Heading into the dark with Stacy Green

Today I get to interview Stacy Green, author of the recently released Into the Dark. I'm planning to read Into the Dark soon and I know I shall enjoy it. I also know I'll enjoy this interview, as I really enjoyed my visit to Stacy's blog back in October. So, welcome Stacy and it's good to "see" you here.

Thanks so much to Sheila for having me today!

I read on your website that you stay home and play writer while looking after children. It sounds like a busy life. What would a typical writing day look like for you?

It is a busy life, and I’m lucky that for the last several months, I’ve only got one part-timer. She’s a pretty easy kid, so I’m able to work a bit, then play with her, then work, etc. She also takes a great nap, and I’m able to get a lot done. Once 3:30 hits, though, all bets are off. My daughter gets home from school (she’s in first grade) and then its time for homework, fun stuff, and swim team. I’d like to say I work once she goes to bed, but by then I’m usually beat and any work I do is usually social media stuff.

How long have you been writing? When did you first realize you might like to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember, but after high school, I never really thought it would happen. I was instructed to go into magazine journalism because that’s where writers who will “never be published” go. I followed the rules and then went into advertising for several years. It wasn’t until I became a stay-at-home-mom in 2006 that I really started writing again.

I headed into math instead of writing, so a slightly different path. You understand though, now your book’s coming out you can’t say you’re playing writer anymore. This is work. Does the thought of writing being work dismay you?

No. It’s the one thing I feel I have some real skill at, and what I truly love to do. I’m SO LUCKY to be able to be home all day and make my own schedule. Even with the little one, I have things pretty easy, and she is a great break from the stress.

They're still a great break from stress when they get big too, though they do cause their own different stresses. I remember you said you wrote a romance that will never see the light of day. Then you wrote suspense. Do you prefer writing suspense, and what do you like best about writing it?

To be honest, I don’t know why I ever wrote that romance novel. It’s also a drama/suspense, and I honestly had no idea about plotting or craft when I wrote it. I just wrote. And then when I decided I was going to try to write something for publication, I focused on suspense because it’s what I love. I love that feeling that something is coming, of trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle, and the nervous energy you get when you’re reading a great suspense novel. That’s what I hope to accomplish with my books. And as I venture further into my writing career, I’m really going into psychological suspense, because I love trying to figure out what makes people tick.

What don’t you like about that first romance novel, and how do you decide what you like or don’t like about your own writing?

For one thing–get ready for it–it’s nearly 400,000 words! (Ah!) There are actually some really good parts to it, but like I said, I knew nothing about plotting, so I just wrote as it came to me.

As for what I like or don’t like about my own, that’s tough. I think I’m good at description, at making the reader feel as though he/she is in the scene. But I have to be careful I don’t get too carried away and to remember to write what the reader needs to know. So it’s a fine line.

And I’m terrible about comparing myself to other authors. Reading is essential to getting better, but it’s also tough sometimes. And I think we all go through that.

Do you prefer reading suspense, and what do you expect to find in a good suspense novel?

Yes, suspense and thrillers. First off, I want a villain I can’t figure out. I’m pretty good at that, and I love books that keep me guessing until the very end. Most of Lisa Gardner’s books are like that, and I just read Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton that had me guessing the whole time. Loved it. Also love a great main character who isn’t just a cliché of someone on television.

Do you prefer suspense novels where the evil character is pure evil or where there’s some good in or good excuse for his/her/its behavior?

I love a villain who isn’t all bad. That’s why Hannibal Lecter and Dexter are such great characters. Both–even Lecter–have rules and redeeming qualities. You can’t help but like them, especially Dexter. To me, that adds a whole other layer to the book.

How much research goes into your novels?

Oh man, a lot. And more with each book. For Into The Dark, I did a lot of research into Las Vegas and the storm drain system. I also had to learn a fair amount about SWAT. And because of my villain’s history, I had to freshen up on my knowledge of the old South. And my next book, Tin God, has some serious legal and religious issues in it, so that meant more research. I’ve also interviewed excerpts, especially for the trilogy I’m plotting now. But I love the research–it’s such a key component of a tight plot and good description.

Which comes first, character or plot?

For me, depends on the book. With Into The Dark, Nathan and the idea of his being a SWAT officer came first. And then the plot wove itself around the storm drains and so on. With Tin God, the heroine came first because she truly drives the book. And now with the trilogy, it’s a mixture of both. And I think that’s different for every author.

What question do you keep wishing someone would ask, and what’s your answer to it?

Ooh. That’s tough. The first thing that comes to mind is “What are your goals with the Charity Blog Tour for Into The Dark?”

And the answer is simply to give back. Although the storm drains and their inhabitants don’t have a lot of scenes, they are an integral part of Into The Dark’s plot. I can honestly say that without the discovery of the homeless living in the drains, Into The Dark wouldn’t have near the depth it does. Writing the book around such a harsh reality really made me dig deep for the character’s motivations. The least I can do is try to give back. That’s why the Charity Tour gives readers the option of donating to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that assists the homeless, and the grand prize is a donation from me to the shelter of the winner’s choice.

Thanks so much to Sheila for having me! 

Thank you for visiting my blog Stacy. I really enjoyed your answers.

And now, dear readers, read on for your chance to... 

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The homeless living in the storm drains of Las Vegas played a vital part in INTO THE DARK, and I want to give back. From November 1^st until February 28^th, participants will have several options to enter the raffle, including donating to HELP of Southern Nevada. The grand prize will be a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless shelter of their choice.

And there’s more! To celebrate the release of INTO THE DARK, I’m giving you TWO ways to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! Both options will get your name into the drawing, which runs from November 5^th until the end of my blog tour on January 30^th.

Entry Option 1: Earns FIVE entries in the contest. Email Stacy your receipt of purchase (simply copy and paste proof of the order into the email, excluding personal information) of INTO THE DARK or the answer to this question: in what state was the Taker born and raised?

Entry Option 2: Earns TWO entries in the Contest. Donate to HELP of Southern Nevada and help the homeless. Readers can go to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that aids the homeless featured in INTO THE DARK, and donate. Email Stacy the receipt (personal information excluded). No donation is too small!

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy INTO THE DARK!

I know I shall enjoy it, and I'm sure others will too after reading the following excerpt. Thank you for letting me post it here Stacy.

An Excerpt from Into The Dark

Stale air washed over Nathan as soon as he stepped into the room. Half of the track lighting flickered. Old equipment and boxes of office supplies littered the unused space. Two paramedics stood talking to an auburn-haired woman—Emilie. Her head was bent so that her hair shielded her face. She looked smaller and more fragile than Nathan had imagined. In the far corner of the room, Johnson and Chris struggled to force the door open.

“Bastard jammed it shut,” Chris said as Nathan inspected the door. It was made of sturdy oak. Rusting metal rods held the planks together.

“This sucker is old, Nate. Our perp didn’t put it here.”

“How the hell did he know about it?”

“Ram’s here,” Johnson said. “Let’s get in there.”

The door splintered open after several blows from the ram. A fetid scent oozed out from the gaping crack.

“Damn.” Chris gagged. “That’s rank.”

Weapon raised, Nathan peered over his shoulder into the dark opening. At first glance it appeared to be nothing more than a crude hole in the wall, but on closer inspection, he realized it was a long, narrow passageway. Decaying redwood posts supported the walls. Warped plywood served as a makeshift ceiling.

“Give me some light.” Johnson led the group single file over the threshold. “Be ready. The son-of-a-bitch is probably hiding.”

Nathan flipped on his Glock’s tactical light and shined the beam in the tunnel. The walls of earth rippled with the movement of insects as they sought refuge from the foreign light. The cobwebs were so thick in places the ceiling couldn’t be seen.

Find Stacy Online:

Twitter: StacyGreen26

Facebook: Stacy Green, Author

Web: www.stacygreen.net

Amazon Author Page:

Buy Into The Dark

Author Bio:

Stacy Green is fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind and explores true crime on her popular Thriller Thursday posts at her blog, Turning the Page. 

After earning her degree in journalism, Stacy worked in advertising before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. She rediscovered her love of writing and wrote several articles for Women’s Edition Magazine of Cedar Rapids, profiling local businesses, before penning her first novel. Her debut novel, Into The Dark, is set in Las Vegas and features a heroine on the edge of disaster, a tormented villain, and the city’s infamous storm drains that house hundreds of homeless. Available November 30^th, Into the Dark may be purchased for Kindle, Nook, Ipad, Kobo and all other digital formats, and on paperback via Amazon.