Interview & Giveaway: Mackenzie Dare ~ Author of Fire Storm!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Mackenzie!! What is your book, Fire Storm, about?

Fire Storm is about a couple of young families living excessively normal lives in a small-town, farming community in Northern Illinois. Wade is a paramedic. His wife, Mellissa, works in a lawyer’s office, and they are expecting a baby very soon. Their best friends, Jim and Jessica, live on a small horse farm out in the country. Jim is a fireman. Jess is a stay-at-home mom with her recently born little girl. Life is fun and carefree till… Jess starts running into threats at every turn. Are they even threats or just accidents? The thought of a killer being after Jess just seems so ridiculous though… not so much… when she comes eye to eye with murder! Who and Why? What about Wade ‘n Mellissa? Will they remain safe in their young existence, or will the epidemic of murder spread? How far does it reach? What are the secrets?

What is something the average reader wouldn't know about you?

Hmmm… I’m sure there is a lot the average reader wouldn’t know about me. … At least there better be. J One of my most exciting and satisfying experiences was when the Lord blessed with helping me finish running my first full marathon.

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

I don’t remember a conscious decision. I think that’s just the way the Lord made me. I’ve always loved writing and making stories up in my head for as long as I can remember.  Every once in a while, I’ll find a page of an ancient second or third grade short story and chuckle as I read it and try to decipher the context.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Like I have any writing quirks…. ;)  Probably my most interesting one is the fact that my characters refuse to ever conform to my outline. Sure, I start out with a neat and detailed plan, but by mid-story, sometimes before, my characters are all running every which-a-way in their own directions. Sometimes the “good guys” turn into bad guys. Sometimes scenes from the end move up to the middle. Sometimes the wrong people fall in love, and even other times a deep, dark secret that I didn’t even know about will just pop up from somebody’s past. Surprises… that’s what makes writing so fun!

Where do you like to write?

I take my notebook everywhere. I’m always looking for a likely place to relax and be transported into the lives of my characters… a thick patch of grass under a willowy, flowering crabapple, a place amongst the clover next to my horse as she eats in her pasture, a spot near a large, picture window on a rainy day with the pane slightly cracked open to hear the rhythmic patter of water droplets while feeling the chilly breeze, a cozy spot on the fireplace mantle with a hot cup of tea, feeling the warmth and hearing the crackle as I gaze outside at the swirling snow and the blowing pine branches.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love life! One of my favorite things to do is to run outside, especially on a dew-glistening, bird-singing, spring morning… just to run toward a painted sunrise and feel absorbed in the beauty of God’s creation! I love riding my horse down the gravel road or through the cornfields. I love chilly fall days… a cool breeze floating in a slightly open window and feeling the warm apple-scented  steam as you slide a crusty, golden, apple pie out of the oven just as a drip of cinnamon syrup bubbles out and sizzles. I like a crisp, breezy walk through a pumpkin patch or a swim in a Wisconsin lake. I like camping in the North Woods or browsing souvenir shops. I’ve enjoyed climbing cliffs in the Blue Ridge and drivin’ by buffalo in Yellowstone. I love findin’ deals at garage sales and hangin’ out with my family… cookout style or pizza and popcorn movie nights. My favorite time is Christmas… It’s A Wonderful Life in the DVD player, a fire crackling in the corner, the pop of popcorn, and the sweet aroma of hot chocolate as we hang ornaments and wrap lights around our Christmas tree and nativity scene. I love seeing the Lord work in my life and teach me new things. I love Him because He first loved me. He’s shown me this sooo many times in my life! One of my favorite verses is “Thy gentleness hath made me great.” He’s the giver of life… the One who makes daffodils smile and the thunderclouds clap. I love life, love, loyalty, and laughter.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

God-honoring, contemporary, Christian fiction, suspense or mystery. I love action. Too many thoughts or excessive details won’t hold my attention. I like a story to start action-packed and hold the excitement and intrigue through the whole thing. I like lots of questions that keep me guessing and some surprises. I don’t read novels that aren’t clean or that bring dishonor to God and his standards. This said, I like imperfect characters with struggles a lot better then those that seem to live a fairytale life, but I believe intriguing characters are easily made without detailing sin.

Is there a place you’d like to visit, but haven’t yet?

There are so many places that would be fun to visit. I would love to be able to see more of America, the Grand Canyon, the Colorado Rockies, the giant Sequoya trees, the Pacific Ocean, New York City, etc…. Our country has so many experiences to offer! I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’d love to someday visit the old European castles and spend some time experiencing England or spend time visiting the vast Canadian wilderness. I love observing the Lord’s creation most of all. He’s certainly created some spectacular sites!

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

This is always a hard question for me to answer because I have so many favorites! It depends on your situation for what you need. Once I saw in a Christian bookstore some little, orange, prescription, medicine bottles with strips of paper that had verses written on them for many different situations. They had bottles for anger, bottles for pride, bottles for depression, etc…. This is so true. The Bible has the answer to every one of Life’s questions whether directly or indirectly addressed on those special pages.

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie?

“Immortal, Invisible” or “I’ll Never Forsake You” sung by the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas! Starting with Thanksgiving and ending after New Year’s Day. :) This is such a family time! …Special holiday breakfasts, stuffing the turkey while watching the Macy’s parade, cuttin’ down the Christmas tree, Hallmark movies, festive decorating, Christmas music, Hometown Holidays, warm, crackling fires, hot chocolate with melty marshmallow and candy canes, exchanging gifts, snow-covered Christmas lights, rosy noses, and toddler snow angels, the Rose parade, warm hearts, hugs, smiles, and laughter…. This is a very special time of year to me.

A few this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms? Thunderstorms
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Tea or Coffee? Coffee
Call or Text? Email. J
Early-bird or Night-owl? Early-bird
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint?

Yes, I am working on a sequel, and I’m having quite a bit of fun with it!

Danger lurks in the shadows one night as the firefighters leave their shift. While walking home, one hears gunshots and instinctively responds. The victim, killed for a death-stained object within his possession, passes the torch to the fireman before drawing his final breath. Instantly aware of the awesome responsibility that he has just been given, the fireman becomes keenly aware of two things:  the fate of justice is resting within his hands, and he has just been passed the curse of death.

You’ll also find the stories behind all the characters growing deeper and more complex.

Thank you so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web?

Just that I hope everyone who decides to get a copy of Fire Storm gets as much enjoyment from reading it as I did writing it! You can find me at poemsofprayerandpraise.blogspot.com or on Goodreads at
www.goodreads.com/author/show/6951145.Mackenzie_Dare. Thanks for your interest! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Giveaway!

Enter to win one of five PDF copies of Fire Storm! Giveaway is open Internationally. To enter, be sure to sign into the Rafflecopter form and click “enter” on each entry you complete. Commenting alone will not get you entered – you must click enter on the form. Happy entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway