We are delighted to welcome author Shelley Coriell to Omnimystery News today.
Shelley's third book in the Apostles series of romantic thrillers featuring an elite team of FBI agents is The Blind (Forever; July 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to catch up with her to talk more about her work.
— ♦ —
Omnimystery News: Tell us more about the Apostles. What is it about these characters that appeals to you as a writer?
Photo provided courtesy of
Shelley Coriell
Shelley Coriell: The Apostles are an elite group of FBI who work outside the box and at times outside the law. They take on America's vilest criminals using the most powerful weapons known to mankind, the human mind … and heart. They aren't afraid to break the rules, and every Apostle I've met so far has either quit or been fired from the FBI before being personally recruited by legendary FBI Agent Parker Lord for his Special Criminal Investigative Unit. Parker Lord on his team: Apostles? There's nothing holy about us. We're a little maverick and a lot broken, but in the end, we get justice right.
I'm drawn to characters like the Apostles as they suffer from some type of brokenness, which opens the door for significant transformation and healing through story journeys.
OMN: How true are you to the settings of the stories?
SC: The Blind is set in the gritty and eclectic Arts and Warehouse District of Downtown Los Angeles. Lots of faded old warehouses, funky art studios, and plenty of dark alleys and abandoned buildings for a killer to hide.
On two separate research trips to L.A., I visited dozens of art galleries and met some amazing artists on evening art walks. While strolling through the historic warehouse section, I saw a film being shot. And in one of my more poignant research moments, I was driving along Skid Row the day before Thanksgiving with my husband and three daughters. As we passed a row of shelters made of tarps and cardboard boxes, one of daughters quietly observed, "We have much to be thankful for."
The sights, sounds, and people of Downtown L.A. really seeped into my soul, and I think that comes through in The Blind. Here are a few of my research photos.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a book, where would it be?
SC: Venice, Italy! She's faded and crumbling and sinking into the sea but doing so with such grace and panache. And because my next young adult novel is set in Venice, I've had a chance for a few trips to Venice and the Veneto. I love wandering through the twisting streets and discovering tiny osterias with locally made wine. I love the light and luminescence that defines much of Venice's art and architecture.
The art thread in The Blind was very much inspired by a trip to Venice where I spent weeks surrounded by masterful art from the tenth century to modern times. There were times I stood before exquisite paintings that literally took my breath away. The power and passion of these moments was so strong and physically moving, and I couldn't help but wonder how would a dark and twisted soul channel such an experience … which led to the Angel Bomber, my villain in The Blind who recreates masterful works of art using live models and ticking bombs.
OMN: What is the best advice you could offer to aspiring authors?
SC: I'm a huge fan of Henry David Thoreau's, "How vain it is to sit down to write if you have not stood up to live." Authors must keep filling the creative well, and for me that's all about traveling, meeting new people, and heading off on adventures, both big and small.
My advice to aspiring authors: Write, Edit, Repeat.
OMN: Tell us more about the covers for your Apostle series books.
SC: The art team at Forever knocked it out of the ballpark on all of my Apostle covers. These are big, edgy romantic thrillers with rich settings and some pretty twisted characters, and the covers perfectly convey tone and atmosphere.
I'm pretty involved in the cover process. Before the art department at Forever starts working on cover concepts, I send them a link to the Pinterest board I created for the novel. These boards include setting pics, character muses, quotes, and visuals of motifs that may appear in the story. After cover concepts are created, the Forever editorial team weighs and pass a few by me.
The cover for The Blind is hands-down my favorite Apostle cover. The fiery colors and gritty urban vibe are spot-on. And that cover model? Bam! She's is a dead ringer for Special Agent Evie Jimenez, Parker Lord's fearless, feisty bombs and weapons tech. The only change I requested was that the art department add bangs because in the original photo, the model was a bit too sleek and polished. Evie's a rough-and-tumble tomboy who doesn't mind messy hair or messy cases.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
SC: Since the Apostles books feature the best-of-the-best at the FBI, my villains tend to be the worst-of-the-worst types, dark and twisted serial killers with brokenness that can't be healed.
My Top Five Villains:
5. Nils Bjurman from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson — A sexual sadist put in a position of power. Wrong, wrong, wrong! The only thing right about him is the tattoo Lisbeth etched into the flesh of his abdomen: I'm a sadistic pig, a pervert and a rapist.
4. Cruella de Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith — She skins puppies. 'Nuff said.
3. Professor Moriarty from The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — The Greatest Detective of Them All meets the Greatest Villain of Them All. Moriarty is brilliant, his mind rivaling Sherlock's. What's more, he has no remorse and is chillingly vindictive. A tri-fecta of terror.
2. Poverty in Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth — I'll admit it: I got sucked into this PBS series so hard I later read the trilogy. In these books, poverty is powerful and pervasive, and it preys on our weakest.
1. Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling — Voldemort lives within Harry's heart and head, and there is nothing more terrifying than the terror within.
OMN: What's next for you?
SC: I'm beyond thrilled that Detective Lottie King, a beloved minor character in the Apostle world, is finally getting a story of her own. In January Rough Day, the first volume in the Detective Lottie King Short Story Series, will release. Readers first met Lottie in The Broken where she helped the Apostles track down the serial killer known as the Broadcaster Butcher. Lottie is my hard-driving Colorado Springs homicide detective with a soft spot for peach pie, high heels, and her seven grandchildren. These are straight-up detective stories with everything from cold cases to locked room mysteries. Plus, there are bonus recipes with each short story. I had so much fun diving into Lottie's sassy world, and I can't wait for readers to meet her.
— ♦ —
An avid foodie and former restaurant reviewer, Shelley lives in Arizona with her family and the world’s neediest rescue weimaraner.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at ShelleyCoriell.com and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
— ♦ —
The Blind by Shelley Coriell
The Apostles Series
Publisher: Forever
When art imitates death . . .
As part of the FBI's elite Apostles team, bomb and weapons specialist Evie Jimenez knows playing it safe is not an option. Especially when tracking a serial killer like the Angel Bomber. He calls himself an artist-using women as his canvas and state-of-the-art explosives as his brush. His art lives and breathes, and with the flick of a switch … dies.
Now as the clock ticks down to his next strike, Evie faces an altogether different challenge: billionaire philanthropist and art expert Jack Elliott, who's made it clear he doesn't care for Evie's wild-card tactics. Jack never imagined the instant heat for the fiery Evie would explode his cool and cautious world-and make him long to protect her. But as Evie and Jack get closer to the killer's endgame, they will learn that safety and control are all illusions. For their quarry has set his sight on Evie for his final masterpiece …
— The Blind by Shelley Coriell
