wind blows – literally – so we spend our evenings mostly reading.
T4JYM: How has this book been received by the general public? Has there been positive feedback? Any negative feedback? What type of feedback do you usually receive from the public on your books?
LH: Steal Away isn’t officially out until May, but those people who have read advance copies say they enjoy it. One reviewer emailed me that she thought it was my best work yet, so that is gratifying! I usually receive good reviews on my books, but what I guess is most rewarding are the emails from people telling me how much my books have helped them. That is why I do it, to help people.
T4JYM: What are your next plans for writing? Do you plan to do any more books along the same lines as this book? Will you move on to new writing?
LH: Chat Room, the next book in the Teri Blake-Addison series will be released in the fall. I have more Teri books planned, and more mysteries. I have dozens of plot ideas for mysteries that I would love to get working on.
T4JYM: Have you written any other books? Do you have any ideas for books you would like to write?
LH: August Gamble, November Veil and April Operation feature my Canadian RCMP officer who solves crimes. Margaret’s Peace, Island of Refuge, Katheryn’s Secret and Sadie’s Song are my suspense novels set on the coast of Maine. Steal Away begins a new series for me.
T4JYM: Who were the biggest influences in your life generally speaking, and who were the biggest influences since you decided to write?
LH: I’ve had so many influences in my life; my parents who encouraged me to read and write and made a wide variety of reading materials available, and never discouraged me from pursuing this, to teachers who encouraged me. I was encouraged by the writings of Christians such as CS Lewis and Dorothy Sayers. There were so many influences on my life, it’s difficult to point to just one.
T4JYM: What training do you have in writing? Did you take any writing courses in college to obtain the skills you have currently?
LH: I grew up wanting to be a journalist. I remember in fourth grade we were to do a report on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I researched and wrote about being a foreign correspondent. I’m still fascinated by those journalists who risk their lives in dangerous locations to bring people back home the story of what’s really going on. After high school, I went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where I majored in Communications/Writing. I intended to go for a degree in journalism after I graduated. Intead, I got married. I studied university courses by correspondence then and I worked for several newspapers. But, when I wasn’t out there ‘getting the story’ I read novels. One day I decided to see if I could write one. And then fiction took hold of me, and I’ve been writing novels primarily for twelve years. It’s very different work than journalism. When you’re a journalist you’re out there getting the story, calling people, meeting with people. By contrast, being a novelist is very quiet work.
T4JYM: What is your schedule like? Do you spend time in a regular job and use writing as a moonlighting job? Or is writing your primary career?
LH: Even though I teach a course in fiction writing at our local university, and do some speaking, writing is my primary career. I’m usually at my desk at eight in the morning, where I write all day.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in writing?
LH: First, read. That’s my best advice. Just read. If you don’t read, you can’t be a writer. It’s that simple. Read the kinds of things you want to write.
Second, get the training. You need the training. Too many people think that writing is easy, because when we read a good book, it seemed effortless. But writing is hard work. The study of journalism is an excellent foundation for all kinds of writing, I think. Plus, you can always get a job writing news and articles while you are establishing yourself as a novelist.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing their works?
LH: This is different than the writing part. This is the part that requires attending writing conferences, networking and meeting people and joining writer’s groups where you can meet agents and editors.
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