Christian Retailing

ONLINE EXTRA: Ask the Author: Dee Henderson Print Email
Written by Christine D. Johnson   
Thursday, 30 August 2012 03:39 PM America/New_York

Author Dee Henderson offers these additional answers about Full Disclosure (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group, October 2012). To see the first part of this interview, please see our October 2012 issue.

"Romance matters," you wrote on your Facebook page for this book. Why do you feel so strongly about that?

I was asked the question: Who/what inspires you? What I wrote in reply: "I'm more inspired by what I don't like. I do most of this work of being an author because I want to change what the culture considers popular. Personally it bothers me to see Fifty Shades of Grey being read more than the 'O'Malley' series, not because I'm looking for the publicity and being well known, but because people desperately need to see a better view of what life and relationships could be like. Romance matters. I'd like to see true romance valued more than the junk our culture currently calls 'romance.' Christian fiction can show another view of what life could be like."

To your question why romance matters: Romance is love in action. Romance—the kind I want to write about—is the strong bond that runs between two people who make a decision to spend their lives together. Fiction lets me explore that bond, how it develops and how it glues a couple together.

What approach should Christian retailers take in recommending this novel to their customers?

Full Disclosure is both a mystery and a romance and it's a pretty fast read, even for a long story. It's designed for readers who like a puzzle. Readers who like Terri Blackstock in the CBA market or Nora Roberts in the ABA market will find it a good fit.

Does one particular character stand out for you in this story, and why?

Ann Silver stands out for being the character I have most enjoyed writing about since probably Quinn Diamond in The Truth Seeker. I like her history, how she's managed her life and how she thinks about God.