Today on the Brave Blog, we have an interview with suspense author Joni M. Fisher. Welcome, Joni! Let’s jump right in.
Sarah: In what ways do you think you’re brave as an author?
Joni: Every Christian fiction author is brave. The world tries to normalize evil and mock every kind of morality, so it takes courage to write stories about the struggles of people of faith. The contrast between the world’s values and God’s values sharpens every year. American society has reached the point where evil is called good, and goodness is labeled as weakness. Teenagers are ashamed of being virgins when they should be proud. In today’s publishing environment, a story about a wealthy man luring a young woman into sadomasochism becomes a bestseller. We do not compete with such darkness. We offer light that exposes darkness. We offer inspiration and substance that can change lives. We don’t write for the love of money but for the love of God. What we write challenges readers while entertaining them. Jesus understood the way to reach people is through storytelling as much as through living our values.
Sarah: Well put. What subject are you most passionate about? When did that passion start? How has it grown or changed?
Joni: I am passionate about changing the “helpless female” trope. There is nothing romantic about victimhood and waiting for a guy to rescue the damsel in distress. Even a rabbit will fight back when cornered. Sure, men tend to be physically stronger than women, but that doesn’t mean women have to accept victimhood. My favorite stories feature women fighting back and getting justice in the long run.
I have always enjoyed reading mystery and crime stories. My fiction writing turned toward crime stories after I taught at a local police academy. The academy director reached out to me because he wanted to update their Report Writing class. I worked with a retired detective and an active police lieutenant to teach the class, update it, and test it. After a few years, we presented it to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tallahassee and then it became the one used at all the state police academies.
Training at the academy changed my perspective on crime and investigation. The finest reference book for crime authors is Lee Lofland’s Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers. Lofland also launched a hands-on workshop for writers called the “Writer’s Police Academy,” or Killer Con (https://writerspoliceacademy.com/). Most movies and television shows misrepresent police procedures or investigations. However, the “Law and Order: SVU” series was written by a retired prosecutor who set up the first Special Victims Unit in the nation.
My favorite lawyers who write Christian legal thrillers and crime stories are Robert Whitlow, Rick Acker, James Scott Bell, and Robert Dugoni.
Sarah: How interesting! I’ve wondered how accurate Hollywood is about those things. Next question: Has the Lord brought you through a difficult time? If so, what did that look like?
Joni: The most difficult time of my life was a Memorial Day car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina. A heavy truck ran the red light and t-boned the car my daughter Jessica and husband were in. My daughter was ten years old with a traumatic head injury, broken clavicles, broken nose, collapsed lungs, and glass embedded in her face. She remained in a coma for eight days. Before surgery, the doctor asked for a photo of Jessica so she could put her face back to the way it was. God provided highly skilled surgeons and nurses, but ultimately, we didn’t know if she would stay in a coma, recover handicapped, or suffer permanent brain damage. We were crying too much to speak, but eventually, we called our parents and a few close friends and asked them to call others for prayer.
Jessica had been very athletic (waterskiing, barefoot skiing, biking, cheerleading, hiking) and an “A” student. Could she handle being handicapped? Could we adjust our hopes and expectations if her brain injuries left her dependent on us for the rest of her life? Decades of faith were put to the test. We elbowed out fear with prayers for her full recovery. We turned her over to God. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Whatever the outcome, God would strengthen us for it.
Mercifully, the hundred stitches in her face were removed before she awoke from the coma. She stayed in Charlotte for a month of painful physical and cognitive therapy. It took a year of more therapy back home in Florida to restore full control of her body, retrain her mind, and recover short-term memory. She kept up in school through tutoring and tedious repetition. She remained emotionally a few years behind her peers, impulsive, moody, and disorganized. In high school and college, she made poor choices. We prayed daily for God to give her wisdom. God delivered her for a purpose. She eventually discovered that purpose. Today, she is a nurse practitioner, mother, and happily married to a Godly man.
Sarah: Oh my goodness. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to watch your daughter go through that. Praise the Lord for bringing her (and you) through. Now, what is your favorite part of being a writer?
Joni: My favorite part about writing is research. Embracing my inner geek, I dive deep into subjects. For my new series involving art crime, I studied art theft, various kinds of art fraud, how art is used to launder money, and how art crimes are solved. During my research, I met an art appraiser who works for law enforcement. Her stories stunned me. She directed me to amazing sources of information and a few movies about art crime she called accurate. She did not want me to use her name even in my book’s acknowledgments for her safety.
To research other stories, I stayed on a trawler, learned to shoot rifles and handguns, studied money laundering, traveled to the settings of my books, and interviewed C.S.I. experts.
Sarah: Sounds like fun research! What’s the most surprising thing you learned while writing your last book?
Joni: Victims of art fraud are usually more concerned about public ridicule than financial loss.
Sarah: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Joni: My husband and I are instrument-rated private pilots. We share a Cessna 210 with two other families. We have flown to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, Mackinac Island, Michigan, the Bahamas Islands, and Grand Cayman. I also report for General Aviation News. We also enjoy target shooting with rifles and handguns. We travel whenever possible. I’ve visited all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Belize, Costa Rica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Germany, France, Ireland, Iceland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, and Israel. Oh, many libraries in Europe are as gorgeous as the Cathedrals.
Sarah: That’s very cool. Is there a writing craft book that’s helped you as an author? If so, what?
Joni: Word Painting Revised Edition: The Fine Art of Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan is the craft book that taught me how to overcome my weakest skill—describing things and people. It’s a brilliant guide to upgrading one’s prose.
Sarah: Thanks for the recommendation. Share the first line (or your favorite line) from your latest/featured book.
Joni: The first line of South of Justice: Terri Pinehurst believed that happiness, like respect, had to be earned.
Sarah: What did you go to school for ( or what do you have a degree in)? Have you incorporated your education or profession into your books? How so?
Joni: I graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Journalism. I carried over a few skills from my degree into fiction writing. In journalism, I learned how to interview people so they don’t feel interrogated. In fact, people I interview often tell me things they later ask to keep off the record—which I do. Another skill that works as well in journalism as fiction writing is knowing how to research anything through field observation, libraries, online, and experts. I adore learning new skills and gaining more knowledge.
Sarah: Sounds like some great skills to have. Who’s your latest book dedicated to? Why?
Joni: My upcoming book is dedicated to Jacqueline. I met her husband Charles “Dooley” Petit at the shooting range because we were shooting the same 800-yard steel target. My husband was spotting for me and laughed that he couldn’t tell whose shots were on target. We talked about the kind of work we do, and I mentioned I was researching art crimes and he said his wife is an art appraiser for law enforcement—DEA, FBI, INTERPOL, and museums. He gave her my card and we met for coffee. She had amazing stories about fraud, theft, and smuggling of art and antiquities. I said I’d like to credit her as a source and inspiration. She declined for safety reasons. We became friends through our meetings. She patiently answered my many questions and directed me to fabulous resource material.
She passed away in 2024 of a sudden illness. With the dedication, I can properly honor her. Though Charles prefers to read history and biographies, I plan to give him an advance copy of the book at the range.
Sarah: I love how God sets up those appointments with special people. Thanks so much for sharing with us today. May the Lord bless you and your writing.
About the Author
Joni M. Fisher writes award-winning suspenseful stories about heroines who don’t wait to be rescued. Her stories feature friendship, family, faith, and crime. Her books have won awards in the Kindle Book Awards, Reader’s Favorite Book Awards, Christian Indie Book Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and others. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Florida Writer’s Association, she also served on the Southeastern University Arts and Humanities Advisory Board.
