The theme of THE OTHER NEIGHBOR is that the FBI got a tip that Jeff and his co-horts are building a bomb, so they have to find out what he is going to blow up, and stop it before that happens. Agent Steve Gableman's job to get information from the to-be-bomber's neighbor, Cheryl, without her knowing what is going on.
This brings up a question.
The sad and terrifying truth is that when we hear about someone who has done a mass shooting or set off a bomb, someone, somewhere, knows that person. They interact and live in a normal society, have friends and neighbors, jobs or school, until they follow out their horrible plan, or are are stopped before tragedy happens.
Often, in hindsight, people tell the reporters that they felt something was wrong or strange with that person. But no one saw it coming to that degree. Few people think their neighbor or workmate could be capable of something so horrible.
This brings me to my story, THE OTHER NEIGHBOR.
This is based on a true story, only in this case, just like the book, the FBI received a tip and followed it up before anyone was hurt.
I hope there are lots of people who, unknown by the people who were saved, will call in and report something they fear will end in tragedy.
About Gail Sattler
Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver BC Canada, where you don't have to shovel rain. When she's not madly writing (Gail Sattler has over 40 published novels and novellas, plus a few works of non-fiction) she plays bass for an Elton John tribute band as well as a community jazz band, plus she plays piano for a smaller private jazz band. When she's not writing or making music (or at her day job) Gail likes to sit back and read a book written by someone else, along with a good cup of hot coffee.
Cheryl Richardson doesn’t know that her landlord who owns the other half of the duplex where she lives is plotting to build a bomb—but the FBI does. In order to discover what her landlord is planning to blow up, agent Steve Gableman moves next door to get closer to Cheryl to learn what she knows, namely the target and motive, so they can stop it. But when Steve involves himself in every area of her life, including her dog, will Cheryl be the one to explode?
Today I'd like to welcome fellow Canadian (fellow British Columbian, too!) author Gail Sattler, author of over 30 books. Her newest novel, The Narrow Path is due to release from Abingdon on May first. I was happy to receive a free copy for the purpose of posting a review.
VC - Gail, could you tell us a little bit about The Narrow Path?
GS - When modern Mennonite Miranda enters Old Order Mennonite Ted’s church and community she feels like she’s been transported back into Little House On The Prairie, with cars. Ted’s head spins when Miranda reads her Bible on her cell phone. Ted is supposed to help Miranda fit in, and Miranda is supposed to help his church reach out into the community. Can these two somehow meet in the middle and still accomplish their goal?
VC - Where did the idea for this novel come from?
GS - That's a tough question. While some of my stories do have a specific jumping off point, most don't. While this book has incorporated a lot of things from around me, I didn't have one of those 'flash' moments where an idea struck me. Of course I know a lot of Mennonite people from both old and modern backgrounds, and I am very involved in the music ministry of my own church, and over the years I have written and directed a few Christmas productions, although not to the scale in the book. But a big inspiration in the story was Ted's hat.
VC - Okay, that begs the question. What was it about Ted's hat?
GS- It's sexy. Am I allowed to say that? Think of what you do when you see a handsome man walking down the street wearing a hat. It attracts my attention because it makes a man enigmatic. Ted's hat is a part of his personality as much as it's a part of who he is as a Mennonite.
VC - Tell me about your church. Is it more like Ted's or more like Miranda's?
GS - I think my church is a combination. It's small, it was a church plant a few years ago and continues to grow with the city. While there are many non-Mennonite people in our membership, there are many from both modern and older and more conservative Mennonite backgrounds. I love the blend between the old and the new cultures.
VC - I totally understand that. I think historically being Mennonite was equal parts culture and denominational affiliation. My parents were traditional Mennonite, but I wasn't raised in it. However, my parents clung to much about the culture even when we lived far away from its influence.
You're a Canadian writing a story set in the USA. Do you think this affected the way you told the story? Would anything have been different if a Canadian setting had been an option?
GS - No. I was born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba, which also has a very large Mennonite population - the area from Winnipeg south to the border has many towns and cities that are Mennonite based, just as the whole area down the Red River, extending through North Dakota and into Minnesota, where the The Narrow Path takes place. So nothing would have changed because it's so very close to where I would have set the story if I'd set it in Canada.
VC - I was born near Winnipeg myself, and lived in the area until my parents moved to BC when I was 14, so I know the area you refer to. I'm curious about the goat. How did she get in the story?
GS - I have no idea how the goat got there. She just kind of snuck in. That's how goats are.
VC - Thanks for the idea of reading the Bible on my cell. I got a chuckle out of Ted's horror at this concept, even while getting sucked into enjoying it himself. I've downloaded three different version apps and really enjoy being able to read and compare with a flick of my finger. Did you model Miranda after yourself? How often do you read your digital Bible compared to your leatherbound?
GS - As far as the techie stuff, I have modeled Miranda after myself. As to my digital Bible, I don't have it on my cell phone, but my Palm Pilot, and my program includes a concordance, cross references, teaching notes, and the ability for me to add my own notes during the sermon and highlight versus in different colors. I think people who don't know me think I'm playing games during Pastor's sermon. As to how often do I read my leatherbound... uh... I don't remember the last time I touched my leatherbound. Everything is in my Palm Pilot, all my notes, fave verses; it's even got a daily reading plan. It's backlit and easy to read in bed or anywhere dark, and everything is all backed up on my PC. It also weighs a lot less and goes in my purse, so it is with me everywhere I go.
VC - Anything else you'd like to tell us about Ted and Miranda's story?
GS - Not really. It's a fun read, and I just hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can check out the first chapter here.
Would you like to win a copy of The Narrow Path? If you live in North America, you may enter in the comment section. I'll be drawing one winner to be announced in The Sunday Edition April 18.
"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."
Valerie Comer writes novels of romance, fantasy, and faith from a farm in Western Canada, where she and her husband keep bees and raise beef cattle. Over the years their farm has housed sheep, goats, geese, chickens, turkeys, and pigs. The goats are the only thing they will absolutely never do again, no way, no how.
Good morning, Alice Valdal here. First I would like to announce the winner of the Welsh Revival Hymns cd is Narelle Atkins. Thanks Narelle for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Now, let me introduce my guest, fellow Canadian and multi-published author, Gail Sattler. Welcome Gail.
Gail: Thanks for having me on your blog. This is going to be fun, but of course the more the merrier. For everyone reading this, I invite questions and comments, please feel free to join in and don’t be shy.
A.V.: You're a musician as well as a writer. Do you find inspiration of your writing in your music?
Gail: No, actually I don't. My music and my writing are very separate. I do write songs, but they are just songs, not stories. I sometimes use music elements in my writing, but no more than I would use any other subject matter. In fact, I can't listen to music when I'm writing because instead of sitting back and enjoying the music, it becomes too distracting when I find myself analyzing and predicting the chord progressions.
A.V.: You are multi-published, with a new book coming in May. Tell us a bit about the beginning of your writing journey.
Gail: I've been writing since January 1996. I know this because I started writing when the company I worked for closed and I decided to stay home with my kids for a while. Not long after that I submitted a book to Heartsong Presents, where it sat for 1 week less a year, and then sold on the day of my 40th birthday in 1997. So I can say life begins at 40. Since then I have sold over 30 books and novellas.
A.V.: That is a wonderful story. So, was the road straight and broad once you found a publisher? Gail: The road doesn't end at publication, really, because it's always changing, and every author should strive to always improve with every book. So as I continue along the road I try to keep learning, and to keep up on the advances and trends.
A.V.: I've often heard editors say don't jump on the band wagon of the latest thing because by the time your book is ready, your 'latest thing' will be old news. How do you use popular notions and keep them fresh during the long process required to get a book on the shelves?
Gail: Books change like television shows. Look at the shows that were popular in the 60's, Andy Griffith, for example. Watching that now, as time has marched on, we groan and wonder how people could have enjoyed that. As an author, I have to always keep up with the changes and improvements, and know what readers like to read. I refuse to get stuck in Mayberry. That said, you have to be very careful with that 'latest thing' and not jump into the middle or end of the same trend, but use an offshoot of it so you are similar but different. I think a way to do this is not to follow trends, but go parallel. Close, but with some signifcant differences. It's like when you shop for clothes on a budget. Don't buy the height of the current trend, because in a few months when it's no longer the current trend, you're stuck with it, and it's become old very fast, or even if it is popular for along time, the market quickly becomes saturated. Be a little different. Keep it trendy enough to be interesting and current, but not so trendy that it blends with the rest.
A.V.: I take your point, but must confess I still enjoy Mayberry. :) How did you come to choose Heartsong for your first submission? Did you try anywhere else while you were waiting that long year less a week?
Gail: I had been writing for the secular market, and had made one submission, which came back with a very nice personalized rejection letter, with suggestions for improvement. I didn't know how valuable this was until much later in my writing career. But I'd been writing for about 6 months and I came across the guidelines for Heartsong Presents in a writers market guide at my local public library. The guidelines included one sentence that changed my writing life forever. Heartsong Presents wanted good fiction that was "not a sermon in novel form". In other words, they didn't want preachy, but just good Christian fiction. I figured I could do that, I wrote my first Inspirational romance, mailed it off, and the rest is history.
A.V.: Canada and the US are very close neighbours with a shared language and a common geography. However, there are differences. For example, we use the metric system, they use miles and pounds. We have a parliamentary government where the Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the most seats. Americans use an electoral college to elect their president, independently from the Congress. Do you have to guard against Canadianisms when writing for an American publisher?
Gail: As far as being Canadian in an American market, this does mean I have to be very aware of the readership that is buying my books. I've learned to write American.
A.V.: How? By reading? travelling? American friends?
Gail: All of the above. Mostly by paying attention to the differences that we usually pass off, because face it, Canadians are very exposed to American goods and attitudes. What does it mean, then to "write American"?There are many differences that I've had to adapt to. It's not just the spelling of colour or flavor (for Americans reading this, that's color and flavor), but the fact that Americans wear their shoes in the house (gasp!). I got an email from a reader after she read one of my early books, Piano Lessons, asking if my characters were Japanese, because Jed, my male protagonist, took his shoes off and left them on the mat when he went into Jillian's, the female protagonist's, home. I believe it is important to first earn your place in the marketplace and write for the readers who enjoy your writing. The publishers know their target market audience, and for the style and voice of books I write, that means Americans reading stories set on American soil.
A.V.: Do you think your books have international appeal as well? Do you try for a broader audience?
Gail: I always hope for a broader audience. Because I'm Canadian in an American marketplace I try to be generic when I don't have to be specific, and I hope that appeals to everyone, no matter where they are. It's like the film industry in Vancouver BC, where I live. I watch many shows on television that are set in major American cities. But in the background, I recognize many local buildings and settings and know that they just changed a few signs, the show or movie was really made here. I try to do the same with many of my settings.
A.V.: You've been published by a variety of publishers including Steeple Hill and Heartsong? How did you end up with Abingdon for your upcoming book?
Gail: I just got a story in my head, and submitted it to them because it felt like the right publisher for my story. I'm really thrilled with how the whole process has gone with Abingdon Press for The Narrow Path. The staff is a dream to work with, and the quality of the work they have done on the book is outstanding.
A.V.: That book is coming out in May and you'll be doing another interview here specifically about The Narrow Path. For now let's concentrate a bit on your background. You live in The Greater Vancouver Area. You've got the mountains on three sides, the broad Fraser River flowing by and the Pacific Ocean on your doorstep. (For anyone who watched the latest Olympics on television, you already have an impression of Gail's backyard. ) Does where you live affect your writing?
Vancouver - photo courtesy of NASA
Gail: Not really. Most of the time I write in my basement, so I'm not looking at the scenery. It's actually distracting. :) A really good photo is on the cover of my VANCOUVER book. In fact, I'd like to give away a copy of Vancouver
(See contest rules at bottome of this post.)
A.V.: Do you have an agent? How did you find her? Do you recommend an agent?
Gail : Yes, my agent is Tamela Hancock Murray of Hartline Literary agencies. Actually, she found me. Way back in the days before Tamela was an agent, she was a fellow Heartsong Author, and we even worked on a Barbour novella anthology together. We talked and emailed a lot, so it was a natural match. I would definitely recommend her.
A.V.: Have you ever attended the Write! Canada conference?
Gail: Yes. In fact, the one year I went, it was the first writer's conference I'd ever been to away from home. It was a great experience, and one I'll never forget. I'd recommend it to anyone.
A.V.: Do you still have children at home?
Gail: I still have two at home, although between school, work, girls, and cars, I hardly seem to see them. Yet the fridge still empties out pretty fast after shopping day.
A.V.: Tell me about the lizard.
Gail: He is a Bearded Dragon, and he actually makes a nice pet if you like pets that are inactive. He doesn't make any noise and he doesn't smell and he is actually very cuddly because he loves to press down into a person's body heat when he's lying on top of you. He does have active moments, although they aren't often. Often we put him on the living room carpet and forget about him and come back 2 hours later, and he hasn't moved. Other times we have to look for him, and he can get pretty flat, so he gets into amazing places although I do admit he is predictable and easy enough to find. In the summer he likes to go onto the grass, and he enjoys going through the sprinkler, but you can't call it running, he doesn't go very fast.
A.V.: Thanks, Gail. I've enjoyed our chat.
To enter the giveaway for Gail's book, Vancouver, please leave a comment with your e-addy spelled out . The giveaway is restricted to North American addresses only. Void where prohibited by law.
