Thank you for sending along more of your questions! Today I answer questions about Jigson’s backstory and the ethos of writing. If you missed the previous posts, here’s Part 1 and Part 2.

1. My sister and I were wondering if you have made a backstory for Jigson? Or will some more of his history will be revealed in later books?

Jigson has always been a somewhat mysterious figure in the stories, and I don’t want to get in the way of that too much. However, I do have some backstory sketched out, particularly the story of his name. I can’t wait to get into that 🙂

2. Writing seems like an art–something that you can’t do really well unless you’re in the right mood. It also takes a lot of time. I love to write, but I’m part of a big family and I have a busy life, so I don’t really have much time. I’m sure God wants us to write, but I’m also sure he doesn’t want us to neglect our other duties. How do you juggle writing with other responsibilities and still have time to be creative? (Sorry for the super long question!)

This is a great question, leading us to consider the reason we write, why it’s important, and the degree of importance it has compared with other things we need to do. “I’m sure God wants us to write, but I’m also sure He doesn’t want us to neglect our other duties” — well said! You are absolutely right. To answer this, we have to consider two points: #1 – seasons of life, and #2 – scheduling.

Since I started writing seriously, I’ve been studying and/or working other jobs almost the whole time. At the beginning, I had a clearly-defined hour or two for writing every weekday. Before that, I would literally write in my lunch break. There was a season when I wrote full-time (and could finish Peril and Trail so quickly 🙂 ). Life has its chapters, some longer than others, and each one will give you a different amount of “free” time to invest in projects.

I would suggest looking at your schedule to see if you can spare an hour or two before bed or early in the morning for writing. And if not–remember, the Lord knows the desires of your heart! It may be that He will give you opportunity in the future, and it may be that this season of busy-ness in your life will provide the inspiration for your work. As I like to say, “To write, live.” Chores can actually be the perfect time to brainstorm. According to Agatha Christie, the famous detective-story writer, “The best time to plan a story is while you’re doing the dishes.” You can keep a notepad handy to jot down your ideas, and when you next sit down to write you’ll already have somewhere to start. If writing is a priority for you, you can usually find space to fit it in, even if that means foregoing some other fun activity. Hope that helps!

3. How old is Jigson? (Me and my brother , and friend were having a “debate” over how old he was :D)

Another Jigson question! That’s great! I’m going to have to do a reverse Q&A sometime and ask you all who your favourite characters are. 🙂

I imagine him to be in his late-twenties to early thirties. Of course, he is a secret agent and a master of disguise–so I could be wrong!

4. Would Jigson or Phil ever get married in the series?

They possibly would, if a situation arose that was in keeping with the original thrust of the series. The young ladies they married would have to be keen on adventure, though, as I wouldn’t like either Jigson or Phil to be left out of future stories.

5. How do you write your books? I’ve tried to write some, but they don’t seem to flow as well as yours do. How do you get yours to flow and include biblical teaching? I really enjoy your books.

Thank you! I’m glad to hear it. The short answer is practice. 🙂 I recommend reading good books, listening to good audiobooks, noticing techniques the authors use, and practicing using them in your own work. As for the Biblical teaching, spend quality time reading the Word and taking note of verses that stand out to you. Then pick one and write a story around how that verse impacted you. Most importantly, pray that the words of your mouth and meditations of your heart would be acceptable in His sight, in line with His Word, and a blessing to anybody who reads them.

6. Did Nikola Tesla really create an earthquake and did he invent a machine that could make the earth tear itself apart?

According to various sources, Tesla did create something like an earthquake in his hometown while performing an experiment. He had strapped a small oscillator to a metal beam in his house, and though there was a growing vibration around him, he didn’t realize that windows were shattering in the middle of town. The police guessed that one of Tesla’s experiments was at fault. By the time they arrived at his house, he had reportedly smashed his oscillator with a hammer to make it stop.

Later, he said that an oscillator similar to that one could make the earth rip itself apart. Modern science is very divided over some of Tesla’s claims, but this is where the possibilities of adventure fiction thrive. 🙂

7. Are they continuing to be a normal family or will they become something of celebrities from now on?

I think I’d like them to stay a somewhat normal family 🙂

8. I really liked the plot in the Iceland Intrigue. Will you bring Briosa back in future books?

That’s great; thank you!

Hmm, maybe … 😉 I’ve been getting quite a few questions about Briosa — did you like her?

When drafting Summer of Suspense, I imagined a family living on a beautiful farm with plenty of space. America just clicked as the location. 🙂 Only three out of the six stories take place there, however!

Great questions! If you have any more for a future post, send them my way via the contact form.

Now it’s your turn! If I did a reverse Q&A, where I asked you questions about the books, would you enjoy taking part and sharing your answers? Let me know in the comments!