For the third Friday author interview I had the pleasure of speaking to the latest author to join us at Flagship Fiction, Glison Angela Lehto. She is the author of Miss Aqua and the Fear Monster.

Glison Angela Lehto lives in rural Maine, where she was raised by wild lake-mermaids. Although she has dreamed of being a writer ever since she could hold a crayon, she also greatly enjoys her work as an orthopedic physical therapist. Other than creative writing, her hobbies include running, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, outdoor swimming, amateur film-making, piano, dance, and hosting ridiculous themed parties. Glison is blessed with wonderful friends and family who encourage her in Christ and do not judge her for wearing pirate hats to church.

1) How long have you been writing for, and why did you start?

I’ve been writing ever since I could scribble words with a crayon. In young childhood, I would staple some blank pages together and create little storybooks. As an adolescent, I always had a few creative writing projects saved on my mom’s computer. When I was in higher education and didn’t have much free time, poems and short story projects would randomly burst out of my head into my journal. I believe God has given each of us special gifts, which can no more easily be suppressed than suppressing who we are in Christ. I started writing simply because writing is part of who God created me to be.

2) Out of everything you have written, what is your favourite piece and why?

Choosing my favorite piece of writing is like asking a mother of multiple children to choose which son or daughter she loves the best. Though some of my pieces obviously have more potential than others, I can’t choose which is my favorite. I believe that my favorite piece of writing is whichever one I happen to be working on at the time.

3) Which author is your biggest inspiration?

I love C.S. Lewis, for his Narnia series as well as his science fiction trilogy. I love the stories, but I more love the way his Christian identity pours through his works. J.R.R. Tolkien, another classic, inspires me as well, especially because he never intended his works to be Christian allegory. Again, writers such as these express truth through fiction, simply by being themselves. Other than these two classic authors, I enjoy fiction by Jan Karon, Francine Rivers, and Stephen Lawhead. My childhood favorites included Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, and Ursula K. Le Guin. However, being more of an avid writer myself and less of a reader, there are many wonderful authors whose works I’ve not yet read.

4) How does your Christian faith inspire your writing?

I believe that writers write about what they know. Though we can shroud our experiences in layers of fiction, metaphor, and imaginary situations, our stories are necessarily birthed from our personalities, life experiences, and essential spiritual nature. Perhaps a skillful writer can disguise his or her heart, so the story seem to be less directly related to the author, but just as the creation of the Universe sprang from the life and personality of God, I believe that any creative work springs from the life-source of its creator. Therefore, the Christian message necessarily expresses itself in my writing, when I am simply being myself and writing from my heart. It would be painfully tedious to try to disguise the truth of God’s love, the gospel, and the redemption we have in Christ. To do so would be to try to write as if I were not myself.

5) What are your plans for the future? Are any more books in the pipeline?

My future plans include a sequel to my first novel, in which the adventures of Miss Aqua continue. I also have ideas for a third novel to make Miss Aqua a trilogy. At some point, I also want to write a pirate tale.

If you are an author interested in being interviewed, please contact me.