This month I interview Mary DeMuth, author of Daisy Chain, published by Zondervan and released March 2009. Mary has given me a personally autographed copy of Daisy Chain that I will have a drawing for this month. I'll announce the winner in the June issue.

Jo: Welcome, Mary. Thank you for this autographed copy of your book; I'm excited that one of our subscribers will win it for their own library. Tell our readers a little about yourself.

Mary: My husband and I have been married for 18 years and have 3 children. Last summer we got to go on a trip of a lifetime to Sankpem, a small village in Ghana. We also have an overly needy (farting) dog and a fat and fuzzy (sometimes cranky) cat.

Jo: How did you get involved in writing?

Mary: I've been actively writing since 1992 when I created a newsletter that helped moms manage their homes. I bought my first computer from the proceeds. I also designed and edited church newsletters, wrote homeschooling curriculum, and even wrote a script for an ultrasound training video. Soon after, short stories started flying out of me. In 2002, I wrote my first novel. In 2003, I signed with an agent, then signed two nonfiction book contracts. I've had five books published, Daisy Chair being my sixth book. The first novel I wrote is yet to be published.

Jo: Tell us about your most recent novel, Daisy Chain, Book #1 in the Defiance, TX series.

Mary: Daisy Chain explores family secrets in a small East Texas town after Jed's best friend Daisy goes missing. Daisy Chain is an achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story offering a haunting yet hopeful backdrop for human depravity and beauty, for terrible secrets and God's surprising redemption.

Jo: Where did you get the idea for the Defiance, Texas series?

A friend had a difficult story. He grew up in a Christian home. His father was in leadership in the Christian community. From the outside, all looked perfect. But behind closed doors, life was very, very hard. I wanted to expose that kind of abuse. That's why the idea of family secrets plays heavily into all three books of the Defiance, TX triology.

Jo: How/why do you hope readers enjoy your novel?

Mary: They'll enjoy it because it's different. Twists in the plot should surprise, and the folks you thought would be redemptive might not end up being that way in the long run. On the other hand, some characters show a beauty only found toward the end of the book. People who like books like Peace Like a River should enjoy the read. I like to call it literary suspense.

Jo: What do you hope to accomplish with this book?

I liken this book to an Oprah book, but with hope. Yes, there is darkness and meanness abounding in this world, but God's light has a way of fully penetrating that darkness. I hope Daisy Chain cradles the reader through its deep, scary journey clear through to the end because redemption will shine brighter in the midst of darkness. That's my own personal testimony, so it can't help but leak out on the page.