Seeing Evil
By Jason Parent
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Fate in plain sight.
Major Crimes Detective Samantha Reilly prefers to work alone—she’s seen as a maverick, and she still struggles privately with the death of her partner. The only person who ever sees her softer side is Michael Turcotte, a teenager she’s known since she rescued him eleven years ago from the aftermath of his parents’ murder-suicide.
In foster care since his parents’ death, Michael is a loner who tries to fly under the bullies’ radar, but a violent assault triggers a disturbing ability to view people’s dark futures. No one believes his first vision means anything, though—not even Sam Reilly. When reality mimics his prediction, however, Sam isn’t the only one to take notice. A strange girl named Tessa Masterson asks Michael about her future, and what he sees sends him back to Sam—is Tessa victim or perpetrator?
Tessa’s tangled secrets draw Michael and Sam inexorably into a deadly conflict. Sam relies on Michael, but his only advantage is the visions he never asked for. As they track a cold and calculating killer, one misstep could turn the hunters into prey.
Author Interview:
Where do your ideas come from?
My head, my dreams… sometimes a song lyric hits me just right, like for my short story, “Eleanor,” which plays off a line in The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”… an odd phrase or idiom taken literally… people watching…. Really, I find my muse just about everywhere.
How do you develop your writing ideas?
Now that’s the tough part: it takes a lot of hard work. Honing an idea into some semblance of a story, then sharpening it into something readable, only to realize that at best, I’ve got a first draft. If I think something is off, or there’s an idea I’m not sure of, I may bounce it off a writer or reader friend. But mostly, I do it alone, grind it out until it’s right, not because others’ ideas wouldn’t be helpful, but because I find in that much more satisfying if I get the story down, my story down, myself. For editing and fine-tuning, I welcome all the help I can get!
Where do you find inspiration for your characters?
The same place as my ideas: everywhere! Someone in line at McDonalds, Bridgette Nielson, that kid in second grade that always ate his snot, the woman of my dreams, the man who takes her from me… anyone I’ve ever known, ever wanted to know, and all the people I was and might have been, make it in some small or large way into my characters.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
As far back as I can remember. I always wanted to write. But I’m not sure if I ever wanted to publish anything (though I still probably would have made a horror screenplay if I thought I could) until college, when I started taking it more seriously.
What makes you unique as a writer?
My voice and my stories hopefully they offer something unique that readers will enjoy.
What writers inspire/d you?
King’s books spoke to me when I was growing up – what modern-day horror author wasn’t inspired by him? He is an expert storyteller with exceptional and original stories to tell. Poe’s gift for language and poetic prose inspired the artist in me and my desire to create. Today, I am inspired by the great authors I have met who do it for the love of reading and writing, some of whom I have been fortunate enough to collaborate.
How has your writing career changed since you started?
The goals have grown… First, it was to write something, anything – something whole. Then, it was to write a novel. Then, it was to publish a novel. Then, it was to learn from mistakes in publishing that novel before publishing the next. The ultimate goal is to perfect my craft, be a master every time I wield a pen or laptop – an unattainable goal, but one that can only better me in my continuous strive toward it.
What does your writing process look like?
Write a bunch of crap on legal pads. Look at it with utter disgust. Put it aside and think of how it could be better. Write and re-write scenes. Type it up. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. And also edit.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I need silence. Absolute silence. And my temper lashes at those who disturb it. Except my dog. She gets away with murder.
What are your writing goals for the next year?
Publish the next novel. Write another one.
Name the five biggest distractions from your writing.
Work outweighs all others by a lot. Then, family and friends. Reading. The Internet. Sleep.
What character would you most like to be stuck in an elevator with?
Of mine? Detective Samantha Reilly. Of all: Tyrion Lannister.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I absolutely, positively LOVE hearing from my readers. I don’t get a lot of questions beyond, “What’s next?”, but they are quick to tell me their likes and even their dislikes. This helps me grow as an author – letting me know where I hit the mark and missed it entirely so that I can foster my strengths and learn from my mistakes. I welcome all questions, comments, criticisms, ideas, etc.
Some Get to know me Questions
What’s the best vacation you ever had?
Cancun, Spring Break, right after college. A friend and I couldn’t really afford to go during college, but we more than made up for it. It was exactly what I needed at a tough time in my life. Now, I am more a lay-on-the-beach picking lint out of my bellybutton kind of guy.
What’s your favourite rainy day movie?
That’s tough. I know I’d never pass up Evil Dead 2, Big Trouble in Little China, The Princess Bride, Better Off Dead, or The Shawshank Redemption.
If you could be any age again for a week, which would you choose and why?
18. I’ve already lived a good portion of this life. I’d move far away and start a whole new timeline, see where else life could take me.
If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would it be?
Personally witnessed (as in actually there and not seeing on TV)? Humankind’s first steps on the moon.
What's you favourite place to read?
In a Jacuzzi.
When you walk into a book store, where do you head first?
The Horror section… if they have one ☹
If you had a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would buy?
A small place with a yard and a companion for my dog.
Author Bio
In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls Southeastern Massachusetts his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides with his cuddly corgi, Calypso.
In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge... as a civil litigator. When he tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried, and finalized within the 60-minute time-frame they see on TV, he traded in his cheap suits for flip-flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field... sorta. But that’s another story.
When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except for the one with that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in on knot or takes somebody’s head off). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.
Thanks for participating in the blog tour and for the interview!
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing the interview!!
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