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THE THIRD VICTIM
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What did you enjoy most about writing THE THIRD VICTIM? |
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I really enjoyed creating Rainie's character. She is such a wiseass, saying all the things you think in the back of your mind, but don't have the guts to say out loud. Rainie has the guts. I like that! |
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Did you have any particular inspiration for her? |
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No. I had done one mousy heroine and one cultured heroine, so it was fun to try something different. Rainie just became Rainie. |
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Is it difficult writing about such gripping subject matter, i.e., school shootings? |
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Writing THE THIRD VICTIM was tough. I started the novel before the Columbine school shooting, when the incidents were absolutely sad and shocking, but not yet at that intense level of national focus. Then, one hundred pages into the novel, Columbine happened.
I had to take a month off. In many ways, Columbine was harder for me as a writer than 9/11, because this time I was covering the topic. In fact, I was writing specifically about these shootings so I felt compelled to study and examine and analyze what happened over and over again. And that left me feeling a lot of anger and helplessness that took a while to overcome. Knowledge is power, but sometimes it still makes you weep.
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Why a small town in Oregon? |
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I grew up in Oregon, and love the area, so naturally I wanted to use it for murder. Also, when I was thinking about using a small, neighborly community, my first thought was Tillamook, Oregon where my grandparents live. Tillamook is a small coastal community and one of the most beautiful places on earth. They also make the best cheese in the world. So, that town became the model for Bakersville.
If you ever get a chance to visit Oregon, go to the Tillamook cheese factory and eat lots of cheese and fudge. Trust me, it's heaven.
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Do readers ever notice that Quincy magically has children now? |
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Yeah. I actually thought I'd get more mail than I have. For the record, in THE PERFECT HUSBAND, Quincy never says he doesn't have children, he just says he knows nothing about them. But yes, you got me. When I introduced Quincy in THE PERFECT HUSBAND, I wasn't planning on turning him into a series character; I just needed an FBI profiler. Then I received so much mail on Quincy, I decided to do more. Hence, THE THIRD VICTIM, and Quincy's sudden family. All's well that ends well, right? |
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So Quincy was the inspiration for THE THIRD VICTIM, but you ended up loving Rainie? |
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Pretty much. Books don't come with road maps. That's what makes them fun. |
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