A Good Thriller discussion

I am pleased now to confirm a second Q & A with Karin Slaughter Monday 14th July.

After long negotiations I can also confirm that her publishers are offering a FREE copy of her new Book Cop Town alongside Karin's time for the Q & A's.

I will pick out a winner from all those that ask questions, and live in the USA, as only open to USA residents.

Please leave some questions in advance as her publishers are allowing only a limited time, as demand for Karin is very valuable


2:00-3:00PM ET Goodreads Chat with

Goodreads Group: “A Good Thriller”

Hey Karin. I hope you have a great day. I can't wait to check out your book Triptych. It'll be the first book I read of yours.

Here's my question:

Do you like to listen to music while you write?

Thanks. :)

Amber age 26 Tennessee USA

Hey sean I am just asking a question and not entering the contest.

Sadly, I cannot attend the live Q&A session, so I'm leaving a few questions in advance.

* What led you to choose your genre?

* What's the top advice you'd impart to aspiring writers?

* Do you have a mentor, and if so, how has that person shaped your writing?

Thanks!

Steve Freeman

What's your favorite movie and song and tv show and color and store and book and holiday and drink and weather season and food?

Karin, I read Blindsided for our group read and now I am hooked! I've read 1 and 3 and listening to Undone. I also want to thank you for doing another Q & A for us.
Lena is a wildcard. Will we see more about her or a series?
Its hard as a reader to grip sometimes, that publishers have such control over writers lives. I'd like to ask if it's worth it, but you never know
with publishers, so instead I will ask how hard is
it to deal with writing, book tours and signings and general life? Do you have to compomise a lot from what you'd like?

Sean, please take me out of contest for Cop Town as I have a copy from Netgalley. Thanks!

Okay, thanks for letting me know

Sean I would love to win the book called coptown but if I don't win that book that's ok

Hi Karin! Thank you for taking the time to speak with our group :)

I read one of your books for the first time this year (Blindsighted) and look forward to continuing the series. I also really want to read Cop Town. Although I love a great series as much as the next person, I really appreciate that you wrote a stand-alone as they are increasingly difficult to find in this genre.

My question is- What made you decide to write a stand-alone thriller and what inspired you to set it in the past? Thanks again!

Hi Karin,

I am lucky enough that you answered my questions on your last Q & A for the group.

My question is when you wrote Blindsighted, had you picked your villain before you started the book, or did you change your mind during the writing of the book?

When you started this your first book, had you decided beforehand that the main characters would return for future books.

Now you have written your first stand alone book, will there be more?

Saw you on Face the Nation this morning, how exciting!! It was really great to see so many great authors together and hear about what you all are reading. My question is this, if you had to pick one of your characters to be your best friend, who would you pick and why?

Karin, I love all the contests that you offer with your newsletter! What is your favorite contest so far? Personally I loved the cupcake challenge and "In 500 Words or Less Tell Why You Hate Karin Slaughter!"

I will be starting Cop Town next. What inspires you to write about the police culture? I also love that you show women in powerful roles within the police. What helps you create such strong and powerful women?

Last question, with your writing process. Do you start with point A and B and create the twists along the way? Or do you start at point A and work your way towards point B and just come up with all the twists and turns spontaneously?

Autumn

Karin,
I was so excited to see you and others on Face the Nation on July 6! Also, thank you for doing this Q&A. I missed the first one, but since that Q&A, I have read Triptych and five of the Grant County novels. I think that I am putting off starting Beyond Reach because I don't want the series to end!
Many readers seem to find Lena to be - unlikable - at the very least. I rather like her, except that I disagree with those characters in the books (Jeffrey) who say that she is a good cop. Perhaps she has potential? I see her making careless mistakes and hasty judgments because she is distracted or prejudiced because of her own personal circumstances. With all that, I see her as having a lot of pain and baggage to overcome, and I think she has a good heart. How do you see Lena, and how did you create this character? Is she totally created from your imagination, or is she based on an individual or composite type of persons you have known?
I love your books, and I'll probably have a few more questions later.
Thank you.
Jean

Hi Karin, I enjoyed your stint on Face the Nation this last weekend. What fun to see you 5 guys in the flesh!

I have 2 questions for you, Karin.
1) Do you ever fear you will run out of plot ideas? Geez, I cannot even come up with one!

2) I am a professed Slaughterholic. When I am done with everything you have written, where should I go for my darkness and derangement fix? This is a serious question, and I'm counting on you to come up with a good answer!

Thank you for doing the Q&A, Karin. You are much loved in this group.

Chris

Hi Karin, also glad to have caught you and the other authors on Face the Nation. I thought it was a very thoughtful and enlightening discussion. Does it bother you to do public speaking or does it come naturally? I would guess that a lot of authors are introverts, so I wonder if this is something many just have to suck up to do the publicity rounds. And that it would be a real handicap for a best selling author to not be able to meet the public.
Thanks for the second Q and A during what must be a pretty hectic time for you!

I love that you are a library promoter, Karin. I have all of your books in hardcover and now am re-reading them on my kindle. I don't remember what prompted me to buy Blindsighted when it first came out, but it was hooked from the time I read it.
Was there a special librarian in your youth? Did you read from a young age?
Your characters are so real. I remember writing to you with suggestions to help Will distinguish left from right! The sense of place is very much a part of your stories too. And I like how you manipulate time now too.
I find Lena fascinating. Her motivations may not be clear to her, but to me, her actions are consistent with her viewpoint and character.
Thanks for the compelling stories you tell. I am now reading Triptych, compulsively reading your works in order. Dessert will be Cop Town!

Karin, I just watched your interview on Face the Nation. On your book Cop Town, which I am currently reading, how much research did you have to do? It is so gripped I would of thought you lived through it! How do you do your research and how thorough?
Again thanks for doing this question and answer!

Karin,
I've just browsed the many Goodreads reviews for Coptown, and they are overwhelmingly 4 and 5 stars! The negative comments seem to focus on readers' discomfort with the subject matter and language. Also, some of your die-hard fans seem to find it difficult to embrace an unfamiliar story line with new characters. So far, these readers seem to be in the minority. As a writer, what made you want to branch out and write Cop Town? I have not read it yet (I'm hoping that I might win it, Sean!), but I appreciate that you incorporate social topics in your novels - racism, sexism, homophobia, abortion, drug abuse, religious hypocrisy, etc. Are there any topics you would not address in your writing?

Hi Karin,
I am curious as to whether or not you read your book reviews. If so, do you lose any sleep over the occasional inevitable bad review?

Thanks for your time, Karin.

Chris

Thank you Karin for keeping us entertained! (Is that the right word?) I have read and enjoyed many of your novels. I think Amber has already asked my question, but when writing do your characters always head in the directions you point them, or do they sometimes take off on their own accord and wind up doing something totally different to what you first envisaged?

Hi Karin, firstly thanks very much for agreeing to do this. I know 'busy' doesn't even come close! Blindsighted is my introduction to your books through this group, and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely be reading more! How do you approach your plotting, do you work out the bare bones and then start writing, or do you often veer off into different directions? I apologise now if it's a question you've been asked 1001 times before! Probably better though!

Karin, one more question - I hope you don't think I'm a crazy, stalker fan! Did you always enjoy writing? When did you KNOW that you wanted to be a writer? If you weren't writing, what would be your second career choice? Thanks, again. By the way, I did start Beyond Reach yesterday, and like all of your books, I am finding it difficult to put down.
Jean

Hey, y'all--I'll get to your questions later this afternoon. Keep submitting your questions and I will get to them as soon as I can! K

Hi Karin. I didn't miss this one. :) I went back and read Triptych again and I was wondering. Did you always imagine Angie to be the person she was with Will. She seemed maybe even a little likable in Triptych, and then she just became really NOT likable in the books that followed.

I also noticed that you have two similar antagonists for Sara and how they are involved with her men. She had to deal with Lena when she was with Jeffery and now she was to deal with Angie now that she is with Will. Is there a reason for that? I also wanted to ask if will we see the Linton Family coming up in any of the novels again?

Please take me out of the contest for the book. I have one already. Good luck to everyone else. :)

COP TOWN was fantastic and I just reread the entire Will Trent series. Two questions~Any plans to continue Kate and Maggie's story? When can we expect the next book on Will?

Thank you for all of your wonderful books... :)

Hi Karin,
Welcome to the most fun group on Goodreads!!!!! We love Sean and all the hard work he puts into this group. Look how hard he worked to bring you to us again.

My question.........how did you prepare for the backstory of Will Trent? I am an ex foster child and well understand the system. I certainly understand the feelings of the thousands of children who feel so lost and forgotten. With Will........you have simply captured all those inner feelings and brought them into the pages of your books. Those of us, who have survived our childhoods, really thank you for your honest renderings. You have done a terrific, realistic job. There is LIFE, after childhood!

So???? How did you prepare for Will? Thanks so much,
Ter'e Crow Lindsay

P.S. Did I mention......I can't wait to read COP TOWN????? LOL.
I have been such a fan, for years!!!!

Hey, y'all-- I'm going to jump in here and answer some questions before I have to pack for the next part of my tour. I'll do some in groups to make it easier.

Amber: I can't listen to music while I write. I need it to be quiet so I can make it just about me and the story. That doesn't mean I don't like to listen to music to get me into the mood. For Cop Town, I listened to a lot of Linda Ronstadt and Skynyrd.

Steven: I've always loved reading crime fiction, so it seemed like a natural thing to start writing some of my own. I love the genre because it gives you the opportunity to drill straight into the character. To anyone looking to get a start, I would say: read. It seems like a no-brainer, but it's true. A lot of writers don't make time for reading, and you can usually tell who. Reading a book trains your brain to think in terms of story. You're not reading for market. You are reading to flex the muscle that is your brain. As for a mentor, I didn't really have a literary mentor other than my ninth grade English teacher. I was terrified of disappointing her, which made me a better writer!

Christine: movie: Clay Pigeons song: Right Place/Wrong Time tv show: Breaking Bad color: blue store: my local hardware store book: Gone With the Wind holiday: St Martin drink: iced tea weather season: fall food: cupcakes!

Lavada: Yes, Lena appears in other books and I am sure I'll check in with her again in the future. As a writer, I don't really feel limited in any way, especially by my publisher. They're pretty pleased with what I'm doing. I'm not crazy about traveling so much, but that's part of my job, and it's always great when I get to a store or library and meet my readers. I suppose it's a compromise to have to get up at 3 in the morning to fly to a different city each day, but that's only for a few weeks at a time, so in the scheme of things, I don't think I can complain too loudly. I don't know many people who get to do what they love for a living, so even when I've got a flight delay or end up in a not-so-great hotel, I always remind myself that it's a small price to pay. Also, I should add that writers have always toured. Dickens often hosted reading events. Poe's work was written for him to perform it. Not bad company!

Rachel: I chose to write a stand-alone because I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with the next Will and Sara. Since I enjoyed writing about the 70s in Criminal, it seemed a good time to go out on a limb and set an entire story during that time period. It was a nice challenge to come up with all new characters and talk about different parts of the city, too. I loved talking with cops who came up in the 70s. They had fantastic stories. I think my next book (for 2015) will also be a stand-alone, and then I'll get back to Will and Sara.

Sean: I always know who the bad guy (or woman) is when I start a book. I want to play fair with my readers so that when they get to the end, it makes sense when I pull back the curtain. I hate when authors don't play fair. I knew when I finished Blindsighted that there were more Sara and Jeffrey stories in me, so I was very excited about starting the next one. I never really saw it as a stand-alone. With Cop Town, I thought it would be a one-off, and then I got into the characters and realized that there has to be more (so while they are calling it a stand-alone, it's really the first in a series in my mind, but maybe one I revisit every three or four years)

Lorrea: I would pick Sara to be my best friend. I'm too much like Faith, so we'd just sit around being crabby. And I'm pretty sure Amanda wouldn't approve of me! Sara seems pretty level-headed and I think we'd get along. Then again, I have a lot of friends like Tessa, her sister, so maybe she'd be it. And one of my best friends in the world is a man, so I could see me being friends with Will, too. Hm...not really a definitive answer, but there you go!

Autumn: the cupcake contest was my favorite because people were so weird. I've always been interested in writing about crime, so writing about police officers seems like a natural entry point. As for writing about strong women, I guess you write what you see, and I've been lucky to have a lot of strong female role models. Also, it wouldn't be very interesting for long to write about weak characters who don't really want to do anything. There's a reason Jack Reacher doesn't sit around drinking beer and moaning about his lost military pension! As I told Sean, I always know who the bad person is in my books before I start them, so I know the beginning and the end. All the twists and turns are something I figure out along the way.

I thought I remembered reading a stand alone book by you that was about a man who went to prison for a crime that he didn't commit. It involved his aunt and cousin and everything that happened to him in prison (horrible) and what happened after he was released. I do not see it in the Goodreads list of books. Did you ever write a book with that topic?

Jean: Thanks! Lena was purposefully written to be a polarizing character. It's funny, because people seem to think that was an accident. She's not a great cop, but Jeffrey isn't the sort of boss to admit he has made a mistake. I think he also saw the great potential in her. She just needed to grow up a bit and learn that she's not right about everything (a hard lesson to learn if you are a police officer). I think she has a good heart, but I also think that she is very good at justifying her actions. Does that make her a bad person or just human? In Broken, we see that she's starting to change, and in Unseen, it feels like she's turned a corner. We'll see what the future holds for her next. Oh-and she's not based on anybody I know. At least not on purpose!

Christine: I don't worry about not coming up with ideas. That's actually the easy part. Sitting down and figuring out how to implement the idea and tell the story through the characters is where the work comes in. As for authors I enjoy, Mo Hayder is at the top of the list. Denise Mina (her earlier work is more gruesome, but I love the psychological turn in her later stuff), Lisa Gardner, Mark Billingham and Kathy Reichs are great, too.

Perri: you are right that it's hard for a lot of us to be in public. I am VERY introverted and would be happy to sit in a corner with a good book, but I'm also aware that I have a responsibility to be accessible to my readers. The thing is, people never recognize shyness in other people. They just take it for rudeness. I never want folks to think I am being rude, so I have to remind myself when I need to be a public person. Also, it was a HUGE honor to be on Face the Nation, and I was extremely flattered to be asked. It helped that all the other authors are pals. We tend to do better in groups.

Virginia: there wasn't one specific librarian who helped me. I would say it was ALL the librarians in my life-not just the ones in my small town, but the ones at school and later in college. They were all so instrumental in bringing me into a reading life. I feel really fortunate that I was surrounded by such good book-loving people.

Karin, do you plan your books in detail before you start writing or do you begin with a basic plot and let the story flow on its own?

Hi Karin! I have a non-book-related question. In another group, I asked about your favorite Southern meal, and you graciously answered my question. I realize that you would probably rather not reveal your Atlanta haunts, but have you ever been to Watershed restaurant? I went to the original location in Decatur many, many years ago and liked it. Their chocolate layer cake is (or used to be, at least) "to die for". All the best to you for your tour!

Lavada: I spoke with a lot of police officers who came up in the 70s (both men and women) as well as women who lived in Atlanta during that time. It was fascinating to hear the different stories. The men thought the 70s was fantastic, and if you were a man, it pretty much was. Women...not so much. Getting those two vastly different points of view was very important when I wrote Cop Town. I also spoke to some members of the Jewish community about Atlanta during the 70s. I cannot tell you how fascinating all these stories were. I finally had to stop talking to people, otherwise I would've never written the book.

Jean: I try not to read reviews (I just click the 4 and 5 stars to let readers know how awesome I think they are) but sometimes my eye wanders, or I'll see a one star review and won't be able to resist. I think if a book doesn't work for you, you have ever right to say so. Or if a subject matter is too disturbing, that's fine because that's the truth for you. It's when folks get nasty and personal that I get upset. Not that that's happened with Cop Town (that I know of!) but sometimes people just post really awful things just because they can. They make it personal or make broad statements about you, your life, your loved ones, even your pets (believe me, that's happened). I think that in a community like GoodReads, which is really vast but somehow still feels intimate, it hurts even more because I think of people as friends and when they say something nasty, it's very hurtful. Also, just for authors in general, if the environment is mean, they're less likely to want to do things like chats. And then people will say, "well, that author thinks he or she is too big to do chats" when the truth is that they just don't want to open themselves up to cruelty. Many years ago I had to leave a beloved List-serv because of this, which is why it's made me gun-shy.

Woops--mixed up Chris and Jean: there aren't any topics I feel are off limits. As long as you write about them responsibly and tell a good story, I think you should at least try.

Sandra: with the Will Trent series, I'm very sure about how characters will react. With Maggie and Kate, I wasn't so sure because I don't know them as well. Maggie was especially difficult to write because I had to stay true to her character and not have her experience this "rise up!" moment and shout that she's not going to take it anymore. For a woman like Maggie in the 70s, there weren't a lot of options. She can't live on her own. She doesn't have any financial independence. She's literally trapped. The only way out is to completely cut off her family, and she isn't going to do that because (as mean as some of them are) she loves them.

Janet: As I've said before, I always know how a book will start and how it will end. The middle part with all the twists and turns is where the work comes in, and it's actually the part I love most.

Jean: I am glad you are not a crazy stalker. I always knew I wanted to be a writer. It came as naturally to me as breathing. It's something that chose ME, not the other way round. While I can't imagine a life where I'm not writing, if I weren't published, I would probably be doing something with my hands-fixing watches or building things.

The winner of the copy of Cop Town is Ter'e.

Karin I will send Ter'e address to your publishers who promised to send a copy to one of our members, who live in the USA(sadly not me) LOL.

Some great honest and sincere answers.

Two authors I would like to mention to you, that have been recommended that I do enjoy...

Brian Freeman and Robert Crais who join two other favourites David Baldacci and Simon Kernick.

I see you are reading a lot of John Grisham books, do you have a favourite?

Bookbud! I'm glad you picked up Triptych. I don't think Angie is so different in that book. The big thing is, you're inside of her head. So, imagine if you could read the story without the softening influence of her interior thoughts. She's actually pretty awful to Will. She says mean things to him. She lies to him and treats him badly. The only difference is you get her inner voice, and there aren't a lot of people out there who think they are bad people. It's the same when you're "inside" Angie's thoughts. She's doing awful things, but she thinks her reason mitigates the damage.

I think that Lena and Angie aren't that similar. I mean, they're kind of caustic, but Angie does things because she wants to and Lena does things because she thinks they are right. That's a big difference to me. Also, Angie embraces her hypocrisy while Lena is ashamed of it. That self-knowledge gives Lena a fighting chance in my book.

The Linton family will return in the next Will and Sara book. They will NOT be happy...

Gayle : Kate and Maggie will definitely have more stories. The next Will Trent will probably be in 2016. I need time to figure out the story!

Hi Karin! How are you? Like everyone else in this awesome thread, I am a big fan of your work. I have to ask you how you keep your characters fresh in every book. You have Will, Sara, Lena spanning over a series of stories--how do you keep from getting bored with them? I wonder if bored is the right word...how about...oh, stale. There we go! lol
Thanks so much!
Melissa Groeling

Ter'e: thanks so much for your kind words. I read a lot of books about the foster system and read memoirs by foster kids to help put myself in Will's shoes. While there were many, many awful stories, I wanted to make sure that it is clear that Will is a survivor. The statistics against foster kids are heart wrenching, and the lack of funding by government (and especially politicians who claim to value the sanctity of like) is appalling. I don't understand why we are one of the richest countries in the world, yet we have children living here in America who don't know when their next meal will be.

Cheryl: that's Triptych. The character's name is John Shelley, and he's part of Will Trent's first story.

Laura G.: Yes, I loved Watershed, but then they moved and I hate the new building!

Well, it looks like my time is up. Thanks for your questions. If there's anything else I didn't cover, please feel free to email me. I am about to go back out on tour, so if I'm in your town, please come out and visit! Thanks again, y'all. K

Thanks Karin for your time.

Sorry Melissa, your question and mine just a little too late, but I know that Karin is very busy with touring.

I know also Karin is a member of the group, and may pop in when time allows.

Karin I am so grateful, and I thank you for your time and your friendship, with sincere thanks

Sean

Thank you, Karin!
Congratulations, Ter'e!