In my work as an editor, I get to know lots of writers, and decided to introduce you to someone you may not have met before, whom I always think of as a “cowboy author.”
My husband and I are huge fans of Longmire,
so the laconic noble hero of the west is no stranger to me. Still, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed David Griffith’s novels with a bronc-riding protagonist who fights to bring down drug trafficking. Start with his first novel, Blackwater Crossing, and I know you’ll be hooked, too.
I asked him to drop by blog today and answer a few questions. I hope you enjoy meeting him and that you check out his novels.
Sharon: Welcome, David! I remember the first time I chatted with you about your writing, you were on horseback, speaking from your cellphone. I knew you had an authentic perspective on the world you were writing about. What life experiences drew you to creating these stories?
David: My life has been largely confined to riding bucking horses in my earlier years followed by ranching. However, in one of the cattle downturn cycles, we decided to buy an apartment building. The problem was that the place had more drugs than tenants. Going toe to toe with drug dealers and junkies taught me a lot about bad real estate investments, but it also gave me a desire to know more about the source of this scourge that decimates our communities in North America. So what I write about the drug cartels is very much an offshoot of that experience.
Sharon: How do you approach the struggle of sharing spiritual truth and wisdom and keeping the story feeling authentic, fast-moving, and not agenda-driven?
David: Great question, and one that many Christian writers grapple with today. There are only a few big Christian publishers. As writers, we strive to fit in their slot. The new buzz words are “faith infused” versus “faith driven.” I understand that issue. If publishers don’t sell books they don’t survive, which means a percentage of their product may have to reach outside the church. I’ve always felt my calling as a writer is to put out stories that are so compelling that those who might be initially antagonistic to the message will be unable to put them down. God will take care of the rest.
Sharon: Which character is the most difficult for you to write, and why?
David: I have a hard time with female characters. I wing it, and my wife Pat gets a hundred questions. Would Clarissa do this . . . or that? She rolls her eyes and straightens me out. Clarissa has been difficult for me to portray, but she’s a ranch girl I understand. I have a series coming out soon with a young Mexican-American girl as the protagonist. She’s been a challenge, but I learned a lot, and I think readers are going to like Dina Rodriguez.
Sharon: Who are a few of your favorite authors?
David: I enjoy the great American and British classic writers of the past. Hemingway, Maugham, and Steinbeck come to mind as well as a handful of other more contemporary adventure story tellers like Louis L’Amour, Dick Francis, and Jeannette Walls. All of them are superb at painting vivid word pictures. That’s what I strive to do, so when I have time, I take author James Bell’s advice and watch good movies. They’re an excellent way to study interaction and dialogue.
Sharon: Thanks so much for visiting David, and blessings on your continued writing!
You can find his whole Border Series here:
Blessings!
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