Ask the Author: Alma Katsu
Answered Questions (21)
Alma Katsu
SPOILER ALERT!!!! Don't read any further if you haven't finished the book yet!
The idea is that Annie is fighting possession, and it makes her think she's losing her mind.
Hope you enjoyed the book.
The idea is that Annie is fighting possession, and it makes her think she's losing her mind.
Hope you enjoyed the book.
Alma Katsu
I'm glad you enjoyed the series. I hope there will be a third book, too, as I want to get back to Theresa's dilemma. Right now I'm getting other writing projects finished--a new horror novel being the main one. We've optioned film rights to RED LONDON and will start work once the writers' and actors' strikes are over. In the meantime, if you're looking for another spy story, BLACK VAULT just came out on Kindle. It's an Amazon Original Story (so only on Kindle and Audible) about a CIA officer who gets the chance to reinvestigate a UFO sighting he had 15 years earlier--and which ruined his life.
Alma Katsu
Cara, I'm so glad to hear it! This series is so close to my heart. I hope there's going to be a third book (and more after that) and yes, the way I ended Red London you might have a good idea what it's going to be about--but the final word belongs to my publisher. Fingers crossed! In the meantime, Red London has been optioned for a TV series and once the writer's strike is over, we hope to start work on that.
Alma Katsu
What a beautiful, evocative scene you describe... I don't know that we have anything similar here. Perhaps less lovely, I have seen tree branches enmeshed in shrouds from various insects. We do have lots and lots of spiders where I live, which is quite rustic and remote, and so envisioning spider swarms is no problem at all :-)
Alma Katsu
Great catch! This is a good example of how a historical anomaly can squeak through, even though a book is reviewed a good half-dozen times by various editors before it makes it to press. Authors are particularly at risk to assume things that exist during their lifetime have always existed, and this is a good example of one of those instances.
Your response prompted me to look it up, and (as usual) there's a bit of debate. An article at History.com says hospitals began instituting emergency rooms in the 1950s after the war, but most domain-specific sites (medical) put the date closer to 1961, with the first dedicated emergency facilities established in Virginia and Michigan. The rise of emergency rooms is attributed to the baby boom after the war and urban sprawl. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...)
Your response prompted me to look it up, and (as usual) there's a bit of debate. An article at History.com says hospitals began instituting emergency rooms in the 1950s after the war, but most domain-specific sites (medical) put the date closer to 1961, with the first dedicated emergency facilities established in Virginia and Michigan. The rise of emergency rooms is attributed to the baby boom after the war and urban sprawl. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...)
Alma Katsu
Hi Sam, thanks for the kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. Lyndsey does get off a shot or two in Red London, but I expect I'll be staying closer to what it's like IRL for CIA case/ops officers. While they get training, the job is usually more about meticulous planning and execution of tradecraft than hand-to-hand combat. Since 9/11, the intel business has grown the special ops, or more military, side of things, but it's only one part of the business. I hope to keep Lyndsey more like a le Carre novel than Jason Bourne, but we'll see what happens with the TV show :-)
Alma Katsu
Hi Megan, Thank you so much for the kind words about Red Widow! I'm happy to report that there will be a second book, Red London. I just handed it into the editor, and it will probably be published spring 2023. Lyndsey may also be coming to your TV soon: FOX is developing a TV series and we're working on the pilot now.
Alma Katsu
What a good question! I've felt that the first book is about the big question that dogs the author's life--but that this is what we're trying to be subconsciously. That's why it's so hard to write! That's probably also why we tend to address the same themes in book after book: they're the things we grapple with in our lives.
Alma Katsu
A great question! It didn't happen right away. (Warning: Spoilers) When I was doing research, Keseberg jumped out as the obvious villain. He admitted to cannibalism, he practically bragged about it, and there was so much speculation that he may have killed people to save himself. But then there was the usual writing problem: he wore on the reader's nerves because he was such a one-note character. At the same time, the horror element--what was behind what was going on? was it a Native American creature, a werewolf, something else?--changed from the original idea. Once the "it" shifted to something in the blood, then Keseberg's role became clearer: he was a carrier, and maybe as much a victim as villain, and so sharing his backstory (at least a little bit) became important.
Short answer: it was very complicated and evolved over time. The beauty of revision.
Short answer: it was very complicated and evolved over time. The beauty of revision.
Alma Katsu
Thank you for the kind words! I would love to do another series like The Taker--hopefully one day, I'll be inspired. I would love to see The Taker as a graphic novel. And maybe that would be the transition to TV.
Alma Katsu
Hi Ken, I think it's optimal to read the books in order (The Taker, The Reckoning, and The Descent) but I had a reader once who told me she read The Descent before The Taker and didn't have any problems. 1.5 and 2.5 probably refer to the short stories, The Devil's Scribe and The Witch Sisters (I think--apologies, it's been a little while). I think once you've read one of the books, it wouldn't matter if you read them out of sequence. The nice thing about these books that dip in and out of history is that you get to fit the new story like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
Thanks for asking, and hope you enjoy!
Thanks for asking, and hope you enjoy!
Alma Katsu
No collaboration, I'm afraid. We were probably working on our books at about the same time. Doug had reviewed The Best Land Under Heaven, a non-fiction book that came out shortly after I wrapped up writing The Hunger, for the NY Times and I wonder if that helped influence his decision to write Old Bones.
Alma Katsu
Hi Adam, So glad to hear you're enjoying The Hunger, especially glad to hear it resonates for readers who didn't grow up with the story of the Donner Party. Your question is the #1 thing I'm asked at events. It's not easy to say, exactly, how to balance fact with the fictional parts. A novel, being different from non-fiction, is usually trying to tell a different story than the actual historic event. That is, I wasn't trying to recreate what happened to the Donner Party but to use it to tell a "greater good"--in this case, how easily we can be made to turn on one another. It's a balance of doing a lot of research and then throwing out the pieces that don't serve the story, that don't emphasis or support a point I want to make with the scene or characters. You don't want it to be too much of a expositional dump, either, which would slow down the action. I hope that's helpful. I talk about it a little in my podcast, DAMNED HISTORY, which talks about the history behind the book. I'm going to do more episodes shortly for my upcoming book, THE DEEP, coming out in March.
Thanks for your question!
Thanks for your question!
Alma Katsu
Well, that's a tough question to answer for a couple reasons. One, how traditional publishing houses promote books is pretty different from what self-published authors do. Secondly, it seems to be different for every genre, from what I've seen. Self-publishing seems to work better for romance, for instance, than non-fiction.
I've heard there are quite a number of different routes self-published authors can take in terms of promotion. There are groups on Facebook and elsewhere where authors can give and get advice from peers. There are many PR firms that work specifically with self-published authors, but opinions on whether this is a good investment seem to vary widely. Ask for references and check them thoroughly.
Self-publishing has changed quite a bit since the early days, which were like the wild west (from what I could see. My first books were close to paranormal romance, which was huge for self-publishing, so I got to see what authors in my genre were doing). Right now, making sales is pretty hard, traditional or self-published. It's hard to get traction on social media because platforms are geared to push people to pay for exposure. People don't read newsletters.
It also comes down to what your goals are. One person might be happy with small numbers of likes and shares on social media; a traditional publisher might look for different numbers. Same thing with sales.
One thing I will say is that, as an analyst, I see a lot of dubious claims made by self published authors about numbers of sales, etc. It's hard to check anyone's claims--and not that I do this kind of thing regularly, I don't really care what someone wants to say about themselves--but a little back-of-the-envelope math often shows that the claims don't hold up. So take what you hear from other people with a grain of salt, and don't beat yourself up if your numbers don't compare with the claims of others.
I've heard there are quite a number of different routes self-published authors can take in terms of promotion. There are groups on Facebook and elsewhere where authors can give and get advice from peers. There are many PR firms that work specifically with self-published authors, but opinions on whether this is a good investment seem to vary widely. Ask for references and check them thoroughly.
Self-publishing has changed quite a bit since the early days, which were like the wild west (from what I could see. My first books were close to paranormal romance, which was huge for self-publishing, so I got to see what authors in my genre were doing). Right now, making sales is pretty hard, traditional or self-published. It's hard to get traction on social media because platforms are geared to push people to pay for exposure. People don't read newsletters.
It also comes down to what your goals are. One person might be happy with small numbers of likes and shares on social media; a traditional publisher might look for different numbers. Same thing with sales.
One thing I will say is that, as an analyst, I see a lot of dubious claims made by self published authors about numbers of sales, etc. It's hard to check anyone's claims--and not that I do this kind of thing regularly, I don't really care what someone wants to say about themselves--but a little back-of-the-envelope math often shows that the claims don't hold up. So take what you hear from other people with a grain of salt, and don't beat yourself up if your numbers don't compare with the claims of others.
Alma Katsu
It's very early in the morning as I answer this question, so I'm not at my most imaginative, but I seem to like reading and writing about the Victorian and Edwardian eras, so I'd probably enjoy visiting. However, given that these eras were not particularly friendly to women, I may be in for a rude awakening.
Alma Katsu
I managed to fit in some reading, though not as much as I'd hoped. LADY IN THE LAKE by Laura Lippman was a favorite, for her effortless mastery of storytelling. I also read SOON by Lois Murphy, a great scary story that will resonate with many readers. GROWING THINGS, Paul Tremblay's short story collection, is a must-read for fans of speculative fiction. I'm currently reading Rob Hart's THE WAREHOUSE, as terrifying a dystopian as possible because it's TRUE.
Alma Katsu
Hi! Thank you for making The Hunger your September group read. I hope you all enjoy the book, and I'm happy to answer questions and hear what you all think of the story.
Re: #1, no there was no indication that Reed might've been gay. This characteristic of the fictional Reed came to me as I was doing research and came across the killing of John Snyder, which did happen. The reason given for the spontaneous killing was that they got in an argument when the wagon Snyder was driving (draying?) got stuck on a hill. Was killing Snyder is character for Reed? On one hand, I could see it: Reed was by all accounts an arrogant man, used to having his way. Snyder was a laborer. On the other hand, it seems like an extreme thing for Reed to do, even if he is imperious by nature. So, I started thinking under what circumstances might such a murder happen? The author's job is to make an interesting, compelling story, and in this case, I'm pretty clear up front that this isn't the true story of the Donner Party. But these kind of major changes from the nature of the actual historic person did bother me a bit.
2. All the characters had their challenges. It surprised me how much I enjoyed writing Elitha. I rarely write from a child or teen's POV so it was surprising how readily Elitha's voice came to me. She is so much less manipulative than the other characters, so honest and sincere, that it was a nice change!
If I may give little shout out: I'm going to be doing a podcast that captures historical aspects of The Hunger, and this spring, the next book, The Deep (a retelling of the Titanic and Britannic sinkings, with a horror twist). It'll probably be a few weeks more before I can get the podcasts up, but please keep an eye out for that, if you like history.
Re: #1, no there was no indication that Reed might've been gay. This characteristic of the fictional Reed came to me as I was doing research and came across the killing of John Snyder, which did happen. The reason given for the spontaneous killing was that they got in an argument when the wagon Snyder was driving (draying?) got stuck on a hill. Was killing Snyder is character for Reed? On one hand, I could see it: Reed was by all accounts an arrogant man, used to having his way. Snyder was a laborer. On the other hand, it seems like an extreme thing for Reed to do, even if he is imperious by nature. So, I started thinking under what circumstances might such a murder happen? The author's job is to make an interesting, compelling story, and in this case, I'm pretty clear up front that this isn't the true story of the Donner Party. But these kind of major changes from the nature of the actual historic person did bother me a bit.
2. All the characters had their challenges. It surprised me how much I enjoyed writing Elitha. I rarely write from a child or teen's POV so it was surprising how readily Elitha's voice came to me. She is so much less manipulative than the other characters, so honest and sincere, that it was a nice change!
If I may give little shout out: I'm going to be doing a podcast that captures historical aspects of The Hunger, and this spring, the next book, The Deep (a retelling of the Titanic and Britannic sinkings, with a horror twist). It'll probably be a few weeks more before I can get the podcasts up, but please keep an eye out for that, if you like history.
Alma Katsu
Hi Richard, You're right, what a person fears is apt to change over the course of one's life. Generally, when I'm asked this question I tell people I don't have any fears, not in the conventional sense, because at one point in my life, I had a job in which I had to deal with the worst of humanity--genocides and mass atrocities. This was in the 1990s, so there was no shortage of this kind of collective insanity. Living in the relative peace of the US, you realize that you will never face this kind of threat and it makes your personal fears seem trivial. That's not to say down the road, something might come along that will teach me to be afraid again, but I've found that being unafraid to look the worst in the eye does lends itself to writing horror.
Alma Katsu
A great question! That was one of the sad lessons of the Donner Party: you had families that didn't share with more vulnerable, so a couple families were nearly wiped out, while one managed to have no fatalities. It's hard to say what you'd do if faced with a similar situation: they didn't know how long they'd be trapped in the mountains, and there was definitely no way to get additional food.Can you blame them for hoarding food? Which is the greater good or the higher loyalty: saving your family, or helping your neighbor? You just hope you'll never fin yourself in the same situation.
One thing I learned--not necessarily from writing the book but from my previous life as an analyst for the government, studying mass atrocities and genocides--is the fragility of civil society. It is frightening what people are capable of, sometimes at the slightest provocation. How easily some people can be frightened into acting against their own best interest, let alone the interest of their neighbors.
I believe there are always some people who will not turn on their neighbor, people with good hearts or who understand we stand stronger when we stand together, but it takes a lot of confidence and will-power to do that, particularly when everyone around you is surrendering to fear.
Thanks for the question and so glad you enjoyed The Hunger!
One thing I learned--not necessarily from writing the book but from my previous life as an analyst for the government, studying mass atrocities and genocides--is the fragility of civil society. It is frightening what people are capable of, sometimes at the slightest provocation. How easily some people can be frightened into acting against their own best interest, let alone the interest of their neighbors.
I believe there are always some people who will not turn on their neighbor, people with good hearts or who understand we stand stronger when we stand together, but it takes a lot of confidence and will-power to do that, particularly when everyone around you is surrendering to fear.
Thanks for the question and so glad you enjoyed The Hunger!
Alma Katsu
Great question! Writing is an amazing release, a mental exercise, a personal challenge, and more. But it can seem daunting in the beginning. One approach is to jump right in. You have an idea, even if it's not fully formed. Start writing. Try to write every day. Take some time to think about what you've written, what scene comes next. Make sure you keep reading. Think about what challenges you in your writing and see how other writers handled it (I had to deal with time jumps in The Taker, and so I studied The Time Traveller's Wife, for instance). There are great books on writing; start building your reference shelf. Ursula LeGuin's Steering the Craft is great for the basics: POV, verb tenses, handling exposition. Eventually, join a writing group to get feedback on your work. Critiquing others' work is a great way to grow your editorial eye. Remember, this is a craft--no rush, commit to getting better every day. Good luck!
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