Do you watch TV and if so, what do you watch?
I do - and for the most part the shows I watch have nothing to do with crime and punishment. I adore Mad Men and True Blood. The Office and 30 Rock always make me laugh, and I watch them with the family. We’re also American Idol junkies and have a party every week during the season with equally addicted friends. And if I need a bit of dependable, brain-numbing, stare-at-the-tube time, HGTV is my go-to fave.
Is there something you can share that readers might not already know about you?
I’m sort of a klutz. Not the trip over myself while I’m walking kind, but the any kind of sports, mechanical device kind. Some illustrious examples from my past: First time I tried to ride a bicycle, I went careening into a ditch. Got on my brother’s mini bike, confused accelerating for braking. It wasn’t pretty. Tried horseback riding with grim results. The first time I drove after I got my license, I nearly caused a fifteen car pile-up. Most recently, I dropped a Kettlebell on my foot. I’d thought I’d outgrown it, but the Kettlebell incident made me realize I’ve only learned to compensate. The safest place for me, it seems, is sitting in front of my computer!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was about ten years old I wrote a story about a woman whose husband was trying to kill her. They lived in a big house at the top of a mountain. The husband’s dastardly plan for delivering death? A big rock placed under her brake pedal. When she started down that mountain and went to brake--careening over the side she would go! Even with that, I didn’t realize I wanted to be a writer until twenty years later. My killers have gotten a lot more clever since then, but their hearts are still in the same place. And so, apparently, is mine.
What inspires your muse?
Life. Being out among people. Sneaking off to a movie in the middle of the day. Eavesdropping on conversations. The quiet. A coming storm. Prayer. Being alone. Walking. Christmas lights. It may sound like a lot, but you should see the list of things that shuts her down! (Yes, my muse is a she.)
Do you ever scare yourself?
Absolutely. My pulse will race right along with my character's! I also find myself cringing, holding my breath and wincing. Since I do alot of my writing at a coffee house, I've caught people looking at me strangely. I'm sure they think I am a complete nut job.
Who is Detective Stacy Killian?
My readers first met Stacy Killian in SEE JANE DIE. Jane’s sister, a homicide detective with the Dallas, Texas police force, was tough and testy, loyal and smart, with a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder.
As I wrote SEE JANE DIE, Stacy kept trying to take the story away from Jane. Finally, after I promised Stacy I’d write her story, she quieted down. I kept my promise, brought her to New Orleans and paired Spencer Malone, bringing back the Malone family who I’d created in BONE COLD.
Until Stacy, I’d only written stand alone novels. And although I still write stand alones, Stacy and the Malones pop up every few books, demanding their stories be continued.
More Titles from Erica Spindler
*indicates a Stacy Killian/Malone Series 2013 DON’T LOOK BACK* (coming June, 2013) 2011 WATCH ME DIE*
2007 LAST KNOWN VICTIM*
2005 KILLER TAKES ALL*
2004 SEE JANE DIE* (re-released 2009) 2001 BONE COLD* (re-released 2010)
Stand Alones Novels: 2010 BLOODVINES
2009 BREAKNECK
2006 COPYCAT
2003 IN SILENCE (re-released 2009) 2002 DEAD RUN (re-released 2011) 2000 ALL FALL DOWN
1999 CAUSE FOR ALARM
1998 SHOCKING PINK
1997 FORTUNE
1996 FORBIDDEN FRUIT
1995 RED (re-released 2008)
What They’re Saying About Erica Spindler
"Filled with more twisted, dark paths than an ancient cemetery, WATCH ME DIE is a thriller guaranteed to chill your blood and set your teeth on edge." ~Lisa Jackson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author on WATCH ME DIE
"Get ready to stay up all night...The latest Erica Spindler has arrived and it's time for another pulse-pounding, page-turning, absolutely can't-put-it-down, roller-coaster ride of a read!" ~Lisa Gardner, New York Times Bestselling Author of LIVE TO TELL, on BLOOD VINES
"Filled with well-developed, multidimensional characters, Spindler's latest boasts fast-paced action and emotional tension...the intricately woven plot makes this novel a sure winner for readers who like to keep guessing all the way to the end." ~Romantic Times on BREAKNECK
J.T. ELLISON – Blood Sugar Baby
(Metro Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson)
An "Occupy Nashville" protester is found dead on the sidewalk, but this isn't an ordinary victim, and Taylor Jackson must contain the story and identify the killer before he strikes again.