H. L. Wegley Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.  

A. Over the years I’ve worn a lot of hats. The first was an Air Force cap. I served as an Intelligence Analyst where I worked closely with NSA and then, after getting a degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M, I became a Weather Officer. When my wife and I decided it was best for our family not to pursue a military career, I took a position as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics. But, after becoming enamored with computer technology, I earned an MS in Computer Science and developed computing systems for Boeing for 21 years. I retired in 2008 and started writing fiction in 2010. I have been married for 47 years to the girl I met when I was 3 or 4. We have 3 kids and 7 grandchildren.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. Probably in the 4^th or 5^th grade. I didn’t like getting B’s on my report card, but I didn’t like studying for tests. When my teachers said they would accept various types of writing for extra credit, the A’s came a lot easier and a writer was born. Writing has been a part of the job description for every position I’ve held since graduating from college. But it wasn’t until 2010, when I wrote my first novel, that I became hooked on writing fiction.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?  

A. As a research scientist I published scientific reports, books, and journal articles for many years. But, after retiring, I decided to write something a little more fun. While my wife and I enjoyed the sun at Lake Havasu one spring, in about seven days I hacked out the first draft of a novel. Nothing to it. I had arrived. Then I used my draft in Writer’s Digest’s Advanced Novel Writing Workshop and soon realized I needed to learn the craft of fiction. I rewrote the novel during that workshop, then joined ACFW and rewrote the story again using ACFW’s resources, the novel track and the big critique group. When I had nearly given up on publishing my first story, Hide and Seek, I attended a Christian writer’s conference and an acquisitions editor became interested in this story. That interest turned into a book contract which eventually led to a contracted four-book series.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Hide and Seek?

A: Hide and Seek is the published version of my first novel. It’s also book 1 of the Pure Genius Series, 4 stories about a family of very bright people. Hide and Seek is a high-action romantic suspense about an ingenious plot to neutralize several critical US military weapon systems using cyberespionage. When my two MCs are targeted for elimination, the story morphs from a techno-thriller to a flight into the mountains for survival which, of course, leads to a developing romance.

Most of the Tom-Clancy-like technical detail in the original draft has been removed, so readers shouldn’t let thoughts of techno-thrillers scare them away. This is a fast-paced and fun-to-read story.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Hide and Seek?

A: I had a rather “adventurous” childhood, thanks to my best buddy who loved living life on the edge. My work experience involved several interesting incidents and investigations for which I’m not permitted to provide the details. I rolled my childhood adventures in with some of my work experiences and the plot for Hide and Seek was born.

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

A: Hide and Seek is my heroine’s redemption story. I hope readers who don’t know our Lord and Savior will see that a relationship with the one true God is available to them through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For those who know Jesus, I hope they will see that the barriers to faith in others’ lives are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not the big intellectual issues. We have the answer to all their questions, the Person of Jesus Christ, and we need to be ready and willing to share that answer with them.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: I borrowed some scenes from my childhood adventures and one of those scenes is my favorite. While attempting to find an escape passage from a system of caves, my hero gets stuck in a crack under a massive, overhanging rock. When claustrophobic panic hits, he—suffice it to say this brings back some memories that can still drive my pulse up near the red line.

Q: What inspires you to write?  

A. Fifteen years ago I planned to write the next great text on Christian Apologetics. Needless to say, my 10 years of study was no match for gifted people like Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, Norm Geisler, and others who have dedicated their entire lives to apologetical ministries. But, when writing fiction, I can raise any or all of the big issues of the human condition and explain the answers in dialogue or show them lived out in the lives of my characters. Coming up with exciting stories and throwing characters with divergent worldviews together in these stories never gets old—well, I haven’t detected an inkling of that yet.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?  

A: Originally, I thought writing a novel would be hard work. But the hardest work comes after we are published. We have to find ways of getting our work in front of the right audience. Ultimately, God will put it in the hands of people who can benefit from our stories, but He still expects us to work at it, as does our publisher. Marketing is something I have to grit my teeth to do.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: Read and write. Write and read. Then write some more. And as you are doing this, learn the craft, especially the craft as it is tailored for the genre you wish to write. There are great resources out there ranging from books on the craft to organizations like AFCW, which was a huge help to me. Take advantage of AFCW, it’s nearly free, and then help others in the group who are coming along behind you. Attend writing conferences as often as you can and ask a lot of questions. If you need more assistance, you can pay for it using resources such as My Book Therapy and Christian Writers Guild.

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

A. Currently, I’m working on a stand-alone, espionage story, The Janus Journals, a romantic suspense with a little action in it. This story shows us that the cold war never really ended. In fact, though she was born in the early ‘90s, the cold war might cost my heroine her life. I’m polishing the manuscript now and several agents have expressed an interest in it.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?  

A. Research. Just kidding … unless the story is set in Maui. I love snorkeling in tropical ocean water. My wife and I both like beach hiking, especially the beach trails on the outer Olympic Peninsula. We have been involved in small-group ministry for about 20 years. It’s also a big part of our life, along with our grandkids.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet? 

A. My web site: HLWegley.com

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Wegley/e/B00B1XMR56

Author page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley

My blog: The Weather Scribe

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4460203.H_L_Wegley

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?  

A. Thanks so much, Susan, for hosting me on your blog. Marketing a debut novel can become a crazy, intimidating time, but help from people like you makes it much easier for newbie’s like me.