Willow Rose – Inspired By Real Life

Willow Rose – Inspired By Real Life
author of the day

From paranormal thrillers to horror and mysteries, author Willow Rose has written them all, earning her the moniker “The Queen of Scream” in the process. In her wildly popular Jack Ryder series she writes about the trials and tribulations of homicide detective Jack Ryder. Today we talk to Rose about how actual events influence her writing, her secret to creating such compelling characters and what lies ahead for detective Jack.

 Please give us a short introduction to your Jack Ryder series

Jack Ryder is a homicide detective from Cocoa Beach, Fl. He is also a single and very devoted father of three - and an avid surfer. He is such a great guy, so likable. I love writing about him. In the first book he falls in love with Shannon King a famous country singer and their relationship develops during the books.

What is it that draws you to mystery, horror and paranormal thrillers?

I love the supernatural and you can feel it even in my mysteries and thrillers. I like the creepy and my books are often gritty and scary. That's why they named me the Queen of Scream I guess.

What made you choose to draw inspiration from actual events for the Jack Ryder books?

I do that in all my mysteries. I write a little note to the reader by the end of the book to explain what is real and I even leave links to the stories so they can read them. Real life inspires me because it so often surpasses anything you can make up yourself. And it makes it even creepier that it has actually happened. Like in one of the Jack Ryder books we follow a family trying to get out of Cuba in 1980, but so much bad happens to them you won't believe it if it wasn't actually true. We also follow a guy who has been in prison for something he didn't do for the most part of his life and now he gets out and tries to get back to life.

What aspect of the research for this series did you find the most interesting?

Most of my research is online, but I have traveled a couple of times to Europe for research/vacation. Recently we went to Savannah, and that you will see in the next Jack Ryder book, Black Jack.

I like to be inspired by stories and then make the rest up myself. But it is amazing the stories that are out there. You can't make that stuff up.

How difficult is it to maintain the suspense and intrigue in your books while still building up to a satisfying ending?

That's actually my favorite part. The plot. In my books you'll meet several people whose stories don't seem to have anything to do with each other, but at the end you'll realize it is all connected somehow and I make sure you'll be surprised when you realize how. That is a lot of fun.

You have a knack for creating characters who readers care about. What is your secret for creating compelling characters?

Oh wow. Thank you. I am happy to hear that. I think that I care a lot about them myself. And I try to make them have more than one side to them. Especially the bad guys. There is always a very good reason for them to be the way they are and I take my time to explain what happened to them. Their motives are important. And even my heroes mess up now and then. Just like the rest of us. I am also not afraid to make them be emotional. I spend more time writing about their emotions than describing what they look like or what the place they're at looks like.

How do you think Jack grew as a character over the course of the series?

I have just finished the fourth book and he is going through a lot of stuff in this. He is always trying to save everyone around him, especially Shannon, who is a lot more destructive and has a drinking problem, but at some point he has to realize that he won't be able to save everyone and he is not in control of everything.

Why did you give Jack Ryder a superstar girlfriend?

I thought it would be fun. I wanted her to be someone, not just his sidekick. She needed to have a career of her own and be strong. And I guess I always had a secret dream to be a singer and this way I get to live that life through her lol.

Which character did you find the most challenging to create for this series?

Jack. He is this great guy and that's what I wanted him to be, the guy who always wants to do what's right, but he needed some edge too and he just kept being this nice loving and caring guy. But I do love him and that is important for me. I was tired of reading about main characters who weren't likable. So many are drunk or not very nice. I have a lot of bad guys in my books, my main character doesn't need to be one too.

Tell us a bit about your writing habits. Do you plan out the plots of your books before you start writing?

It is very different, actually. Sometimes I dream something, other times it's just something that comes to me and I think, Hmm that's interesting or scary, maybe my readers will find it interesting or scary too. I always try to go places where I frighten myself, where there is pain or fear. Like recently I read a post on Facebook about a woman warning other mothers that she and her daughter were being approached by this man in Target and then afterwards in the parking lot outside and she had heard about this trafficking ring that targeted mothers and their children. Reading that post scared me like crazy so I knew I had to write about it. It turned out it was a hoax, but the idea was planted and soon it became a book.

What do you do when you are busy writing a book and the next idea is nagging at the back of your mind? Are you one of those authors who writes multiple books at a time?

I don't write multiple books at a time, but I do get ideas all the time even while writing. I have a document, actually several where I write these things down, so when I get to the time when I need to write it, all the ideas are there. Right now I have the next four books planned out. I used to worry that the ideas would stop coming, but I don't anymore. It's like the more I write, the more ideas I get.

Besides being a best-selling author, what other secret skills do you have?

I surf. That's my biggest passion besides writing and reading. I get the best ideas while being in the ocean.

What are you working on now? Will we see more of Jack Ryder soon?

I just finished the 4th Jack Ryder book, Black Jack and sent it to my editor this morning. You can actually pre-order it as of today. This one takes place in Savannah and was the most fun to write. Jack and Shannon have taken the family to Savannah to get married, but stumble upon a little girl who doesn't know where she is from or who her parents are. They take her in while working with the local police to figure out where she came from, and while trying to pull information out of her, strange stories are revealed that makes them wonder if she is telling them the truth or hiding secrets of her own. It is very scary, but also very emotional. I cried a few times when writing it.

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

My webpage: http://willow-rose.net/books 

or

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Willow-Rose/e/B004X2WHBQ

or

Interact at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowredrose

This deal has ended but you can read more about the book here.