While attending MurderCon, I happened to sit next to Christy Barritt on the bus as we traveled to Sirchie. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about her and her family, and I am thrilled to introduce her to you.

Please welcome Christy Barritt!

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Tell us a bit about your January Indie release Line of Duty.  Line of Duty is the fourth book in the Fog Lake Suspense series. It takes place in the eerie mountain town of Fog Lake, Tennessee. A terrible massacre occurred there decades ago, and now a fog constantly hangs over the town, giving it a haunted feel. It’s a place full of legends and folklore, as well as insurmountable beauty and adventure. This series follows a group of siblings as they all overcome obstacles—and danger—to find love. Jaxon Wilder is the youngest brother, and he’s just returned home after serving in the Army and being stationed in the Middle East. On a camping trip with his brothers, he finds an injured woman out in the middle of nowhere. When he learns this woman, Abby Brennan, has no one close to help her, he’s compelled to step in. But she has a deadly secret that puts both of their lives in danger. 

Since you write both LIS and Indie publish, how long does it take you to write a Love Inspired Suspense novel versus an Indie novel? I dictate the first draft of each of my novels, and that takes me about a week. It takes me two or three weeks after that to revise and clean them up. I would say that my pace is the same for both my Love Inspired books and my indies.

How does your planning and writing differ from LIS and your Indie long novels?  For my indie books, I usually plot as I go. So I’ll dictate some and then figure out where the story goes next, and I repeat that dictation process. For LIS, I pretty much have an outline figured out before I start.

When did you do publish your first book and what was it?  I had two titles with small presses way back when, but my first big book was Hazardous Duty. It was published through Kregel. They published the first two books in my Squeaky Clean series and then I lost my contract. That’s what ultimately led me to indie publishing.

 Where do you get your ideas for your books? Everywhere. I love watching real-life crime shows on TV. I love talking to people and hearing their stories. I’m not above eavesdropping at restaurants either. J Pretty much, I have a huge imagination, and I have more book ideas than I can possibly ever write.

What is your typical day like?  My kids leave for school at 7:30 and that’s when I start writing. I continue until they get home from school at 1:15 (it’s a private school with shorter hours so students can have more family time). My kids and I will have lunch and sometimes do errands or something as a family. If they’re occupied with something later in the day, sometimes I’ll write or edit some more. But the morning is my dedicated time. It’s rare that I let anything interfere with those hours.

When did you start writing?  I actually wrote three books while I was in high school. I’ve always loved writing. I studied communications and psychology (and Bible) in college and worked for a Christian publisher after graduating. I ultimately moved back home in my early twenties because my dad was put in hospice care, and I wanted to be near him. That’s when I seriously started writing again.

What is the hardest part about being an author?  I really love being an author. I love stories. And I love doing my indie books because I can be my own boss. The hardest part for me is probably learning not to hold onto the criticism. Ninety-five percent of the feedback I get as a writer is positive. Yet it’s the other five percent that I usually remember. I have to learn to let that go. I’ve been doing this a long time—twenty years almost. And I still struggle with this.

Who is your favorite author?  That’s a hard one. I love Mary Higgins Clark and Harlan Coben. I like Terri Blackstock also.

Now for the important questions:

Pepsi or Coke?  I haven’t had soda in five years, but before that, I LOVED Coke with a passion back when I still drank soda.

Candy, cookies, or cake?  Potato chips. Give me all the salt!

Coffee or Tea?  Coffee.

Favorite vacation?  Scotland. My husband’s mother is actually Scottish, and he has family over there. It was fun visiting and seeing his roots.

Favorite TV show? Right now? I’ve been watching Veronica Mars reruns. I love Castle, Psyche, The Mentalist, Rizzoli and Isles. I pretty much watch shows that are very much like the books I write. J

Favorite Movie?  I love all the Marvel movies. I don’t know if this is because I’m a boy mom or what, but I get more excited about them than my kids, I think. And I’m super excited about the new Wonder Woman movie coming out.

Any hobbies? Pets? Activities?  Four dogs. I love taking pictures and walking at the beach and spending time with my family.

Check out Christy’s website for up-to-date news.  Christybarritt.com

Thanks for joining us, Christy!

Please come back next month for an interview and giveaway with Valerie Hansen.