Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Double Take and Target Acquired, as well as the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians Series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master’s degree in education from Converse College.

In this interview, Lynette shares some insights into the latest book in her Lake City Heroes Series, Serial Burn.

FF: What inspired you to write a story about a fire marshal with such a tragic past?
Pure imagination! Seriously, I wanted her to have a really good reason for choosing her career path, and that seemed like a good one.

FF: How did you research the technical aspects of fire investigation and FBI procedures for this novel?
I have a buddy who is a retired FBI Special Agent. She in turn has a buddy who’s a fire marshal, and he answered my questions.

FF: The twentieth anniversary of Jesslyn’s family’s deaths plays a significant role in the story. Why did you choose this particular time frame?
I wanted the fire to happen when Jess was a child. Now she’s an adult who just wants to remember her family and have others remember them too. I figured twenty years later was a good time frame to target an anniversary date.

FF: Can you tell us more about Nathan Carlisle’s character and how his past influences his actions in the present?
Nathan is a great guy. I liked him from the start. He had a pretty good, normal childhood other than one very traumatic event that changed the way he viewed everything. It steered him toward his current career and influenced the relationships he has with his family—especially his brother, Eli. There was a lot in his past that influences his present, and I loved creating that character arc for him.

FF: How do you balance the thriller elements with the romantic subplot in your writing?
I LOVE the thriller elements. Those are easy and fun. To get the balance right, I usually have to go back and add in the romance. LOL. I’m not a very romantic person. My husband is way more romantic than I am, bless his heart. He does things like having a tub specially made for our new “tubless” bathroom and surprising me with it because he knew I was missing my soaks at night. So I have a lot of romantic ideas to pull from for my stories, thanks to my husband!

FF: Serial Burn touches on church fires as hate crimes. What made you decide to include this specific type of arson in your plot?
Easy—I need the FBI involved, and when there’s a hate crime, the FBI investigate.

FF: Community support seems to be an important theme in the book. How is this reflected in Jesslyn’s journey?
There are several examples of community in the book. Jesslyn’s parents wanted to give back to the community they lived in. Jesslyn’s friends are a community that rallies around her when she needs them. The town of Lake City is a community that takes care of their own. Her church community is a big part of her life. Jesslyn’s known tragedy, but she’s also known love. I think it’s important to show how vital having a supportive community in one’s life is.

FF: Serial Burn is the third book in your Lake City Heroes Series. What are the other books in your series, and what ties them together?
The first book is Double Take and the second is Target Acquired. Third is Serial Burn and fourth is Final Approach. The friendships and the city tie them together.

FF: What message do you hope readers will take away from Serial Burn?
First and foremost, I hope they really love the book and can’t put it down. As for the message, I hope they’ll see that it’s possible to rise from the ashes of your own past and have a meaningful, abundant life that God has had planned since the beginning of time.

FF: Since you live in South Carolina, does the local setting often inspire elements in your stories?
Yes, absolutely. I set a lot of my stories in the mountains of North Carolina simply because I love the mountains. I also love the beach and have set stories there as well. I’ve set stories in my hometown of Greenville, SC, and in Columbia, SC. I’ve lived in all these areas and enjoy writing about them.

FF: Can you share a bit about your writing process? How do you develop such intricate plots?
Oh my, that’s a tricky answer. I’m a pantser, meaning I tend to write by the seat of my pants. But I also have started doing some outlining, which helps me keep track of all the details. I use a writing software called Scrivener, and that’s invaluable to me. It keeps research, characters, settings, and more all in one place. I don’t know how people wrote before Scrivener! I also have amazing editors who are able to unscramble all my messes and turn them into really great books! Ha ha! In other words, I couldn’t do it without my editors.

FF: What are you working on next?
I’m currently working on the fourth book in the series, Final Approach. Then I will move on to the next series in the lineup.

Serial Burn
Lake City Heroes Series #3
Lynette Eason
Revell
Genres: Mystery/Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 21, 2025

ISBN-10: ‎0800741218
ISBN-13: ‎978-0800741211

Book Summary:
She’s out for justice. But the arsonist she’s tracking is out for retribution.

Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires—including at Jesslyn’s church—brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence.

Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past—one he’d prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction.

As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she’ll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.

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About The Author

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of several romantic suspense series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.