What makes you want to write suspense? Doesn’t this world have enough bad stuff in it? Why add to it? I get the first question quite a bit. And the last two questions occasionally.

Suspense.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear or read that word? Perhaps the name of a movie like John Q? A television show like 24?

What about the Bible? If you think about it, it has all the elements of a good Christian suspense story. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is God’s word with nothing made up or imaginary at all about it. However, it has the elements that an author would need for an Inspirational Romantic Suspense story. Just to name a few, the Bible has murder, villains, heroes and heroines, romantic love between a woman and a man, and a God who loves His people.

In each suspense story that I write, I try to incorporate—at the very least—all of these things. Yes, I write about evil, but I certainly don’t glorify it. You see, I have a reason for writing suspense. One, I enjoy putting the story together. It’s like a really challenging puzzle and if I persevere long enough, putting the pieces together, eventually, I’ll have the outline of a suspense/mystery story.

So why suspense? Why Christian suspense? Is that an oxymoron? Absolutely not. As the Bible tells us, we were made in God’s image. As Christians, we are to strive to be like God. Of course we fall short, but that doesn’t mean we stop trying. In fact, in Micah 6:8, it says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

While writing suspense, I believe it’s so important to portray characters who reflect this. Justice is so important. From the time we’re kids, we learn about “fairness”. What child hasn’t said, “Hey, that’s not fair!”? We want to be treated fairly—and we want justice when someone does us wrong. God is a God of Justice, of fairness, kindness—and of love. He is the ultimate Judge. But until we stand before him, we, as erroneous humans must stumble our way through a justice system that often fails.

And so I write stories that have a happy ending. It’s true I put my characters through agony before they get to that point, but in the end, all is well. I’m a big proponent of justice. I want to see the bad guys lose and the good guys win. And yes, I try to get “into” the bad guy’s head in my stories, but the truth is, I don’t really “get” them. I don’t understand psychopaths or sociopaths or people that can murder and justify it to themselves. I know there are people out there who seem to have no conscious. And I’m glad I don’t understand this. And yet at the same time, I find myself heartbroken at their eternal destiny. And this is why I want to write stories of hope. Stories that people can relate to. Stories that reflect the love of Christ for each and every one of His children, stories how He never gives up in His desire to have everyone turn to Him. Stories that offer hope in the midst of trials. God is hope. God is love. And while I want to write the best rockin’, edge of the seat story I can, what’s important is that readers see the hope and the love of God on every page and understand that while bad stuff happens, God is still in control.