Sara L. Foust Interview

Q: How long have you been writing and what other careers or jobs have you had?
A. I have been writing full-time since 2015, but I started writing when I was very young. I’ve been a veterinary technician’s assistant, a medical transcriptionist, a pizza maker, a librarian’s assistant, a babysitter, a cashier, and a stable worker (mucking stalls and feeding). In recent years, we’ve been foster parents, and that was by far the hardest “job” I’ve ever had but also the most rewarding since we were able to adopt our two youngest kiddos.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Camp Hope?
A: Camp Hope tells the story of Amy Dawson and Jack Evans. Amy’s foster daughter is kidnapped from their farm and summer camp, but Amy feels the police aren’t doing their job well enough. She decides to take matters into her own hands and take off into the mountains on the kidnapper’s trail. Riding horseback and using her tracking skills, she is determined to find her foster daughter Mattie before it’s too late.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this story?
A: The idea for this novel came to me originally in a nightmare about our foster daughter. I awoke wondering what would happen if a foster child was kidnapped from their foster home. I pondered the idea, adding new elements and voila! Camp Hope was born.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: I hope readers remember that no matter how hopeless things seem—the future, the present, or the past—there is always hope in God.

Q: How do you choose your settings for your books?
A. I adore my East Tennessee home. I feel it is one of the most beautiful places in all the world. So choosing it as the setting for my first three novels was an easy decision.

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?
A: My characters are totally made up with elements of truth within their makeup. I take pieces of reality (whether it be personality traits or stories of real life) and insert them into fictional characters.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. I am editing the third novel in the Love, Hope, and Faith Series, Rarity Mountain: Journey to Faith. I am also writing a 4th novel (not part of this series) called Of Walls.

Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why?
A. If money were no object, I would love to go on a month-long trip to Italy and eat my way through the country! I love the idea of seeing where the gladiators fought, the countryside filled with beautiful farms, and the little towns with authentic Italian food.

Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
A. I do a lot of silly things, I think. I’m pretty clumsy and very goofy, especially with my kids. At 4-H Camp a couple weeks ago with my two eldest girls I introduced them to a lot of ridiculous, completely non-rhythmic dance moves. It was a ton of fun!

Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
A. God has given us a lot of hard jobs. Homeschooling, foster parenting, adopting two special needs children, and my recent mission trip to the Philippines. But each of them have been ultimately rewarding and fulfilling. It was very hard to leave my children to fly to the other side of the world for nearly two weeks, but I am so glad I went!