Let’s talk about your new book, The Man He Never Was. How were you first exposed to the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? What inspired you to create a modern take on it?

When I got the idea, I hadn’t seen the movies or read the novella! (I did read the novella after I got the story idea.)

I was working out, listening to a sermon by Tim Keller. During the talk, he mentioned that Robert Louis Stevenson got his inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from Romans chapter 7. I had no idea, but it instantly made sense to me. Romans 7 is about the civil war inside us. That’s what Stevenson’s novella is about. Bing! In that moment, The Man He Never Was came to life.

How would you describe your stories?

It’s always been tough to describe my genre, but let’s take a shot…

Contemporary stories set in the real world, where fantastical things happen. Or, psychological soul-searching thrillers with a supernatural bent based on a Christian world view.

Or simply, supernatural suspense.

What do you hope readers will take away after reading this book?

I hope they experience more freedom than they ever have before. I hope the ideas in the novel soak down deep in them and they realize they are loved far beyond imagination. I hope all their worries fall away as they realize who they truly are in Christ.

Who are some writers that you enjoy, and what do you like about their work?

C.S. Lewis has always been—and likely always will be—my favorite author. I like Ted Dekker and Stephen Lawhead a great deal as well. All three take me away to other worlds, but wrestle with life issues that are right here, right now.

I want my novels to wildly entertain readers, but also make them freer when they finish my stories than when they started. These three authors do that for me.