Andrew Huff Interview

Q: How long have you been writing and what other careers or jobs have you had?

A. The truth is I’ve been writing since I was a child. The format was different; instead of writing novels, I drew comics. But it was truly where my passion for storytelling bloomed. From there, I dabbled in different types of art with a big emphasis on filmmaking. As I accepted God’s call into ministry, my focus shifted academically leaving little time to devote to developing the skillsets to write well. It wasn’t until I graduated from college and was newly married that I first tried my hand at writing a novel (I did finish and pitch that book, but it wasn’t in the shape it needed to be to be published).

During and after seminary, I was fortunate enough to work on two different church staffs in primarily youth and creative roles. The church was a wonderful place to try my hand at storytelling; it’s really the primary thing we do! But I couldn’t shake this feeling that I needed to pursue a path more aligned with the gifting of storytelling outside of the church, so I left ministry in 2016 to join the team at Igniter Media. Igniter serves thousands of churches all over the world with visual media designed to reinforce the storytelling churches already plan every Sunday. My day job is to serve as the Creative Director on the Igniter leadership team while I write suspenseful fiction at night and on the occasional Saturday.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release, Cross Shadow?

A: Cross Shadow is the second book in my Shepherd Suspense series and picks up the story of ex-CIA assassin John Cross and intrepid reporter Christine Lewis the year following their initial meeting in my debut novel A Cross to Kill. Christine is new to a relationship with Christ, and both she and John are new to the challenges of navigating a romantic relationship as professing Christians. Both are faced with embracing aspects of their former lives when Christine’s stepbrother is accused of murder in Texas, and Christine gets herself involved in the mystery to John’s disapproval.

I was so excited to write what I felt was more of a crime mystery novel underneath the spectacle of a spy thriller. That said, fans of the first novel can expect the same kind of high-octane action adventure that marks the Shepherd Suspense series. I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a point in the story where the stakes go from high to bananas (is that a realistic metric?) and the result is a climactic finale that I found myself writing with a perpetual grin on my face.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

A: I love finding inspiration in real life events, especially ones that may have escaped the scrutiny of the general public. As I was plotting out the Shepherd Suspense series, I knew that I wanted to have each novel to have a unique feel while still connected in scope as action-fueled spy thrillers. After dealing with a planned terrorist attack on the nation’s capital in the first book, I wanted to center the second on a more homegrown scandal. That was when I came across a little-known event known as the Great Salad Oil Swindle.

Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. As scandalous as the event was, the news of it was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I encourage you to read further about it, but the gist of the story is that a con man attempted to embezzle millions of dollars from the U.S. government and various national banks by pretending to own much more vegetable oil than he actually had. How did this strange true-life story inspire my novel? You’ll have to read Cross Shadow to discover the answer!

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: First and foremost, I want my readers to remember how much fun they had reading it. It would thrill me to no end to know that they read Cross Shadow with a smile on their face (and maybe a slack jaw or two at times). I write these books for myself as much as I write them for others and so I hope they enjoy the time reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

That being said, the other thing that I hope they remember from the story is that sometimes it’s okay for God to unroot us from the comfort lives we lead when He’s ready to use us in a different way. I know I’m not the only one to feel this, but there have been times in my life when the Lord moved me from a place I thought I should be to somewhere I wouldn’t have chosen for myself. That can be an uncomfortable experience, but as long as it’s the Lord’s doing I can promise the end result will be rewarding. This is the journey John and Christine are both on in the book, and it’s one I know everyone at one time or another has struggled with.

Q: How do you choose your settings for your books?

A. The best advice I got as a novice writer was to “write what you know.” So, when it came to writing my debut novel, I took the advice literally and set it in Central Virginia as I lived there at the time. Now, parts of the story also took place in Jordan, though I hadn’t been there, and Washington D.C. which was a short drive and even shorter train ride, north. I visited locations I could, and made sure to do thorough research for places I couldn’t.

When it came time to write Cross Shadow, I decided to set it in a location I was also very familiar with given that I had recently moved back to Texas from Virginia. I was fortunate that in both cases, the setting worked in conjunction with the plot I devised. While setting can sometimes come first, I’ve found with the third novel in the Shepherd Suspense series it was the plot that drove more of the setting than the previous two. I’d elaborate, but then I’d be giving too much away. And you know I like to avoid spoilers!

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?

A: I would say yes and no. The characters in my novels are not based on any particular person, and yet they are based on all the people I know. I can’t say there’s a character that most embodies any one particular person, though some come close. Many of them, though, are built from qualities and characteristics of several people that are real. So, while they are, ultimately, totally made up, I still like to think that if you met many of the friends and acquaintances I’ve had, you might spot similarities between certain individuals and characters in my stories.

I will admit that I enjoy slipping in names of friends and family with side characters throughout my novels. My father’s name makes an appearance (with a character that somewhat resembles him), my father-in-law is name dropped by another character, a friend from high school gets his own cameo, etc. Sometimes the appearances of characters are also tied to people I know while the actual character may be ultimately different from them in real life. Actually, now that I’m admitting all of this, maybe I should say, “Yes, they are all based on real people” [he laughs in embarrassment].

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. I’m really excited to share two big projects with you that I’m working on right now. First, I recently signed a contract with Kregel Publications to write a brand new three book series tentatively titled Task Force Phantom. This new set of stories is a spinoff of the Shepherd Suspense series and will follow both familiar and new characters on action-packed missions in a more global setting. You can visit my author website for a special sneak peek at the series and to get updates on when the books will release!

The second project I’m working on isn’t a novel, but a web series that I’ve written and directed for a brand new Christian streaming service called Igniter TV. Igniter TV is set to launch this fall and is committed to providing content that both equips and entertains. My series is called Dot Conner: Webtective and is uniquely designed for elementary age kids. Each episode follows amateur internet detective Dot Conner as she investigates questions and mysteries of the Bible alongside her two best friends. The first season is currently heading into production, but the pilot episode of the series is available to screen now at www.ignitertv.com.

Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why?

A. I would love to spend time visiting ancient biblical sights all across the Mediterranean. I would want to visit the Holy Land, obviously, but also tour the coast from Egypt all the way around to Italy. Aside from the excitement of visiting locations described in the Bible, I have story ideas that take place in that region and would love to be inspired by the sights and sounds.

But I would honestly love to do more than just the typical tourist visit. At one point during my time in seminary, my wife and I discussed spending a summer on an archaeological dig. I love the idea of actually exploring and studying an ancient dig site as a part of an official expedition, so if I could also spend time doing that it would be a dream come true!

Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done?

A. Of course, the silliest thing I’ve ever done happened in college (doesn’t it always?). I attended Liberty University in Central Virginia, and Liberty hosts many Christian celebrities and musical artists during the year to entertain the student body. When I was there, one of the big concerts held on campus was by Christian music sensation Rebecca St. James (does that date me?). I was a freshman and, inspired by my love of heist films, decided that rather than purchase a concert ticket I would see if I could sneak my way into the concert.

The trick to bluffing your way into a place you’re not supposed to be is to act like you’re actually supposed to be there. I put on a suit that I owned but never wore, found a clipboard to carry, and made my way to the backstage entrance. As I made my through the entrance (there was little to no security), I pulled out my flip cell phone and pretended to have a conversation about something urgent. No one stopped me, because of course I looked so professional, and I soon found myself standing at the back of the stage! Funny enough, I wasn’t that interested in the concert, so once I accomplished my deception, I made my way back out to bask in the accolades of my peers (turns out, they weren’t that impressed. Go figure).

Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done?

A. I’ve had many experiences in my life that I would say were hard at the time, but in the end ultimately rewarding. And for that, I thank God as I know that is not often the experience of others. From working a full-time job while also taking seminary classes, to changing careers and moving across the country with young children, my life has had its fair share of both ups and downs. As I look back, the downs weren’t as down as I thought they were at the time. And sometimes the ups can be hard in their own right.

What I would say is the hardest thing I’ve ever done is one such experience. While hard, it was also one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I’ve had. I was on staff at a church as a Creative Director and was given the opportunity to travel to five countries in eleven days documenting various ways in which our church was committed to international missions. While an amazing opportunity, it was hard in that I had only flown on an airplane a handful of times prior and I was also relatively newly married. So, in addition to leaving my wife behind for 11 days (one of which was her birthday; I know, not a great plan in retrospect!), I flew on just about every kind of airplane for just about every length of time you could imagine. It was international travel and missions by fire, and in the end one of the best weeks and a half of my life.