What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Nest of Thieves?
My latest novel, NEST OF THIEVES, is a bucket list item. I’ve always loved crime and thrillers and romance. Mashing them up into one novel has been a dream of mine for a long time—and I’m really happy with the result. It isn’t often that I start a book with an idea of how I want it to come out, and then actually hit that target. I feel like I’ve done that with NEST OF THIEVES.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Nest of Thieves, what would they be?
Conor Monroe’s song is “Dog Eat Dog” by ACDC.
Joe Cracker Jones’ song is “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
It’s hard for me to say what my favorite genre to read is. It depends, kind of like music. I listen to every kind of music, depending on how I’m feeling. The same goes for my reading habits. But I do have a few things that are non-negotiable. It has to be fiction. The stakes need to be high. The characters need to drive the narrative. And the plot has to continuously surprise me. These elements would seem to point toward thrillers, but I’ve read novels in every genre with these elements. In terms of my favorite genre to write, I don’t write to genre, I just want to write stories with relatable characters facing a world that’s been tipped upside down. If there are elements of different genres in my novels, that makes sense to me because our world is made up of those elements. Romance, thrills, adventure, horror—these are all things that are defined as genres, but aren’t they really just different parts of everyday life? In the end I think my novels have traits associated with thrillers, romance, and adventure genres, so I guess you could say those are my genres.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I just picked up two books from the library today! The Haters by Robyn Harding is about a woman who just published her first novel. Of course, she’s excited beyond belief. But then an online troll targets her. And things start to go off the rails from there. I’m looking forward to diving into it. The other book is Quarry’s Return by Max Allan Collins. Seems like it’s an old-school pulp noir novel about a hitman who goes on a search-and-destroy mission when his daughter is kidnapped. It should be entertaining. It usually takes me one or two chapters before I know if I’ll finish a novel, so fingers crossed on these two.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The fight between Conor and Cracker, hands down. It was the culmination of so many events in the story that it felt like it wrote itself. And so much was at stake for Conor emotionally and physically that the process of writing the fight scene was a cathartic experience. I was exhausted when I finished, but in a good way.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Nothing I’d term quirky. I do things I’ve learned over the years. I usually read through and edit what I wrote the day before to get back in the rhythm of the story and into the characters’ heads. I also usually end a day of writing by stopping in the middle of a scene. This allows me to jump right in and write, rather than spending any time mulling things over. Once I start writing, I can often just run with the story rather than spending precious time thinking what needs to happen next.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I’m the kind of person who thinks that no matter what you’re doing, do the best job you can. That way of thinking helps no matter what you do.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Hmmm. I guess they should finish with the understanding that bad things will always happen. You may even feel like you have a target on your back. And that’s when you need to, as they say, be calm and carry on. It’s the only thing anyone can ever do.
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