Author Interview & Giveaway: Sara Blaedel

WELCOME, to another year of my Blogoversary event. I can't believe that it was almost 5 years ago that I decided to have a place to for my reviews. I know I may be a small Book Blog out there but I truly love writing new reviews and discovering new authors every year. I hope you enjoy the author interviews and giveaways and with that let the event begin :)

To kick off my Blogoversary event, I like to choose an author that I have not heard of before and really impressed me with their novel. This year that author is Sara Blaedel, who is probably more well known in Europe as she resides in Denmark, but Blaedel's writing style and plot of her novel The Forgotten Girls was engaging, interesting and dark with a side of grey (and this comes from a book that is the 7th in the series). I look forward to more of Blaedel's novels being translated into English. Please Welcome to Blood Rose Books Today:

Sara Blaedel

If there was one author you could co-write a novel with (they can be alive or dead) who would you choose and why?

Definitely Enid Blyton - it could have been be so much fun to write a children's detective story with her.

You began your writing career first by starting a publishing company (Sara B) and this eventually lead you to journalism where you covered a variety of topics, have you used some of the stories you covered in journalism as inspiration for your novels?

I have certainly been inspired by many of the amazing people I met during my time as a journalist. And I often get inspired by reading the paper, but I have never used stories where people were able to recognize themselves. It is a matter of trust, I think.
 

You have been known for your writing ability and your Louise Rick series in Denmark and Europe well before making the transition to English which means USA, Canada and the UK. Can you explain what your experience was like and the process you went through to transition your novels into English and this market? Did you find your experience with your company Sara B helped you?

Most things are done the differently in the US when it comes to publishing - so I have not been able to use my experiences from the time I was a publisher myself, and it is so many years ago as well - much has changed in the publishing industry. But of course I have some experience – 15 plus years in the business (both as a publisher and as a writer) teaches you a thing or two.

What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why?

A romantic love story with a happy ending J. I would constantly sit and want to put a murder in the story. And I'm not that romantic - I would find it hard to resist being ironic and joking.

What do you think are the essentials to make a great crime mystery novel? How do you think your Louise Rick series differs from the many other mystery novels out there?

I am quite sure that the writer must have something to say to write a captivating crime novel, something at heart, and the characters have to be credible. Not necessarily likeable, but the characters have to awaken some feelings of the reader, the reader has to feel that something is at stake. If the characters do not create any emotions everything is lost. It is very difficult for me to point out where my novels are different from others. Just as it would be impossible for me to analyze my own work. So I think we have to ask the readers.

 

There are some dark aspects within your novel The Forgotten Girls, what appeals to you about the dark and disturbing aspects of human nature?

I think that all people can be driven apart when darkness takes over. In my books I always try to show the perpetrator's human side. And perpetrators in my novels are not pure evil, there is always some sort of explanation that hopefully makes the reader consider - even to life's hard questions.

Do you have any information on upcoming works or events that you are able to share?

Mid October I will go to Canada in order to promote The Forgotten Girls, and next year ‘The Death Trail’ will be published by Grand Central Publishing in the US. While all this is happening I am preparing a new story and it is all very hush hush. :)

What is one book that you think everyone should read?

It is a question with no simple answer. But since the desire for reading in one's adult life often are linked to how we were presented to fiction and storytelling as children, then it must be children's books: I think that all adults (who are able) should read books together with their children. In addition to getting us to grow as human beings, it is in all ways also an investment in the future. The World needs reader.

I want to thank Sara once again fro being part of my Blogoversary, I really reccomend her novel The Forgotten Girls and I hope more English translations (Glad to hear about The Death Trail" for next year) are on their way. Sara has very kindly supplied a Giveaway (US) for a copy of The Forgotten Girls to go along with her interview, so make sure to fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And stay tuned for the month of September as there are more Interviews and Giveaways coming.