Rachael Tamayo - Where Dark Twists Thrill

Rachael Tamayo is a former 911 emergency operator and police dispatcher. After twelve years in those dark depths, she’s gained a unique insight into mental illness, human behavior, and the general darkness of humanity that she likes to weave into her books. A formerly exclusive romance author tried her hand at thrillers in her award-winning novel, Crazy Love, and loved it so much that she decided not to turn back. Rachael is also the author of the internationally renowned domestic thriller, “Break My Bones and her newest novel Carnal Knowledge, the second in the critically acclaimed stand-alone Deadly Sins Series is out this July. Born and raised in Texas, Rachael lives in the Houston area with her husband of sixteen years, and their two small children. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Carnal knowledge.

Please give us a short introduction to what Carnal Knowledge is about.

It’s about lust, in more forms than one. Lust as in- a craving for something, a hunger that is hard to satisfy. It’s not about sex. About a killer that’s obsessed with something we don’t understand until the end – his lust being a mystery- Wren’s lust for peace in her life but death following her everywhere she goes. It’s a twisted tale with layered characters that have dark, human desires.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

I want each of my deadly sins novels to stand out. I don’t want them to blend into the background of the thousands of other psychological thrillers out there. That’s what I am thinking about when I put these stories together. It’s my goal, to have the reader close the book on a tale they won’t forget- or confuse with something else they read. I wrote this story around the end of the book, which I had before I had any other part of the story. I knew how I wanted it to end, and I crafted the rest around that.

Why did you decide to feature a serial killer's hit list in this story?

Writing is such a fluid process, in one of my drafts, I decided that it was the best way to go. I’d never written anything about a serial killer, and decided that writing it from the side of a woman pursued by the killer would stand out in the world of psychological crime novels. Usually serial killer novels are written from either the killer or the detective's perspective.

You are a former 911 emergency operator and police dispatcher. How have your job experiences influenced your writing?

Yes, for sure. I have seen sides to people that most haven’t. I have knowledge and insight into the many ways that people react to trauma, and the way others around them react to that. That coupled with the large amount of training and experience that I have with mentally ill 911 callers and how to deal with them, and my experience as a negotiator, I work all that into the books in ways that make the characters very real, relatable, and layered creatures.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

My years as a 911 dispatcher left with a wicked sense of urgency and an amazing ability to multitask. I’ve been teased, “not everything is a 911 emergency,” when I get going 100 miles an hour to take care of a problem. That being said, sometimes I just don’t know how to slow down.

Interesting cover. Please tell us more about how this came about.

This is a great story. I was at my last 911 conference in Galveston, Texas before I retired from the department and the keynote speaker at the end was none other than Elizabeth Smart. I was so excited to hear her in person I was practically having an out of body experience- you know? While I was listening to her I got the idea for the series. My ideas tend to work like a derailed train. They start one way and then go off on their own- which this one did- and the idea for the Deadly Sins series was born.

Carnal Knowledge forms part of the Deadly Sins Series. How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Each book in the series will be a stand alone thriller. Characters won’t repeat. You can read them in any order you wish. The thread that binds them is the Deadly sins themselves. Each sin (one of the seven) will be it’s own original story in the series with it’s own characters and setting.

The character I am working on in my current work in progress is giving me fits. She’s the most difficult character I’ve ever created to date.

You used to write romance exclusively. What made you try your hand at thrillers?

Thrillers was always a goal. I worried I’d never be good enough to try my hand at something as complex as that. Even after I wrote the award winner, Crazy Love, I was scared to take the romance out of the books. Now that I have, I can stand back and really feel that I am a full fledged thriller author. I feel like I met a huge life goal in conquering this fear.

The story has some twists and turns. Did you plan it all out before you started writing, or did some of it just "happen" along the way?

I planned them. I love nothing more than a book that leaves me with my jaw hanging open in shock, so I get a wicked form of glee when I do the same to my readers. Just wait—My next book is being announced this month, and it’s so full of twists you won’t know what’s going on until you get to the last chapter. I love writing shocking endings.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

I have to break a little between books. I get so deep into my characters and stories it’s a bit jarring to thrust myself into something new, and can be really hard to form the bond I need to get into the story to properly write it. It can take some time. That’s the first thing I do.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I write in pieces. I rarely sit and write all day. I tend to write when it “feels” right, when it flows properly. I’ve been known to toss half a book and go back to the start and begin again over and over until it’s right. It’s the only way I know how to write.

What are you working on right now?

Actually, I’m working on two books. I’ve just started working on the book about the sin of Sloth with co-author Isabella Adams, and I’m working through the sin of Jealousy as well. The next book, Mine-the sin of Greed, is coming out in February 2022 and will be on preorder in just a couple of weeks.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

You can find me on my website at www.RachaelTamayowrites.com, and follow me on TikTok for fun videos and exclusive live readings @rachaeltamayowrites