I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Glenn Haggerty for several years, since we were both in an online critique group with 
ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). It’s been fun to exchange tips and woes with him as we each progressed in our journey toward publication and beyond. So I’m excited to interview him now as he launches his third book for middle graders. Although the books are aimed at boys in particular, girls will find them just as intriguing. I’ve read all of his Intense books and let me tell you, he knows how to keep a reader on the edge of the seat.
Welcome, Glenn. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve always loved reading and would often find myself daydreaming about a book and then taking it on a tangent. But I never considered writing. I didn’t think I had what it takes for that, and between family, my business and ministry I didn’t have the time—writing was out of the question. But Glaucoma changed all of that. Suddenly I had lots of time but had to find the grace to navigate a new situation. I began telling stories to my children . . .
So now, I write inspiring adventures with an edge. No matter how dark the day, finding hope to pursue the prize is the core of my novels and studies. I am a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), a graduate of Vision Loss Resources and Bethel Seminary, the father of six and grandfather of seven. I love tandem biking, kayaking, and sharing faith issues with others over a hot mug of coffee.
What prompted you to write for a middle-grade audience?
I wanted to provide serious entertainment from the Christian worldview. It’s tough being a tween or teen today, there’s so much bad stuff in our culture, and secular entertainment often offers only despair. I write to give kids hope that they too can make it through this difficult period of life.
How much research did you do for Chase?
The short answer is a fair amount. Fortunately, I already had created the setting for the fictitious town of Lehigh as well as the surrounding area—down to mapping out the town and key buildings. For Chase, I had to dig deeper there as the setting expanded. But the real research was somewhat unpleasant. I had to research methamphetamine, how it was manufactured, its effect on the human body, trafficking and treatment. There were also some minor forays into law enforcement and technology, but the most entertaining research was exploring urban slang as it related to the characters and the plot of Chase. I try to develop unique character vocabularies, and Chase had the most colorful.
This is your third story with Tyler Higgins. Are you planning more?
Yes. My next working title is Hyde, a fun adventure set in Boca Raton Florida which would be, by the way, my first non-fictitious setting. I’ve researched the Spanish Gold Fleet of 1715 that was destroyed by a hurricane leaving the wrecks of 14 ships scattered from the Florida Keys to the Sebastian Inlet on Florida’s east coast. Two of the ships are unaccounted for . . . So we have modern-day pirates, a couple of nosey oceanographers, and of course some fun-loving teens who are yet again in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sounds like a great plot. What do you find hardest about writing these stories?
You have to come up with a compelling opening and what James Scott Bell calls a knockout climax and resolution. For me, I have to pray for the inspiration and am amazed how God has provided in ways that I could not have come up with in and of myself.
I hear ya on that. What message would you like readers to take away from this book?
Bad company corrupts good morals. Sometimes we have to make tough choices about who to hang out with. If someone has broken our trust, we must forgive them, but trust has to be earned again. On the other hand, using good judgment, we must also be willing to give others a chance.
Chase, Intense Book 3
“There they are.” Chase’s voice rolled up the slope. Even hollering his voice sounded flat and lifeless like someone had drilled a hole in his body, and his soul had leaked ou
Drugs infiltrate Tyler Higgins’ middle school turning ordinary kids into brain dead druggies. When his friend is infected, Tyler decides to cut the small town drug flow by ratting out the dealer before it’s too late.
Shadowing drug runners is risky business. A bowhunter has already disappeared, and Tyler’s true adversary remains veiled. After his first spying mission misfires, Audrey, his classmate, volunteers to help, but Tyler can’t imagine where this mission will lead. Everything goes sideways, but he doggedly follows the twisting trails, risking his friendships and his own neck. In the end, he isn’t sure who he can trust or if he can rescue anyone—including himself.
Book 3 in the Intense Series, Chase continues the adventures of Tyler Higgins.
Glenn Haggerty writes inspiring adventures with an edge. No matter how dark the day, finding hope to pursue the prize is the core of all his novels and studies. He is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), a graduate of Vision Loss Resources and Bethel Seminary, the father of six and grandfather of seven. Glenn likes tandem biking, kayaking, and daydreaming and lives in Minneapolis with his wife. He is also an award-winning author with short stories published in Splickety, Havok, Cadet Quest and Partners. Chase, the third book in his Intense series was released on April 1, 2018.
Click one of these booksellers to grab a copy of Chase: Amazon Barnes&Noble, iBooks, Kobo and others
And pick up a FREE copy of Book 1 in the series here: http://www.glennhaggerty.com/my-books/escape
Visit Glenn at www.glennhaggerty.com
Or reach him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlennHaggertyAuthor
and on Twitter, @grhaggertyjr
