Behind the Scenes: Author Janet Sketchley and the wonder of flying

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by flying. On commercial flights, I try for  a window seat, and take-offs and landings are the best parts. (I did let out a roller-coaster squeal one time when the plane dropped into an air pocket, but we’d just come from a Six Flags amusement park, so that may excuse me somewhat.)

In my university days, I discovered Richard Bach’s flying books. I disagree with his theology, but he really captured the wonder of flight. A few years later, my husband and I were blessed to know two licensed private pilots who took us “up” on various occasions. I’ll never forget the sense of hanging (securely) in the sky and watching the landscape glide below.

I’d have loved to become a pilot, but I didn’t think I had the reaction time or skill. Nor was there money to put into something “just for fun” (spare me the irony of asking how much I’ve spent on writing over the years).
Still, the sense of wonder remains.

One of the scenes I most enjoyed writing in my latest novel, Without Proof, involved a flight in a small plane. I loved the chance to revisit my own memories, as well as chatting with a couple of writing contacts whose knowledge is more detailed and more current.

Without Proof is one of those stories whose seeds started so long ago that I don’t remember where certain details came from. Why was the heroine’s fiancé killed in a private plane crash? Just because planes were so vivid to me?
Whatever the reason, I’m glad. The heroine’s crash memories were difficult, but her need for closure game me the chance to vicariously experience one more sight-seeing flight in the Nova Scotian skies.

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Janet Sketchley lives in Atlantic Canada, where she writes Christian suspense novels and blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. You can find Janet online at janetsketchley.ca, and fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Possible tags: author, behind the scenes, Castle Gate Press, Janet Sketchley, romantic suspense, Christian fiction, flying, airplanes, Nova Scotia, Canada