Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and Christy Award–winning author of more than sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska, Rocky Mountain Courage, and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award winner, a two-time Reader’s Choice Award winner, and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.
In this interview, Elizabeth talks more about the creation of her characters, as well as gives hints about the third book in the Hidden Bay series.
FF: Please provide a brief summary of Perilous Tides.
After her mother’s suspicious death, forensic artist Jo Cattrel takes refuge at a storm-watching lodge on the Washington coast. But when her father sends a cryptic message, she leaves her refuge to search for him and then witnesses a murder. Jo is rescued from certain death by her ex-boyfriend—former Green Beret Cole Mercer. They join forces to solve the deadly mysteries from Jo’s past before she becomes the next victim.
FF: This book is the second volume in your Hidden Bay series. Can Perilous Tides be read as a stand-alone, and how does it build on the first book, Storm Warning?
Perilous Tides can definitely be read as a stand-alone, but readers who enjoy books connected in a series will get to see characters they love from the first book and experience the stunning Hidden Bay setting again.
FF: What inspired you to use the Washington coast as the setting for the Hidden Bay series?
I’ve always found the Washington coast breathtaking. With the rough waters of the Pacific Ocean crashing on rocky beaches and the beautiful but dangerous terrain, I consider the region a perfect setting for a romantic suspense. I’ve wanted to set a series here for years, and I’m so excited that Hidden Bay has finally arrived.
FF: Jo Cattrel, our main protagonist, encounters many challenges. How does this shape her character?
Jo’s experiences, her battles as well as the secrets and answers she discovers along the way, give her a strong sense of who she is and what her real purpose is as someone who will fight for justice against all odds, no matter the cost.
FF: What research did you do to accurately portray Jo’s unique profession as a forensic artist?
I based Jo and her mother off a real mother and daughter forensic art team who possessed a unique gift for portraying criminal depictions with extraordinary accuracy, so most of what I used to create Jo and write about her skills I gathered from this specific research.
FF: Cole has transitioned from Green Beret to private investigator. How does his military background influence who he is now?
Cole possesses special skills—he can blend in anywhere and be “invisible.” In the past, he used those skills to investigate a horrific tragedy that led him to uncover a terrorist plot. Government agencies recruited him, but he has chosen to work on his own so he can pick and choose his cases—primarily, he wants to solve the mystery behind Jo’s past so that she will be free to move on with her life, and maybe they will have a chance to be together in the future.
FF: Jo and Cole seem to have a complex history. What inspired you to write a second-chance romance?
I love second-chance romances, especially in romantic suspense. If the hero and heroine already have feelings for each other—good or bad—that gives the romance plot of a suspense novel a running start.
FF: The characters face a lot of threats on their journey. What challenges did you face when mapping out these plot twists?
While writing any novel, I’m constantly thinking ahead to what could possibly happen and massaging the story to make things work. I often must rewrite chapters or go back and add in or flesh out things as I make new discoveries along the way. I read a six-hundred-page book for research as I wrote and developed this story. While reading, I came across the exact scenario I had created fictionally, which reassured me that I was on the right track for the novel.
FF: How does the mystery of Jo’s mother’s death intersect with the present-day danger?
The mystery behind her mother’s death serves as both the catalyst for the journey Jo is on and the key to unraveling the threats against Jo. As she digs deeper, she discovers her mother was targeted for what she knew, and now Jo is targeted to keep those same secrets buried.
FF: How do you balance the romantic and suspenseful elements to your stories?
I’ve always aimed to split romance and suspense fifty-fifty, and after writing so many novels, that balance is instinctual. I know when my characters need downtime to focus on each other. I know when to ramp up the danger. If things get boring, there needs to be an explosion or a body. Ha! At the right moment, even under threat of danger, there needs to be a tender kiss to create a slow burn, even in a fast-paced story.
FF: What role does faith play in your stories and in how your characters develop?
I find it impossible to do anything in life through a lens that isn’t faith-filled, so when writing, messages of faith—hope, forgiveness, redemption, love, etc.—should naturally develop through my characters. I don’t force a spiritual or faith-filled theme into the story or even consider ahead of time what that might be. However, I do look for opportunities—places where Scripture or prayer or spiritual “tension” could work to inspire my characters—and as the story develops, I begin to see a spiritual theme grow out of my characters’ thoughts and actions.
FF: Can you share what you’re working on next?
I’m finishing up book 3 in my Hidden Bay series. Readers will want to learn more about Evelyn Monroe, the enigmatic woman mentioned in the first two books. In Perilous Tides, readers are introduced to Detective Sanders, who assists Jo and Cole. Detective Sanders becomes the hero in book 3 and meets a new character—a woman who arrives in Hidden Bay to research the Specter’s Bounty and finish the book her deceased maritime-historian father started. Of course, like the first two books, book 3 is filled with plot twists and danger at every turn. I think this is a fitting third installment to the Hidden Bay series, and I can’t wait for readers to dive into the books.
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