Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "psychological-thriller"

It's a thrill to have here Alexandra Sokoloff as my guest today, not only because her books are awesome, but because she happens to be one of my favorite writers. Needless to say, I've read all of her books.

Alexandra is the Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker, Anthony, and Black Quill award-nominated author of multiple supernatural thrillers, and the Top Ten Amazon bestselling Huntress/FBI thriller series (Huntress Moon, Blood  Moon), which has also been nominated for a Thriller Award for Best E Book Original Novel.

The New York Times Book Review has called her a "daughter of Mary Shelley," and her books "some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre."

As a screenwriter, Alexandra she has sold original horror and thriller scripts and adapted novels for numerous Hollywood studios. She has also written two non-fiction writing workbooks: SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (highly recommended, by the way!) and WRITING LOVE, based on her internationally acclaimed workshops and blog, and has served on the Board of Directors of the WGA, west and the Board of the Mystery Writers of America.  

Find the author: her website, blog, on Facebook , Twitter andPinterest.

Q: Hi there, Alexandra. Tell us why readers should buy BLOOD MOON.

A: If you’re at all interested in unusual psychological crime thrillers, this one will probably grab you. The main character is an FBI agent who is on the trail of what looks like a female serial killer, which Agent Roarke knows very well doesn’t occur in real life.  So there’s a real psychological mystery about who this female killer is and why she does what she does. Readers find their expectations challenged and their sympathies conflicted, just as Roarke does.

Q: What makes a good thriller?

A: I think different people are looking for different things in thrillers. There’s such a wide variety of experiences and sensations available from different books in the genre. Personally I am bored senseless by car chases and gun battles and international intrigue. What I love in a thriller is nail-biting suspense and psychological game playing and sexual tension and mystery and moral dilemmas and twists. So that’s the kind of thing I write, of course!

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I start by seven or eight a.m. and write for seven or eight hours a day, much more if I’m on an intense deadline. Some of those hours are business, of course. But I’m a full-time writer, I treat it like a job because it IS my job.  One thing that is not like a regular job is that I change clothes a lot during the day.  Some days I am quite dressed up. I need to entertain myself some way other than eating!

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: Without question, having readers read my books and experience the world and the characters just as if they’re caught up in a film. And then being able to dialogue with them about the story and characters and their experience of the story. It’s such an intimate relationship. Incomparable.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: For aspiring authors, “Find a small room in a big city and sit down at your desk in front of the window. When you stand up ten years later, you will be a writer.” That’s from Saroyan.

And for authors in general, “E-publish.”  It’s more complicated than that, of course, but you asked for the best advice!

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Book II of the Huntress/FBI Thrillers

Twenty-five years have passed since a savage killer terrorized California, massacring three ordinary families before disappearing without a trace.

The haunted child who was the only surviving victim of his rampage is now wanted by the FBI for brutal crimes of her own, and Special Agent Matthew Roarke is on an interstate manhunt for her, despite his conflicted sympathies for her history and motives.

But when his search for her unearths evidence of new family slayings, the dangerous woman Roarke seeks – and wants – may be his only hope of preventing another bloodbath.

Purchase BLOOD MOON

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon DE

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I'll be going on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in October to promote my supernatural/psychological thriller, DARK LULLABY... Just in time for Halloween. Sign up if you're interested in reviewing my book.

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/09...

Amy Rivers writes novels, short stories and personal essays. She is the Director of Northern Colorado Writers. Her novel All The Broken People was recently selected as the Colorado Author Project winner in the adult fiction category. She's been published in We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor, Flash! A Celebration of Short Fiction, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses, and Splice Today, as well as Novelty Bride Magazine and ESME.com. She was raised in New Mexico and now lives in Colorado with her husband and children. She holds degrees in psychology and political science, two topics she loves to write about. 

Connect with Amy on the Web:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/amyrivers.writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WritingRivers

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/amy.rivers38/

INTERVIEW:

What got you into writing?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, but my professional journey took me in a number of different directions first. After twenty years in management and marketing, I became the director of a sexual assault services program. I developed a passion for violence prevention and I got to see first-hand how victims and perpetrators behave and how the criminal justice system functions in such cases. When I moved to Colorado, I started writing in earnest. First, I wrote an essay about one of the forensic nurses I worked with. Then I wrote my first novel—the story of a woman hiding behind her career to avoid getting hurt. I’ve been truly blessed with the opportunity to write full-time for the past six years. 

What do you like best about being an author?

I love working on my characters. As a reader, I want characters who are complex and fully developed, so it’s probably no surprise that that’s where my focus lies in writing. Human behavior is fascinating, and I love thinking about all the reasons a person might react a certain way or do a particular thing. Sometimes we focus too much on the big influences or events. I like to consider all the little things that might impact the way a person thinks about things. The way they see the world. 

When do you hate it?

Not sure I hate anything about being an author. I’m not terribly patient, and there’s a lot of waiting so that can drive me a little crazy at times. 

What is a regular writing day like for you? 

I’m definitely a morning person when it comes to writing and I don’t write everyday. I try to take at least the first hour or two of my day for actual writing, and save administrative things for the afternoon when my coffee has worn off. Being an author isn’t all about writing. There are a lot of business and promotional tasks that have to be done regularly or they pile up on you and become a distraction from writing. So, on a writing day, I start by booting up the computer, taking care of any urgent emails, and then diving into writing. When my mind starts to wander, I make some coffee and push through until lunch. Of course, if I’m in the middle of something or I’m on a roll, all bets are off. I just write until I can’t write anymore. 

Do you think authors have big egos? 

Some do. I think being an author requires a certain amount of ego because you have to balance that against all the rejection and negative criticism you invariably get. As an author, you’re sort of stuck in this perpetual tug-of-war between euphoria and abject terror. For instance, when I hold my book for the first time, I go from excitement and pride to the overwhelming sense that the minute I let that book out of my hands it’ll all come tumbling down. A little bit of ego helps you sit back down and write some more regardless. 

How do you handle negative reviews? 

Some authors say never to read your reviews, but I admit, I do. Sometimes reviews are really just a person’s emotional reaction to the book but as I read them, I can look for patterns and use what I learn to improve my craft. That doesn’t mean I believe all the negative reviews and I understand that you can’t please everyone, but I also know that by the time a book goes to print, I’ve read it so many times I start to lose perspective. Reviews, even negative reviews, can help me get that perspective back. 

How do you handle positive reviews?

I say a little “thank you” to the Universe, smile, sometimes do a happy dance, and then move on. I’m always elated when a reader connects with my story and characters. I am so grateful when a reader takes the time to leave a review. 

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

They say “have I heard of anything you’ve written,” and I try not to chuckle because there are so many authors and books and I’m constantly being introduced to authors I’ve never heard of—even in my own genre. What’s really startling is when they HAVE heard of my books and they recognize my name or a title. Then I feel like I might just be doing something right. 

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I never force it. When I try, what I write is usually total crap so it doesn’t really do me any good. That being said, I never lack for things to do. I run a writing organization and right now I’m homeschooling my two kids so spare time isn’t something I usually get. If I don’t feel like writing, my to-do list will happily keep me busy the rest of the day. 

Any writing quirks?

I like to have movies playing while I write. That’s my background noise. I love music, but it feeds my emotions and sometimes that can be distracting, so I have a handful of movies I watch over and over again. Right now, I’m “watching” The Client for the gazillionth time. 

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

I’m sure some people do, but the people in my life who matter most have always supported and encouraged me. I try to pay that back because I know not everyone is so lucky. What frustrates me is that it takes so much time and energy and creativity to write. It’s hard work. If a person wants to be a writer, they are committing to doing the work, facing the rejection, and juggling all the other aspects of their lives. The least we can do is encourage them. 

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?  

I can understand, but my own relationship with writing is somewhat different. I came to this profession after years of owning my own businesses and running organizations so I’ve always approached my writing as a job. It’s a job that I love, but it still has all the highs and lows of any other task you do day after day. I definitely have some dancing-around-my-office scale moments of joy. And there are days when I’m feeling low and looking for a day job seems like the thing to do. But mostly I approach my writing as a project or series of projects. I break it down into tasks. I celebrate my victories. Learn from my mistakes. Mostly, I try to stay even and balanced so that I don’t go insane. 

What’s on the horizon for you?  

More writing! Complicit is book one in a series. Originally, I envisioned a trilogy, but as I continue, my protagonist Kate has a lot more to say. I also write short stories and essays as I go, so there are a lot of moving parts in my writing life. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to share them with you. 

Leave us with some words of wisdom about the writing process or about being a writer. 

Just write! There’s really only one thing that can keep you from being a writer. If you sit down and do the work, if you make room for improvement and growth, then the sky’s the limit. Whether you’re putting aside hours in your private office or stealing a few minutes to write in a notepad on your kitchen counter, just write. As much as you can, as often as you can. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A tangled web of deception and duplicity where predators are shielded by respectability and no one is safe

 

Kate Medina had been working as a forensic psychologist and loving every minute until a violent attack left her shaken to the core. Retreating to her hometown where it's safe, she accepts a job where the prospect of violence is slim to none. As a high school psychologist, Kate tends to the emotional needs of the students. It's not the career she envisioned for herself.

 

Five years later, a student disappears, leaving the school in crisis and Kate at the helm of another traumatic event. Roman Aguilar, the lead detective, reaches out to Kate for assistance. Kate's position at the school and her training make her an ideal ally, but her complicated relationship with Roman puts them at odds. 

 

When the girl's body is found, changing the focus of the investigation to homicide, Kate finds herself in the middle of a situation she never anticipated. What started as her desire to help puts Kate directly in the crosshairs of an enemy who remains largely in shadows. As her past and present collide, Kate is dragged into the middle of a dangerous game where only one thing is clear-no one can be trusted.

Find out more HERE.