Dark Ambitions is set in St. Louis, Missouri. Is there any particular reason you chose this location?
In general, my stories aren’t location dependent. They’re more character driven than setting driven, so they could take place almost anywhere. Since that’s the case, it’s easier for me to write about a location I know. My suspense novels require huge amounts of research, and featuring a familiar setting cuts down on the research load.
You write romance fiction and also romantic suspense. How did you get started writing suspense?
My first romantic suspense novel was Against All Odds, published in 2009, which became my first bestseller. But my love affair with romantic suspense began when I was a preteen and discovered Nancy Drew!
What are the challenges of writing Christian fiction with elements of crime, danger, and violence?
Obviously, if you write suspense, it will have all those elements to some degree. But I minimize description as much as possible and always cast crime and aggression in a negative light.
We’ve become so desensitized to violence and vulgarity in media that it’s almost expected in mainstream novels now. But I firmly believe you can tell a compelling story without getting gruesome or graphic.
Click through to discover how Irene’s faith impacts how she writes suspense…