Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Darlene L. Turner and a Giveaway!

Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them!

Darlene Turner is one of my real life friends. We have spent the last couple of years sharing a cabin for a week-long romantic suspense writers retreat with a few other authors, and getting to know her is such a joy. So, having her on my blog this week is great fun. She has a new release out that sounds SO GOOD! Read on to see how you can enter to win a copy of it!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Darlene L. Turner is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her high-octane stories and riveting twists. Sparked by Nancy Drew, she’s turned her love of solving mysteries into her writing, believing readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. Dubbed “the plaid queen” for her love of everything plaid, Darlene resides with her husband Jeff in Ontario, Canada. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.

Tell us about your current release.

Coordinates of Death is a story I’ve had in my head for years and it’s finally found a home! Mind you, the story has evolved a little differently than I first intended, but I wanted to write a book about a game involving a criminal mastermind who taunts his players. Aurora and Kordell have their job cut out for them as they investigate the crime and run for their lives in an icy Canadian wilderness. Yes, they go through hard times and must face their haunting pasts, but God’s light always shines in the darkest moments.

What inspired you to start writing, or did you always want to write?

Nancy Drew! My love of writing began with reading Nancy Drew as a girl, but even though I continued to read, the writing spark faded, and life happened. I didn’t have time to write…or at least, I didn’t think I had the gift, so I put it out of my mind.

Years flew by, and through my journey, I decided to take a creative writing course. This triggered the idea for the very first book I wrote. That’s when my love of writing re-surfaced and grew. So, God does use ALL circumstances in life to grow us, right?

I took some amazing courses through the Jerry B. Jenkins group and had some wonderful mentors. I started attending writing conferences in an attempt to get an agent. I’d pitch to them and have interest but nothing happened. In 2017, I won the Genesis award for one of those books. I believe this helped me catch the eye of my agent (who is an absolute sweetie!). She started pitching both of those books and suggested I write something to send to LIS, so I did. After doing some revisions, my agent got the call from them. When she called me, I did a happy dance. Border Breach debuted in April of 2020.

Shortly after this, I received my second contract with LIS, I decided to take a leap of faith and retire from my job to become a full-time author. I’m currently writing my 18th book for Harlequin and feeling very blessed! God is good!

Who were some of your favorite authors as a child? (Book series, maybe?)

Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys

Who was your first screen or musical crush?

Scott Baio! Loved Chachi on Happy Days!!

How do you push past the fear of your writing being average and be bold enough to sell it to a publisher (or agent, or audience if you self publish)?

It’s not easy to put your “baby” out there to face the world. I think every writer struggles with the fear that their writing isn’t good enough. I know I have! Even after multiple published books, that little voice of doubt still creeps in and whispers, What if this one isn’t good enough?

For me, the key is remembering that I don’t have to be the best writer in the room—I just have to tell the story God has placed on my heart to the best of my ability. I keep learning, keep honing my craft, and keep showing up at the keyboard. Readers are looking for stories that make them feel. So, I push past the fear by praying, trusting God with the outcome, and then doing the scary thing anyway.

Believe in the story you’ve been given. And then hit SEND!

With all those characters in your head screaming to get out, how do you write fast enough to get it all down?

That’s a great question! I can’t. LOL! I write as fast as I can and write down other character info, stories, etc in notebooks so I don’t forget them. 🙂

Do you have your plotline and character development already laid out before you begin writing a book, or do they develop as you write?

I start with a general idea and then flesh out my characters. I love developing the hero and heroine. It’s my favorite part of the writing process! Once I have that ready, I dive into writing the first three chapters, then write the synopsis for a rough outline of what the rest of the book will entail. However, I’m a pantser, so things come to mind as I write. 😉

I assume when you start a book, you pretty much have the plot laid out. Do you ever change your mind later on in the book and go in a different direction?

All the time! As I mentioned, I’m a pantser so even though I’ve written the synopsis for my editor, things often deviate and go a different path.

Do you talk out plot lines with others, and if so, who?

Yes! Mostly with Sami A. Abrams. It’s kind of scary how we both think alike!