In an all new session of Author Q&A Session, I present you the author who writes thrillers with such passion that those stories will completely pull you into their darkness. Bianca Sloane- the author who's debut book bagged the Thriller of The Month award by e-thriller.com. So scroll down below to know more about this wondrous author.
Read the review of Live and Let Die here
Me: Welcome to my blog Bianca. I'm so delighted to have you on my blog. Please do tell us briefly about your latest release, “Sweet Little Lies.”
Bianca: Thank you for having me!
“Sweet Little Lies,” is about a woman, Kelly, who comes home to find evidence her husband, Mark, is having an illicit affair. In the heat of the confrontation, Kelly stabs and kills him. Mark’s murder ignites a frenzied chain of events as Kelly goes on the run, uncovering even more secrets about Mark in the process. It’s really a story about the secrets we keep and the importance of trust in a relationship.
Me: Why did you change the title of your debut book from Live and Let Die to Killing Me Softly?
Bianca: I always knew I wanted to use song titles to name my books – I firmly believe what Dick Clark used to say – music is the soundtrack of our lives. When I was writing the book, I originally wanted to call it, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” since that is a fairly overarching theme of the story. However, nobody liked it, so I chose “Live and Let Die.” I liked the reference to life and death and at the time, I felt it “fit” with the story, even it if I didn’t love the title.
As time went on, I started to feel as though I could find a title more representative of the story. “Killing Me Softly,” fell into my lap and I decided to rechristen my book with that title. It was also an opportunity for a refresh of the cover (though I loved the cover for “Live and Let Die,” it just made sense to give the book a new look to go with its new name). I will say to any author who plans to change their title, be absolutely sure before you take the plunge – it’s a bit of a process! However, I am quite happy with my decision to do so.
Me: I got a chance to read your debut book, thanks to you of course. So tell me what makes you write such eerie and scary thrillers? What's the inspiration behind your books?
Bianca: I’ve always loved reading mysteries and thrillers – Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were my early favorites. I enjoyed the puzzle aspect of trying to figure out whodunit or howdunit or whydunit. As I got older, suspense novels by Mary Higgins Clark, movies like “Diabolique” and TV shows like the “Twilight Zone,” had a profound influence on me, because they showcased stories that preyed on your mind and tapped into the internal fears we all have; being trapped, being deceived, being hunted, etc. I also like the crazy “twists” that you usually find in these types of stories. The crazier the better!
More than anything, at the core of ALL of my stories is the Dark Side of Love. I’m fascinated by how revenge, passion, jealousy, etc., will drive normally rational people to commit highly irrational, life-altering acts – all in the name of love.
Me: Your plots are not only compelling but also create a sense of fear among your readers mind? They say: "gaining life-changing experience will make you a brilliant author", so tell me have you ever had any life-altering experience that make you write things so such clear perspective?
Bianca: Thank you for your kind words! While I’ve never killed anyone, (in real life anyway!) been stalked or threatened by an ex, like so many, I’ve had relationships turn sour and I think it’s fair to say some of those experiences do creep in when I’m writing.
As far as incorporating real-life experiences into my writing, for me, because of the types of stories I write, it’s more about tapping into your worst fears and taking them to extremes. Will you wake up in the middle of the night to find your wife pointing a gun at you – what happens after that? Will you unknowingly accept a date with a psychopath – then what will you do? Will your husband’s girlfriend try to murder you – or will you turn the tables on her? I love taking those extreme situations and twisting them up to see what happens.
More than anything, writing is about observing what is going on around you. You never know when that conversation you overhear on an airplane or the smell of a dumpster or the sound of rain even, could turn into a story idea or help you flesh out a character or a scene. I always carry a notebook and always keep my eyes and ears open, because you never know when inspiration will strike.
Me: Who is your favorite crime author? And why?
Bianca: As I mentioned above, Mary Higgins Clark was definitely someone who wowed me early on – the Queen of Suspense title is well-deserved. Her early works in particular, such as “The Cradle Will Fall” and “Where Are The Children,” kept me on the edge of my seat, rapidly flipping the pages. Like everyone else, I was enthralled by “Gone Girl,” and Gillian Flynn’s unusual writing style and the dark themes she explores in all her novels (which, for anyone who has yet to read her first two books, definitely give them a read, for they are fantastic). I also had the opportunity a few years ago to take a writing class with bestselling author Joy Fielding, who writes psychological suspense. I learned so much about writing suspense and writing and storytelling in general – the class was an experience I’ll never forget.
Me: You're a self-published author. Does it make it hard for you to market your books after its release? Did you face any hardships when you chose the road to self-publishing?
Bianca: Being an independently published author is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, the writing part feels easier than the rest of it! It’s a lot of hard work and the buck stops with you on everything; the cover art, the story, the blurb, the marketing – everything. Publishing has always been competitive, though much more now, because of the distribution avenues being so readily available, so you really have be strategic about how you market yourself, because it’s easy to get lost in the fray.
For me, Goodreads giveaways, having a social media presence, book bloggers and Amazon’s free days have had a tremendous impact on helping me to spread the word about my books.
I think the most important thing though is to keep writing more books. As a reader, whenever I’ve read a book I like, I immediately start looking for other works by that author, which has been a good lesson for me as an author. I just have to keep writing.
Me: Your book, Live and Let Die became the "Thriller of the Month" by e-thriller.com. What was your initial reaction when you heard the good news?
Bianca: When I was told “Live and Let Die,”(now “Killing Me Softly”) had been chosen as “Thriller of the Month,” at first I was stunned – did I hear this correctly? Then I was thrilled (no pun intended!). It was such a wonderful honor and I’m humbled that e-thriller.com felt my work was worthy of such notice.
Me: Who and what inspires you to write your books with such compassion?
Bianca: Thank so much! I have to say, my characters really inspire me. I’m one of those writers whose characters talk to them and I really do think of them as real people. Mostly, I try to get out the way and let them use me to tell their stories.
Me: What's next up on your writing sleeves? And please do tell us about it briefly.
Bianca: If all goes according to plan, 2015 will be a busy year. I will be releasing my third book, “Every Breath You Take,” around the first of the year – it’s about a woman being stalked. I plan to release my fourth book, “Live to Tell,” about a marriage gone wrong, later in the year. I have a companion novella for “Every Breath You Take,” and a full-length sequel/companion to “Live to Tell” in the works. I’ve also been working off and on a novella sequel for “Killing Me Softly.” As I said, lots going on, but I’m loving every minute of it.
Me: Thank you so much Bianca. First it's such a lovely name- Bianca and secondly I'm so grateful to you for sparing time to have an Author Q&A Session with me. I can only wish you all the best in all your future endeavors.
Bianca: Thank you for having me, Aditi. This was so much fun!
P.S. – I’ll let you in on a little secret – I was named for Bianca Jagger, Mick Jagger’s ex-wife.
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Bianca's Bio:
Bianca Sloane is the author of the suspense novels, "Killing Me Softly"
(previously published as "Live and Let Die") chosen as “Thriller of the
Month” (May 2013) by e-thriller.com and a “2013 Top Read” by OOSA Online
Book Club and "Sweet Little Lies." When she’s not writing, she's
watching Bravo TV, Investigation Discovery, reading or cooking. Sloane
resides in Chicago.
Connect With Bianca On: Facebook | Twitter | Email
24 November 2014
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Thank you for having me, Aditi!
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading "Killing me softly" and loved the mind-blogging feeling throughout the whole book especially at the end. It was like "Wow" did not see that coming. Love your creavity and your ability to take the reader on this crazy journey. You have extraordinaire talents and thrilled to have found your book. Will definitely be adding you to my favorite authors and look forward in reading your books. Keep them coming
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