Luana Ehrlich

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I'm Luana Ehrlich, the USA Today Bestselling author (yeah, a little bragging there) of Titus Ray Thrillers, Mylas Grey Mysteries, and Silas McKay Suspense--did you see what I did with the rhyming thing? I grew up as a preacher’s kid, and it was actually my dad who gave me my first spy novel when I was eleven years old. After that, I was hooked on the thriller/suspense/mystery genre forever. I’m also a news fanatic, and I follow events around the world on a daily basis, particularly the Middle East--every day is a thriller in that part of the world. I married a minister, and we’ve lived in several states in the South and Midwest and have served as missionaries in Costa Rica and Venezuela. Now, we live in Oklahoma, where my husband and I enjoy gardening (just kidding), reading (not kidding), and running to our safe spot when a tornado comes sweeping down the plains.

When and why did you start writing books?

My first novel was published a year after I wrote it in 2014, and I literally (oops, Freudian slip) sat down at my computer and started writing One Night in Tehran after listening to a news story about some Iranian Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. As a fan of spy novels, I asked myself what would happen if a covert operative, who wasn't a believer, encountered some Iranian Christians and became a believer himself. How would he be able to figure out how to continue his career of lying, deceiving, and committing acts of violence while he was trying to follow the teachings of Christ? Now, eleven books later, I'm still answering those questions in the Titus Ray Thriller Series.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I decided to become a writer because I needed a professional outlet for making things up and arguing with imaginary people. No, seriously, I never considered it "tackling" a career. This is one of those careers where I can honestly say, "I just love my job." And the beauty of it is when I can no longer say that, then I can say, "That's it. I'm done." I consider this a calling and not a career.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

I write in first person as a male protagonist, and I have three different series in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. I've always read spy novels that featured male protagonists, mainly because there aren't that many female writers of the genre. I really can't say which one is my favorite. I love all three of them--Titus Ray, Mylas Gray, and Silas McKay. It's a fun group, and each of them have unique characteristics and circumstances that keep me in suspense and in stitches.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

I have a spinoff of the Titus Ray Thriller Series which features Ben Mitchell, the protege of Titus (although the series is written in the voice of Titus Ray). This three-book series is called the Ben Mitchell/Titus Ray Thriller Series (are the reasons obvious?). The titles in the series all begin with "Ben in." Thus, the three books are, Ben in Love, Ben in Charge, Ben in Trouble. These novels are more in the romantic suspense genre than just pure thriller, so it was a bit of a challenge to write, mainly because I had to bring romantic elements into the story for Ben Mitchell while he and Titus are engaged in an intense covert operation.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

My books are as current as today's headlines, and I get most of my stories straight from the news. No wonder I've written so many books--the stories are endless!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

What spare time? When I'm not writing, I'm marketing my books. When I'm not writing or marketing my books, I catch a few hours of sleep and try to eat so I'll have the energy to write and market my books. Well, yes, I do take Sundays off--the most important day of the week--to worship the ONE who gave me life and breath and to whom I owe all glory for the ability to write in the first place.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I always have a new book in the works. I try to write three books a year in each of the series. Right now, I'm writing Four Doubt, the next Silas McKay Suspense, and Silas is in the middle of a murder investigation, so I better go see how he's doing and end this interview. By the way, all my books are available exclusively on Amazon (yes, shameless plug there.)