Christy Barritt - Suspense, Action, Drama, and a Bit of Romance

USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books "scary, funny, passionate, and quirky." A Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year. As our Author of the Day, Barrit tells us about her latest book On the Lookout.

Please give us a short introduction to what On the Lookout is about.

On the Lookout , the first book in the Lantern Beach PD series, takes place on a fictional island off the North Carolina coast. This location and its residents were first introduced in the Lantern Beach Mystery series. The books revolve around Police Chief Cassidy Chambers and her ex-Navy SEAL husband, Ty. A mysterious group has purchased and moved into an old campground on the island, and the implications of their presence there are potentially far-reaching. Is this new group connected with the dead body that was found on the beach? And just what is going on beyond the gates surrounding the community?

Tell us more about Cassidy Chambers. What makes her tick?

Cassidy was first introduced in the LB Mystery series. She’s a former detective from Seattle who took down the leader of a deadly gang. Because of that, there’s a bounty on her head. She’s had to take on a new identity and start over. That fact is always hanging over her head. Though she grew up with a lot of wealth, she’s found a new joy in her simple beach life, but she continues to have a deep passion for seeing justice served.

Why did you pick an island as the backdrop for your story?

I actually have a home on Hatteras Island in North Carolina, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world. I wanted to share my love of the locale with my readers.

Your books have been described as scary, funny and quirky.  Quite an interesting mix of emotions your readers get to experience - how do you pull this off?

That’s a great question. I suppose I just write books that I would like to read. Life is full of a variety of moments. There’s often laughter to be found, even in the hardest of times, and the good and bad times in life go hand in hand. I write about life as I see it and experience it.

What makes Cassidy and Ty such a great team?

These two truly love and respect each other.  They can use their training—Cassidy’s investigative skills as a cop and Ty’s tactical skills as a former SEAL—together to find answers. They care about the community around them and try to help others, even at the expense of their own comfort.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I play the guitar and sing—although I don’t do this as I often as I did before children.

This is the first book in the new Lantern Beach P.D. series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Yes, this is the first book in the LBPD series. There are five books in total in this series. On the Lookout can be read by itself, but there are threads that continue throughout the entire series.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

From an early age, I loved writing. I never lost that desire, and I began submitting my first book proposals to publishing houses while I was in college. Though there were times I wanted to give up, I never did.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Ebooks. I read them on my phone a lot. It’s great to always have them handy. I also love audiobooks, especially as I’m driving or getting exercise.

Do you consider yourself a disciplined writer? Do you have a schedule that you stick to, or is it more in the moment?

I’m pretty disciplined. I write about 4,000 words a day, and I do this while my kids are in school.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a novella that will be a part of an anthology called Summer of Suspense. After that, I’m working on a new Fog Lake Suspense novel.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Readers can find me at my website: www.christybarritt.com. Or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorchristybarritt.