Interview with Dana Mentink: Volcanoes, Doritos, and Fire-Fueled Faith in Fire Mountain

Interview with Dana Mentink: Volcanoes, Doritos, and Fire-Fueled Faith in Fire Mountain

31:28 Aug 4, 2025
About this episode
Get ready for a fiery adventure as we chat with bestselling author Dana Mentink about her latest romantic suspense novel, Fire Mountain. In this episode, Dana shares how her writing journey began in the quiet moments of early motherhood, how her real-life arson investigator husband inspires her most dramatic scenes (yes, including Dorito fire-starters!), and why themes of forgiveness keep finding their way into her stories. We also dive into the explosive plot of Fire Mountain—complete with amnesia, a surprise baby, and a grumpy-sunshine romance set against the backdrop of an erupting volcano. If you love suspense with heart, this is one you don’t want to miss! Listen to the episode here. Meet Dana Mentink Dana Mentink lives in California where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Her family includes two daughters (affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo.) Papa Bear is retired from the fire department and he met Dana doing a dinner theater production of The Velveteen Rabbit. Ironically, their parts were husband and wife. Dana writes in two genres, cozy mystery and romantic suspense. She’s a USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon bestselling author as well as a two time ACFW Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion recipient. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She is honored to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, and Poisoned Pen Press.
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