Tell us about your epiphany moment when you decided you were going to seriously pursue writing and eventually publication. When people heard about the cases we worked on, their response was, “You should write a book.” With busy careers, we brushed aside those sentiments until we began studying the genealogy of Christ. In the midst of researching our own ancestors, God put a call on Diane’s heart to write historical fiction about a Dutch family who are persecuted for their faith prior to the Reformation. David typed every word. Since then, 9/11 happened and readers were interested in suspense. Our fourth thriller,
Hero’s Ransom has just been released, but readers can watch for the earlier historical fiction to be published someday!
Which of your books (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite? Readers agree with us—our characters become like family and we want to see what happens to them. In
Facing Justice, Federal Agents Eva Montanna and Griff Topping track down a man accused of financing terrorism who attends Eva’s church. Eva and Griff are too savvy to leave behind, so they solve new cases in
Confirming Justice,
Camelot Conspiracy and also in
Hero’s Ransom. Because we sprinkle in fresh faces and each novel stands alone, readers can enjoy them in any order.
Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote? David: In
Hero’s Ransom, CIA agent Bo Rider ventures into danger and has to save himself on the fly! Many of my undercover cases were like that. It was a treat for me to write about Bo, because early in my career, I was a Naval Intelligence Agent. In spite of his good intentions, Bo gets himself into a dilemma and it was fun to write about him worming his way out. In Thailand, Bo has an encounter with an elephant, which actually happened to me while in that country.
Diane: Madison Stone is a young lawyer, filled with doubts after one of her cases goes haywire. As she fights for Sophie Worthing to retain custody of her five-year-old grandson, Maddie’s heart opens to another human in trouble and she loses sight of herself. Maddie is not purely autobiographical, but her journey matches part of mine. As the struggling young lawyer took shape on the page, I found myself remembering what it was like to try to prove myself without God’s help.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?David: Once I picketed a merchant’s store for an entire day when he sold me a suit which the merchant then could not alter. The merchant finally gave me a different suit just to get me to quit telling potential customers that he was a cheat. Justice was done!
Diane: I went parasailing even though at the time I was really afraid of heights. It was fun, but I was glad to land back on the beach. Whew!
What would a perfect day for you look like?Spending a clear, mild day together in Yellowstone, watching roaming bison, rutting elk, lumbering moose, and soaring eagles, and capturing all of God’s beautiful creatures on film.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.The Bible is the number one book we try to read each day to see what nuggets of wisdom and growth God has for us. We enjoy fiction by Jane Austin, Robert Whitlow, Grace Livingston Hill, George MacDonald, Brock & Bodie Thoene, as well as David Baldacci. You might also find us reading Dee Henderson, Brandilyn Collins, and Charles Martin. For non-fiction, we gravitate to biographies, history, and devotionals by Max Lucado and Billy Graham. In our CD player is Tony Dungy’s latest, “Uncommon.”
Are there certain foods or snacks keeps the words flowing for you? What’s a day without chocolate, the darker the better! Fresh fruit of all kinds and David still pops corn from scratch as a real treat.
Are there spiritual themes you like to write about? In each of our novels, we strive to show how characters who have faith in Christ and those who do not, live their lives. Hope, joy, forgiveness, mercy and justice are many of the themes readers will enjoy in our writing.
What lesson is the Lord teaching you right now or recently taught you? There are so many people in our lives just now that need prayer without ceasing. How we can encourage one another is something we are learning more about every day.
When is your next book due out and what is it about?Watch for our next release about this time next year as
Hero’s Ransom is just out. Our fifth novel will be another thriller involving Bo Rider and his linking up with an Israeli Mossad agent to stop Iran. We’re writing it now and it is so exciting, we can’t wait for your reaction.
And we look forward to reading your next book! Our family loves your books! Thank you for being with us this week.
Be sure to check out Abby's review of
Hero's Ransom at
Bookworms Review!
The Munsons are giving away a copy of
Confirming Justice. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Sunday, February 21, to see if you've won.
You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.
**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale. 
Christa Allan is the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana, where they and their three cats enjoy their time playing golf [not the cats] and dodging hurricanes. She's written for Chicken Soup, Cup of Comfort, and other anthologies. Christa contributes monthly to the ezines Afictionado and Exemplify. Walking on Broken Glass is her debut women's fiction, published by Abingdon Press.
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