Please welcome Mary Burton to the LR&M Blog! After reading THE SEVENTH VICTIM, I was glad to get a chance to talk with her and learn more about what she writes - and how she writes it.
I hear you have a new
novel coming out in February, can you tell me about it?
THE SEVENTH VICTIM is set in Austin, Texas and tells the
tale of photographer Lara Church who is the lone survivor of a serial killer called
the Seattle Strangler. She’s been moving
around the country for seven years using her 150-year-old bellows camera to
take images. But as the book opens,
she’s decided to stop running from her tragic past and to rebuild her
life. What she doesn’t realize is that
the killer never forgot her and is now preparing to finish the job he started
all those years ago. When he strikes
again in Austin, Texas Ranger James Beck takes the case and soon uncovers clues
tying his victim to those in Seattle.
What inspired you to
write THE SEVENTH VICTIM?
Books almost always start with character for me. I began to wonder what would happen to a
woman who escaped a serial killer. How
would the tragedy change her life? Would
she live her life differently? Just asking
those questions really got my mind rolling and the book fell into place.
Any plans to
celebrate the release?
No special plans. I’m
already hard at work on a new romantic suspense and will no doubt spend the day
writing. I do have several signings planned
and it’s always great fun to meet readers and talk to them about the book.
Your novel touches on
some sensitive subjects, rape, domestic abuse…How do you deal with this
emotionally as your characters come alive?
When I write the rough draft of a book, I often soft-pedal
the harder emotions. It's not until the
second or third draft that I really dig into the emotions. It’s not always easy, but I learned long ago that if I’m not on the edge of my seat as a writer then my
reader won’t be on the edge while reading the story.
Both Lara and Danni
are victims, and made an impact in my mind from the novel, are they mirrored
after anyone in real life?
None of my characters are ever mirrored after real
people. They are an amalgam of bits from
the news, documentaries, non-fiction books I’ve read and a ton of other
places.
Any chance we will
get to see more of Danni in future novels?
Danni was one of my favorite characters in the book as
well. You will definitely see her again
in a romantic suspense set to come out in 2014 and maybe in other
projects.
You have released
books across different genres. What is
next from you? More romantic suspense?
I’ve several romantic suspense novels ready for release with
Kensington. In November you’ll see NO
ESCAPE which features Dr. Jolene Granger and Texas Ranger Brody Winchester, and
in 2014 a yet to be titled romantic suspense featuring vineyard owner Greer
Templeton and Texas Ranger Tec Bragg.
And I’m currently working on another romantic suspense set in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Also new for me under the name Mary Ellen Taylor I have a
women’s fiction novel, THE UNION STREET
BAKERY that goes on sale February 5th from Berkley Books.
What genre is your
favorite to write? LOL. That’s like asking which of my children is my
favorite. Romantic suspense will always
have a big piece of my heart. I love
writing it. But I also really enjoyed
writing the historicals and the short contemporary novels. And the women’s fiction was also great fun to
write. They all present different
challenges.
How do you take
yourself from one time period to another when you begin a historical novel? Does
it become harder or easier to picture yourself in the setting?
I’m a huge history buff and spend spare time visiting
historical sites. It took some
adjustment when I first started writing historicals and I had to consider
travel times, lack of electricity and the manner of dress. But the historicals in many respects are no
different than romantic suspense. It’s
all about character and people really haven’t changed that much over time.
Do you have a novel you
have written that stands out as “the best of the best” in your mind?
THE SEVENTH VICTIM is really one of my favorites. If you’ve not read me, THE SEVENTH VICTIM is a great book to start with because it’s the
first of three novels I've set in Texas and it has lot of twists and turns that
will keep you guessing to the end.
As an author, you
must be a reader! What books do you
enjoy the most? Are you an audio, e-book
or are you a traditionalist who loved paper novels?
I’ve enjoyed all three but
lately I’ve been listening to audio books.
I’m a real multi-tasker and I love to listen to a book while I’m at the
gym or on a long walk.
Do you have an all
time favorite novel? Character?
This is too hard to answer.
There just have been too many great books. Lately, I tend to enjoy fantasy, science
fiction and of course nothing is better than a great romance.
Lastly, where do you
write? Read?
My office is the ‘living room’ of my house. I started writing when my children were
babies and this was the most central room in the house. I could see and hear everything. It was a little chaotic but it worked. And lately, I listen to books while I’m on
the go. I download audio books right to
my phone and listen as I go.
EXCERPT FROM MARY BURTON’S THE SEVENTH VICTIM
He
pushed his cup away from him. “I’m not
sure how much more Texas coffee I can stomach.”
“I made
this latest batch. It will be good.”
“Good
coffee in Texas? I don’t think so.”
She
cocked a brow. “Be right back.”
Before
he could answer, Danni vanished behind the counter. She grabbed a new cup and carefully poured
coffee into a mug. She moved toward him
with quick, purposeful steps and then set the mug in front of him. “That’s good coffee.”
“Really?”
“I
can’t write legibly, and I can’t cook a lick, but I can make coffee.”
He took
a sip and found he was pleasantly surprised.
“Good.”
“Puhleez. It’s the best.”
“I’m
from Seattle. We are ground zero for
coffee.”
“As
long as I’m on duty the coffee will be good.”
She took the half-full cup and set it on her tray. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks,
Danni.” As she turned he said, “Hey,
didn’t that girl that was killed work here?”
Danni’s
eyes grew suspicious. “Yeah. You a reporter?”
Raines
shook his head. “God, no.”
“Cop.”
“Do I
look like a cop?”
Danni
arched a brow. “Yeah.”
“Nice
to see I haven’t lost that.” At her
confusion he added, “I used to be a cop.
Long time ago. I guess the case
caught my eye. Hard not to ask
questions. Sorry.”
His
honesty appeared to disarm her. “No
harm. And for the record, I didn’t like
what they said about her in the news today.”
“Straightforward
enough.”
“I
guess I just didn’t like the way they boiled her life down to bare facts. She was so much more than that.” Anger hardened her face, but there was no
hint of tears. “Her uncle is flying in
tomorrow to claim her.”
“I feel
for them. I wouldn’t wish losing a child
on my worst enemy.”
“Yeah,
well.”
“What
can you tell me about her, so I’ll remember more than the basic newscast?”
Danni’s
voice grew softer. “She was kind of
corny. Liked pink and singing Lady Gaga
in the kitchen. She was moving to New
York. I was kinda jealous of her.”
“You’ve got nothing to be jealous
of, Danni. You strike me as a sharp
kid.”
She snorted a laugh.
“Was there anybody who might have
wanted to hurt her?”
“Mack and I were talking about it,
and none of us can think of anyone. Like
we told the Rangers, we’re all thinking it was some random guy.” A customer at another table caught her
attention. “I’ve got to go.”
He watched as she moved toward
another table and began to gather up plates.
Danni was a tough nut and no wilting flower. Just like his daughter.
He could almost hear his wife
now. “That girl of ours is going to be a
general one day.”
He sipped his coffee, thought of
his wife, Susan, and how much he missed her, their daughter, and home. Pushing aside a pang of guilt, he redirected
his gaze to the patrons.
Within seconds he spotted a slight
blond woman enter the café. She wore jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals and had a
backpack slung over her shoulder. She
was as slight as a teenager, but she moved with a confidence that only came
with maturity.
Lara Church.
Beck had been right. She wasn’t the meek girl who’d fled Seattle
seven years ago. As a man approached
her, Raines noted slight stiffening in her back as she extended her hand. Her handshake was firm and her gaze direct.
She laughed as the graying
gentleman in his fifties spoke. After
what looked to be a question, she pulled out a notebook and made a note. They chatted another half minute and then she
made her way to the diner register, where she ordered a coffee. Just as quickly as she came, she was gone.
Lara Church, the Seattle
Strangler’s last victim, had managed to rebuild her life.
©Mary Burton
No comments:
Post a Comment