Author Interview: Lynette Eason & No Place to Hide

After my interview with Melanie Dickerson where I admittedly drooled all over both of us, my husband politely informed me that I am allowed one flailing/gushing/drooling interview. That was his kind and gracious way of telling me that I had met my quota. Perhaps I should have begged him for one more allotment because today I have the opportunity to chat with Lynette Eason – probably my very favorite author of romantic suspense (across all authors in both Christian and mainstream markets). Her new book No Place to Hide is part of one of my current fave series by her, as a matter of fact.

Lynette Eason is the best selling, award winning author of the Women of Justice Series, the Deadly Reunions series and the Hidden Identity Series. She writes for Revell and Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. Her books have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists. She has won several awards including the 2013 Carol Award for WHEN A HEART STOPS in the Romantic Suspense category. Lynette teaches at writing conferences all over the country. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Lynette can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com and www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and @lynetteeason on Twitter.

NO PLACE TO HIDE by Lynette Eason
SERIES: Hidden Identity #3
GENRE: Romantic Suspense (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2015
PAGES: 338

It’s not every day you see your childhood friend and one-time crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can’t believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she’s determined to find him and help him clear his name. But she’s not the only one looking. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to save thousands of innocent lives.

Lynette Eason throws readers right into the action from page one, propelling them along a dangerous road and asking the provocative question of how far we’d be willing to go if we were up against a wall.

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Hi Lynette! Welcome to the blog!

Lynette: Both…mixed together in a big bowl along with strawberries and bananas and pineapple!

Carrie: Mmmm… a fruit salad does sound good! Minus the oranges…

Lynette: M&Ms. Chocolate. Need I say more?

Carrie: Again, no love for the Skittles. I think I am in a distinct minority here. haha!

Lynette: Dogs. I just like them.

Carrie: Zuzu is very happy to hear this!

Lynette: Coke. Because Pepsi is gross. 

Carrie: Amen and amen.

Q: Being the mystery/suspense writer that you are – Perry Mason or Matlock?

Lynette: Perry Mason.

Carrie: Ditto! The old Perry Mason, the new Perry Mason, any of the Perry Masons as long as it’s Raymond Burr! Although I guess all the Perry Mason shows are ‘old’ now… because apparently so am I. 😛

Q: You have a Master’s Degree in Education in addition to being an award-winning author. What do you teach? Do you ever find it difficult to juggle two different careers?

Lynette: I no longer teach – unless you count homeschooling part time. 🙂 I am a full time writer, mom, wife and babysitter to my brother’s kids. BUT, I have been in the position where I worked full time, wrote full time and then eventually burned out. I taught at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind mostly. And while my heart and passion are the deaf, I eventually chose to save my sanity and quit teaching so I could write full time.

Carrie: Sanity is important – or so I’ve heard 🙂

Q: Your books always have such fantastic plots that keep me on the edge of my seat. How do you come up with fresh plot ideas for each book?

Lynette: I have to admit, it’s getting harder. 🙂 But I watch quite a bit of Lifetime television and the movie channel and can get an idea from there then put a fresh twist on it to make it my own.

Carrie: lol i love that!

Q: Out of all the books and series (serieses? series’? seriesi? Did we ever establish what the plural was for ‘series’?) you have done, which one has been your personal favorite?

Lynette: Probably Don’t Look Back because it was the easiest one to write for some reason.

Carrie: mine was the Deadly Reunions series. So far 😉

Q: Have you ever had a character get completely away from you while you are writing them? Did you change the direction of your book accordingly or did you tweak them back into submission?

Lynette: I’ve never had a character get completely away from me, but I have one show up dead in the bathtub. Now that was just plain freaky. And I wasn’t planning on killing her off, but it had to happen. And it worked for the story. I was sad for days.

Carrie: I’d say that qualifies as getting away from you at least a little bit lol!

Q: Tell us more about No Place to Hide!

Lynette: No Place To Hide was a fun book to write. I did a LOT of research. It’s about a woman who works for Operation Refuge, an agency set up in book 1 of the series (No One To Trust). Jackie Sellers sees her childhood friend, Ian Lockwood’s picture on the news. He’s accused of being a terrorist. She knows without a doubt that he’s innocent and sets out to help him prove it. Unfortunately, they can’t go to the police and they’re on the run from the bad guys who want them both dead. They have no place to hide and very few people to turn to for help. When they discover the plot and who’s behind it, it’s a race against time to save the citizens of New York from a terrorist attack—and to clear their names so they can have a life and a future together.

Carrie: I am currently reading No Place to Hide and it is wonderful! Review forthcoming, but I can go ahead and tell readers that you will really enjoy this book!

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 One last question – What is the most important thing you want your readers to take away from each of your books?

Lynette: I want my readers to finish the book and go, “Wow.” My first priority is to tell a rockin’ good story that keeps the readers on the edge of their seats. I want them to miss the characters and wish the story wasn’t over. I think writing’s biggest gift to me has been an outlet for my creativity, an escape when I’m lonely or sad or frustrated or or or…lol. Writing gives me so much. Although I will say, it hasn’t done much for my waist line. Writing anywhere from 8-16 hours a day and neglecting to eat right and exercise is not a good thing. I’m working on that, though. :-/ And I want my readers to see Jesus in the story. To see real people struggling with real life issues and come to the conclusion that trusting Jesus is the only solution to their problems.

Thank you for having me, Carrie.
God bless!

What about you? What makes you want to read No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason?