What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Cruel & Bitter Things (Bad Choices Book 1)?
The story behind the story is that I wanted to write a book that put readers into a moral gray area and makes them think about what’s right and what’s wrong. This novel is about a woman who cares for abused children, but in her spare time she kills people who hurt other people, especially children. One of the best comments I’ve had about the novel is this: “It is rare that a book can make characters like these stand out so much as being relatable and likable while doing the unthinkable.” If I can make the reader root for a character who is doing bad things, then I believe I’ve successfully developed the character and given her reasonable motivations for how she behaves. I’m interested in exploring free will and fate, crime and punishment, and forcing the reader to grapple with the tough questions that comes with being a decent person. I want them to question their own beliefs and ask themselves what they would do in similar circumstances.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Cruel & Bitter Things (Bad Choices Book 1), what would they be?
The first song I would choose for my novel would be “Save Me” by Aimee Mann. The lyrics so aptly fit Gwynn, the main character. The song is morose and moving. These lines perfectly describe Gwynn’s feelings. "I'm a lost cause Baby, don't waste your time on me I'm so damaged beyond repair Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams."
The other song would be “There, There,” by the band Radiohead. The repetitive, heavy drums at the beginning set a dark tone for what is to come in Cruel & Bitter Things. And the lyrics are so haunting. "Why so green And lonely, and lonely And lonely Heaven sent you To me, to me To me."
The next song would be “Creep” by Radiohead because it accurately depicts the main characters warped feeling about herself. "But I’m a creep I’m a weirdo What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here?"
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Without a doubt, my favorite genre to read is crime novels, specifically well-written psychological thrillers. I love Gillian Flynn’s novels. And especially Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley series. Both are masters at setting, and understanding their characters’ motivations. Both write beautiful and dark prose. I love reading other genres, and nonfiction, but the crime genre is at the top of my list.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Ripley’s Game by Patricia Highsmith, Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris, Money (which I’ve read several times) by Martin Amis, Rope by Tim Queeney, and 7 Days: A Dee Rommel Mystery.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Without giving away too much, there’s a scene where Gwynn is about to murder a highly successful but sleazy defense lawyer, and she uses his own immoral ethics as a rationale to kill him. What would he do if he knew his client was guilty of murder? Would he stop representing his client? Tell the judge? The attorney promises to represent Gwynn if she lets him go, and if she is ever arrested for murder, and this offer makes Gwynn laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Yes, a lot of them. I try to write exactly thirteen hundred words a day. If I’m able to write more and bank them for later, I do it. Where I arrived at thirteen hundred words a day, I have no idea. Also, if I misspell a word, I have to delete it and write it again. I do this because I believe the corrupted word taints the story. Stupid writing habits, but there they are.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Yes, only one: Elmore Leonard’s 10th commandment. “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That we humans are complicated, complex beings who on a daily basis are forced to wrestle with tough decisions that challenge our assumptions about what’s right and what’s wrong. We rationalize these decisions and try to accommodate them into our sense of self. We make mistakes, we sin, we have doubts, we succumb to temptation that fills us with tremendous guilt. We tell ourselves that we’d kill to protect the ones we love. And all that is okay because we’re human. But how do we make things right with ourself and, if we believe in a higher power, our maker?
