Anticipation of the Penitent is Christian horror about a serial killer and his mother. It speaks of spiritual warfare and redemption, specifically regarding the mother. She has become trapped by Satan, who seemingly has been following her since her despicable childhood.

Yet, there is hope and redemption, governed by people she meets long after she has raised her son who has grown into a sociopath… a killer of little girls. The question is, is it too late for the mother to overcome the devastation her son caused? And is Satan too strong for her and her son to change who they are and break away from the cursed path they have lived all their lives?

Christian horror fiction?
Anticipation of the Penitent is Christian speculative fiction. Speculative fiction is either science fiction, fantasy or horror. So, Christian fiction is science fiction, fantasy or horror, but with a Christian twist. This is a growing genre. Famous authors who write in this genre are Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.

Tell us about the serial killer and his mother.
Alezea (pronounced Al-i-zay-ah), the mother of serial killer Thomas, is a lost soul, who watches and even abets her twenty-seven year old killer son. After getting a glimpse into their despicable lives, you really get into who they are, their complex relationship, and later, the desires which keep them pushing through to reach their goals… goals which are different from mother to son.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Anticipation of the Penitent will appeal to people who love to see ordinary people go through extraordinary circumstances, and learn whether or not they can overcome. Many of us do this everyday, and to see it in fiction, and in characters who are so undoubtedly scarred, can be inspiring… especially when you see that their trails to redemption are just as jagged, trying and filled with wrongful decisions as our own.

Put shortly, this is for people who love stories about personal transformation but in a way where the turns in their lives are truly unexpected.

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
I have written a book of flash fiction and poetry called Salted With Fire. Flash fiction is very short stories, generally less than 1000 words, but with a beginning, middle and end. Salted With Fire interweaves these stories and poetry, while depicting my growth of as a non-traditional Christian writer. After each story, is a short Biblical discussion that relates the themes from the story into everyday life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a woman of few and many words, a pseudo-insomniac who loves to sleep in, whose favorite word in the English vocabulary is “vacation,” and whose favorite thing to consider is what God is telling me right now. I love to share my “drive to write”, and to express some of my most controversial beliefs in my writing.

More traditionally, I am a probation officer for adults, have a degree in sociology and a law degree. I plan to take business classes in January to expand my writing into publishing and distributing indie books.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
Yes, at http://www.nancylarondajohnson.com. I also have a blog, at http://nancylarondajohnson.blogspot.com.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
Facebook is at: https://www.facebook.com/NancyLaRondaJohnson
Twitter: @NLaRondaJohnson

How easily do new storylines come to you? If we give you four random words – Man, Woman, Airport, Darkness – can you give us a brief storyline?
I can see a woman who escaped a kidnapper and has made her way to a subway. After a devastating earthquake, power outages, and many killed, she meets a man, who may or may not be her guardian angel. She goes along with him, staying as much as they can in the relative safety of the tunnels. They end up at a major airport, a place where many factions of survivors have gathered. Only, it wasn’t a natural disaster of an earthquake which caused the original havoc. Now, the woman will see whether the man is a good guarding, and learn whether she has followed him into the right side of the fight for survival.

Okay, I’m saving this premise. I think it’ll go in line behind my other works in progress.

We can’t wait to read it. What is next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to Anticipation of the Penitent, called Anticipating Dawn. It’s very different than the first book, which I hope will be published by mid 2014. Here’s the premise:

Haunted by a relative’s murderous past, a young man fights to mend those harmed, but risks causing more ruin to their broken lives. His best friend, whose mother was the only victim to survive the serial killer Thomas, searches for God’s truth while being true to himself as a gay man.

Anticipating Dawn is the shocking sequel to Anticipation of the Penitent, and examines what happens when a serial killer’s relative harbors guilt about the damage caused to the victims’ families. It also depicts the angst of a surviving victim’s gay son, who searches for acceptance after being raised in the Christian community Gabriel.

Follow Michtam and Gent as they go through trials when they enter the lives of distraught people who battle daily struggles. In the midst of their discoveries, a serial killer even more harrowing than Thomas has surfaced and changes the direction of Michtam’s life forever.