Evidence of Life - By Barbara Taylor Sissel Page 0,111
is a captivating, picturesque locale. Why did you choose this as the setting for the novel?
I live in Texas and yet never truly bonded with the state until I began visiting that part of it. It seems to me to have an energy that’s singular. The very air has an effervescent quality and the land itself has a presence, an aura that is energizing and yet peaceful and serene. And it’s such an improbable location for a flood. They don’t happen often there and when they do, they can be epic in the truest sense of the word, perfect for storytelling.
When you began the novel, did you have Abby’s character and journey already mapped out? How did she surprise you along the way? Were there any interesting surprises from other characters?
Not completely mapped out, no. She strengthened through her evolutions and her journey became more focused. I think one surprise for me was her friendship with Kate, what those two women shared, the sometimes troubled nature of the events in their lives and how their friendship managed to survive in spite of them… I didn’t plan any of that. Another interesting surprise was the old man. His chapter just fell into the book one day, fully formed. What’s odd is that shortly after I wrote it, a friend and critique partner who was familiar with the story told me she heard of a similar event on NPR that actually happened in England. Blinking headlights led to the discovery of a car in a remote location and a subsequent investigation found that it, and the family inside it, had been missing for six months. Strange but true!
What was your greatest challenge writing Evidence of Life? What was your greatest pleasure?
I think the greatest challenge was bringing Abby through her grief, through her dark night, and the greatest pleasure was finding out that there was hope for her, that she could recover and choose life… I liked that she did.
On your website is the tagline “At the heart of every crime there’s a family, someone you love...” What is the significance of this line in Evidence of Life, and is this a running theme in all of your work?
I became interested in the impact of crime on families when I lived with my own family on the grounds of a first-offender prison facility. It was a remarkable experience to interact with the inmates and their families and to see and hear firsthand how their lives were altered, often irretrievably. There isn’t a whole lot said about these people, how they manage in the wake of learning that someone related to them, whom they love, has committed a devastating crime. How do they carry on, get up every day and go to work, care for their children? Shop for groceries, survive? How do they talk about it, think or feel? Can they forgive? Suppose they believe their loved one is innocent? Suppose they think the victim deserved what they got? Suppose they’re divided within the family about their feelings? In each of my novels these are the questions I seek to find answers to. I don’t focus so much on the legal issues and court procedures that come about as a result of a crime, but the emotional impact on the family. And the crime may not be legal but moral in nature, as in Evidence of Life, which centers more on the crime of betrayal. It’s not necessarily punishable in a court of law, but the conflict that rises, the nature of the collateral damage that occurs as a result, is the same.
Your previous books (The Ninth Step, The Volunteer, The Last Innocent Hour) were indie-published. How was your first experience being traditionally published different from your previous experiences?
With indie publishing, the sheer number of details I kept up with in addition to simply writing the next novel were daunting. It’s a “many hat” occupation that’s, in part, balanced by the satisfaction of almost total control of the project and fast publication. With traditional publishing, the wait is of course longer, but what I’ve experienced is the enormous benefit of razor-sharp editing by my editor, who cares as much about the novel as I do. I really like that, having a partner who is so careful, who is as devoted to how good the book is as I am. As of this writing, I haven’t yet experienced the power of marketing and distribution that a traditional publisher has, but I can only imagine that it will be far different, and wider-ranging, than what I have been able to accomplish on my own, although I’m very proud to be an indie author. I’m elated, and consider myself very fortunate, to have the opportunity to write in both worlds.
Can you describe your writing process? Do you write scenes consecutively or jump around? Do you have a schedule or a routine? A lucky charm?
I begin every morning by revising yesterday’s work and then go on to write new material, usually working for four to five hours. When it comes to writing the story, I do work consecutively. For me, one detail hinges on another. The slightest change can unhinge everything that comes after, like a domino effect, so the story has to be right from the beginning, or as right as I can get it on that day, before I move on. As for a lucky charm, I think it’s my muse, whom I envision as an adorable but capricious child and often, when I get stuck, when I can’t find her or the inspiration and creative flow she brings me, I go out into the garden and find her there, waiting for me.
Can you tell us something about the book you’re working on now?
The prison where I lived with my family was for first offenders, and, when it was possible, the inmate’s family was a key component in the inmate’s rehabilitation effort. As a result, I met some of the family members and got to know the ways in which their lives had been altered in the wake of the arrest, conviction, and incarceration of the young man they loved. The families were usually good people, ordinary people. In the story I’m writing, a man is accused of a brutal murder, and his family is left reeling. His mother and sister marshal themselves and unite in the effort to find the truth, which proves to be shattering in ways that are as shocking as the crime that launched their journey. Family loyalties are tested beyond endurance, and in the end, it isn’t only the one family member’s life, but all their lives that will hang in the balance, in a way that is both terrifying and unexpected.
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin ebook. Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Subscribe to our newsletter: Harlequin.com/newsletters
Visit Harlequin.com
We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com
ISBN: 9781460309735
EVIDENCE OF LIFE
Copyright © 2013 by Barbara Taylor Sissel
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Acknowledgments
Questions for Discussion
A Conversation With the Author