Interview with Colleen Coble
about "Dangerous Depths"

Added October 27, 2006

Joyce: In the Library Reviews welcomes Colleen Coble!

Colleen: Thanks for having me, Joyce! I love to talk about writing.

Joyce: Colleen, your talent as a writer has been honored through the numerous awards you have received. In your opinion, what makes a successful novel? Or perhaps I should ask, what makes a successful novelist?

Colleen: My goal when I'm writing a book is always to take the reader somewhere special. I want them to lose track of the chair where they're sitting, the dishes that need to be done, and the problems they're facing. I want my characters, my setting, and my story to be so realistic they feel they're living in the world they just entered. But when the last paragraph is read, I hope my reader comes away with a small sense of how God is in control of our lives. Sometimes our world can be so OUT of control that we feel we're living in chaos. What helps me is to know that there is a Master Hand working behind the scenes even when I can't see it.

Joyce: Your books have been praised for their enticing settings, realistic characters and strong story lines. If you were to put these elements in order of importance, which would be first?

Colleen: It's always character, for any story. The settings are important because a reader needs to feel they've entered a new world, but what keeps a reader reading is that they care about the characters and what's going to happen to them. With every book, I hope to create characters so real my readers worry about them just the way they do their own friends and family!

Joyce: The Aloha Reef series transports readers to a Hawaiian island. The underwater diving scenes were literally breathtaking! Were you able to create this tropical paradise through research or did you have first-hand knowledge?

Colleen: You couldn't have said something I liked to hear more. **g** I've been researching in Hawaii for the past three years (well, someone has to do it and it might as well be me!) and adore our fiftieth state. My children are both big scuba divers and have been a great source of research help. I've also subscribed to several diving magazines and researched avidly that way. I love snorkeling and have been entranced by the beauty under Hawaii's blue waters. The only reason I haven't learned to scuba myself is the thought of pulling on a wetsuit!

Joyce: Mystery and romance blend beautifully in Dangerous Depths, captivating readers with a dual layer of sensory appeal. Which of these aspects did you find more fun to write?

Colleen: I grew up on Nancy Drew. I've always been an avid mystery/suspense reader so to get to craft my own dangerous stories is a real kick. My goal is to always keep you guessing! It's hard, but I love it!

Joyce: Christian beliefs touch your stories like a warm ocean breeze, offering readers a gentle caress from the stress of daily living. Who is your target audience? Do you consider your books to be evangelistic or are you simply showing the natural outcomes of Christian living to encourage believers?

Colleen: I write from a Christian worldview. When I first started writing, there seemed to be mostly books that assumed there was no God. They left me with a hopeless feeling. I'm not writing evangelistic books, but stories that come from my heart and ones that spring from my experience of what it means to walk hand-in-hand with God. I want my readers, believers or unbelievers, to feel a sense of hope when they close my books.

Joyce: In Dangerous Depths, the presence of evil lurks beneath the story line, providing a solid amount of tension. Yet, I also sense that you want to give readers a glimpse of the Lord's goodness. What image of God do you want to convey to your audience?

Colleen: I want readers to realize that God's got it all under control. Though it may seem evil is winning, it isn't. There's a master plan we usually can't see.

Joyce: As a writer, I'm sure you love words, and as a Christian I'm positive you love God's Word. Can you share one of your favorite verses?

Colleen: My favorite verse is a familiar one to many. It's Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

My Christian walk started out after a bad car accident that left one teenage boy dead and me, my kids and my husband in the hospital. I couldn't see anything good in that moment, but one year later ten people had come to God as a result, including me and my husband. So now I know God really does have it under control, even the bad things.

Joyce: Thank you, Colleen, for answering these questions and for writing books that are worth our while to read!

Colleen: Thanks so much, Joyce! Your questions were very insightful and fun to discuss.

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