I've got to tell you there is really little for a writer that is as exciting as publishing your first book. Please welcome debut author Dena Netherton.
She is as charming as she is an excellent writer.
Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Dena. Tell us, what inspired you to write your book, Haven’s Flight?
When I was twelve years old, this image of a young woman standing in a field of snow, surrounded by dark forest popped into my mind. She was looking over her shoulder nervously as if she were being pursued. The image was so compelling that it stayed in my mind for days, and finally, I sketched it on a sheet of paper. I kept the sketch in my desk drawer and every time I saw it I’d ask myself, “What is going on with this girl? What is she frightened of?” Over a period of weeks, a story started to unfold and develop. But I didn’t even try to write it down because I knew I wouldn’t do it justice until I learned how to be a writer. Forty years later, the girl in my sketch has found her name— Haven—and readers are about to find out who she’s running from.
Have you been a lifelong reader of suspense? What are some the first books you remember reading?
I found my love of reading as a little kid when I discovered books like “Lad, A Dog” by Terhune, and the “Flicka” books about horses. In my teens, I loved Fantasy novels, such as Tolkien’s “the Lord of the Rings” trilogy and C.S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia.” I went through a dark phase in high school where I read everything I could get at the library (remember libraries?) about the last two world wars. Actually, I think reading about the horrors of war made me wonder what I would do if someone threatened my life. Which led to my fascination with how people survive and cope in times of great personal danger. I love Stephen King’s writing. His stories are way creepier than mine, but reading his books have helped me develop the ‘creep factor’ in my own bad characters.
What do you do to rev your creative juices?
When I’m stuck, I go for a drive and play classical music. Nothing makes the ideas flow faster.
To you what makes a great romance hero or heroine?
They’ve got to be complicated. When I read a good book, I want to love the hero or heroine in spite of their flaws. Sometimes, I even want to enjoy their flaws. When they do something stupid, I want to yell at them, “Don’t do that! Can’t you see what going to happen if you do?” But that makes me cheer them on when they finally make the right choices.
You’re having a dinner party. What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up? Why?
I would certainly hope you don’t invite Judge Bartholomew Boone. Knowing how he treats his wife and little boy when no one’s looking—well, I don’t think I could be polite to him.
Give us a brief summary of Haven’s Flight:
Haven Ellingsen enrolled in Life Ventures Therapy Camp in the Cascade Mountains to help her heal from horrible memories of her mother’s violent death at the hands of an armed robber. But now, a greater fear dogs her steps. In the mountains, the rustle of leaves or the snap of a twig could be nothing. Or it might signal the presence of the man who won’t stop following her.
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