Interview with Adam Blumer

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview author Adam Blumer.

You write meaningful suspense. Can you expound on that?

First, thanks for having me. I chose the tagline “Meaningful Suspense” to express the irrepressible redemptive nature of Christian fiction. What I mean by that is this: if an author is truly Christian, then God’s message of redemption will or should somehow show up in what he or she writes, even if it’s only allegorical. I believe the Bible supports this view. While we Christian authors can simply write a fun, clean story on occasion, I believe the redemptive message we find in Christ should somehow be part of—and generally characterize—what we write. Then our books will have eternal value beyond thrills and chills. That’s why I write meaningful suspense. This doesn’t mean Christian novels need to be preachy, but I believe some message of redemption should be there.

How many books have you written? 

There’s a difference between how many books I’ve written and how many I’ve actually published. I’ve written a total of eight novels, and I’m almost finished with my ninth. God has so far opened the door for me to to publish two novels. A third book, a memoir I cowrote, has a publisher slated, and the other author and I will hopefully be working through revisions soon.

Many of those early books were experiments, if you will, for developing my craft, finding my voice, and simply learning how to connect the dots of plot formation. I tried several genres. By writing these novels, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, usually by trial and error. I don’t intend for most of them to ever see the light of day, though a couple may be publishable down the road.

  

Who are your favorite authors?

Goodness, there are so many, but here are a few: Richard Adams, Jeff Shaara, Terry Brooks, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Katherine Anne Porter, Leif Enger, Madeleine L’Engle, Charles Dickens, Frank Peretti, Willa Cather, Erik Larson, and Stephen Ambrose. As you can tell, I read a wide variety.

Did you always want to write suspense, or did you start out writing in another genre?

From the earliest childhood stories, suspense has always dominated my writing, though genres have varied. My first novel, written during high school, was an Agatha Christie copycat. So I started with a traditional mystery. I’ve also written suspense as a young-adult fantasy novel and a young-adult historical novel. It was when I submitted a young-adult novel for publication that an editor recommended I try something for adults. It was her challenge that compelled me to write my first published novel, Fatal Illusions, with Kregel.

You work full time from home as a freelance writer and editor. Does working from home make it easier or harder to write your fiction stories? Do you ever get tired of working on a computer and/or prefer to write your stories out by hand?

Being at home makes it easier and harder, if that makes sense. Because I’m home, it’s easier for me to carve out a few minutes here and there if I want to, though a few minutes are hardly enough to make headway on a novel. It’s harder in that I’m editing so many books for other people each day that the life feels sucked out of words sometimes. And yes, sometimes I stare at a computer screen way too much and just have to get out of my chair and go for a walk.  

But that’s the nature of life for me: both my paycheck and my novel writing depend on a lot of screen time. There’s no escaping it. Sometimes I wonder if I should switch vocations and be a welder or work some other trade; then I could channel my energy for words into my own books. So far God hasn’t led me on that path.

I never write my stories by hand; my hand can’t keep up with my brain. I can type about ninety words a minute, so that’s about right. 

I appreciated your series, In Defense of Clean Speech in Christian Fiction, which is featured on your Web site: http://www.adamblumerbooks.com/ How else can fans find out more about you and your writing?

Thanks, I’m glad you appreciated the series. I’m rather passionate about Christian fiction being clean. Fans can learn more about me at my website (listed above) and at Twitter and Facebook:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamblumer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdamBlumerNovelist

I also have a website for my freelance editing: http://blumereditorial.com. God has enabled me to edit a good number of published novels.

Adam is giving away a free e-book copy of his latest novel, The Tenth Plague. To enter, leave a comment, along with a valid e-mail address, and let Adam know what you think about meaning in Christian fiction (i.e, Does Christian fiction need to say something?) or list what you are currently reading and enjoying. The giveaway ends on August 23rd.