Inga Wiehl was an immigrant from Denmark who learned to read English along with her young daughter Lis, whose early love of mysteries helped pave the way for a successful career in law.
Did you read to your daughter as a child? What did you read?
I started reading to Lis when I was pregnant with her and studying for my PhD in English, so Lis heard lots of classic stories --- authors from Hawthorne to Hemmingway --- before she was born. As an immigrant from Denmark, that was no small feat: Lis learned with me.
How old was your daughter when she started reading?
Five years old, but she started first reading in Danish.
Did your child have a favorite series/author growing up?
Oh, yes: Lis loved Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown and The Hardy Boys.
Did you have any book or reading rituals in your house? (Examples would be: Going to the library or bookstore together, talking about the books you have read, sharing books, storytime)
Storytime was every night, a tradition Lis has carried on with my grandkids. I remember bringing Lis to the public library: she and I would walk out with a stack of books that would almost topple both of us. And when she was in elementary school, she read every book in the library --- I mean EVERY book. Years later, she went back to that elementary school ---Apple Valley --- and saw her sign-out signature on literally every single book in the library. The librarian still remembered her.
When did you know your daughter was going to be a writer? Can you remember your daughter writing as a child?
When she was 7. She wrote the most poignant poem about Mother’s Day. I keep that poem close to my heart. I knew she would write.
Do you read advance copies of your daughter’s work?
Of course: I want to know what’s going to happen next…and give her a few tidbits of advice.
Do you have a favorite of your daughter’s books?
I love the Triple Threat women. As a prosecutor, TV reporter, and having worked with FBI agents (her dad was one, too), Lis has lived those lives, and she brings them to life in her books.
What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?
Like Lis, I’m a mystery fan, and for years I have run a Thursday Reader Book Club, so we ladies meet every week and discuss our favorites. Of course the Triple Threat series is on the top of our list!
What authors, besides your daughter’s books, do you read?
Isaac Dinesen (OUT OF AFRICA), Shakespeare (to whom we owe so much), and Nathaniel Hawthorne. I do love the classics. And in the thriller genre, the Triple Threat ladies! Happy Mother’s Day: it’s the best “job” we’ll ever take on, one that sustains us through the journey of life.
Lis Wiehl is the author of the Triple Threat series along with April Henry. The latest book in the series, HAND OF FATE, is available now wherever books are sold. She is also a prominent litigator and frequent contributor on FOX News.
