Ask the Author: Kevin O'Brien
Answered Questions (21)
Kevin O'Brien
Fun question, Jupiter! Corny as it sounds to pick my current book, I really enjoyed writing THE ENEMY AT HOME, because I'd wanted to write that story for years and I had fun doing the research. When I write a book I usually read and re-read it so many times that I have no desire to re-read it later on. But I re-read ONLY SON and LEFT FOR DEAD for typos before they were re-issued, and it felt like work. Plus I'm very self-critical. I hope, when I retire, I can read my books again and actually enjoy them!
Kevin O'Brien
Usually, it's coffee, cranberry juice, Honey Nut Cheerio's or toast or on rare occasions, Pop Tarts (brown sugar cinnamon). Today it was the Cheerio's!
Kevin O'Brien
Wish I knew why KILLING SPREE isn't available to you here. But I think you can purchase a copy through most vendors online (Amazon, B&N, etc.) or by special ordering it through your local bookstore. Sorry I'm not more help here, INEZA! And I'm so pumped you enjoyed LEFT FOR DEAD! Thank you!
Kevin O'Brien
I'm not sure who contacted you about winning, but definitely get in touch with them and ask where the heck your copy of THE ENEMY AT HOME is! I'm sorry I can't be more help, Kathy! Thanks so much for entering the Giveaway. I hope you get a copy of the book soon--and that it's a big hit with you.
Kevin O'Brien
What an interesting question. I think I'd want to see New York in 1950. It just looks so cool in photographs and movies. It was cheap to see a major Broadway play back then--and that was the Golden Age of the Theater, I'd love to check out Greenwich Village and take in Central Park and the museums. So I'd be in the world of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, and I'd tell Holden Caufield to cheer the hell up. Thanks for the fun question.
Kevin O'Brien
I'll be hard at work on my thriller for 2018 this summer. But when I manage to get a break, these books are at the top of my reading list:
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY by Claudia Rowe
THE LOST HISTORY OF THE STARS by Dave Boling
IN THE CLEARING by Robert Dugoni
They're all friends of mine--with Seattle 7 Writers (www.seattle7writers.org). Thanks for asking!
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY by Claudia Rowe
THE LOST HISTORY OF THE STARS by Dave Boling
IN THE CLEARING by Robert Dugoni
They're all friends of mine--with Seattle 7 Writers (www.seattle7writers.org). Thanks for asking!
Kevin O'Brien
Good Question! Actually, I'm remotely connected with (arguably) the most famous murder of the 20th century. So there's a little mystery in that story. My family moved into a new house in Glencoe, Illinois in October, 1963. On 11/22 of that year, the FBI and local police came to our house. They were looking for the former owner, Milton Klein, who owned a sporting goods store. It was from his store "A. Heidel" (an alias for Lee Harvey Oswald) purchased (via mail order) the Italian Carbine rifle used to kill President Kennedy. My dad gave them the Kleins' current contact information. I read later that Mr. Klein felt so horrible about his small part in the assassination that he didn't even tell his sons about it until he was on his deathbed.
Kevin O'Brien
Hello, Crumb! Thanks for that question. Some of my favorite thrillers are: PSYCHO by Robert Bloch, ROSEMARY'S BABY and just about anything else by Ira Levin, THE EXORCIST by William Peter Blatty, REBECCA and anything else by Daphne du Maurier, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and anything else by Patricia Highsmith. Right now I'm reading and really enjoying Paula Hawkins about-to-be-released INTO THE WATER. I'm interviewing her on stage at Seattle Town Hall when she comes to town next month. Wish me luck, Crumb! Thanks again!
Kevin O'Brien
My 2017 thriller, HIDE YOUR FEAR, is all wrapped up and scheduled for release this summer. So I'm working on the outline for my 2018 thriller. It has to do with a mass murder--and a home invasion. I'm creeping myself out with my ideas for this one!
Kevin O'Brien
Join a writers' group--or form your own. It's a lonely, isolating profession--and you need the support of colleagues and people you trust. In my group, we read one another's work, share tips/gripes/stories about agents, editors and publishers. And we're all there for each other's book launch parties. So go to writers' conventions and workshops--then start taking down names and contact information of other aspiring authors. There's strength in numbers!
Kevin O'Brien
The commute. My office is large, converted old Murphy Bed closet--with a built-in desk and bookshelves--and a small window that looks out at the Space Needle. It's right off my living room--so I never have far to go to work. Plus I'm doing something I love--and I'm getting paid for it. Even when I'm late with my deadline, writing day and night, haggard and sleep-depraved, I realize I'm incredibly lucky. I used to work for railroad. And when I'm feeling over-burdened with work, I tell myself, "Hey, Kev, don't complain, you could be working a derailment in Idaho...."
Kevin O'Brien
I work from a detailed outline. So I rarely have writer's block. If I do, it's usually a sign that I'm not excited about the way I've planned the next scene. So--I go back and re-read the last few scenes. I write down what everyone is thinking/wanting at this point in the book--and then rethink the possibilities for the next scene. I'll write down all the options and pick one. If that doesn't work, I call Dr. Chardonnay.
Kevin O'Brien
They might not be my favorite ALL-TIME fictional couple, but I really like Rose & Penn, the parents in Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS. He's a writer. She's a doctor. They live in Wisconsin, fall madly in love, get married, have five boys, and the youngest one, Claude, decides he'd rather be a girl. They're such sweet, thoughtful, sacrificing parents--and how they handle this situation is just remarkable. They may not be as exciting and combustible as Scarlet and Rhett, but Ross & Penn are a couple you'd want to be good friends with.
Kevin O'Brien
Hi, Erin...Thanks so much. I swear, I'm writing as fast as I can! Seriously, I love hearing that. If your local bookstore isn't carrying any of my books, you can special order them there. It shouldn't be a problem. If the bookseller refuses to order my books, give me the name of the individual, and I'll be sure to kill them in my next book! You can also get my books on-line through Amazon, B&N, BAM, and my publisher. Check out the options on my webpage: www.kevinobrienbooks.com. Thanks again, Erin and Happy New Year!
Kevin O'Brien
Hi, Hannah. My apologies for taking a whole year to answer your question. I just caught on to this Q&A portion of the page.
Yes, all my books are stand alone thrillers. The only time I've used a character twice was "Sally Justice" the always-angry CNN law/crime analyst who showed up in TERRIFIED and again in YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE. Thanks for your question, Hannah!
Yes, all my books are stand alone thrillers. The only time I've used a character twice was "Sally Justice" the always-angry CNN law/crime analyst who showed up in TERRIFIED and again in YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE. Thanks for your question, Hannah!
Kevin O'Brien
Thanks for your question, Lisa! I answered it in Part 2!
Kevin O'Brien
Hi, Lisa--I'm so sorry to take so long to get back to you! Thanks for your thoughtful questions. What a sad story about your high school classmate. When I was promoting YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE, I always asked my audiences if anyone was ever bullied in school. Each time, at least a third of the audience members raised their hands. I think kids who are being bullied feel ashamed about it. At least, that was my own experience. I was getting picked on in high school, because I wasn't the most masculine kid around. I didn't want anyone to know that I was being bullied, because I was ashamed. I hated myself for being so passive. I did my best to avoid the guys who were bullying me. Eventually, I joined the varsity gymnastics team, and people left me alone. In fact, a few former tormentors actually become friends (sort of). I think if we can remove the shame of being bullied from the victims, they'd be more likely to get help--from other students, teachers and family. My best friend in high school was a jock, and he had no idea I was being tormented. I told him about it later, and he said, "Why the hell didn't you say anything? I would have beaten the crap out of those guys!" Anyway, Lisa, as you might guess, writing YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE was very therapeutic for this former bullied teen! Thanks again for your question.
Kevin O'Brien
Hi, Jessi - Thanks for your question! I got the idea for MAKE THEM CRY after having dinner with an ex-priest buddy of mine and his priest friends. Their tales of the seminary were pretty shocking and I thought, "I have to set my next book in a seminary." My pal, a priest, and a former seminarian were all very helpful in answering questions in my research. I also asked my sister, who is a real estate agent, what her job was like (remember my heroine worked in real estate), and I got a wonderful reference book on saints and martyrs. My favorite bit of "research" was creating the town of Leroy. I made my own map--so I'd know where the dorms were, the church, the creek, the woods, etc. I loved researching the Seattle Worlds Fair for UNSPEAKABLE, too. I grew up in the 60's, so the research for those flashbacks was a lot of fun. So--for every book, I do a fair amount of research. And yes, I love flashback scenes, so I do dip into the past in a lot of my thrillers. Thanks, Jessi!
Kevin O'Brien
That's a great question, Aaron. I outline everything. When I get an idea for a book, I write it down. Then I just keep building on that idea. I develop characters that will believably work within the framework of that plot--giving them back-stories which will create audience sympathy and move the action forward. The reader has to care about the characters if they're going to get involved in the story. And I have to like the main characters to keep writing. I hope that's some help, Aaron.
Kevin O'Brien
Hi, Aaron. Thanks so much! I'm pumped you enjoyed those three books. I wrote the first two, but CLOSER THAN CLOSE isn't mine. But it's a cool title! You have me curious now. I'll check it out!
My first two books ACTORS (1986, now out of print) and ONLY SON (1996) weren't thrillers. Though ONLY SON ended up getting film interest and doing a terrific business, it had been a long, long process finding a publisher for it (but worth the wait, I love my publisher, Kensington Books--they've published all my books ever since). My agent suggested I try writing a thriller, since it's a popular genre. I didn't need much coaxing, because I've always been a huge Hitchcock fan, and I love thrillers. I wrote THE NEXT TO DIE (1999), and it became a USA Today Bestseller. So--I found what works for me, and I'm sticking to it! Thanks for that question, Aaron.
My first two books ACTORS (1986, now out of print) and ONLY SON (1996) weren't thrillers. Though ONLY SON ended up getting film interest and doing a terrific business, it had been a long, long process finding a publisher for it (but worth the wait, I love my publisher, Kensington Books--they've published all my books ever since). My agent suggested I try writing a thriller, since it's a popular genre. I didn't need much coaxing, because I've always been a huge Hitchcock fan, and I love thrillers. I wrote THE NEXT TO DIE (1999), and it became a USA Today Bestseller. So--I found what works for me, and I'm sticking to it! Thanks for that question, Aaron.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more