Interview with Harlow Coban

Thank you to Harlow Coban for both the opportunity to read Life in Death, my review was posted yesterday, and to interview her here at Kritters Ramblings.  


Without further ado, here is Harlow Coban.


1. What do you find yourself rambling about?


Teenagers!  Ours are driving us absolutely nuts.  We have 16-year-old boy/girl twins who I refer to as Thing 1 and Thing 2 in a blog post I wrote called, "Train to Crazy Town Now Boarding."  I think your readers will find it a quick, fun read.


2. When becoming an author, did you have any speed bumps along the way?  If so, how did you overcome them?


The biggest speed bump I've encountered thus far has been the revisions.  I'd almost rather stick a pencil in my eye than revise my work.  Revisions are a necessary evil, though.  My copyeditor deleted some 8,000 words and asked me to do some other major revisions.  I wasn't sure she was right, so I got a second opinion.  The second copyeditor agreed with the first.  I took a couple of days off to regroup and focus on the big picture, which was to publish the best book I possibly could.  I just submitted what I hope will be the last revisions on the book.


3.  I read in your bio that this book was based on true events.  What made you pull from your own family history?  Would you do it again?


I performed some research into a family tragedy and learned a lot about the case and police procedure.  I thought I could craft a good story based on what I'd learn that would make for a good read.  Yes, I would absolutely do it again.  I don't know if I've been blessed or cursed with such colorful family and friends.  As a result, I'm never at a loss for stories, which is great fodder for future books.


4. When looking at your female lead, do you put a piece of your own personality into hte character?


There's a lot of me in Kari Marchant (my female lead), but I think she's a much braver person that I am.


5. What is your favorite part of the writing process? And why?


I love getting in my character's heads.  My favorite character to write in this novel was Detective Cobb.  He did and said whatever he wanted, which made it great fun for me.


6. Where is your perfect writing spot?


The perfect spot for me is sitting in bed with the TV on as background noise.


7. What is next on your plate?


My book launch is February 13th, so I'll be working hard to create more buzz before and after the book release.  In between that, I'll start working on the second book in the series called "Apparition in Death."




Thank you so much to Harlow Coban for the interview!  It is always nice to find out the behind the scenes scoop to an author's writing process and the books that are created.