Talking with the author about Sister Dear
How did publishing your first book change your process of
writing, if at all?
With
each book my process has become more streamlined, but the biggest change is
that, five books in, I feel more in control. That doesn’t necessarily mean it
gets easier. Self-doubt always, always
creeps in, particularly when I’m writing my first “skeleton draft,” which is a
first, very loose version nobody will ever see. It’s rough, dirty
and…terrible—my skeleton drafts always have been. However, I’ve learned to
trust my writing process. If I can get the bones of the story on paper, I’ll
add layers and complexity as I go over the novel again and again in preparation
for my editor’s eyes. I accept the finer details will come as I work through
the story. Just like most people who draw, paint, or write music or books, the
first draft will never be my best work. I’m glad I’ve accepted that because it
stops me from being overly self-critical when I start a project. I’m also more
disciplined than in the past because I have deadlines. And I’ve always loved
deadlines—especially beating them.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend
researching before beginning a book?
It
depends on the novel. For Time After Time
(my debut, a rom com) there were geographical considerations, and, as the novel
took place from the 1980s to the 2010s, I had to ensure my references to pop
culture were accurate. In The Neighbors,
Her Secret Son and Sister Dear (suspense / psychological
thrillers) there were similar geographical issues to consider, but I also had
to research legal details. I sought the help from an advisor from child
services, a lawyer, a medical examiner, and a police detective, to name but a
few. I’m continually amazed how people are so incredibly generous with their
time, knowledge and expertise when I call and say, “I’m an author, honest, and
I have a few weird questions.” For example, fellow author Bruce Robert Coffin
is a retired police detective, and he’s helped me get away with fictional
murder multiple times. His input is incredible!
I
don’t do a lot of research before I start writing but tend to put placeholders
for areas that need fleshing out, and go back to them after I’ve finished my
first draft. That way I’m not spending hours on facts that don’t make the cut,
or getting sidetracked by facts which are interesting, but potentially irrelevant
to the story.
Which thriller author inspired you to get into this genre?
Jennifer
Hillier. I was waiting for my son at our local library when I spotted her
debut, Creep, on a shelf. Intrigued
by the cover, I picked it up, read the blurb and took it home. I devoured it in
a matter of days and it was career changing.
When
I was younger, I mainly read thrillers, but after a personal tragedy in my
early 20s, the only thing I could stomach was light-hearted reads. Creep reminded me of my love of
thrillers, and I realized the second book I was working on, The Neighbors, was far grittier than my
debut. Jennifer’s book gave me that final push I needed to cross over to the
dark side. Fun fact: we live in the same town and have become great friends. Jennifer
is an inspiration and fiercely talented, and I have all her books. I’ll read
anything she writes!
What's the one element of a thriller novel that is a MUST?
Plot
twists and secrets. I want to be surprised when I’m reading a thriller, although
that can be said for any genre, so I guess you need to throw in a dead body or
two somewhere as well.
Where do you get your ideas?
So
far, I can pinpoint exactly how each book started. Time After Time is a story about a woman who’s unhappy with her
life, which was me when we moved to Canada and my HR company crashed and
burned, although the rest of the novel is fictional. The idea for The Neighbors came to me when two houses
on our courtyard went up for sale, and I wondered who might move in. Her Secret Son stemmed from a news
segment I saw while I was at the gym (probably wishing I were eating cake
instead).
I’ll
elaborate a little more for Sister Dear:
I heard a radio segment about a woman who’d found a wedding ring at a
playground and was trying to locate the owner through social media. It got me
thinking—what if the woman found out the ring’s owner had a dream life, and
felt jealous? The more I thought about it, the more twisted things became. I realized
the individuals had to be related somehow, and if I made them half-sisters it
would add to the drama and intrigue. It seems some of the most despicable acts
are carried out within families. That was something I wanted to explore.
Has there ever been a moment in your life that inspired one
of your thriller novels?
No, I can honestly say that, thankfully, my books aren’t
true crime! I do sprinkle little details here and there my family might
recognize. Superman pajamas, a stuffed toy, those kinds of things, but
otherwise I don’t pull from my life.
What is your writing process like?
Very
structured, and the more I write, the more I plan. My novels start with an
idea—something that pops into my head such as the radio segment for Sister Dear, or a newspaper article or a
discussion I overheard. I noodle the thoughts around for a while as the main
characters take shape. The next step is to write an outline. I start by jotting
down the big picture plot points, which I then use as stepping-stones to build
and write the rest of the outline. I fill out personality questionnaires for my
main characters to understand them better, and search for photos on the
internet to build a gallery I stick on my pin-board. By this point I’m raring
to go.
At
first, I write a basic, largely unedited manuscript that’s about two-thirds of
the final word count, then layer and develop until I’m happy calling it a first
draft, and send it to my wonderful editor, Emily. That’s when the real editing
work begins, which is incredibly exciting because I know the story will become
a thousand times better with her expert input.
Do you find it easier to write character and dialogue for
the opposite sex because you are the opposite sex? (A woman writing a man’s
part and dialogue for example).
I love writing men and women equally,
dialogue, and otherwise. My first experience of writing a male point of view
character was in The Neighbors, and I
adored working on Nate’s chapters. In Her
Secret Son, the entire book is written from Josh’s point of view, and it
was such a great challenge to do so. Sister
Dear is exclusively told by my protagonist Eleanor, but next year’s book
features three characters, two women and one man. The one after that will be a
man’s point of view and I’m itching to get started because I can hear his very
distinctive voice in my head.
To
be honest, I try not to overthink whether I’m writing a man or a woman. The
important thing is to give them a voice, develop their character, and make them
seem as real to the reader as they are to me.
When you're not working on your latest novel, what do you like
to do for fun?
I love getting outdoors for a hike, I’m a huge fan of the
movies (I love the trailers!), I go to the gym and participate in a few
obstacle runs in the summer (I live for the mud and obstacles, I’m rubbish at
the running part). We have three teenage boys, so my husband and I spend time
with them as often as they’ll let us. Watching films as a family is one of my
favourite things. There’s something deeply comforting about us having a laugh
together and just hanging out.
What kind of advice would you give
to aspiring thriller READERS?
Try
different sub-genres, of which there are many. Perhaps you love police
procedurals, or psychological thrillers may fascinate you. Maybe you don’t want
something overly graphic, so cozies might be to your taste, or alternatively
you could go hard-boiled noir. I think some people have the impression
thrillers are all blood, guts and gore, but that’s not the case. There’s
something for everyone. Take Jill Orr, author of the Riley Ellison Mystery
series. Sure, people die in her books, but her novels are laugh-out-loud funny.
She’s a comedic genius.
What advice do you have for writers?
Read
as much and often as you can and listen to audio books. I wrote an article
about how the latter make you a better author here. Write, even if you think it’s
rubbish, because an empty page is impossible to edit. Another tip someone once
suggested was to skip ahead if I couldn’t get a grasp on a chapter or scene,
that I should focus on another part of the manuscript and trust myself enough
to backfill later. It was revolutionary to me, and it beats the heck out of
staring at a blank page or shoving my hand in the cookie jar. Also, I was
advised to read my manuscript out loud. Every. Single. Word. Doing so helps
avoid repetition, improves cadence, and zaps stilted dialogue. And, finally,
share your work. It can be scary, but it’s the only way you’ll get feedback and
improve your craft.
What is the first book that made you
cry?
I have absolutely no idea, but the last one was Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. I was
a blubbering mess, which doesn’t happen very often! Stiff British upper lip and
all that.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Self-doubt.
Having some isn’t a bad thing, but you can’t let it rule you or you’ll never
finish a manuscript. Also, if I don’t have a deadline I tend to procrastinate,
so I set my own, and make sure I beat them.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Yes,
absolutely. When I was in my thirties we had three kids in 16 months (twins the
second time around, I’m not an alien, I promise) and while my husband was a
stay-at-home dad, I was the CEO of a European IT recruitment company. I was so
busy, I don’t think I picked up a novel in five years, and I missed them
dearly. I’m so glad reading books is such a large part of my job now, and I
love every minute.
Author:
Hannah Mary McKinnon
ISBN:
9780778309550
Publication
Date: May 26, 2020
Publisher:
MIRA Books
Book
Summary:
In Hannah Mary McKinnon’s psychological thriller, SISTER DEAR (MIRA Trade; May 26, 2020;
$17.99), the obsession of Single White
Female meets the insidiousness of You,
in a twisted fable about the ease
of letting in those who wish us harm, and that mistake’s dire consequences.
The day he dies, Eleanor Hardwicke discovers her
father – the only person who has ever loved her – is not her father. Instead,
her biological father is a wealthy Portland businessman who wants nothing to do
with her and to continue his life as if she doesn’t exist. That isn’t going to
work for Eleanor.
Eleanor decides to settle the score. So, she
befriends his daughter Victoria, her perfect, beautiful, carefree half-sister
who has gotten all of life’s advantages while Eleanor has gotten none.
As she grows closer to Victoria, Eleanor’s obsession
begins to deepen. Maybe she can have the life she wants, Victoria’s life, if
only she can get close enough.
Teaser Excerpt:
Chapter
1
The
police didn’t believe me.
A jury wouldn’t have, either, if I’d gone on trial, and most
definitely not the judge. My attorney had more than a few reservations about my
story. Ms. Allerton hadn’t said as much. She didn’t need to. I saw it in her
eyes, could tell by the way she shuffled and reshuffled her papers, as if doing
so might shake my lies clean off the pages, leaving only the truth behind in
her inky, royal blue swirls.
After our first meeting I’d concluded she must’ve known
early on—before she shook my hand with her icy fingers—that I was a liar.
Before she’d walked into the room in shiny, four-inch heels, she’d no doubt
decided she’d heard my excuses, or a variation thereof, from countless clients
already. I was yet another person claiming to be innocent. Another criminal who’d
remained adamant they’d done nothing wrong, it wasn’t their fault, honest, despite the overwhelming amount
of evidence to the contrary, a wall of impending doom surrounding me.
And still, at the time I’d believed the only reason Ms.
Allerton had taken on my case pro-bono was because of the amount of publicity
it gave her firm. Reducing my sentence—for there would be one—would amplify her
legacy as a hot-shot lawyer. I’d accepted her help. There was no other option.
I needed her knowledge, her expertise, saw her as my final hope. I now know her
motivations were something else I’d miscalculated. All hope extinguished. Game
over.
If I’m being fair, the judgements Ms. Allerton and other
people had made about me weren’t completely wrong. I had told lies, some, anyway. While that stripped away part of my
claim to innocence, it didn’t mean I was entirely guilty. Not of the things
everybody said I’d done. Things I’d had no choice but to confess to, despite
that being my biggest lie of all.
But I’ll tell you the truth. The whole truth and nothing
but. I’ll start at the beginning, and share everything that happened. Every
last detail leading up to one fateful night. The night someone died because of
me. The night I lost you, too.
I won’t expect your forgiveness. Our relationship—or lack
thereof—will have gone way beyond that point. No. All I can hope for, is that
my side of the story will one day help you understand why I did the things I
did.
And
why I have to do the things I’ve not yet done.
Excerpted from Sister Dear by Hannah
Mary McKinnon, Copyright © 2020 by Hannah McKinnon.
Published by MIRA Books
Author
Bio:
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in
the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful
career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is
now the author of The Neighbors and Her Secret Son. She lives in Oakville,
Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second
commute.
Social
Links:
Twitter: @HannahMMcKinnon
Instagram: @hannahmarymckinnon
Facebook: @HannahMaryMcKinnon
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