About those dark themes... What draws you to them?
I’ve identified a few reasons. Ironically, my first book, Time After Time, is a rom-com. When I wrote it, I’d recently moved to Canada, my start-up company had failed and I was miserable. Looking back, I think I was trying to write my own happy ending. Once things got back on track I shifted to suspense. People might not believe this because of what I write, but I’m a very happy, jokey person. Actually, it seems the happier I am, the darker my stories become.
Writing suspense also allows me to dig into my fears from the safety of my keyboard. It enables me to think about difficult, dangerous situations, see what my characters do once they’re in them, and how they’re changed at the end of that experience.
And finally, I’ve always been a rule follower, so my books are very much an exploration of what it’s like not to be the “good girl.” Best of all, none of it is real so I can go as dark and malicious as I please (or my editor will allow).
What research did you do for this novel?
That’s such a great question and I’ll bet my dubious search history has got me flagged on a few databases somewhere! I think the most unique bits of research were how allergy medication can jumble your memory, and how a person can die while working under a car. Like I said: dubious! I also had to research geographical locations, sought help from medical professionals, poison control and a librarian, to name a few.
I’m continually astounded by how people are so generous with their time, knowledge and expertise when I call on them for help. For example, fellow suspense author A.F. Brady read the entire novel and advised me with the psychological aspects, and Bruce Robert Coffin (a former detective sergeant, and bestselling author) has helped me get away with fictional murder multiple times. Their input was incredible!
Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?
I’ve had a long-standing love affair with both Lisa Jewell’s and David Nicholls’s books. I discovered Lisa Jewell’s first novel, Ralph’s Party, at the airport back in 1999 and have read and loved all her books ever since. She has a shelf to herself in my house. I adore how she expertly shifted from rom-com to family drama to domestic suspense throughout her career, and her storytelling always pulls me in.
A friend gave me David Nicholls’s One Day when it was published. I devoured it in a matter of days and bought all his other books so I could do the same. His characters are so rich, his dialogue perfect, his stories funny yet poignant, he’s an auto-buy author for me.
And then there’s Jennifer Hillier... While waiting for my son at our local library I spotted her debut, Creep, on a shelf. Intrigued by the cover, I picked it up, read the blurb, took it home and couldn’t put it down. It was a turning point in my writing career. When I was younger, I mainly read thrillers, but after a personal tragedy in my early 20s, I could only stomach lighthearted 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 to me and fiercely talented, and I have all her books. I’ll read anything she writes!
Tell us about your writing process. Any quirks?
I’m a very structured plotter. I’ll start off with an idea—something I read, saw, overheard, or a “what if” situation that pops into my brain. I’ll build my main character(s) around that to figure out whose story it is, and I’ll ask myself where those people are at the beginning of the story, and at the end. Next come major plot points, and those large stepping stones get further developed into about thirty smaller ones. Each smaller point gets broken down into scenes. I dig deeper into my cast by interviewing my main characters and building a photo gallery...and then, finally, I write. I admire people who don’t plot. I like to have a road map of where I think I’m going although my characters don’t always let me take them where I’d initially imagined.
What can you tell us about your next novel?
Oh, it’s another wicked story, of course. It’s the tale of Lucas, who’s set to inherit not only the fortune of his kidnapped and presumed dead wife, but also that of his ailing mother-in-law. When he receives a potentially more recent photograph of his spouse, the race to find her is on. Question is, does he want her alive...or would he prefer her dead? I’m having so much fun writing this novel, and I can’t wait for you to meet my characters.
ISBN-13: 9780369701022
You Will Remember Me
Copyright © 2021 by Hannah McKinnon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the productof the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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