Review of Twisted by Laura Griffin and a Q&A with the author

 Q&A with Laura Griffin 

Twisted 4-17-2012

Debbie - First of all let me welcome NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Laura Griffin to the General Fiction forum at B&N.com, Laura is one of my favorite authors in the romantic suspense genre and I’ve been an early reader reviewer for her for some time now.
Welcome Laura

Laura - Thanks for having me here! I love chatting with readers.

1. Tell us about your latest Tracers series novel Twisted

TWISTED is about a rookie detective working her first big case.  Allison Doyle is investigating a brutal murder in her town when FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up and tries to convince local authorities that they are focused on the wrong suspect. Mark believes the real murderer is a serial killer he’s been investigating for years, who goes by the name Death Raven.

2. Now I want to go back to Snapped for just a moment because you dedicated that novel to your mom, tell us a little about why you did that

SNAPPED is a very personal story for me. It was inspired by my mother, who was on the University of Texas campus the day of Charles Whitman’s infamous shooting rampage. I grew up hearing stories about that harrowing incident.

SNAPPED opens with a sniper scene on a college campus, and my mother’s account of her ordeal helped me get inside the head of my heroine as I wrote the scene.

3. Are there a definite number of Tracers novels

Readers have responded so well to the series, and my publisher has asked me to do more books. Next up is SCORCHED, which comes out in the fall. It features two of my favorite Tracers characters, Kelsey Quinn and Gage Brewer. SCORCHED was a fun book to write because I got to do a lot of research about Navy SEALs.

4. You started your writing career as a reporter, what kind of news did you report

I covered everything! As a newbie reporter, you get stuck with some of the worst shifts (holidays, weekends, nights…) But that can be interesting, too, because that’s when some of the biggest news happens. Newspaper reporting isn’t all edge-of-your-seat excitement, though. I covered my share of school board meetings and county fairs.

5. On your website you mention some of the research you do for your novels, what’s the craziest thing you ever did in the name of research

I once wrote a short story (SURRENDER AT DAWN) in which the hero flies charter planes in Thailand. I have a friend who’s a pilot, and we were on his plane once and I was doing my typical reporter thing where I ask a zillion questions. Maybe he wanted me to shut up because he put me in the pilot’s seat and actually let me fly the plane… for about ninety seconds. He assured me everything was fine, but I was terrified.

6. Do you belong to a writers group?

I belong to Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. As part of ITW, I was happy to be invited to contribute a story to their new anthology, LOVE IS MURDER, edited by Sandra Brown. It’s an amazing lineup of authors, and the reviews so far have been terrific.

7. Your novels have won many awards, including the 2010 Rita and the 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award which is a testament to the reality quality in your novels, do you think having reported the news helps with writing so realistically or is it just innate in you.

I think my writing style will always be shaped by my reporting roots. In news writing, you have to get to the point quickly. You have to grab your reader in the first paragraph. And you never know when your story is going to get chopped, so you had better not leave all the best stuff until the end.

Also, reporting taught me to not be afraid to track down information. When I need a question answered, I go looking for an expert who can tell me.

8. What do you like to read and do you have authors that have either inspired you or are a favorite to read

I read all kinds of books: mystery, romance, biography, true crime. I even read text books sometimes if I’m researching a story.

Some of my favorite fiction authors are Patricia Cornwell, Lisa Gardner, Tami Hoag. I’ve been reading Lee Child a lot lately.

9. I’m sure the fans here would love to meet you in person, do you have and events or signings planned

I’m participating in the RWA Autographing for Literacy event in Anaheim, California on July 25. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll stop by and say hi!

Also, readers can find me online: www.Facebook.com/LauraGriffinAuthor or on Twitter: @Laura_Griff

Laura thank you so much for answering my questions, good luck on the new novel and I know it won’t be long before this one is also a bestseller.

My Review of Twisted

A murder’s been committed and a suspect is in custody, but rookie detective Allison Doyle after talking with veteran FBI agent Mark Wolfe is convinced that they have the wrong man. Mark has been trailing a serial killer that was thought to have been silent for a decade, but the similarities of the cases is too much to ignore and with begrudging assistance the police department go with Mark’s theory. Allison wants on the task force to better her abilities and to prove to her fellow officers and herself that she’s up for the job. It doesn’t hurt that the famous Delphi-Center is in their backyard and is willing to step in and help when needed and help is exactly what they need as the body count rises and this elusive predator keeps off their radar. As the danger escalates Allison and Mark find themselves fighting against time to find this killer and also fighting a fierce attraction they have for each other which will only complicate matters and more complications is the last thing they need, they’ll need their heads on straight and their guns loaded because this is the worst kind of criminal their tracking, a very smart one.

Laura Griffin gives me that hard hitting thriller that I love mixed with a love story that I crave and combined it in a read I couldn’t put down and if I need any evidence that she’s a New York Times bestselling author all I have to do is get immersed in her plot, get carried away by the evident extensive research that’s obvious by her level of knowledge of not only police procedure but fighting crimes with cutting edge technology as well, I was totally blown away as always by her characters some I’ve known the whole series and some are new to me, but they all exhibit a vivid realism that shows throughout the novel. Her dialogue is all cop, and she speaks it eloquently and her romance is subjected to seemingly immovable obstacles from the get go, so it’s with pleasure as I read how she gets her hero and heroine on the track toward a head on collision of the heart. The love scenes are intense, sensual and the lust hangs like dense fog.
If you like a little romance served up with your thriller Laura Griffin is your kind of author, if you need that adrenalin rush that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what turns the rollercoaster will take next, you’ll find it here. If you like the writing of Lisa Gardner or Lisa Jackson, you’ll find that Laura Griffin will give you that same terrifying punch.