Blind Trust – Author Interview

Blind Trust is the final book in The SNAP Agency series. What themes or elements connect the books in the series?

I think the main theme throughout the series and within each book is trust. I don’t know if that was intentional on my part, but as I close out the series and reflect over the three storylines, I can see the elements of trust playing out within the characters, the team, and the plot.

I also LOVE the team, how they work together and get along (and sometimes don’t), but mostly how at the end of the day they are there for each other through the good, bad, and ugly. That unconditional commitment to each other makes me wish they were real and I could be their friend.

Do characters from previous books in The SNAP Agency series show up in Blind Trust ?

Yes! Besides the team (Walsh, Jack, Kekoa, Garcia, and Lyla), readers will also see Elinor and Brynn make an appearance on the page. And if readers have read the novella prequel to the series, Initium, they’re going to see a couple more familiar faces that make a huge impact in the conclusion to this series.

What type of research was required to give authenticity to the job of your male protagonist, Nicolás Garcia?

I had to learn what goes into explosive devices, including their chemical and mechanical components and impact radius, how to disarm them, and ways that terrorists disguise them to get past armed guards and trained canines at an embassy.

Your female protagonist, Lyla Fox, has a reputation for impulsivity. Can you give some insight on how this has affected her role at the SNAP Agency?

It makes her a bit of a liability. Next to Jack, she’s been with the Agency the longest, and that has allowed her team to understand how she operates and to be prepared as much as they can for when she goes rogue. But it also gives her a level of courage that pushes past some of the hesitancy the other team members might have. She’s an all-in kind of gal and a fighter for justice, which is both admirable and alarming.

 What do you hope readers will gain from reading Blind Trust ?

There’s a theme of control in this story that I think originates with trust. Nicolás experiences something that has him believing if he can control certain things it will prevent bad stuff from happening. Lyla believes control inhibits her from doing her job and trusting her instincts. Each of them has to release their perception of control and trust the other to do the right thing. I think there’s a balance in life where we have to trust God to control the things we can’t but also trust that God has enabled us to do the hard things.

Does your background inform or influence your writing?

I think so. As a military wife and with family members and friends in various law enforcement agencies, I think I have good insight into scenarios involving large-scale government plots and more localized crimes. At the very least it gives me a great list of resources who can help me come up with fun storylines and plot twists. And I think being a military wife for more than twenty-five years and having moved nearly as many times, I enjoy writing stories with strong communities of friendship.

When writing a series, would you say you are a “pantser” or a “plotter”?

Oh, I’m for sure a plotter. This has never been clearer than when I decided to fast-draft my current manuscript: I went free-range and ended up writing myself right into a hole. I had to scrap that whole chapter and force myself to go back to the plot I had sketched out. I do believe there’s room for the “pantser” method while I’m writing, where I allow myself to visualize the scene and then write freely, but it’s very helpful for me to know where I need to go.

What do you enjoy most about writing romantic suspense?

For me, it’s the tension. Suspense tension and romantic tension keep me turning pages, and I love trying to create the perfect balance of that in my own stories.