Nancy Mehl Interview

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

A:  I’ve been married for forty-four years. I have a son, Danny, who is a senior art director for an advertising firm in St. Louis. He’s actually designed several of my book covers. He’s married to my wonderful daughter-in-law, Shaen, and father to our grandsons, Aidan and Bennet. My husband and I live in Crystal City, Missouri, a small town that we really love. I spend almost every day writing. In my spare time, I do embroidery, read, watch TV and go to garage sales. And…I’m a Dr. Who fanatic!

Q: As a child or teenager, did you ever dream of being an author?

A:  No. I loved to read, and I wrote stories and poems, but it wasn’t until I was an adult and watched Murder, She Wrote, that I thought…”Hey, I think I want to be Jessica Fletcher!” LOL!

Q: What was your biggest obstacle on the road to publication?

A:  Getting with the wrong publishers. I fell into the trap of an author mill, but I figured out pretty quickly what they were. Thankfully, I only gave them one of my books. Then there was a smaller publisher who was supposed to be ethical and above board, but they weren’t. I was able to get my book back from them before I got in too deep. God has been good to lead me away from places I shouldn’t go.

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

A: It’s the story of Mercy Brennan, a woman estranged from her cop father who left the family when Mercy was young. Even though Mercy doesn’t want to be like her dad, she ends up in law enforcement anyway. Mercy is a deputy U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, and her best friend from childhood, Tally Williams, is a police officer in the same city.

Not long after Mercy’s father is transferred to St. Louis, the police and the Marshals are pulled into the middle of an effort by a Mexican cartel to use the dangerous gangs that hold reign over certain areas of the city. Their plan is to flood the streets of St. Louis with heroin. Mercy, Tally, and Mark St. Laurent, Mercy’s ex-boyfriend, are suddenly sent out of town to check out a man in the witness protection program who feels he is in danger. But there is no witness, and the reasons behind the trip are a lie.

Mercy’s life is in danger, and the men who care about her are trying to save her life. In FATAL FROST Mercy will have to confront two storms. A vicious winter storm that traps them in the middle of nowhere with the cartel on their heels, and an inner storm that threatens to destroy the wall of safety Mercy has carefully built around her emotions.

Q: Where did the idea for this story come from?

A:  My head? LOL! Actually, I’m very passionate about law enforcement. I wanted to write something that showed them for the heroes they are during a time when they are under attack. Also, the tsunami of heroin into St. Louis is a fact that those in law enforcement are dealing with. Between the cartels and the out-of-control gangs, St. Louis LEOs need all the help and prayer they can get.

Q: Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?

A:  I guess most of my characters have some of my own insights and problems. Having problems with trust is something I understand. Mercy is me on steroids! LOL! I don’t have all the issues she does, but I can understand them.

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

A:  I just finished writing Dark Deception, the second book in my Defenders of Justice Series. I’m getting ready to start book three – right after I write a book for Guideposts.

Q: What is a favorite memory from your childhood?

A:  Easy. Holiday dinners with my family. My grandparents would come over and spend the day with us. It was a wonderful experience. After my son was born, I continued the tradition. I have this idea that when I die, I’ll find myself on a road. At the end of the road is a big house with the lights on. All my family is there, waiting for me. The best family dinner ever! What a reunion!

Q: Where do you escape for some quiet time?

A:  I don’t have a problem with that since my husband works at night. Evenings are very quiet, and I love that time to myself even though I miss him when he’s gone.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?

A:  Probably working in social services. That’s what I did before I started writing full time. I loved it.

Q: What is the craziest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?

A:  Are you serious? Being a writer! LOL! Boy, talk about a roller coaster ride. It takes some real moxie to do this.

Q: What one thing have you always wanted to do but couldn’t afford to do?

A:  Take an Alaskan cruise. I want to see the northern lights and watch whales swim past our ship. Someday…

Q: I’m an avid gardener and have to ask what kind of flower you would be and why?

A:  I’d probably be a weed. LOL! Actually, I’m going with honeysuckle. (Is that actually a flower?) I love it. It’s not flashy but it makes everything smell good. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the kind of person whose presence makes the world more pleasant?

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?

A:  On my website: www.nancymehl.com and on the Suspense Sisters. www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com. I’m also very active on Facebook.

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

A:  I’d just like to thank you for having me on the Suspense Zone!