Mary Kubica
You have chosen to write in the thriller/suspense genre and you have had great success with your novels. How do you feel your books stand out from the rest in this genre?
There are so many talented suspense authors publishing books these days that I can’t say mine stand out from the rest, though I’m thrilled to be writing at this exciting time when suspense is all the rage and readers are eagerly devouring books in the genre. That said, I like to add relatable characters to my books and to keep the plotline completely plausible, answering the question: what happens when ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary situations? I want my readers to be able to put themselves in these same situations and ask themselves what they would do.
You have now released four novels, The Good Girl, Pretty Baby, Don’t You Cry and Every Last Lie (I have had the pleasure of reading two so far); From book one to book four what have you learned about yourself as an author? Has your creative and/or your writing process changed?
My writing hasn’t changed per se, but hopefully I have improved as an author with each novel. Having the opportunity to work with an editor has, by far, had the greatest impact on my work. Before teaming up with the phenomenal Erika Imranyi, I didn’t share my work with anyone. It’s been a completely invaluable experience to work with someone who can point out my strengths and weaknesses as an author, allowing me the opportunity to apply this knowledge to my manuscripts as I write.
If there was one author you could co-write a novel with (they can be alive or dead) who would you choose and why?
Heather Gudenkauf! She’s one of my favorite authors in the genre, and a wonderful person to boot. I’ve had the pleasure of traveling with Heather quite a bit, and I believe we would work well together. We seem to be of like mind, especially where our writing is concerned.
Which one of your books are you most proud of and why? (I realize this is like choosing your favourite child)
Such a hard question! I am proud of all of my novels for different reasons (just as I love both of my children equally!), but if I had to choose, I’d pick THE GOOD GIRL. It was my first novel, one I wrote over the course of five years when my babies were napping, and it launched my career. Without THE GOOD GIRL paving the way, chances are good the following three novels would never have been written.
What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why?
I don’t know because I’ve only tried my hand at suspense! But I have an itch to write a historical fiction novel one day – with a suspenseful twist – but the vast amount of research needed to do it intimidates me. Therefore, I’m going to guess historical fiction for this questions, because of the research that needs to be done, and the painstaking attention to detail these authors must put into their work. I get to make most of my stories up!
In the two novels I have read by you, The Good Girl and Every Last Lie, you choose to tell the story in a format that of Before the incident and After. What is it about this format that appeals to you?
It adds a second layer of mystery to the novels when these stories are coming at the reader not linearly, but in multiple dimensions. Bits of information are revealed to the reader in the Before and After chapters, and it’s up to the reader to piece them together as best they can. (if you’re a reader who prefers stories told linearly, check out DON’T YOU CRY)
You also choose to have the point of view of both male and female points of view, do you find it hard to switch between these characters? Do you find it more difficult to write from the male point of view?
Not at all. There seems to be a getting-to-know-you period with all of my characters, regardless of whether they’re male or female. But once I get to know them, something extraordinary happens and I feel I know instinctively what a character would do or say in a situation. By the end of a book, I feel I know my characters quite thoroughly.
Your novels all seem to feature strong mental based themes. In The Good Girl you have Stockholm syndrome and in Every Last Lie you have paranoia and some darker parts of the human mental state. What appeals to you of having your characters “suffer” from these afflictions? Is it to make your characters feel more real to your readers?
I don’t attempt to make my characters suffer. I find them to be very human, and as humans, I believe we all suffer from some sort of inner demons – whether or not to the same extent as seen in my books. I make every attempt to make my characters relatable and real.
Do you have any information on upcoming works or events that you are able to share?
My
next novel, 11 DAYS, will release in 2018. Very soon I’ll have some
more information to share on this! As for upcoming events, those can be
found on my website at www.MaryKubica.com. What is one book (other than one of your own) that you think everyone should read
Tim O’Brien’s THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. My favorite!
I Want to thank Mary once again for taking the time to answer the questions for her interview. I know I have a few more books of hers to read yet but I am also looking forward to her new release next year. Mary has very nicely supplied a giveaway to go along with her interview, so please enter via the rafflecopter link below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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