We are delighted to welcome author Joe Hart to Omnimystery News today.
Joe's "Dominion Trilogy" opens with The Last Girl (Thomas & Mercer; March 2016 trade paperback, audiobook and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to spend some time with him talking about his new book.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to the lead characters of the Dominion Trilogy.
Photo provided courtesy of
Joe Hart
Joe Hart: My protagonist is Zoey, a young woman on the brink of turning 21 who's been held at an advance research compound all her life. She's never been given her last name, is accompanied almost everywhere by an assigned cleric to watch over her, and she and the other six women have strict rules and schedules to abide by within the compound. Zoey is smart, capable, and strong willed. Her instincts along with a fierce will to survive are her only weapons against the individuals keeping her prisoner. Other important characters range from Meeka, Zoey's best friend and fiery cohort, to Lily, a mentally and physically challenged girl with a gentle heart, and Lee, Zoey's love interest and her cleric's son.
OMN: Tell us something about The Last Girl that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
JH: One thing that isn't mentioned is the "safe zone" that the National Obstetric Alliance has told the women about. It is a safe haven established for them and their parents after their induction at age 21. The problem being no one's ever returned from the safe zone …
OMN: Your previous novels have been stand-alones. Why write a trilogy?
JH: Basically there was this enormous story I wanted to tell. Zoey came to me almost fully formed. Her decisions and struggle fit perfectly with where the trilogy was going to take her, and her character arc is one that lent itself to all three books. I think it's definitely a combination of factors when deciding on a series character but most comes from how they will evolve along with the plot.
OMN: Suppose Zoey were to interview you. What would her first question be?
JH: Zoey's first question would be, "Do you think women should be treated as equals and be able to make decisions for themselves?" which of course I would answer "Absolutely."
OMN: Into what genre or genres would you place your books?
JH: My work ranges from thrillers and suspense novels to dark fantasy and horror. I don't really like to pigeonhole myself into one certain genre or another, I truly enjoy writing in them all. I think there's an advantage and disadvantage to labeling one's work. One advantage is that people who read in a certain genre will be more likely to pick up your book if you've identified yourself as such or your books get referenced by a well known author in the genre. Disadvantages would be if you ever wanted to step out of that arena, you'd have a harder time gaining a new readership, especially if your prior readers didn't follow you over to the new genre. Honestly, I think it's best to write whatever you're truly passionate about and readers will eventually find you.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us. And where do you most often find yourself writing?
JH: My writing process is fairly straightforward. When an idea hits me or a character starts whispering in my ear I'll let the whole thing stew in the back of my mind for several weeks. Then I'll sit down and do a loose outline of what the plot and character arcs will look like. After that I start writing. I like leaving some wiggle room for improvising, some of the best plot twists and characters I've written have come from leaving some space in the narrative. My writing environment is an office I built in the back of my garage. It's very quiet and peaceful when compared with the chaos that's going on in the house at times.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a book, where would you go?
JH: I would love to go to Japan and visit Aokigahara (the suicide forest). The place has always intrigued me as it's one of the three most popular places for people to commit suicide in the world and number one in Japan. I have an idea for a thriller set there with possibly a supernatural twist to it that's been in the back of my mind for some time. Also Japanese culture itself is very interesting to me, and it doesn't hurt that I love Japanese whiskey and sushi as well.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
JH: I read mostly horror when I was younger, especially King and Koontz. But I also really enjoyed Shakespeare and Robert Frost who I was introduced to by my high school English teacher.
OMN: Have any specific authors influenced how and what you write today?
JH: I give almost all credit to Stephen King for my becoming a writer. His books absolutely blew my mind and created such a passion for storytelling it's never gone away. Horror in general is what I initially cut my teeth on when I began writing, but as I branched out more and more in my reading I eventually wanted to try my hand at thrillers and suspense, which wasn't a huge leap from the more traditional horror realm.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?
JH: I love to work out and be active. If I don't do something physical everyday it throws me off. I also really enjoy cooking and have been challenging myself to become better at that over the last few years. Like anything in a writer's life, it all becomes material for a story at some point or another, so yes, from time to time one of my characters will have a quick workout scene or they'll cook an amazing meal.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring writers?
JH: The best advice I've ever gotten came from Blake Crouch who told me, no more small ideas. That's really helped me see the large picture and implications of a story when I'm developing it. The harshest criticism came from my wife when she told me one of my main characters wasn't very likeable. It made me stop and reevaluate how I was writing them and realized my character was angry and irritable because I was angry and irritable during that period of creating them. I think the same lesson can be learned from both the good advice and criticism: keep your mind wide open. Sometimes writers can get so wrapped up in a story or character that they stop seeing the forest for the trees or let their own emotions bleed into the book too much or in the wrong way. Keeping a wide vantage point with the story while at the same time welcoming new ideas or criticism is a great way to see roadblocks before they become a problem. Advice I'd give aspiring authors is listen to constructive criticism, read nonfiction alongside great fiction, and never quit trying to make your craft better.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any subject.
JH: I think instead of a Top 5 in one category I'll do my favorite in each. My favorite book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. My favorite author is still Mr. King. My favorite film would probably have to be Hot Fuzz (that movie has nearly the perfect blend of humor, suspense, and over-the-top thrills). My top place to visit would have to be Japan like I mentioned earlier. And my favorite food is definitely sushi.
OMN: What's next for you?
JH: Next for me is the release of the second book in my thriller series, The Night Is Deep, in June followed by the second book in the Dominion trilogy, The Final Trade, later this fall.
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Joe Hart was born and raised in northern Minnesota, where he still resides today. He's been writing horror and thriller fiction since he was nine years old. He is the author of five novels and numerous short stories. When he's not writing, Joe enjoys reading, working out, watching movies with his family, and spending time outdoors.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at JoeHartBooks.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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The Last Girl by Joe Hart
The Dominion Trilogy
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
A mysterious worldwide epidemic reduces the birthrate of female infants from 50 percent to less than 1 percent. Medical science and governments around the world scramble in an effort to solve the problem, but twenty-five years later there is no cure, and an entire generation grows up with a population of fewer than a thousand women.
Zoey and some of the surviving young women are housed in a scientific research compound dedicated to determining the cause. For two decades, she's been isolated from her family, treated as a test subject, and locked away — told only that the virus has wiped out the rest of the world's population.
Captivity is the only life Zoey has ever known, and escaping her heavily armed captors is no easy task, but she's determined to leave before she is subjected to the next round of tests … a program that no other woman has ever returned from. Even if she's successful, Zoey has no idea what she'll encounter in the strange new world beyond the facility's walls. Winning her freedom will take brutality she never imagined she possessed, as well as all her strength and cunning — but Zoey is ready for war.
— The Last Girl by Joe Hart. Click here to take a Look Inside the book.
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