I am so excited to have Carol J. Post with us
today! I just finished her latest Love Inspired Suspense, Out for Justice and I
really enjoyed it. Plenty of danger, mystery, and romantic tension. All of my favorite
things on one book! Carol and her characters from Out for Justice are playing a
few rounds of Would You Rather? and Carol is sharing her inspiration for
writing the novel. Thanks for being, Carol!
Would
you rather…
…be
able to talk with all animals OR be able to speak all foreign languages?
Carol: That’s a tough one, but
I’d probably go with being able to speak all foreign languages. Talking with
animals would be cool—when my dachshund doesn’t feel well, I’d love to look
into those big brown eyes and know what she’s trying to tell me. But living in
central Florida, we have quite a few people who don’t speak English. Many are
trying to learn, but as an adult, it’s hard (I know—I studied French in college.)
I would love to be able to speak with anyone, regardless of language. Once
while flying, I was seated next to a lady from Germany. After trying English,
then French, I had to give up. (No Sprechen Sie Deutsch!)
Lexi: I would rather be able
to talk with all animals. I’m a major animal lover. I can never turn away an
animal that needs a home. That’s how I wound up with three cats. I often wonder
where they were and what they went through before they came to me.
Alan: I would rather be able
to speak all foreign languages (although knowing what Lexi’s cats are thinking
when they’re sizing me up might be nice). As a police officer, I meet a lot of
people, and sometimes language can be a barrier. I have a heart for troubled
youth and always try to steer them onto the right path; fortunately they
usually know English, even if their parents don’t.
…watch a
long film of all the best moments of your life thus far OR watch a short clip
of a pivotal moment in your future?
Carol: If the
pivotal moment was bad and there was something I could do to prevent it, I
would choose the short clip of a pivotal moment. Other than that, when it comes
to the future, I’m more like, “Surprise me.” Watching a long film of the best
moments of my life would be fun. It’s like pulling out all the photo albums. Or
in my case, the boxes of pictures—I have way too many that never made it into
photo albums. Some day…
Lexi: I don’t want to know the future, whether good
or bad. I’ve had some traumatic experiences in my life, so I want to live in
the present and take each day as it comes. I do have some good memories,
though, so watching a long film of the best moments of my life is very
appealing.
Alan: I think I would choose a short clip of a pivotal
moment. There have been a couple of times where I’ve made some decisions that I
really came to regret. Knowing what was coming might prepared me and given me a
chance to think things through more clearly. Although since I started asking
God for guidance, I have to say I’ve done a little better in the
decision-making department!
…zoom in
your vision OR zoom in your hearing?
Carol: I’d rather be able to zoom in my hearing, as
long as I could zoom it back out again. I’m a really light sleeper, and if I
had to have amplified hearing all the time, I’d never get any sleep! But I
think it would be fun to be able to pick out conversations in a crowd. Not that
I’m nosy or anything!
Lexi: I’d like
to be able to zoom in my vision. When I arrive at a crime scene, I know the CSI
guys are going to process everything, but zooming in my vision might help me
spot things that others might miss.
Alan: I’d rather be able to zoom in my hearing. We’ve
got a few teens around town who are always looking for trouble. When they’re
standing with their heads together, voices low, I’d love to be able to
eavesdrop on those conversations. But I am pretty good at sizing them up
and knowing when they’re up to no good, even without hearing what they’re
saying.
…have no
privacy OR be completely closed off?
Carol: That’s a hard one. I really need my alone time.
I love people, but being constantly around them is emotionally draining. If it
was for a short period of time, I would choose being completely closed off. If
it was for longer, or indefinitely, I would have to choose having no privacy. I
couldn’t handle being completely closed off for long.
Lexi: I do
cherish my time alone, especially after I’ve spent several hours with my mom! I
don’t know that I would want to be completely closed off, but NO privacy? Ugh!
So I’ll choose completely closed off. Just don’t close me off from my cats! (Or
the people closest to me.)
Alan: I would have to choose having no privacy. I’m
not a major extrovert, but I am a people person. I’m also pretty open. I don’t
have many secrets.
These were great answers. I had a feeling Lexi
would choose to talk to animals. J Thanks for playing! Now, tell us what
inspired this story.
Inspiration
for Out for Justice –
I can’t say there was a particular thing that
“inspired” me, as far as this story. But this book was the turning point as far
as how I plot. It was Christmastime, and I was visiting my sister in North
Carolina. She had some work to do and asked if I wanted to keep her company in
the hobby room. I told her I was starting a new book and asked if she wanted to
help me plot while she worked. All I knew at that point was that I wanted to
have a serial killer in the story. I typed like a madwoman while we bounced
ideas back and forth, and 2½ hours later, we had a great outline with lots of
narrative that eventually became Out for Justice. I haven’t plotted a
book by myself since.
I hear ya! I have friend I text-storm with all
the time and my books are so much better for it! Can’t wait for the next book
to come out, Carol!
Answer one or all of the Would You Rather questions in the comments!
Here’s a peek at
Out for Justice.
THE NEXT TARGET
Tracking a serial killer in Harmony Grove turns
personal for Detective Lexi Simmons when her cousin becomes a victim. It turns
nearly impossible when she’s teamed up with Officer Alan White—the
almost-fiancé whose heart she broke six years ago. Alan can’t understand how
two people so right for each other didn’t end up together. But they have more
pressing matters of the past to attend to: a vengeful killer and a decade-old
incident on a college campus. Now Lexi fits the profile of the next name on the
hit list. And Alan finds himself not only engaged in a fight for her love—but
for her life.
