"Deliver Us from Evil" by Dee Smith

Meet Former Clash of the Titles Competitor Dee Smith,

guest post by Amanda Flower

Dee Smith writes for young adults. Dee states on her website, “I write fiction for young adults and reach out to teens by writing fiction with a message of hope, redemption, and the power of God.”

Clash of the Titles featured her second novel, Deliver Us from Evil, during our Best Description of an Antagonist Week. The description of her villain, Philomena Jones, gave our readers chills.

In Deliver Us From Evil, thirteen-year-old Angela Ross, a small town Texas girl, runs away in terror after she shoots her abusive father during his latest violent attack. She flees without knowing if he is dead or alive. Now a fugitive, she melts into the busy crowds of the city, desperate and penniless.

On a rainy afternoon a few days after she arrives, she walks a cobblestone path to the cottage of Philomena Jones, Psychic. Soon after, Angela regrets ever entering the deceptive white cottage with its charming picket fence. It's too late to escape Philomena's reign of terror, but a few years later, a talent agent, Arnold Peck, discovers her, grooms her into a music star, and renames her Angel.

At a performance, Angel meets Jessica Nelson, a devoted fan. Both lonely girls bond and become friends. Their meeting triggers a kidnapping plot and plunge them into indescribable horror as prisoners inside a medieval castle. Angel uncovers the kidnappers' plans--plans so evil that they will die by torture in a few hours. Can they escape? Will rescue arrive on time?

We posed a few more questions to Dee, which she was kind enough to answer.

How did you come up with your idea for your antagonist?
She came from another novel I had in progress. In that book her character was like the good sidekick or confidant for my heroine. Then almost as if she had a will of her own she became the “bad guy,” developing through her occupation as a psychic. I chose her darker side because my story draws clear lines between good and evil.

Who is your favorite character you’ve created and why?
Kos, the young FBI agent in the story. He’s the handsome hero, and the love story begins in my second book. I had so much fun creating him to be the good-looking, daring, and courageous guy I’d like to knock on my front door some day.

If you could interview one character in your book, which one would it be? What shocking or interesting thing might that character say? Why?
It would be Darla, Angel’s aunt. I would ask her, “Why did you take the rap for Angela after she shot her father? Since Darla is my prototype for the “good Christian” in the book, it would shock me if she answered, “I was on my way to shoot him, but Angela got there first. So intent was already present in me.”

Have you learned anything new about God’s character through this book?
Nothing new, but even as much evil Satan generates, God is the final authority.

Where do your best ideas come from?
The Source from above. I’ve been in the shower, taking a walk, driving somewhere. Sometimes I have a vivid dream.

Thank you so much for stopping by Dee. We enjoyed having you on Clash of the Titles and look forward to reading more of your work in the future.You can visit Dee at her website http://dee-smith.squarespace.com/  or Facebook.

Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, is an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel and the first in a series featuring amateur sleuth India Hayes. Like her main character, Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime and on the Clash of the Titles staff. Her next mystery, Murder in a Basket, will be released in January 2012. Visit her online at http://www.amandaflower.com/.