with Stacy Green
We are delighted to welcome mystery author Stacy Green to Omnimystery News today.
Stacy has just republished one of her earlier novels, heavily edited with new scenes, as Into the Devil's Underground (Twisted Minds Press; May 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats and formerly published as Into the Dark).
We recently had a chance to catch up with Stacy to talk about her work.
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Omnimystery News: Into what genre do you place your books? And do you find any advantages or disadvantages to labeling them as such?
Photo provided courtesy of
Stacy Green
Stacy Green: My books are mystery/suspense with a romance element. For me, that means there is a relationship involved but the mystery and characters come first. The romance develops from the events, but it isn't graphic or overly done. Yes, there are some disadvantages because romance is hot, and if you can label your book romantic suspense with the type of cover that matches, you have great visibility. But that's not what I love to write, and that is the first rule of writing (for me): you have to love your story!
OMN: Tell us something about Into the Devil's Underground that isn't mentioned in the synopsis.
SG: The antagonist is a character I think readers can empathize with. He's not just an obsessed stalker. He's got moral code and specific reasoning behind his choices, and everything he does is fueled by something very traumatic. In the end, he's a character I felt sorry for.
OMN: How much of your own personal or professional experience have you included in your books?
SG: I think there is a little bit of me in every character. Even when we put our characters in horrific situations we've never experienced, we still have to think about how we would react to whatever's happening. That's the only way to get true emotion in a scene, and it can be a grueling process. And yes, I draw from people in my life for certain characters. One of a writer's most important tools is being observant, and we can create big personalities from bits and pieces of people watching.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us.
SG: My writing process evolves with each book, but in general, I start with an idea and start asking "what if" questions, writing down whatever pops in my mind. And then I will start picking the ones I really like and expanding on them. That usually gives me my major plot points, and then I have to start thinking about how the story gets to each point. Ideally, I like to have about 30 scenes plotted (meaning a summary of each scene on an index card) before I start. However, if there is a big emotional scene or something I have a question about, I will leave it open and see what develops. Having a plan is very important to me, but I also like to let my characters tell me the specifics.
OMN: If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, to research a setting for a book, where would that be?
SG: Oh that is a tough one! There are so many places I want to go, but Paris first comes to mind, because I'd love to write a story about someone being lost in the Catacombs. Or Hawaii, for obvious reasons. I'm sure I could come up with a story idea that could work.
OMN: Have any specific authors or books influenced how and what you write today?
SG: So many of them! I first read Anne Rice's Interview With A Vampire in high school, and that's when I knew I wanted to be a writer. I was so enthralled with the history and characters she created in those first three books (The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned), and her descriptions were amazing. That definitely nurtured my love of putting the reader onto the page.
Stephen King is another big influence, because he truly is the master of observation and character description. He puts the reader inside the character's head and in front of the mirror, and that is really tough to do.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris really nurtured my interest in the criminal mind as well as making the reader empathize with the bad guys. That is a book I re-read every year.
OMN: What do you read now for pleasure?
SG: I read a lot of mystery/thrillers because reading in your genre is so important, and I love it. My favorite mystery/thriller writers are Lisa Gardner, Lisa Unger, Greg Iles, Patricia Cornwell, and Tana French.
OMN: What's next for you?
SG: Later this summer, I'm launching a new series called The Lucy Kendall Series. She is a character very close to my heart, because I've spent a lot of time cultivating her. She's a former CPS worker turned private investigator who happens to kill pedophiles on the side. She's damaged and loyal and loaded with fear, and in six books, she's going to go through a rollercoaster of a character arc. I absolutely can't wait to share her with the reading world!
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Born in Indiana and raised in Iowa, Stacy Green earned degrees in journalism and sociology from Drake University. After a successful advertising career, Stacy became a proud stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. Now a full-time author, Stacy juggles her time between her demanding characters and supportive family. She loves reading, cooking, and the occasional gardening excursion. Stacy lives in Marion, Iowa with her husband Rob, their daughter Grace, and the family’s three obnoxious but lovable canine children.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at StacyGreen.net or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Into the Devil's Underground
Stacy Green
A Novel of Suspense
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