By Annette Lyon

One of the best-selling LDS fiction authors publishing today is Josi S. Kilpack. Her seventh novel, Sheep’s_Clothing, was released in May by Deseret Book. Josi is known for tackling tough subjects in exciting and realistic ways, and Sheep’s Clothing is no different. Josi joined me recently for an interview to talk about her new book.

AL: Describe your new book, Sheep’s Clothing. How is it similar to or different from your others?

JK: It’s similar in that it involves contemporary issues: Internet predators. It’s different in that it’s my first to not have a romance as the main story or a sub-plot.

Though it does focus on the relationship of the parents, Sheep’s Clothing is much more of a suspense novel than anything else I’ve written.

AL: What inspired you to write it?

JK: I’m always looking for story ideas in the media, and in the spring of 2006, Internet concerns were making the news almost every night. Parental concern over social networking sites like My Space and Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” series brought a great deal of awareness to the issue.

One of the ongoing themes was how unaware parents are. Even knowing the risks, we are convinced that our child would never participate in something threatening. My husband suggested I use it as the topic in my next book, so we brainstormed story lines. Sheep’s Clothing was the result.

AL: How did writing about these issues affect you personally?

JK: I have four children. Like most parents, the older my children get, the more I worry about the choices they make. Yet, I look at them and think, “I’ve taught them right. They know better than to share personal information online.”

Yet, have I?

Until researching for this book, I didn’t have a filter on my computer. I felt my kids were too young to be taught about online risks, because all they did was play games now and then.

Once I learned a little more, it was not hard for me to imagine being involved in this scenario.

Yet every teenager feels misunderstood, every teenager is looking for a friend, and too many adults are looking for that kind of teenager.

My daughter . . . your son . . . our children, are very vulnerable to that kind of attention, that kind of relationship that puts them at risk.

AL: What do you hope readers will take away from the story?

JK: I hope first that they will enjoy it, that it will be gripping and page-turning and ultimately satisfying. But I also hope they will understand why Internet safety is important and how powerful a good relationship with our children can be.

For teenagers I hope it helps them realize why it’s important to have boundaries and rules and take precautions when they go online.

Included at the end of the novel are Author’s Notes that point out specific ways in which we as parents can protect our children from some of these online hazards as well as websites that have more information.