Leslea Wahl Interview

Today, I am pleased to welcome Leslea Wahl, author of faith-filled teen mysteries. 

Leslea lives in beautiful Colorado and says she is blessed to have found a way to intertwine her two passions by creating adventurous stories with positive Christian messages for today's youth. Today she is going to talk about her latest book for teens, called Where You Lead and she is giving away one print copy to anyone in the U.S. and an eBook to anyone outside the U.S.

Leslea, welcome to Interviews & Reviews!

---

How long have you been writing?

I’ve always been creative with stories swirling through my head. However, I never dreamt of writing a novel. But that changed when my oldest child began reading YA novels. While searching for fun adventures that he would enjoy that also reflected the Christian values we were trying to instill in him, I realized how hard these kinds of books are to find. Then one day, the idea for my first novel, The Perfect Blindside popped into my mind.

How many books have you written since that inspiration?

I currently have three Christian YA mysteries that have been published. The Perfect Blindside, An Unexpected Role, and Where You Lead. I also have written several short stories. All my stories are adventurous mysteries with elements of humor, romance, and faith.

Do you travel to the places you write about?

So far, all the books I have written are set in places where I have visited. Where You Lead takes place in Washington, DC, where I lived for four years. All the locations in the book were my favorite sites in the city, so writing about them brought back a lot of great memories.

What is the central theme of your book?

The theme of Where You Lead is recognizing a call from God. The main character, Eve, has an unusual experience. She believes her visions of an unknown boy are a calling from God. This leads her on a grand adventure, but along the way, she realizes that God can call us in smaller, everyday ways as well. I truly believe stories have the power of influence, and I hope the themes in my books can help teens grow in their faith.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

The opening scene was actually an idea that came to me over 25 years ago. I always thought it would make a great beginning for a novel. After my first book was published, I revisited the premise, and slowly the story began to take shape.

Do you have any other books in the works?

This summer, I began working on a new story about a family road trip through the Southwest. It is tentatively titled “A Summer to Treasure.” This new adventure was inspired by a recent family vacation to several national parks. It delves into the complexities of sibling relationships and involves a family secret and buried treasure.

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?

Extreme Blindside will be released in December. This book is the sequel to my first novel, The Perfect Blindside. These adventurous mysteries follow snowboarding superstar Jake and aspiring journalist Sophie. In this new novel the teens become involved in a mystery set at an extreme winter sports competition. Revisiting these characters was so much fun.

Your books sound like great gift ideas for parents of teenagers, this Christmas. Thank you for stopping by and sharing with us! 

And speaking of Christmas...if you want to get a head start (or maybe you just want the book for yourself), Leslea is giving away two copies of Where you Lead! One print copy for anyone in the U.S. and an eBook everywhere else. To enter to win just fill out the form below! This contest ends is closed.

---

Congratulations to Maria Victoria!
You are the lucky winner of Where You Lead. 

​Teen Eve Donahue's lonely existence changes in an instant when visions of a mysterious stranger haunt her. Certain God is calling her for a mission, she bravely says yes and begins her quest to meet this young man. Thousands of miles away,

Nick Hammond has been dealing with his own unusual experience, an unwavering certainty to convince his father to run for political office. When these two unlikely teens finally meet, their belief that God has called them to work together sets them on a journey of faith to untangle a web of deception involving international trade agreements, lost confederate gold, and a blossoming romance. As they follow century-old clues, they realize God can call us all in big and small ways. We just need to listen.

---