K is for Killer's Instinct

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge (if you want), to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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The amazing Judith Graves and I just finished the first draft of Killer's Instinct, a thrilling Young Adult paranormal to be published by Leap Books sometime in late 2013.

I'm really excited about this book, not only because I was able to co-write it with the very talented Judith Graves, but also because it's just a creeptastic story. Here's the blurb:

Where there is NO life – there’s Hope…

Hope has always been a bit of a freak. But when her mother crawls from her grave and her undead corpse goes MIA, Hope’s last thread of normal snaps with a vengeance.

Enrolling in a militia-style school for monster slayers seems the only course of action. And the best bet at tracking her mother down.

Killer's Instinct is co-written with Judith by the "other me" - who is also doing the A to Z  Blogging Challenge. Why not come hang out for awhile? I'm talking about movies...

Hey writers! For the month of April, Leap Books is taking unagented submissions for their new e-novella line, SHINE. Learn more here!

- Dawn

J is for Jack the Ripper

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge (if you wanted), to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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I've always been fascinated by historical bad guys - particularly unsolved mysteries, or notorious serial killers, like Jack the Ripper.

There must be hundreds of fictional adaptations of the Ripper story, from books, to movies, and most recently, an entire TV series. I haven't checked out Ripper Street, but I have read dozens of books about Jack the Ripper, and at one point, co-wrote a script for a potential TV show featuring Jack. 

Even though the script wasn't picked up, I suspect my fascination with the Ripper is far from done, and even now, the idea for a book lingers at the top of my To Be Written idea pile. But since books about Ripper started almost immediately after the murders happened, I'm still working out what my unique angle will be. Goodness knows there are a number of theories to choose from.

Do you have a historical bad guy (or good) that you're itching to write about?

- Dawn

I is for Isles

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge (if you wanted), to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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There are a few thriller writers I will literally run to the bookstore for. Steve Berry, Lee Child, Sandra Brown, and this guy - Greg Isles. 

Not every Greg Isles book is a hit with me, but his earlier work, for sure, is brilliant. A perfect fusion of creepy and crafty. His skill is mesmerizing, and his plots keep me turning the page well into the night. A seriously skilled author. If you've never read an Isles book, start with something like Sleep No More. One of my faves.

Over the years, I've read a number of articles about Greg Isles and his writing process. One of the quotes I've never forgotten goes something like this: If you write your book in spurts and starts, how can you expect your reader to read it in one sitting? 

I understand what he's saying. Often, I start off strong writing a book, and then taper off for a bit - start something new, get bogged down in the day job, go back and edit the first few chapters, etc. For me, there's always a danger in losing momentum that way, forgetting the story, or even dimming some of the spark that compelled me to start writing the book in the first place.

To combat this, Greg Isles spends a few months researching and plotting his book. When he has the outline finished, he packs up and takes off to a remote cabin where he has no phone, no Internet, nothing but his laptop and his notes. He stocks his fridge with food, and then starts writing. Thirty days. Non stop. He bangs out a first draft.

I love this concept. Impossible for me to take off for a month - though I've been toying with the idea for some time. That said, I'm trying to practice a bit of the Greg Isles process. Instead of going back to edit what I've written, I'm going to power through the first draft of this new project. No stopping. Just writing every night - at least 1500 words. Even if they're super rough.

Because, as the old cliche goes: Editing rough work is easy. Editing a blank page is impossible.

What's your process? Are you more an Greg Isles kind of writer or does slow and steady win the race? When you read a book, can you tell when an author has plodded through the story? Inquiring minds want to know!

- Dawn

H is for Hannibal

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge (if you wanted), to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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One of my mentors and dear friends, Gary Braver, once told me that Silence of the Lambs was considered a perfect thriller - in structure, in creep factor, in writing style. I'd have to agree, and even suggest that Hannibal Lecter is perhaps the one of the greatest villains of all time. 

Of course, Thomas Harris' creeptastic Hannibal character is a staple in pop culture, portrayed most famously by the great Sir Anthony Hopkins. A tough act to follow.

Which is why I wondered how the new TV series, Hannibal, would fare given the iconic role would be played by Mads Mikkelsen, most known for his bad guy character in Casino Royale. Don't get me wrong - he's creepy in his own right. But can he be as compelling a Hannibal as Hopkins?

Yeah, I think he can. Though I've only seen the pilot episode for Hannibal, I'm already hooked. Mikkelsen's accent is thick, but his mannerisms, his creep factor, and his dialogue is very Hannibal worthy indeed. 

The series is a TV adaptation of Red Dragon, another near perfect thriller novel by Harris. The pilot was beautifully shot, and while I admit, not everything made sense, I've got the gist of it - and the gist is brilliant. Like Fox with The Following, NBC is taking some risks with Hannibal and bringing a bit more thriller to prime time TV.

I, for one, am pretty excited about that.

Watching Hannibal? What do you think of Mads Mikkelsen?

- Dawn

G is for Gore

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge, to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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The line between horror and thriller is somewhat skewed in my opinion.

While I recognize there does not need to be guts and gore in thriller books, I don't mind a little bloodshed in my literature. I just prefer it isn't gratuitous. Few books straddle this precarious line well.

Afraid, by Jack Kilborn does. Five psychopathic murderers trained to be part of a classified government-sanctioned special unit. Five Hannibal Lecters with Rambo training. Oh, there's bloodshed. Plenty of gore.

But it's so well done, it doesn't feel over the top. It's REALLY well done.

I love a good horror tale and day of the week, but the ones that stick with me have a little brains behind the brawn. I prefer Saw to Hostel, for instance.

How about you? Where do you sit on the gore scale? Like your books with a little more blood, or do you prefer to be Afraid? 

- Dawn

P.S. It's muse avatar Monday and I choose Adam Garcia for my "G" muse. You may recognize him from Coyote Ugly. Yeah, me too. And that's about it. My latest thriller has a character with an accent - I loved Adam's in Coyote Ugly. Seems as good a reason as any to make him my muse this week.

RESOLUTION 2013 STATS

Total words last week: 0 (OUCH! Gonna have to haul ass this week...) 
Total words to date for 2013: 68,239

Total pounds lost for week: 0 (8 days sick and I haven't been working out or eating much...gonna have to haul ass this week...)
Total pounds lost to date for 2013: 26

Books read last week: 1 (yay! Scarlet by Melissa Meyer. SO GOOD!)
Total books read to date for 2013: 7

Movies watched last week: 0
Movies watched to date in 2013: 4

F is for The Following

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge, to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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I'm addicted to a *few* high stakes, high drama shows on TV right now - Walking Dead, Hannibal, Game of Thrones, Homeland, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and probably my favourite series right now, The Following. 

Never mind the kick ass cast (hello Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy, I love you), but I'm really enjoying the fact that FOX is taking a bit of a risk and upping the thriller component on a regular cable show. It takes a lot for me to get creeped out, but the uber charming, kind of sexy and brilliant serial killer (and cult leader) Joe Caroll (played by Purefoy) repeatedly gives me the heebie jeebies.

The show has been compared to 24 - and if you've followed my blog long enough, you'll know I'm not only a MASSIVE 24 fan (I own all seven seasons), but also think Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer was unbeatable (and hot!) 24 had *sniff* cliffhanger episode endings, random and shocking deaths, and some fabulous plot twists. While The Following lacks a bit of the same action, Kevin Bacon is an impressive tortured hero, the storyline is compelling, and most of the characters are engaging.

It was while watching the first season of 24 (years after everyone else was on the bandwagon) that I made my first difficult decision for my thriller ABSOLUTION - I killed off a character I loved and knew the reader would be shocked to see die. It turned out to be the best decision possible.

There is much to be learned about writing books from watching TV. If you're writing thriller, you might want to take a look at The Following.

Are you watching The Following? Discuss!

- Dawn

E is for Espionage

Last year was my first crack at the A-Z Blogging Challenge, a blogging phenomenon created by the amazing Arlee Bird. The object is to blog every day of the month of April (except Sundays), and to increase the challenge, to blog thematically from A to Z. No sweat, right? Last year, I blogged about music with Jessica Bell. This year, I'm heading back to my roots and blogging about all things thriller. Join me?

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Did you know that The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum is credited for being the first thriller written in the style we know today? 

I loved that book - and pretty much every book in the Bourne series, not to mention Matt Damon in the movies. Action, romance, espionage. How can you go wrong? 

By simple definition, spy fiction is a genre that focusses on spy-like activities, and general tales of espionage. Of course, the genre has been around a lot longer than The Bourne Identity - it's actually one of the most popular sub genres of thriller, with the Bond character making almost everyone's "top spy" lists. 

There's something interesting about espionage. People like to know secrets - especially those unable to keep them.

I confess, when I was younger, I wanted to be a spy. Didn't you? I used to be relatively good at keeping secrets. I'm fascinated by people who work at organizations like the CIA - in real life and in fiction. I love reading real stories about espionage. But for some reason this is not a genre I've attempted...yet.

That said, I'm addicted to the TV show Homeland, and I see at least a short story about espionage in my very near future.

So - got a favorite Bond? I love Sean Connery. Yes, even over Daniel Craig.

- Dawn