Skip to main content

Interview with Christy Barritt

Captain’s Log, Stardate 11.13.2006

Today I’m joined by my fellow ACFW member (and fellow debut novelist) Christy Barritt! I’m glad she could join me because she only just had a new baby a few months ago!

Christy's latest novel is Hazardous Duty.

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: priceless

On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. “Yeah, that’s me,” she says, “a crime scene cleaner. People waiting in line behind me who strike up conversations always regret it.”

When a routine cleaning job leads her to find a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

“Christy Barritt’s novel, Hazardous Duty, is a delightful read from beginning to end. The story’s fresh, engaging heroine with an unusual occupation hooked me, and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend Hazardous Duty.”
—Colleen Coble, author of Fire Dancer, book one of the Fire Jumpers Series

"With Gabby St. Claire, Christy Barritt has created a fun sleuth in a unique profession. Hazardous Duty provides both humor and an engaging mystery. The twists and turns of the whodunit are matched only by the surprises of Gabby's spiritual growth and romantic entanglements."
—Sharon Dunn, author of the Ruby Taylor mysteries including Cow Crimes and Mustang Menace.

"Christy Barritt is a bright new voice on the fiction scene, destined to rise above the others with her fun, intriguing mysteries. . . . Stay tuned and watch for more from this gifted, talented author..You'll love it."
—Cheryl Wolverton, multi-published author, award Winner, The Choice of Readers (IRCC Winner)

"The next time you're tempted to watch CSI reruns, read this book instead! Spunky, sassy Gabby St. Claire sparkles in this new series. She'll keep you turning the pages."
—Siri Mitchell, author of The Cubicle Next Door


And now, here’s Christy!

How did you come up with the idea for Hazardous Duty?

One of the publications that I used to write for asked me to write a profile on a crime-scene cleaner. As soon as I realized that was actually a career, sparks began flying in my head. Before long, Gabby St. Claire was born. I was in the middle of writing another book, but I had to stop and write her story right then. She wouldn’t let me rest until I did! I’m working on book number two right now and the gal still won’t let me rest. What can I say? She’s a very demanding girl!

Your bio says you had "a short jaunt in the independent Christian music field." Tell All!

You may regret the “all” part. :) Here goes … At the end of my college career, one of my girlfriends and I began playing and singing together—me on the guitar and she on the piano. A local producer heard us and really liked our sound. He’d produced another album, which had been picked up by a big label and one of the songs got to number one on some music chart (I could have told you five years ago but now I’m drawing a blank!).

This producer liked us so much that he wanted to cut an album for us. We worked with him for awhile but ultimately decided to part ways. By this time, we’d already written a lot of our own songs. We’d also invited another friend of ours who played the viola to join us. Someone once called us the Mod Squad of Christian music: we were one white, one black, and one blonde. Okay, I have no idea if that’s PC, so moving on…

We ended up doing an album on our own. We had a great time together playing at coffeehouses, churches, camps, retreats and concert venues. We got to open for some Christian groups that we really admired. I remember one two-week period where we did 12 concerts—all while working full-time. What can I say? We were dedicated!

It’s kind of a long story what happened from there, and it’s a little sad. The short of it is that my father became very ill, so I moved back home to Virginia from Cincinnati. The good news is that through moving home and the emotional toll my father’s sickness took on me, I had to have a release. That’s when I turned back to writing—something I’d always loved. I wrote one of my first books while sitting by my father’s bedside. A small press ended up picking it up, and I dedicated that book to my father, who passed away four years ago last month.

You lead worship at church! (So do I--I play an indifferent guitar and mostly on-key singing). What do you play?

I play the guitar and sing. We do a lot of songs from the Passion projects. It’s funny because I never thought I would be a worship leader. I just didn’t think it was my thing. But the doors kept continually opening and I finally got the hint. Once I started doing it, I absolutely loved it! I still love it. There’s just something about being before the throne of God and singing his praises with other believers that’s unlike anything else on this earth.

To be honest, though, I’m at a place right now where I’m backing off from doing it every Sunday. I have a four-month-old, which complicates things quite a bit. I’m really searching for God’s voice as to what I should do. I miss leading worship, but I’m also learning that I can’t do everything … or, at least, I can’t do everything and do it well.

Finish this sentence: Writing a novel is like...

Having a baby--painful but rewarding. Believe me, I know. This year I gave birth to my first baby and had a novel released! :)

Do you have a favorite scripture verse for your writing?

Proverbs 16:3: Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed. This helps me not to define success in earthly terms but in heavenly terms. In earthly terms, success would be not only having a book published, but having it go on to sell lots and lots of copies. Of course I would like for this to happen. But more importantly, I want to listen to God's sometimes still, small voice. Faithful obedience to my Creator is the biggest success I seek in my life. It’s also an easier virtue in theory than to actually live out.

I love ethnic food--give me anything I can't pronounce and I'll at least try it. Do you have a favorite ethnic food? Do you cook anything you're particularly proud of?

Oh, I love Middle East food. My current favorite is baba ganoush. It's so yummy! And I think it's healthy, though I can't be sure. I'll just assume it is to make myself feel better when I eat it. :-)

As far as something that I cook, I have to say that whenever I make my Stromboli, it gets rave reviews. I don’t make it very often because, for one, it’s fattening and two, it’s involved. Usually I make it when we’re having friends over to eat. I think it’s one of the reasons my husband keeps on inviting people over—he knows that’s the only way he’ll get me to make it!

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Fun question. I’d have to say Wonder Woman. Even as a little girl, I would dress up like her. I made little wrists cuffs and a tiara out of paper and I taped them in place. Then I’d fight the bad guys and fly away in my invisible jet. What can I say? Wonder Woman rocks!

Camy here: Thanks for joining us, Christy! So can I come over to have some of that stromboli?

TMI:

Bible in 90 Days: Days 13 & 14. My Life Application Bible has a list of why the second generation of Israelites turned away from God to worship the Canaanite idols.

Well, first of all, they hadn’t completely driven the Canaanites from their land. That was their foremost problem. So the foreign gods were still being worshipped by the slave Canaanites.

But the list is interesting because it looks so much like the excuses people give today: Immediate self-gratification, sensuality approved, low ethical standards tolerated, neighbors’ sins approved, selfishness condoned, freer and less ethical business relations, compromise and cooperation practiced rather than an ethical stand taken.

Worshipping God is hard. But He also never said it was easy. And I’m seeing the parallels between my generation and the Israelites, apart from all the weird stuff like bowing down to idols, Asherah poles, and sacrificing children.

Writing: I posted another article on developing your writer’s voice at my Story Sensei blog, and a Health and the Writer column at WriterQuotes blog.

Wrote some on Saturday, but not near as much as I wanted to. I had so much time and I just wasted it staring at the blinking cursor.

Diet: I exercised 5 days last week and I exercised yesterday! Now for another 5 days this week! I love Denise Austin. She’s challenging but not too hard.

Popular Posts

Laura’s Apricot Shell Shawl knitting pattern

I usually have a knitting project in mind when I write it into one of my books, but Laura’s apricot-colored shawl just kind of appeared upon the page as I was writing the first scene of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 4: Betrayer , and it surprised even me. I immediately went to my yarn stash to find a yarn for it, and I searched through my antique knitting books to find some stitch patterns. I made her an elegant wool shawl she could wear at home. The shawl ended up tagging along with Laura into the next book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 5: Prisoner , where it imparts some comfort to her in her trying circumstances. The two stitch patterns are both from the same book, The Lady’s Assistant, volume 2 by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, published in 1842 . A couple excessively clever and creative knitters might have knit these patterns in the Regency era, but they would have only passed them around by word of mouth or scribbled “recipes” to friends or family, and it wouldn’t have been widely use

Narrow Escape contest for January!

I’m so excited because my January Love Inspired Suspense, Narrow Escape , is now available! Here’s the back cover blurb: KIDNAPPED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT Arissa Tiong and her three-year-old niece are snatched off the street by members of a notorious drug gang. Having lost her police officer brother to a drug bust gone bad, Arissa knows the danger she's in. But she has no idea why they want her. Desperate to protect the little girl, Arissa escapes and runs straight to Nathan Fischer. She knows the handsome, weary former narcotics cop hasn't told her everything about the night that ended her brother's life and Nathan's career. But he's all that stands between her and dangerous thugs who are after something she doesn't even know she has. This is the 4th book in my Sonoma series , but each book is stand-alone. The hero is Nathan Fischer, who had a minor role in the 3rd book, Stalker in the Shadows . To celebrate, I’m giving away 10 copies of Narrow Escape ! Her

Keriah’s Pyrennees Shawl knitting pattern w/ @knitpicks Palette

Why I knit this shawl: I wanted to knit the sunset-colored shawl Keriah was wearing in chapter 5 of my book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 2: Berserker , so I looked for an antique pattern that might have been used during the Regency era. This one caught my eye, even though it was published in a knitting book a few decades later than the Regency era. The Spider-Net border pattern was most definitely in use in the Regency period, but it’s also remotely possible that the Alice-Maud stitch and the lacy border stitch patterns were also in use during the Regency, being passed on from knitter to knitter via hand-written receipts, by verbal instruction, or with knitted sampler squares (like how many Shetland lace patterns and Bavarian cable patterns were shared). My/Keriah’s version of this shawl would have been lacy but warm because it is knit with fingering yarn on small needles. Since Keriah was cold, I think she would have grabbed this shawl rather than something more elegant and airy.

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

New contest!

I haven’t had a contest since October! Here’s new one just in time for Christmas. I’m picking 3 winners to each be able to choose 10 books from my Christian book list! And yes, that list includes my books! 1) You get one entry into the contest when you sign up for my email newsletter at http://www.camytang.com/ . If you already belong to my email newsletter, let me know! 2) You get a second entry into the contest if you Like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CamyTangAuthor . If you already Like my Facebook page, let me know! 3) You get a third entry into the contest if you join my Goodreads group: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/49078 . If you already belong to my Goodreads group, let me know! 4) You get a fourth entry into the contest if you follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/camytang . If you already follow me on Twitter, let me know! 5) You get extra entries into the contest if you get someone else to join my email newsletter. Just email camy {at] c

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

I GOT A CONTRACT!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.29.2006 I had a wonderfully funny blog post planned for today, but I got sidetracked by some news yesterday! Zondervan has offered me a three-book contract on my Asian chick-lit series ! I’m still stunned by everything that’s happened. The series is actually a 4-book projected Asian chick-lit series about four cousins who fall under the infamous family title "Oldest Single Female Cousin," and their ruthless, wealthy grandma applies pressure on each of them to improve their lack of love interests. I think the first book is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2007. The blurb on the series is on my website here . Brandilyn Collins posted to the ACFW loop about my writing journey, and Tamara Cooper asked that I share it. And since you all know how much I like to talk , here it is. My writing journey: Like most writers, I have wanted to write since I was very young. (In high school, I wrote a fantasy novel that will never see the light of day

Wasabi Wednesday – Year of the Rat mug

Captain's Log, Stardate 01.09.2008 Get free short stories and info on exclusive book giveaways when you subscribe to my newsletter! The winner of Abandoned Identity by Tamara Tilley is Amanda Congratulations! Blog book giveaway: To enter to win today’s book, leave a comment on this blog post, giving your name and saying you want to enter. International readers are welcome to enter! Please leave a WORKING email address or website where I can contact you (please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail.com--or something like that to prevent spammers from trolling for your email address). Please make sure your email address works—I’ve had several winners where my email to them bounced and I couldn’t get hold of them. It is the winner’s responsibility to check to see if you won and to email me if you haven’t yet heard from me. You have a week to comment--I'll pick a name out of a hat on Wednesday, January 16th. (BTW, you can post a comment and NOT enter, too.) Doing s

I’m a Book of the Year winner!

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.22.2008 I won first place in the Debut Author category of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year awards! Here are all the winners! Debut Author Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) Zondervan, editor Sue Brower Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll) In Between (Jenny B. Jones) Contemporary Novella Finally Home in Missouri Memories anthology (Deborah Raney) Barbour Publishing, editor Susan Downs Moonlight & Mistletoe in A Big Apple Christmas anthology (Carrie Turansky) Remaking of Moe McKenna in Race to the Altar anthology (Gloria Clover) Historical Novella Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) Barbour Publishing, editor Rebecca Germany Beyond the Memories in Missouri Memories anthology (DiAnn Mills) The Spinster & The Tycoon in The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology (Vickie McDonough) Lits Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) Multnomah Books, editor Julee Schwarzb