In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.
Interview with Lynn
What inspired you to write Downfall?
The hero and heroine of Downfall—Donovan Bledsoe and Cassie Quinn—introduced themselves to me in the pages of Never Fall Again, the first book in the Gossamer Falls series. I loved Cassie’s relationship with her cousins, and I knew she had a story that would be worth telling.
How do you develop your characters, and are any of them inspired by real people?
I take an organic approach to developing characters. I start with the basics—age, occupation, basic appearance—and then I start writing. I get to know them the same way I would get to know a person. It starts slow with the basics, maybe a few hints about their deeper desires and dreams, and wait for them to tell me who they are. It’s a scary approach, but it’s the only way I can do it.
What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and how did you overcome it?
The most challenging part was meeting my word count! The original version was too long, and I had to cut a lot of words! In fact, I sent it to my editor with a note that I’d cut all I could, and she’d need to help me see where it could be tightened up.
Do you have a favorite scene or moment in the book? If so, why is it significant to you?
Oooh…I love the scene where her family comes into “enemy territory” to help Cassie. It’s the kind of thing that we all hope our family would do—to come to our rescue no matter what, and I love seeing the Quinns rally around Cassie.
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
Mostly, I hope they enjoy the experience and that, for a few hours, they’re able to dive into a place where things go wrong, but eventually, they work out. My stories are always a hint of the future we have in Christ, where all the wrong things will be made right. Real life is hard, and we all need the hope of a beautiful future. My hope is that readers get a taste of that.
About Lynn
Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing swoon-worthy Southern suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she’s a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters by putting them into terrifying situations while she sits at home in her pajamas. She lives in South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Learn more at LynnHBlackburn.com.