Welcome Back to Pottersville: Interview with Author Tess Burnside

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 19^th and early 20^th 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.