Review & Author Interview-Erin Healy

Title: Never Let You Go
Author: Erin Healy
Genre: Suspense, Supernatural
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 2010
Pages: 352
ISBN: 1595547509


From Amazon:

Losing everything has Lexi clinging to her daughter. Hell is determined to loosen her grip.

It's been seven years since disaster struck her family. Lexi Solomon has held it all together since then--just barely.

But now Lexi is losing it. The husband who deserted her is back in town, wanting to see their daughter Molly. Her sister's shameless murderer is up for parole. An unsavory old friend is demanding payment for debts that Lexi knows nothing about and can't begin to meet.

And something else is going on--something Lexi feels but can't explain. A dangerous shift is taking place between this reality and the next. Forces beyond her imagination are vying for control.

A rare novel that will satisfy a wide range of readers, Never Let You Go explores the high-stakes decisions played out in the thin spaces between heaven and earth. As the enemy's grip tightens around Lexi, she will have to decide what's truly worth holding on to.

"Keeps you glued to the pages until the very last."--Tosca Lee, author of Havak: The Story of Eve

A mother's love is a dangerous thing to manipulate. Lexi is such a mother-working two jobs just so her and her daughter Molly can scrape by. With no help from a dead-beat husband who has drug charges on his record, Lexi's life seems to be as difficult as they come. But life has a way of turning difficult into unlivable. An unpleasant surprise form Lexi's past surfaces with incomprehensible demands and things begin to not only turn for the worse but also for the supernatural.

After reading Erin Healy's coauthored novels with Ted Dekker, I had no doubt that her solo debut novel would be stupendous. Truthfully, it was not only stupendous but breathtakingly astonishing! Healy creates a world where the characters come alive-as if they are living, breathing beings standing right in your living room. They are beautifully flawed with raw emotions that Healy conveys with brilliance. Healy's way with words is pure lyrical elegance. It is easy to become engulfed within the pages and forget you are reading a work of fiction. From the very first page the reader will be hooked to the point of ravishing. The storyline is a heart-clenching tale of good versus evil with spiritual ramifications. Some characters are virtuous while other are down right vile. But do you really know the characters who fall on each side? Twists and turns fuel the suspense-laced pages until the very end. This is definitely a novel that should not be missed! I highly recommend it!

5 lattes for epical writing finesse that draws the reader in deep and clenches around the heart with thrilling suspense!

~INTERVIEW with author Erin Healy~

I am absolutely thrilled to welcome author Erin Healy who graciously stopped by Coffeelicious Bookaholic for an author interview! Here is a little about her (obtained from erinhealy.com):



Erin Healy is an award-winning fiction editor who has worked with talented novelists such as James Scott Bell, Melody Carlson, Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, L. B. Graham, Rene Gutteridge, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Robin Lee Hatcher, Denise Hildreth, Denise Hunter, Randy Ingermanson, Jane Kirkpatrick, Gilbert Morris, Frank Peretti,Lisa Samson, Randy Singer, Robert Whitlow, and many others.

She began working with Ted Dekker in 2002 and edited twelve of his heart-pounding storiesbefore their collaboration on Kiss, the first novel to seat her on “the other side of the desk.”

Erin is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a consulting firm specializing in fiction book development. She lives with her family in Colorado.

Erin had this to say:

"The Irish girl in me has long been fascinated by the concept of thin places, a Celtic name for locations where the veil between physical and spiritual realities is so slim that a person can see through it. For me, thin places are revelations, bridges between the seen and unseen elements of our lives. Read my books and journey with me into the mysterious places where the spiritual world intersects what is familiar to us, and changes it forever."

And now, let's find out more from our featured author!

1. What are three fun quirks your readers don't know about you?

(1) I'm a great (to the 8th or 9th power) niece of Daniel Boone.
(2) I learned to parallel park in my great-grandmother's 1970 Chevy Caprice.
(3) I caught a cold after walking on the English moors that inspired Wuthering Heights. Completely depressing.

2. What is the most memorable book you've read recently?

Ooo, so many good ones to chose from. Today--most recent!--I'm reading Jane Kirkpatrick's new novel, The Daughter's Walk, a fictional account of Clara Estby, the daughter of Helga Estby, who walked together from Spokane to New York City in 1896. Helga's true story is told in Linda Hunt's nonfiction book Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America. I won't soon forget Jane's take on Clara's emotional journey through social scorn and relational tragedy in her search for the true meaning of family. Jane is an amazing writer. The Daughter's Walk will be published in 2011--watch for it.

3. The characters in your book seem so real that I not only found myself pulling for some characters while smiling at my dislike for others, but also really relating to their emotions. Do you ever find it difficult to write relatable characters?

When Ted and I wrote Burn, Janeal was tough! She had a strange role, being a protagonist and antagonist at once. (People who've read Burn will know what I mean.) I worried a lot about her being too unlikable while needing readers to care about her. I'm sure people disagree about whether Ted and I pulled that off. In my upcoming book, The Promises She Keeps, some of the story involves the point of view of a man who has autism. That was also a challenge, because people with autism are characteristically difficult to relate to. Social interactions with them are hard, in real life and on the printed page!

4. Do you have any essentials (music, coffee/tea, a specific place, etc.) when it comes time for you to write?

I need almost-total silence. I was the college nerd who always worked at the library because the dorms were too noisy. The sounds of my children (and husband!) bouncing balls on the floors above my office are not a problem, but TV, music, background chatter--out. Like most moms, I'm really good at multitasking, but my writing self will have none of it; writing (as editing) demands all of my brain.

5. Prior to publishing your first solo book, Never Let You Go, you co-authored two novels with Ted Dekker. I imagine there are various trials when it comes to collaborating with another author versus writing independently. Do you find it more or less challenging to write unaccompanied?

Both, really. What's more challenging is the sense of being alone. Working with someone like Ted, I could have instant feedback whenever I wanted it. Working independently, not so much. There's lots of feedback after the first draft is on paper, but the daily process of knocking that out is more isolated. On the other hand, writing alone means having total creative control. And I can't say I don't like that. (Insert villainous laugh here.)

*A HUGE thank you to Erin Healy for stopping by and sharing some fun facts and insights! Thank you!


Check out these other books by Erin Healy:
~Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy
~Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Helay

Coming Soon...
~The Promises She Keeps by Erin Helay (February 2011)


Connect with Erin Healy:

Erin Healy's awesome website
Friend/fan Erin's fun facebook
Erin's fantastic blog
Tweet @ Erin Healy's Twitter

*Information regarding Erin Healy's bio and picture came from her website. Information on her upcoming book and book photo was found on Amazon. I did not alter the interview. The answers are Erin Healy's own words.