Nancy Mehl Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve been married to my husband, Norman, for thirty-eight years. We have one son, Danny, who is a graphic designer for Joyce Meyer Ministries in St. Louis. He’s a wonderful Christian man, and we’re very proud of him. I’ve been writing since 1995 and have had nine books published. This year I have two new series beginning. The Harmony Series books are romantic suspense Mennonite-themed with a strong mystery thread. I love the fictional town of Harmony. It’s a place where I’d love to live. My other series is pure mystery. The Curl Up and Dye series is about a hair dresser who works in funeral homes. It’s a lot of fun to write. In my spare time, I volunteer with an organization I helped to found. Wichita Homebound Outreach is a ministry that touches the lives of low-income seniors.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. In 1995. Until that time, I had no hint of what I was actually called to do. I believe God has a good plan for everyone, but I hadn’t found mine yet. Then I heard a teacher who encouraged people to think back to our childhoods and remember what we did naturally. The idea is that this can show us what we were gifted by God to do. I read voraciously as a child, and I wrote, although most of it was poetry. I began to wonder if I just might be a writer. Then I saw “Murder She Wrote” on TV and realized that I wanted to be Jessica Fletcher! From that point on I never turned back.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A. I signed with a couple of smaller publishers before being accepted into Barbour’s Heartsong Cozy Mystery Book Club. That was my “hang up the phone and scream at the top of my lungs” moment. Winning the ACFW Book of the Year Award for my mystery, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, was certainly a memorable experience. As far as other highlights, getting mail from readers who tell me something I wrote touched their lives is my greatest professional blessing.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A: Simple Secrets is the story of Gracie Temple, a young woman who inherits her Old Order Mennonite uncle’s house in the small town of Harmony, Kansas. Going to Harmony with plans to sell the property and rescue family heirlooms, she discovers a letter from her uncle tucked in the pages of an old family Bible. The letter reveals a murder that happened almost thirty years ago – a murder that Benjamin Temple, Gracie’s uncle, has kept secret because he believes the killer was Gracie’s father. Now Gracie must decide what to do. Should she reveal the murder and risk ruining her father’s life? Or should she stay and prove his innocence? A couple of strange events lead her to believe that someone thinks she is getting too close to the truth, and now her life may be in danger. A handsome fruit farmer named Sam Goodrich further complicates things. Can she trust him? Or is he part of a conspiracy of secrets in Harmony?

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Simple Secrets?

A: Originally, it was a concept for the cozy mystery book club. The title was “Murder, Plain and Simple.” I was intrigued by the idea of evil set in the middle of a town and a people who epitomized simplicity and purity. The plot grew from there.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: That secrets buried alive never die. There are many secrets in Harmony and most of them are hidden in the hearts of its citizens. Gracie will not only help to solve the mystery behind a thirty year old murder, she will also bring about healing to a woman who was attacked by an evil man when she was a child and has never told anyone. I want readers to realize that there is nothing God can’t or won’t heal and that keeping hurtful secrets inside can cause serious problems in our lives.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: I love the scene where Ida Turnbauer, an Old Order Mennonite woman who was Gracie’s grandmother’s best friend, opens a letter that has remained sealed for many years. The letter is from Gracie’s grandmother whom everyone called “Mama Essie.” The letter binds the old woman and Gracie together in a special way.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A. Bills, food? Just kidding! I love to write, and I truly believe it is my gift from God. Using the gift He gave me keeps me going. More than anything in this world, I want to honor Him and fulfill the call on my life.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: Oh, my. First of all, I thought people would automatically line up to buy my books at signings. NOT! I’m still waiting for the day when most of the people who come to my signings are NOT my friends and family! LOL! I also thought I’d make a lot more money from the sales of my books. I had an inflated view of how much authors make. But it’s getting better and better. It takes time, I guess.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: Join a good writers’ organization like American Christian Fiction Writers. You need to know what to do and what to stay away from. Also, study the craft of writing. Too many people are trying to sell books that aren’t ready for publication. My advice is to take the time to learn how to write, what to write, and how to sell your book. In the long run, it’s worth it.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. Right now I’m writing the third book in my Harmony series, Simple Choices. After that I’ll write the third book in my Curl Up and Dye series. The title of that may be different than I’d originally planned, so I won’t mention it now.

Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A. I used to take voice lessons and was being taught to sing opera! (Don’t ask me to sing now. Yikes!)

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A. I love to go for walks with my husband and my puggle, Watson. I also enjoy fishing, going to garage sales, visiting antique stores – and when I’m not feeling especially “peppy,” relaxing in my recliner and watching Masterpiece Mystery, Castle, Psych, or Law and Order: Criminal Intent with Jeff Goldblum. (I think he’s cool!)

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A. Just that I love my readers (the nice ones, anyway! LOL!) and love to hear from them. I strive to answer every email and letter I receive. Without readers, authors would actually have to get dressed in the morning and get a real job!

Thanks for letting me be a part of The Suspense Zone. You guys are the best!