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Sigmund Brouwer is all of these. His soft voice belied his drive and energy, as Brouwer talked with us recently to answer these questions and tell us about his new book Blood Ties.
ACL: Who is Blood Ties written for -- men or women? The opening pages are from Kelsie McNeill's point of view and seem very much a woman's story, but other portions are from her husband Clay's perspective, and still others have the gripping suspense of the Watcher.
SB: I don't think about writing a man's story or a woman's story. Kelsie is definitely the main character. She has lived with the terror of being watched and tracked but having to keep it secret for about 20 years. That explains in part why she married an older man and former FBI hunter of serial killers. But the story itself is really the main thing I have in mind, and to give the reader a good sense of that, I write in short scenes and use lots of different viewpoints.
ACL: How do you get the background information you need to make the stories so real?
SB: The fun part of writing for me is the research. I took horseback riding and checked explosives and did a lot of things for this book. Some of it was truly horrifying.
ACL: Your books have been published for the Christian audience. Aside from a few mentions of going to church and the lack of profanity, what are the Christian elements in Blood Ties?
SB: I was really grappling with the role of evil in this world, and the answer didn't come until I had finished writing. One of the biggest things evil can give us is hope for living. Faith isn't much use unless it's tested. Blood Ties is a story about a longterm severe test of faith. I think the basic issue of the book is one Christians have to face. If you pursue truth, it will eventually lead you to God in Christ.
ACL: How do you write so many different kinds of books for different age levels?
SB: I have a passion for what writing and reading can do for us. That's the main reason I speak to about 12,000 kids each year as part of a literacy outreach program. I've always wanted to be a writer even though it took a lot of practice and years of not quitting. I guess I was just too stupid to quit.
ACL: What are you writing now?
SB: A new series on sports for guys -- really for reluctant readers in the 8-14 age range. It's called Short Cuts and Word Publishing will be bringing it out this fall.
We took our copy of Blood Ties and set off, knowing that this man-on-the-go has more stories to write and more young people to teach and more research to do. We're sure he'll be around for a while. He's no quitter.
Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com