Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s written romantic suspense novels and nonfiction books, as well as stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes. As a writers coach, her heart is encouraging writers. She’s a member of AWSA; ACFW; ACFW Virginia Chapter; and Faith, Hope and Love. Her podcast, “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and two cats. Visit her online at sarahhamakerfiction.com.
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What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring authors who want to write Christian suspense?
Read Christian suspense! Easy, right? I read a wide variety of books and make sure I keep on top of trends in suspense by reading new Christian romantic suspense authors. I also watch a lot of international crime shows (British, Australian, New Zealand, French, some US) as it’s great to see plot lines developed and mysteries uncovered. Always good food for thought and often generates what-if scenarios I can then translate to my books.
Suspense often requires tight plotting. How do you outline your books to keep readers on the edge of their seats? Ha, I actually don’t outline at all. I’m a panster—I write by the seat of my pants—and I rarely outline. I usually start with a good idea as to what the central mystery is—what will my hero or heroine try to solve? Why did the villain do what they did? What is the direct danger to the hero/heroine and how is that tied to the mystery? I also cloak the identity of the villain, so the reader discovers the identity along with the hero and heroine.
How do you stay motivated when facing writer’s block or rejection?
This is one of my favorite questions because I think everyone can overcome writer’s block. The best way to not get writer’s block is to write something almost every day. Even five minutes in front of the keyboard is better than zero minutes. It’s not about the word count—it’s about staying in your story. For rejection, which I’ve experienced many times over, it’s important to remember Who you’re writing for. As Christian authors, it’s not ourselves. It’s for God, ultimately. It’s his choice what to do with our writing. Sometimes, that means getting an agent and traditional publisher. Sometimes, that’s indie publishing. Sometimes, it’s a combination of the two. When I get rejected, it hurts. I’m sad. Sometimes, I cry. Sometimes, I wail. Then I pray. I give thanks for the answer. Not the one I thought I needed, but the one God saw fit to give me. And I pray some more about next steps. Then I dust myself off and start writing again. Our writing journey is ours, not someone else’s, and so we need to rest in that journey and let God take care of everything else, including our rejections.
How do you stay motivated when facing writer’s block or rejection?
That’s a good question. Maybe that I’m a homebody, an introvert at heart. When I meet readers at events, I have my extrovert shell zipped up to my chin! But I need lots of downtown by myself to rejuvenate and refresh, so most evenings, you can often find me snuggled with one of my cats, knitting a blanket and watching BritBox or Acorn TV. Ahh, alone in my room with no one to talk to—pure bliss!
When a pediatrician foils an attempted child abduction, she’s thrust into a dangerous game in which she must rely on the help of her former boyfriend to stay alive.
Dr. Eve Davenport has forged a life for herself far from the pain of her past. But when she foils the kidnapping attempt of Ethan Smith, she comes face-to-face with the boy’s father, Jefferson Smith—the high school sweetheart who broke her heart and left her with secrets she’s buried for nearly a decade. Jefferson can’t believe the woman who saved Ethan, his late twin brother’s son, is Eve—the girl he once loved and lost. But as the danger mounts, Jefferson and Eve must confront their tangled history and uncover who is behind the attacks targeting Ethan and Eve.
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