Narelle here. I’m excited to welcome DiAnn Mills to our blog today and share our interview about her new book, Lethal Standoff, that’s releasing next week on September 3, 2024.
Where did you come up with the idea for the plot of Lethal Standoff?
As a Texan, I’m aware of the undocumented immigrant situation that affects not only Texans but all Americans. I wanted to show a non-biased story that reflects the various sides. My story brings a woman hostage negotiator onto the scene who is compassionate and cares about all people. I also wanted to focus on a journalist who insists on reporting fairly in all situations. My goal was to thrust both into a volatile and dangerous environment that neither expected.
Tell us about some of the core themes you discuss in this novel. How can your readers relate to these themes in their own lives?
All of us face choices, and how we approach them depends on our backgrounds, personalities, and life experiences. My core themes focus on choices, forgiveness, and redemption. To love freely and make godly choices, we must learn to forgive others and ourselves. Forgiveness is a recurring theme in all my stories. It’s vital to our relationship with God and others.
What inspired the personality traits of your main character, Carrington? What personal transformation does she undergo in the book?
I wanted to show an independent and strong woman who survived a tragic childhood. But instead of bitterness, she walked the path of compassion. Although the story challenges her compassion, she travels the road back to God.
Who was your favorite character to write about and why?
Levi stole my heart right from the beginning when he told me he was a Messianic Jew and his Orthodox Jewish parents had disowned him—even had a funeral for him. But Levi had a special relationship with Jesus, and as much as it hurt to be shunned from his family, he loved Jesus more. Levi’s faith helped Carrington to recapture what she’d lost in her relationship with Jesus. I interviewed Messianic Jewish people who had faced the same problems with family and those leaders within the church. I learned more about Messianic Jews, which helped me grow too!
How does faith play a role in the story?
Carrington blamed God and herself for her parents’ death, and when she received a medical diagnosis with the potential of ending her life, her resolve grew stronger. Until . . . she surrendered her life to Jesus. Levi grasped on to Jesus for strength when his family forsook him. Later when
Carrington met with danger, he had to choose between what he could do on his own and his faith.
What was your favorite scene to write in Lethal Standoff?
My favorite scene to write about was when Carrington and Levi approached the brothers holding the undocumented immigrants hostage. It took guts, faith, and a commitment to free the hostages.
What was the most challenging scene to write in the book?
The most challenging was the scene following my favorite one to write. I didn’t expect the shooter to commit suicide, and I struggled with how Carrington would tell his wife, knowing the man had a son and daughter. Emotions are critical to every good or not-so-good scene, and the responses stretched me.
How is this book similar to and different from your many award-winning books?
Similar in that forgiveness always plays a strong role. Different because of the theme of undocumented immigrants. Avoiding life and its problems doesn’t solve anything. Facing them grows and changes us into better people.
As an award-winning author known for pulse-pounding romantic suspense, how do you keep the momentum and tension high throughout the novel, particularly in the climactic scenes?
I always ask myself, “What is the worst possible thing that could happen in this scene that is unpredictable yet in character, then raises the stakes?” My method is to list three possibilities, with each one worse than the previous. My goal is to move toward the unexpected and unpredictable as a natural outflowing of the character.
Every book poses unique challenges. In Lethal Standoff, what aspects of the plot or character development presented challenges that differed from your previous works, and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge in Lethal Standoff was learning negotiation techniques that were authentic. I took a negotiation course, interviewed negotiators, and watched movies that featured characters in that role. Learning how Carrington would approach the abductors proved fascinating.
What do you hope readers will take away from the story?
To acquire transparency takes courage. It means an authentic personality that is filled with integrity, love for others, forgiveness, and the willingness to admit mistakes. We can’t help others unless we are transparent about ourselves.
Will you give us a sneak peek into your next project?
I’m very excited about my next story and always thrilled with new characters and opportunities to impact readers with an engaging read. A female wilderness survival expert and a Texas Ranger negotiator trek into an off-the-grid desolate area to free a little seven-year-old girl who’s being held hostage to silence her Russian father from revealing terrorist information. Together they unravel a web of deceit. They must not only save a life but also expose a dangerous conspiracy.
Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.
Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer.
Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up.
As Carrington investigates the brothers’ claims and tries to piece together their motive for taking innocent people captive, it soon becomes clear that they are trying to hide something and that revenge for their father’s death may not be what they’re really bargaining for after all. To protect the hostages and ensure the brothers don’t carry out the rest of their sinister plot, Carrington must get to the bottom of one family’s secret and the truth they’re trying so hard to hide before time runs out.
Buy Lethal Standoff from Tyndale.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award contests.
Connect with DiAnn:
- DiAnn Mills Website
- DiAnn’s Amazon Author Page
- DiAnns BookBub page
- DiAnn’s Goodreads page
- Read DiAnn’s Latest Blog Post!
- Visit DiAnn’s Book Club Central
Narelle, thank you so much for hosting me today. You are amazing!
Hi DiAnn, You’re very welcome. Thanks for visiting with us. 🙂