| Allison Brennan - March 2008 Author of the Month |
Theodore Glenn loves to inflict pain . . . both on his
victims and on those who later find the mutilated
corpses. At his trial seven years ago, Glenn vowed
vengeance on Detective Will Hooper, the cop who
nabbed him, and beautiful Robin McKenna, the
stripper whose testimony put him behind bars.
When a catastrophic disaster sets Glenn free, he
blazes a freshly bloodied path across San Diego
County. But the death he craves most is Robin
McKenna’s.
Putting aside their past troubled relationship, Will
rushes to protect Robin, now a savvy businesswoman
operating an upscale club. As the killings mount and
Glenn proves a master manipulator, Robin and Will
become snared in a twisted web of horror. But the
shocking truth is even worse: The evil they are to face
is even deadlier than they fear.
victims and on those who later find the mutilated
corpses. At his trial seven years ago, Glenn vowed
vengeance on Detective Will Hooper, the cop who
nabbed him, and beautiful Robin McKenna, the
stripper whose testimony put him behind bars.
When a catastrophic disaster sets Glenn free, he
blazes a freshly bloodied path across San Diego
County. But the death he craves most is Robin
McKenna’s.
Putting aside their past troubled relationship, Will
rushes to protect Robin, now a savvy businesswoman
operating an upscale club. As the killings mount and
Glenn proves a master manipulator, Robin and Will
become snared in a twisted web of horror. But the
shocking truth is even worse: The evil they are to face
is even deadlier than they fear.
Killing Fear is the newest book by
Allison Brennan, it is the first book in
her Prison Break Series. Below you
will find a description of this hit thriller.
Allison Brennan, it is the first book in
her Prison Break Series. Below you
will find a description of this hit thriller.
We rate this
book 4.5 out of
5 stars.
book 4.5 out of
5 stars.
The Hunt, The Prey and The Kill,
the first series written by Allison.
This series will keep you on the
edge of your seat.
the first series written by Allison.
This series will keep you on the
edge of your seat.
Tempting Evil is the 2nd book in the
Prison Break Trilogy. This book is to
be released on May 20, 2008. After
reading Killing Fear, May 20th can't
get here fast enough. Mark your
calendars!!
Prison Break Trilogy. This book is to
be released on May 20, 2008. After
reading Killing Fear, May 20th can't
get here fast enough. Mark your
calendars!!
Here is the March 2008 Author of the Month,
Allison Brennan's exclusive interview.
Allison Brennan's exclusive interview.
1. What is your all time favorite book and why? (not yours)
THE STAND by Stephen King. It has everything a great book should
have--strong, flawed, real characters; high stakes; great writing;
strong sense of time and place. I also love epic stories of good versus
evil.
2. When working on a book like Killing Fear, how many times do you change up the story after you
begin writing?
This is a hard question because I don't plan out my stories. I have the
premise and main characters in mind and start writing. Since I edit as I
go, if I go off in the wrong direction I generally figure it out within
a couple scenes, backtrack, and go down another path.
I rewrite the beginning (first 150 pages or so) about three times before
I can get beyond that point.
3. Do you have any superstitions before you start a novel or when you finish?
Not really . . . I have a few writing "habits" that might be considered
superstitious. I have to write linearly--no skipping around. I always
type THE END when I'm done. And I never read the book once it's
published. I'm going to have to do this before I start my next book
because I'm taking a character from FEAR NO EVIL and I have to remember
what I wrote about him. He was my hero's twin brother, but I don't
remember if he was the older twin or the younger twin; I also don't
remember what details I gave about his life. I don't want to contradict
myself! But I've been putting it off as long as I can.
4. When talking with a lot of authors there is always a great story on how they got their first book
published, do you have a story also?
My story I think is pretty standard. I found an agent with my fifth
completed manuscript (THE PREY) and she sold it to Ballantine. The only
thing that might be a little out of the ordinary is that we sold in five
days--Kim pitched the book on Thursday and we had a pre-emptive offer on
Tuesday. The other interesting fact is that originally I had a two-book
contract. About six months after the sale, I still didn't have a
contract even though the first book was in production (at the
copyediting stage.) My editor called my agent and wanted to add a third
book to the deal, push back publication six months, and release three
books in consecutive months.
5. Since your FBI research for your new upcoming series, have you thought about writing a non-fiction
book on true crime?
I have always loved to read true crime. I'm a huge fan of Ann Rule,
Vincent Bugliosi, and Gregg Olsen (who also writes fiction.) I read IN
COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote when I was thirteen and was hooked. I don't
know that I can do the subject justice. If I were to write something in
that realm, it wouldn't be about one specific case. I think I'd like to
explore a series of similar cases, such as on-line predators, or perhaps
gather some people in law enforcement to revisit some of there most
disturbing or shocking cases and how it impacted them. But I haven't
seriously looked into this.
6. If you could go back in time and solve any mystery for yourself, what would it be?
I'm not much of a historian. But there was a case locally that has
bothered me from the beginning. In October of 2006, Sacramento County
Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Mitchell was shot and killed when making a late
night traffic stop on a quiet country road. The suspect is still at
large. I would very much like to solve that case.
7. You have written two trilogies, (Predator and No Evil, while working on Prison Break), which trilogy
would you like to see as a TV Series or a Movie Series?
Since my trilogies are loosely connected, they really wouldn't make a
good series--they have different villains and protagonists. Out of all
my books, it's my novella "Deliver Us From Evil" in the anthology WHAT
YOU CAN'T SEE that I think has the most cinematic potential. From my
books. Out of the nine books I've written (seven are out, two are done
and in the process of being published), it's the upcoming TEMPTING EVIL
which takes place during a blizzard in Montana's Centennial Valley. A
romance writer is trapped in her family's lodge with a psychopath. It
has a stronger sense of place than most of my other books because the
setting is important to the story. Out of the books already on the
shelves, I think THE HUNT or SEE NO EVIL would make the best movies.
8. I believe that the villian in the story is what makes a great story. Do you put more thought into the
villian or the hero?
Christopher Vogler said, "The villain is the hero of his own journey." I
take that to heart and make sure that the villain has a solid and
understood backstory, strong motivation, clear goals, and internal
conflict. A weak villain is no fun--it makes the hero seem incompetent.
But the hero is who the reader most identifies with, so it's important
to fully develop him/her as well.
But it's easier for me to understand the motivations of law enforcement
than villains, so I spend more time trying to understand my villains so
they become more real on the page.
9. Which historical figure would you like to meet and talk with for one hour?
Hard question! Hmm. John Adams is the first that comes to mind. I've
always had a fascination with early American history leading into the
revolution.
10. Is there a historical killer (jack the ripper, ted bundy, etc.) that you would consider bringing back in
a fictional setting?
In the early 1800s two cousins named Harpe roamed Tennessee and
Kentucky, killing for fun and profit. They were brutal and had no
remorse or conscience. I've wanted to write a western-set historical
novel for some time loosely based on their history.
THE STAND by Stephen King. It has everything a great book should
have--strong, flawed, real characters; high stakes; great writing;
strong sense of time and place. I also love epic stories of good versus
evil.
2. When working on a book like Killing Fear, how many times do you change up the story after you
begin writing?
This is a hard question because I don't plan out my stories. I have the
premise and main characters in mind and start writing. Since I edit as I
go, if I go off in the wrong direction I generally figure it out within
a couple scenes, backtrack, and go down another path.
I rewrite the beginning (first 150 pages or so) about three times before
I can get beyond that point.
3. Do you have any superstitions before you start a novel or when you finish?
Not really . . . I have a few writing "habits" that might be considered
superstitious. I have to write linearly--no skipping around. I always
type THE END when I'm done. And I never read the book once it's
published. I'm going to have to do this before I start my next book
because I'm taking a character from FEAR NO EVIL and I have to remember
what I wrote about him. He was my hero's twin brother, but I don't
remember if he was the older twin or the younger twin; I also don't
remember what details I gave about his life. I don't want to contradict
myself! But I've been putting it off as long as I can.
4. When talking with a lot of authors there is always a great story on how they got their first book
published, do you have a story also?
My story I think is pretty standard. I found an agent with my fifth
completed manuscript (THE PREY) and she sold it to Ballantine. The only
thing that might be a little out of the ordinary is that we sold in five
days--Kim pitched the book on Thursday and we had a pre-emptive offer on
Tuesday. The other interesting fact is that originally I had a two-book
contract. About six months after the sale, I still didn't have a
contract even though the first book was in production (at the
copyediting stage.) My editor called my agent and wanted to add a third
book to the deal, push back publication six months, and release three
books in consecutive months.
5. Since your FBI research for your new upcoming series, have you thought about writing a non-fiction
book on true crime?
I have always loved to read true crime. I'm a huge fan of Ann Rule,
Vincent Bugliosi, and Gregg Olsen (who also writes fiction.) I read IN
COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote when I was thirteen and was hooked. I don't
know that I can do the subject justice. If I were to write something in
that realm, it wouldn't be about one specific case. I think I'd like to
explore a series of similar cases, such as on-line predators, or perhaps
gather some people in law enforcement to revisit some of there most
disturbing or shocking cases and how it impacted them. But I haven't
seriously looked into this.
6. If you could go back in time and solve any mystery for yourself, what would it be?
I'm not much of a historian. But there was a case locally that has
bothered me from the beginning. In October of 2006, Sacramento County
Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Mitchell was shot and killed when making a late
night traffic stop on a quiet country road. The suspect is still at
large. I would very much like to solve that case.
7. You have written two trilogies, (Predator and No Evil, while working on Prison Break), which trilogy
would you like to see as a TV Series or a Movie Series?
Since my trilogies are loosely connected, they really wouldn't make a
good series--they have different villains and protagonists. Out of all
my books, it's my novella "Deliver Us From Evil" in the anthology WHAT
YOU CAN'T SEE that I think has the most cinematic potential. From my
books. Out of the nine books I've written (seven are out, two are done
and in the process of being published), it's the upcoming TEMPTING EVIL
which takes place during a blizzard in Montana's Centennial Valley. A
romance writer is trapped in her family's lodge with a psychopath. It
has a stronger sense of place than most of my other books because the
setting is important to the story. Out of the books already on the
shelves, I think THE HUNT or SEE NO EVIL would make the best movies.
8. I believe that the villian in the story is what makes a great story. Do you put more thought into the
villian or the hero?
Christopher Vogler said, "The villain is the hero of his own journey." I
take that to heart and make sure that the villain has a solid and
understood backstory, strong motivation, clear goals, and internal
conflict. A weak villain is no fun--it makes the hero seem incompetent.
But the hero is who the reader most identifies with, so it's important
to fully develop him/her as well.
But it's easier for me to understand the motivations of law enforcement
than villains, so I spend more time trying to understand my villains so
they become more real on the page.
9. Which historical figure would you like to meet and talk with for one hour?
Hard question! Hmm. John Adams is the first that comes to mind. I've
always had a fascination with early American history leading into the
revolution.
10. Is there a historical killer (jack the ripper, ted bundy, etc.) that you would consider bringing back in
a fictional setting?
In the early 1800s two cousins named Harpe roamed Tennessee and
Kentucky, killing for fun and profit. They were brutal and had no
remorse or conscience. I've wanted to write a western-set historical
novel for some time loosely based on their history.