Megan Short is an Australian author of inspirational romantic suspense novels. She grew up in New Zealand where her favourite activity was watching bumblebees and day dreaming. A screenwriter by trade, she has writing qualifications from UCLA and has won some screenwriting awards. Megan currently lives in Melbourne and loves learning new skills and meeting new people, many of which make their way into her stories! She still spends too much time day dreaming and is a recovering chocoholic.
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Welcome to another featured author spotlight here at Heartbeats & Hideaways! To celebrate her visit, our guest is generously giving away an eBook of her recent release, Alaskan Abduction Target to two lucky readers. Simply leave a comment on today’s post to enter the giveaway. Winners will be selected from the comments, so jump into the discussion below!
Thanks for joining us today, Megan. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.
What first drew you to writing, and when did you realize it could become more than a hobby you were passionate about?
I have always wanted to be a writer, since I can remember. The process of creating characters that I want to get to know, and seeing where the story will take me, has always been my main motivation. I don’t love writing long books, which is one reason I spent about fifteen years writing screenplays. But eventually I realized that living in Melbourne wasn’t going to get me anywhere in Hollywood, and I didn’t want to move to Hollywood. So I started writing novels. It wasn’t until later that I became more serious about getting published and started sending out queries. By then I’d accepted God’s free gift of salvation. Therefore, it was through God’s grace that I was eventually published. He was the one who created the paths for that to happen, and each day I write I do my best to glorify Him and be grateful for the opportunities He’s given me.
Which themes do you find yourself returning to across your work and why do they matter to you right now?
There are two themes that stand out in my work: forgiveness and trusting God. Like all of us, my characters have been wounded by life. Often they’ve been hurt in the past and either have struggled with, or are currently struggling with, forgiving those who are responsible. In this current book Alaskan Abduction Target both Phoebe and Jock have been hurt by those closest to them. Flowing from that, they’re struggling to trust their own judgement. But when they put their trust in the One who is unchanging and completely trustworthy, things change for them. I think that is something that is always true. When we stray from God, we quickly begin to trust in false beliefs—which can be lies we believe about ourselves. I hope that my stories turn readers back to God.
How do you balance authenticity and responsibility when writing difficult topics or emotionally intense material?
I begin with where God leads me. Though romantic suspense can run a spectrum of emotional intensity, I don’t write anything I wouldn’t be comfortable with a young teen reading. And I’ve found that I can do a lot to foster authenticity through subtext. With my current release Alaskan Abduction Target, there is emotional intensity, especially with Jock’s backstory and his stepdad. But I didn’t need to write all of the gory details for the reader to understand what had happened to him. That way the reader’s imagination can be the filter—depending on their own life experience. Because I write for Love Inspired Suspense, there is also an inbuilt mechanism to ensure that any reader can pick up a book and be assured it won’t be traumatising.
How do you choose what to work on next: a shiny new idea, a contracted project, a passion piece, or something that stretches your skills?
I do my best to discern where God is working and then try and join Him. At the moment, that’s with Love Inspired Suspense. I do my best to write in a way that will glorify Him through that. It can be from a teaching or a sermon that I feel He is pointing me toward. Then while I’m exploring that, often a story or a faith journey will evolve from that. I often use side characters from my earlier stories to become my hero or heroine. Sometimes both!
What do you hope readers feel, question, or do after finishing your latest book?
I hope that readers will reflect on God’s unchanging love for His children.
Alaskan Abduction Target by:
Megan Short
A pursuit for the truth
turns into a fight for survival.
When Phoebe Tait suspects her husband’s death was no accident, she heads to Alaska searching for answers—only for her young son to narrowly escape a kidnapping. Officer Jock O’Halloran intervenes just in time, but it soon becomes clear that Phoebe’s investigation has made them a target. Now, with danger closing in, Jock must protect Phoebe and her son while they race to uncover a deadly truth. But can he keep them safe from a threat that will stop at nothing to bury the past—no matter the cost?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
