The Last Word, By Kathy Herman, and a Giveaway

There is a giveaway at the end of this review, so make sure you check it out. And also I have a interview I did with the author by email. All but one question was mine (I borrowed one from the book review site), so check out the interview also. It is obvious she put a lot of time into her answers, and it is worth reading.

My review:

Wow. That pretty much sums up this newest book by Kathy Herman. I was working in a Christian bookstore when her first book, Tested By Fire, hit the market. I love Christian suspense, so I bought it. It was very good for a new author. Then came book two, three, and soon there were five books in the series, each getting better than the previous.

Kathy has written three series of books, and one stand alone book, before this series, The Sophie Trace Trilogy, and in my opinion, she just keeps getting better and better. When she came on the scene, Dee Henderson books were all the rage - she has surpassed Dee Henderson.

I actually reviewed book one of this newest series on my own, The Real Enemy. I felt it was the best book she had written. Then I read this one, The Last Word. This author is going places. She usually tackles some issue in her books, and doesn’t just write an exciting novel of suspense. This novel was no different. The abortion issue was addressed, and in addition, the reality of there being a hell, and how important it is to make sure you’re ready to go there, and that your friends and loved ones are ready for Heaven also.

So what is the book about? Brill Jessup is a forty-five year old police chief, in Sophie Trace, TN. A criminal she helped put behind bars is out, and he has determined to kill the three people who put him there: Brill Jessup, her former partner, Zack Rogers, and the District Attorney.
He outsmarts the police at every turn, and people start dying at his hands. In the midst of trying to catch a killer, Brill’s oldest daughter arrives home from college with a surprise. She is pregnant- by her college professor.

As the killer gets closer and closer to his ultimate target, the female police chief, more and more people’s lives are endangered. And running throughout the story is the message that there are consequences for our sins, but God will forgive, and that no matter how wicked the sinner, God loves us all, and offers redemption to everyone.

Kathy did something neat for this series. She put together a composite of pictures to show what her fictional town looks like - pictures below. I thought it was a great idea. Most of the time the reader has to depend on the author's words and their own imagination. (If you click on the photos, they should enlarge).

The interview:
1) Why do you write Christian fiction, and why suspense?

I’m not sure I chose fiction. I think it chose me. I wanted to write children’s books but stared at a blank computer screen for two week before I finally stopped trying to force my creativity to kick in and just wrote whatever came out of me. Much to my amazement, I ended up with a scene involving an investigator sitting on a park bench, a quaint town with a clock tower behind him, quietly waiting for something to come up in the lake. I didn’t know what he expected to see, but I was filled with intrigue! My husband said it sounded suspenseful and would be great as part of a novel. Well, I’ve got to tell you, that gave me pause. I never once considered writing a novel. I couldn’t imagine coming up with an entertaining storyline, developing a cast of characters or doing research. But that feeling of intrigue kept pushing me until I finally wrote the prologue to my first book, Tested by Fire. And I haven’t stopped since.

What I’ve discovered in the process is that Christian fiction is really just taking what we’ve learned in Bible studies and sermons and living it out through true-to-life characters. It’s essentially life application. The Word tells us how we should live, and story shows us how. Of course, the learning involves struggles. My characters are flawed human beings and not all of them have their act together.

Actually, the suspense genre lends itself perfectly to a Christian audience. My stories could be ripped from the headlines and are extremely relevant to life. Characters who are oppressed on all sides must cope with stress, sorrow, and sin. And it’s through their choices that I seek to inspire and challenge the reader without being preachy. My goal is to create an entertaining story with engaging characters that can make biblical truth potentially life changing for the reader.


2) In addition to your books having suspense and mystery, you also have addressed some tough issues in your books. Racism, infidelity & restoration of a marriage, forgiveness, and in your latest book, the pro-life issue. Are there any issues that you haven’t addressed, and would like to? If so, what are they?

I always begin with a Scripture verse. But I’m what’s known as a “seat of the pants” writer. I don’t do well trying to outline or nail down the entire story ahead of time. Most of the tough issues in my books came into play as the story progressed and my characters took over. I let them do the talking. I’ve even had some major shifts in the theme when my characters did something I hadn’t planned. So to answer your question, I haven’t thought about any particular issues I want to write about. That seems to happen as I’m ready to start another book that builds on the one before it.

3) When not writing, how does Kathy Herman like to spend her time?

At this stage of life, my passion is bird watching. I have an incredible eight feet by eight feet window in front of my writing desk that overlooks a bird garden. I watch the birds as I write. And when I’m finished working for the day, I go outside and photograph them. Throughout the summer, we get as many as two dozen hummingbirds at our feeders. I love holding the feeders and letting them come to me, even land on my fingers. Because of my passion for bird watching, I also love photography. I do pretty well with my digital camera. Facebook has given me a wonderful outlet for sharing my photographs.

The nice thing about this hobby is I can take it with me wherever I go. There are always interesting birds in different parts of this country –and any country I travel to. So bird watching has become a part of all my travels. I used to think bird watchers were a weird breed of folks, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s always fun to run into a fellow “birder.” Another thing I like about this hobby, other than the obvious enjoyment of seeing the detail on hundreds of God’s creations, is keeping score. It becomes a game to see how many we can identify. Paul loves it too, so we really do have fun.

I also love to travel. I’ve been on three cruises that were just fabulous: Alaska, the Baltic, and Norway/Arctic Circle. I’ve been to the jungles of Costa Rica and Panama, the north coast of Venezuela to many of the islands in the Caribbean. I’ve been to a number of cities in Mexico, Canada, and Europe. And to almost every state in the U.S.

I imagine you expected me to say I’m a voracious reader. I do enjoy reading and am always reading something, but because I am using words all day long, I often immerse myself in activities that give my mind a rest.4) Do you consider your writing a ministry?
Absolutely. But I didn’t fully understand that until I got my first series published and began to get reader feedback. I was floored at the impact my books had made on people’s lives—and choices! I knew when I started out that I wanted to use my talent to write stories that brought people closer to Christ. I just had no idea how God was going to use it.

I also began to realize that I have a tremendous responsibility to accurately represent Him and His Word through the thoughts and actions of my Christian characters. That’s not to say my characters don’t have doubts and fears, or that they never fall. Quite the opposite. Many of them struggle—but there are biblical solutions to life’s problems and consequences for poor choices. That’s what I always strive to make clear.

It is truly a privilege to write stories that inspire and challenge, and I never take for granted the gift the Lord has entrusted to me.

5) What is your favorite Bible verse, and why?

It probably depends on which day you ask. But the one that echoes in my heart most often is I Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

I love this verse because it reminds me of how blind I was before the Father drew me to Jesus and that unbelievers can neither understand nor live up to biblical standards. We shouldn’t expect them to, nor should we judge them when they don’t. But as followers of Christ, redemption makes perfect sense. We are empowered to live the abundant life and commissioned to share it with the lost. That’s what I try to show through my characters.
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6) Of all of the books you have written, fifteen, I believe, do you have a favorite book and/or series? Character?

That’s a tough one. I’ve enjoyed every series I’ve written. There have been quite a few characters I fell in love with. I guess I’d have to say Weezie and Gordy in the Seaport Series were my all time favorites. And little Montana in Phantom Hollow. He was so darling that my husband and I joked about wanting to adopt him. A number of characters tugged at my heartstrings and seemed so real to me that at times I almost forgot they weren’t: Casey Lassiter in Tested by fire; Sherry Kennsington in Day of Reckoning ; Angie Marks in High Stakes; Brandon Jones in Not by Chance; Montana Griffith in the Phantom Hollow Series; Grandma Lu in Ever-Present Danger; Emily Jessup in The Real Enemy.

Which of my books is my favorite? Hmm … that’s like asking which of my children I love the most. They’re unique, and I’m pleased with them for different reasons. I don’t think I can decide which one is my favorite. I can say that the one I most enjoyed writing was Poor Mrs. Rigsby. That was the book that taught me what it was to “linger” with the characters. It was the beginning of a deeper level of writing for me.

7) Besides your published books, have you, and do you, write anything else?

I wrote poetry for years, and it served as an expression of my deepest feelings. But my novels do that now, and I don’t have a need to write poetry anymore. I’ve written numerous articles for the Christian Booksellers Association, and Tender Years and Golden Years (two local publications).I wrote the copy for newspaper and magazine ads for Better Books Christian Center as well as job descriptions for each employee position. In fact, I’ve used my writing skills in every job I’ve had. But truthfully, writing professionally (two books a year) is a FULL TIME job. I don’t have time to write anything else. I know authors who put out four books a year, blog, stay active on Twitter and facebook, travel, do speaking engagements, and more. It’s all I can do to write two books a year and stay up with my readers on facebook and my website. But I’m much more effective in writing stories if I stay focused.

8) Tell us about the Scripture verse that this book, “The Last Word” is based. Why is this important to you?

The verse is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the gentile.”

This Scripture means a lot to me because I think in their heart of hearts, most believers are not ashamed of the gospel, just unsure how to share it effectively. Christianity is under attack today, just as it has been in ages past. But in today’s high tech world, when a Christian leader falls, the world knows about it in a matter of minutes, and the scoffing begins. It’s hard to blame the naysayers for their cynicism when the news accurately points to the very worst behavior in Christians.


And then there are the religious fanatics or cult leaders, claiming to be Christian, who go off the deep end—killing their children because God told them to, or engaging in sexual abuse or other unspeakable acts in the name of God. Meanwhile, Muslim extremists rape, pillage, and engage in ethnic cleansing and terrorist attacks.
Unbelievers often judge religion by what they see in the news and lump it all together. Is it any wonder that so many lost people think that belief systems are dangerous and scoff at the idea of absolute truth?
And yet in every person who doesn’t know Christ,there is a void, an emptiness that eats at them, whether they’ll admit it or not. They are lost. And they need the saving grace of Jesus. Through my characters in The Last Word, I wanted to encourage my readers and myself to be bolder in sharing our faith—that so much depends on it.

9) When someone reads your book, what do you want them to get out the book?
I want us all to remember that our purpose on this earth is to fulfill the Great Commission. It’s so easy to get sidetracked with the cares of the world and forget that our lives are about so much more than ourselves. The words we speak and the example we set can change the world, one person at a time.


10) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

That’s a broad question. Narrowing it down to basics, I guess my advice would be to keep writing, to keep honing your skills. Discipline yourself to write something every day. If you finally end up with writing as a profession, the discipline will pay off. Writing on a schedule can be a full time job. It is for me. I put in six days a week writing. I can be flexible, yes. But I have to write every day. My goal is two thousand words. I don’t always make it, but that’s my goal.

And by all means, stay teachable. There is always something new to learn. Any writer who thinks he/she has arrived will probably get stale and become an editor’s nightmare. You will never “arrive.” But that’s really part of what keeps the creative spirit alive.

Thanks to Kathy Herman for taking the time out to answer my questions. And also for willingly donating books for a giveaway.



The giveaway:

Kathy graciously agreed to provide some books for a giveaway, and at her suggestion, there will be two winners.

Up for grabs for two winners, are the first two books in her Sophie's Trace series: The Real Enemy, and the book I just reviewed, The Last Word. The contest will run for one week, and I will draw two winners two weeks from the date of this review, September 29. The books will be mailed out to the two winners by Kathy.

The rules:

I did have a rule you could not win if you won in the last 30 days, but not many bloggers are having that requirement on giveaways, so I am tossing that out the window - enter & win as often as you can.
You must live in the US.
To enter, simply comment on this post - make sure I have a way of contacting you - if you do not have a blog, email me your email address, or put it on here.
Two winners will be drawn two weeks from today, Sept 29.

And if you do not have a blog or blogger user name, and would like to enter, email me to enter: marcus802001@yahoo.com

I am fair in picking a winner, and am trying a new method instead of names in a hat: I found a website that will pick a random number when you put in a minimum and maximum number, so I will number the comments and go that route.

I hope you have enjoyed my book review of The Last Word. Kathy Herman is my favorite Christian suspense author, so I wanted to do a bit more than just the usual review. Hopefully I succeeded. And if you have never read Kathy Herman's books, I highly recommend her books. She is a great author, and you will not be disappointed.
Visit her website: KathyHerman.com.
The Last Word will be available on October 1, 2009 from David C Cook Publishing.
Check out Kathy's other books:
The Baxter Series
The Seaport Suspense Series
The Phantom Hollow Series
Poor Mrs. Rigsby (stand alone)