15) Tess, I’ve noticed you write a lot of mixed
genre novels. Why is that and why not one genre or the other?
I
like writing complex situations, and dropping my protagonists in those
situations. I write myself into a corner with them, then work my way out. Their
feelings are real, everything they are going through is real. Mixed genre is
complex, just like life.
Of
all my works, The Rift was the only
one that did not have romance genre. The primary event that kicked off the
story was a breakup.
14) I’ve also noticed that, unlike many authors
today, you write standalones. Is there a specific reason why you don’t write
series?
After
I finished the first draft of The Right Side
of Wrong, I was wrecked. That book tore me up. I took a little break from
it and wrote three novelettes (Whiskey Angel, The Rift, and Do Not Harm). After
that, I was able to dive into the sequel for that book, “The Good Side of
Evil.” I am also currently working on a series; a mixed genre legal thriller.
13) Whiskey Angel seems to be your sole historical novel. What led
you to set it in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
This
came from a dream I had. A friend of mine has a daughter who just turned 16 at
the time. A bunch of us were teasing him that he would have to get the shotgun,
and my brain just kind of went there. I drafted it the moment I woke.
12) I’ve also noticed that your novels tend to
be romantic suspense, such as The Right Side
of Wrong which is about
a contract killer who’s been hired to kill the woman with whom he falls in
love. What gave you the idea to run with that?
The Right Side
of Wrong
took more than three years to write. There are many aspects of the storyline that
I have personal experience with; at times it is very dark. My first draft of
the work read like a diary. It was gruesome and unpublishable as a first person
account of abuse. It was because of this that I ended up writing it in the
third person.
11) Do No Harm continues your eclectic tendency to infuse romance
with one another genre, in this case, a medical thriller. How did you research
medicine for that book?
My
son was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy and I went to visit him in the hospital. I
walked through many corridors to get to his room, at times, the areas were so
old. I ended up getting lost and wound up in the hallway that led to the
morgue. I got the feeling I wasn’t alone. It was if the walls spoke to me,
wanting me to know their hidden secrets. I snapped a couple photos, came home
and drafted the storyline that night.
10) Of all your novels, which one were you most
tempted to follow up on?
The Right Side
of Wrong.
I have to; it has a cliffhanger at the end. I’ve written the beginning and the
ending. I now have to join the two ends to the middle.
9) Describe your typical writing day. Do you
set up a daily word goal, do you draft on notebook then type them up or do you
exclusively use a laptop?
I
keep a notebook around at all times. When I have a thought, I write it down. I
may also take pictures with my phone of things I see. I’ll jot down my feelings
and digest it all later. I’ll sit down at the PC later that evening and transcribe
my thoughts. I don’t generally have a word goal. I may sit and write only an
hour or two, or some days write all day.
8) Plotter or pantser?
Plotter
to start, pantser to finish, generally plotting the ending before I even start
on the manuscript.
7) In college, you’d studied law and
psychology. To what extent have those disciplines informed your fiction or have
they, yet?
It’s
helped me quite a lot with plotting storyline, and what might go on inside the
head of a protagonist or an antagonist. You’ll see more of the psychological in
the sequel to The Right Side of Wrong.
I’ve also written the first in a series of legal thrillers. The final draft is
nearly complete. This new series is based mostly in law, dealing with psychotic
lawyers and criminals.
6) It’s an ugly reality but you’d addressed it
on your wixsite website. You’re a victim of domestic violence. How did you
finally find your way out of such a toxic situation and what message do you
hope to impart to female readers living under similar circumstances?
Everyone
at any time may find that they are in a situation seemingly inextricable. For
me, it seemed so, anyhow. I’ve learned that no matter how hopeless the
situation may be, or how helpless you may feel, there are people that are
willing to step up and help you. You just have to have courage to accept that
help.
I
lived in an abusive relationship for 14 years. I had tried to escape it, so
many times too numerous to count. And each time, he would find me. And every
time, he would drag me back. And each beating would be more severe than the last.
The hatred in me for this monster built. I stowed cash away and laid in wait,
and when I saw my opportunity to get away, I did not hesitate, nor did I look
back. It would not have been possible without help, and there is no shame in
that. It’s been 27 years and not once have I regretted leaving.
One
thing I would like to tell anyone being abused is that none of this is your
fault. I used to think that it was, that something that I did warranted the
maltreatment. But nobody has the right to harm another person, and nothing a
person could do could warrant such abuse. Don’t believe them when they say that
they will change. Don’t wait for that to happen, because it won’t. Don’t think
that you have to get out on your own, it’s okay to have help. And once you get
out, don’t look back.
5) You appear to have an unabiding fascination
with thriller author Jonas Saul, someone you’d called “the greatest writer
ever.” Who else had influenced/inspired you?
I’ve
read many good works. Jonas is quite brilliant, at times beating out Steven
King in author rankings. He has
mentored me in my writing. I’ve read many other author’s works as well that
speak to me: Gareth Worthington, Stu Jones, Mary Ting, Thommy Hudson and so
many others.
4) Are there any genres you would never infuse
with romance? If so, what are they?
If
I were to write something motivational, religious other self-help, I would
likely avoid infusing anything to that genre.
3) Have you ever had the urge to write a
straight up thriller without a romantic angle?
I
have. I’ve been kicking something around for a few months, and it seems something
I will likely pursue. It will definitely be infused with law and/or psychology
(in the end, your write what you know).
2) What were your favorite books while growing
up?
I
loved Charlotte’s Web as a child. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Hakkie, read
this to me. I loved the book so much, that when I had the means later in life,
I secured a first edition hard copy of the work. The only other thing I recall
reading was Shakespeare. I own the complete collection of his works. Hamlet is
my favorite tragedy.
I
spent quite a lot of time with my great aunt and uncle. My aunt would have me
read Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” while my uncle would have me read
several newspapers. He was an old newspaper man from Chicago and would often
tell me stories of how he worked to get his stories.
1) What’s next for Tess Burnside?
As
many know, I work in the legal profession in order to support my writing habit.
I hope to be able to retire someday and write full time. Until then, I get my
sporadic nightly “fix” and write when I can.
Currently
on the horizon, I will be completing the sequel to The Right Side of Wrong,
entitled “The Good Side of Evil.” The story will pick up where the last one
left off, with a surprise ending nobody will see coming. I also plan to finish
edits and pitch the first in a series of legal thriller novels. I have outlines
for several books in this series are already prepared.
You
can discover more about Tess Burnside and her work by following the links
below.
