Darlene L. Turner Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. I’m a Canadian gal and live in London, Ontario (two hours east of Detroit, Michigan) with my hubby Jeff. I love to read, write, tole paint (painting on wood surfaces), and I own 26 plaid shirts (LOL)! After working for an insurance company for 31 years, I recently retired, so I can now concentrate full-time on my writing career. So excited for this next chapter in my life!

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. When I picked up my first Nancy Drew book when I was a young girl! I even started my own “Mindy Dobson” series. Haha!

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A. While my spark of writing began when I was young, I didn’t seriously seek publication until after I took a creative writing course and was asked to write a short story. Needless to say, that short story was the premise for my first manuscript (and won a Daphne award). However, it was my second manuscript that caught the eye of my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray after it won the Genesis award in 2017. She started pitching both of those books and suggested I write something to send to LIS, so I did. After doing some revisions, my agent got the call from them. When she called me, I did a happy dance (you should have seen my husband’s dance! haha). God is good!

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Border Breach?
A: Border Breach is about a female Canadian border patrol officer who has to work with a police constable to stop a deadly drug ring from travelling across the Detroit/Windsor border. Of course, they’re thrust into danger from chapter one to the last page and have to deal with not only a ruthless gang but their own struggles.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Border Breach?
A: I’ve crossed different borders into the States many times and I’ve often thought it would be fun to put a female border patrol agent together with a police officer to solve a smuggling ring. When I started googling some ideas, the doda drug came up and that’s when the storyline came to me.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: Border Breach is a story of forgiveness. It’s my hope that readers will be captured by the action-packed plot, inspired by the characters, and moved by the inspirational message.

Q: What inspires you to write?
A. My desire to get a story to readers that has strong and compelling characters who will learn to put their total trust in God while facing immediate dangers.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. Book 2 is currently with my editor at LIS and it’s set on the Yukon/Alaskan border (releases in March 2021). I’m now writing book 3 which is on the New Brunswick/Maine border.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A. I love to tole paint. This is painting designs onto wood surfaces. It’s fun and relaxes me. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to paint as I would like! I also love to watch movies and read.