ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELIZABETH GODDARD is a 7th generation Texan who lives in East Texas with her husband and four children. She and her family recently spent five years in Oregon, which serves as the setting for several of her novels, but in 2010 they returned to Texas to live near family again. Elizabeth is the author of seven novels and novellas, including Praying for Rayne and The Camera Never Lies, releasing December 2010.THE CAMERA NEVER LIES
by Elizabeth Goddard
Published by Barbour
ABOUT THE BOOK
Crash the wedding and meet photographer Polly Perkins who zooms in on a murder victim. As she studies an endless line of potential suspects from safely behind her camera, Polly finds love staring back at her. Will her uncanny ability to read emotions through a camera lens help prevent another murder—while exploring her own potential for romance?
Readers, buy your copy of The Camera Never Lies (Hometown Mysteries)
today!AUTHOR INTERVIEW
1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?
Oh that’s easy. My inspiration was Crater Lake National Park. Usually a setting really grabs me and I decided immediately I wanted to set a story there. Then came the idea for a photographer—of course, it’s so beautiful there, how could my character not be a photographer who gets pulled into solving a mystery?Note: I created a fictional national park based on Crater Lake.
2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?
My characters in this story don’t share too many personal experiences with me. For instance, I’ve had several people tell me that I wrote a story about their relationship with their mother. But the relationship Polly shares with her mother in Camera is not the relationship I have with my own mother. Perhaps I’ve witnessed the relationship between others.
3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?
Perhaps cookie dough because they still have a few raw places inside them, or rather uncooked, not ready to be served—but yet those places when revealed to the right person can be the best. Did that make ANY sense? Probably as much as the question. :)
4. Are there any themes in The Camera Never Lies that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?
Most of the themes developed as the story unfolded—nothing was planned ahead of time. A lot of the themes I didn’t even realize until I had to come up with the discussion questions for CBD. Here’s one thing that stands out. Polly has held a grudge for twenty years and she’s wished that person dead. She sees this person for the first time in years at the beginning of the story and then he ends up murdered. She wonders if God gave her the opportunity to forgive this man, or if she is guilty of a crime of the heart. There are many other spiritual themes that unfolded during the story’s writing.
5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?
The most difficult part was getting all the red herrings right, to make sure they all connected and tied in correctly. My favorite part was writing the last third of the story. That’s when stories usually pick up for me and things are moving fast.
6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?
I have two releases (so far) next year. Freezing Point is my romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense and releases in October 2011. Under the Redwood Tree is my contemporary romance for Heartsong Presents—the first book in my Redwood Coast series—and also releases in October 2011.
Blurb for Freezing Point: Investigative reporter Casey Wilkes is willing to fall off the map, having escaped certain death at the hands of a businessman who blames her for destroying his life. But her stay in obscurity lands her smack in the middle of a cash-smuggling ring and a sting operation that could turn deadly. Jesse Mitchell was transferred to a desk job after he nearly blew his last assignment, but now he’s the only man for the job. When a beautiful but nosy reporter starts asking the wrong questions, the situation could turn explosive, and Jesse can’t afford to blow the operation. But one thing he’s learned--working undercover comes with a high price. . .and this time, Jesse isn’t sure he’s willing to pay.
Here’s the blurb for Under the Redwood Tree:
Fascinated by all things Shakespeare, Camille Westover blogs about his works, while she creates a painting for the Redwood Art Association’s contest that she hopes will win her an art scholarship. When her aunt welcomes an ailing friend and then her son into her home, Camille finds inspiration beneath the brooding gaze of the handsome, but scarred, stranger. While Romeo Merete attends to his mother, Camille completes a portrait of him without his scar. Will he allow God to help him forget the past and find love again through Camille’s eyes? When a blog stalker turns physical, can Camille trust God to be her strong tower, rather than taking matters into her own hands?
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Thank you, Beth, for being in the spotlight with us.
ENTRY RULES Readers, answer the question associated with the spotlight in the comments, then leave your email address for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Camera Never Lies. If you do not answer the question, you will not be entered.
Question: In The Camera Never Lies, Polly is faced with an intolerable situation, considering those she loves could become murder suspects. Because of circumstantial evidence, she considers the question of their guilt even as she works to prove their innocence. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to trust someone despite what appeared to be the "facts"?
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