Introducing a New Release - Book Two of The Cambell Creek Mysteries

In this fast-paced follow-up to Wendy L. Young's debut novel, Come the Shadows, the mystery deepens...

Will and Laura Harmon are trying to get on with their lives but are left reeling when a vicious hit-and-run sends Laura to the hospital. With all the recent changes in Campbell Creek Will has a long list of suspects - and few leads.

One thing is clear: Someone wants Laura dead and Will has to stop them in time.


But who from Campbell Creek's shadowy past is behind the
threats on Laura's life and can Will figure out the mystery before tragedy strikes again?

Wendy has the unique perspective of being a Christian writer in the mainstream market. That began my questions. What is it like, being a Christian and writing more mainstream, even secular, fiction? How do the writing and your faith intersect?

I have chosen, for now, not to write expressly Christian fiction, but my faith definitely plays a huge role in my writing. I write mystery/suspense novels and there is a definite mainstream trend to make them gory and violent. There’s always a conflict about what to include and how much detail should be present. I don’t shy away from bad things happening – they are part of the story – but I always ask myself if the details are needed and how far it should go. I try hard not to glorify hurtful or evil actions. They happen – but it’s about the light in which they are cast.

My faith doesn’t only cause questions and conflicts for me, though. It also gives me great ideas for subplots and underlying themes such as marriages, forgiveness, and the character of an individual. My main characters are born-again Christians who are unabashed about that. I never set out to write a Christian book but their beliefs shine through.

Do you have any plans to cross over into inspirational/Christian fiction?

Not yet, no. I’ve always written so many types of stories – poetry, fiction, songs, plays, and so forth – that crossing genres is almost guaranteed in my future. I love to try new things.

There is a particular character that appears in my first book and will reappear in my third that I feel has a spiritual journey ahead. Someday I want to tell it in a more literary and/or inspirational fiction book or series.

Your main character, Will Harmon, has been married over 25 years. He and his wife have a strong, intimate relationship but they also know how to have fun and still challenge each other. What inspired them and made you take this path when so many other stories revolve around destruction, selfish, and angry couples?

I am a child of divorce and I always knew I wanted to get married only once. There are so many negative voices out there telling people its okay to be selfish, marriage is transient, divorce is easy, etc that I really wanted to be a voice for the positive instead. Marriage can work. It’s not the ball and chain society makes it out to be.

My own marriage provides a lot of fodder for Will and Laura’s marriage. Some of the banter even comes verbatim from actual conversations my husband and I have had in our 6 years of marriage. I love being able to add that dose of reality and show marriage and love – long-term marriage, especially – in a positive light.

You’ve just released your second book, Red Sky Warning, and it’s a direct sequel to the first. Is it the end of the story? What’s in store for Will and Laura?

My new book is the second in a planned trilogy called The Campbell Creek Mysteries. All three revolve around Will and Laura and how they deal with major changes – and some very bad things – happening in their town and beyond. I love writing about them and may even bring them back after that!

I don’t want to spoil the plots, which build on each other, but each book in the series has a theme to the story.

Jason O'Mara

• Come the Shadows – bad things are coming to this sleepy town and they need to get it together to protect themselves and even fight
• Red Sky Warning – they thought the bad was gone but it’s here, it’s dangerous, and it’s really close to home
• Racing the Sunset (Spring 2012) – Will and Laura finally get to go on the offensive. Will, especially, will have a unique journey in this book. He’s been a cop a long time but he’s never really been tested, at least not like this, and things are going to get much, much worse.

One last question: If you could choose, who would play Will and Laura in a movie?

I’d go with complete unknowns. The closest screen face I can think of right now would be someone like the guy who fronts Terra Nova as Jim Shannon. He has the everyday-man vibe I would want for the part. Will is fit and maybe a little on the tall side but the kind of guy who’d prefer to hang back and let others take center-stage. For Laura – no idea at all!

Bio: Wendy L. Young has been writing for more than twenty years. She writes character-driven mystery and suspense set in the fictional town of Campbell Creek, North Carolina and is currently at work on the third installment of the series. Wendy lives in East Tennessee with her husband, son, and one grouchy cat.