Into the Fall: A Debut Thriller

Into the Fall, the debut thriller by Tamara L. Miller

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any ITW Debut Author interviews! Click the link here.Into The Fall

From debut author Tamara L. Miller comes a suspenseful psychological thriller tracking the mysteries of a seemingly mundane life as they come to light in the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness.

For better or for worse, Sarah Anderson has it all: a thriving career, a nice home in Ottawa, two young kids…and a marriage coming apart at the seams.

Then her husband, Matthew, vanishes without a trace during a family vacation up north. Sarah and her children are nearly lost among the slumbering lakes, treacherous cliffs, and brooding forests of the Canadian Shield. A glacier-scraped realm of ancient beauty and terror, it’s a world away from the safety of the suburbs. And a big storm is brewing.

A kind rural lawman comes to their aid and takes an interest in the case. The trail goes cold, however, launching Sarah into a yearlong odyssey to find her husband. On the way, she must reconnect with her estranged sister and duck the suspicions of a slick city police officer. But that’s nothing compared to unearthing the dark secrets buried deep in the granite of her marriage―and in herself.

To purchase Into the Fall click either of the following links: Amazon.com & IndigoInto the Fall Author Interview — Tamara L. Miller

Into the Fall is set in the Canadian Shield. Tell us about that environment and why you chose it for a setting?

Canada is a bit of a strange place. Though we have a population of over forty million people, ninety percent of us live within 150 kilometers of the US border. That means we have large tracks of untouched and uninhabited land, particularly as you head further north and into the Canadian Shield with its dense forests, countless lakes and granite shores. It can feel like the last wild place on earth—breathtaking but a little intimidating when you recognize how harsh and unforgiving the wilderness can be and how far away you may find yourself from any town. 

I’ve always loved the wilder places but am very aware that they can have a sharp edge. The wilderness is the epitome of treacherous beauty—seductive and able to kill you at the same time. I thought it would be a great character. 

The idea for Into the Fall popped into my head while I was on a family canoe trip smack dab in the middle of the Shield. My husband and kids were still asleep in the tent, and I was sitting on a granite slab just watching the lake. It wasn’t hard to imagine the scenario Sarah finds herself in in the opening chapter of Into the Fall. Alone, with two kids, trying to survive a wilderness that might not want her there.

 

Into the Fall centers on Sarah Anderson. What would you like readers to know about her?

I’d like readers to see the layers in Sarah. On the surface, she’s a working mom just trying to hold it all together: her marriage, her kids, her career. As the novel unfolds, we see other sides of her that speak to her past and the fundamental roots of her character. We all have different parts of ourselves; some, we show to the world freely, others, we keep to ourselves until life, or a situation, forces us to reveal faces we might otherwise prefer to keep hidden. 

Sarah is quietly fierce. She’s calm and contained for the most part, but a wicked edge comes out when she senses a threat, especially to her family. And, for good or bad, family is everything to her even though she resents them sometimes.

 

Tell us about your road to publication for Into the Fall :

I’ve been incredibly lucky in my publication journey. 

I spent about five years refining my craft skills and working on the manuscript, trying to get it as strong as I possibly could before I even considered sending out queries. 

My agent, Lori Galvin at Aevitas Creative, was one of my first few queries. Though she really connected with the characters, I was also lucky to have reached out to her at a time when she was looking for exactly the type of novel I’d written. I just happened to see that Lori was open for submission through an email from Query Tracker. Had I deleted the email or waited a few weeks, it might not have worked out as beautifully as it did. 

It was the same experience with Liz Pearsons at Thomas and Mercer. My book happened to land on her desk at the right time. She and the whole crew at Thomas and Mercer have been amazing. Honestly, I keep pinching myself that I’ve had such a positive experience with my debut. 

 

Prior to becoming a fiction writer, you wrote history and government policy. That’s a big jump! What was it like to shift from your earlier projects to writing a novel?

It was indeed a huge shift. I’d written my entire adult life—history degree to PhD program to policy analyst. Despite that, the one thing I knew when I started writing fiction was that I needed to learn about writing fiction. I might have been able to string a sentence together or develop a convincing argument, but I needed to learn the nuts and bolts of engaging readers, shaping characters and laying out a compelling plot. I can promise you, none of that fits into a government briefing note.

Before I even considered starting a manuscript, I spent a lot of time learning about writing. I read craft books, connected with local writing communities and resources, took workshops, worked with mentors, found writing groups. Eventually, I had a manuscript that I thought was worth reading, but it was a process.

And I’m still learning. I still read craft books, attend workshops or craft sessions through ITW, Sisters in Crime and others. That’s the thing about writing, it evolves, so you never stop learning or growing. There are so many influences out there and brilliant writers who share their experiences and insights. 

 

What can we find you doing when you aren’t writing atmospheric thrillers?

Travel is probably my biggest passion. My family and I are always planning the next trip. In 2024, we managed to see Italy, Iceland and Costa Rica. We’re still working on this year’s itinerary, but I’ve got a few ideas.

At home, I love reading, of course, and my tastes are all over the map. Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biography, craft books. Pretty much anything. I love switching it up and learning new things. 

Other than that, I love anything that gets me outdoors. Living in Ottawa, there is easy access to hiking, cross-country skiing, biking, canoing, even skating along the canal (when it’s frozen). Anything that gets me in the fresh air and watching the world unfold. 

 

What are you working on now?

I am working my way through Book 2. It’s a completely new story with different characters, but still rooted in the secrets we keep, even from the ones we hold the closest. 

 

Final words of wisdom for aspiring writers:

Whew, that’s a tough one. 

I suppose the two things I’ve taken away from all of this is never stop learning and be open to possibilities. 

The best thing about being a writer is that we get to read and learn all the time. It’s part of the job description. We learn facts and details to ground our stories and help them evolve, and we learn from connecting with other writers willing to share their thoughts on craft. It’s amazing when you stop to think about it.

The only other ‘wisdom’ if you can call it that, is to always be open to the possibilities. There is a lot of negativity and pessimism in this business. When I started this, I thought I’d be lucky if a small Canadian press picked me up. Instead, Lori signed me and now I’m with Thomas and Mercer, a publisher with broad international reach. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. So, and I know this is stealing a line from Ted Lasso, BELIEVE. Keep working on your craft and keep believing in the possibilities. 

 

Author Pet CornerPoke and Cali!

When my kids were younger, we thought it’d be good for them to have a pet in the family. We decided on a cat and trucked off to the Human Society center at a local pet store to see if there were any available for adoption.

When we showed up there were only two cats available, a brother and sister, who were the only remaining two of a litter of seven. I couldn’t bring myself to separate them. 

The next thing I knew, we were packing up two white kittens and bringing them home. The kids named them Poke and Calipo (Cali for short) after their favourite foods at the time (Hawaiian poke and Calippo popsicles), and I haven’t worn black in the house since. 

Into the Fall Author, Tamara L. Miller

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tamara L. Miller earned her PhD in Canadian history before embarking on a career working for the federal government. Miller began as a doe-eyed policy analyst and eventually moved into an executive role with the Government of Canada. She later left public service, older and perhaps a little wiser, to become a writer. Tamara is past president of Ottawa Independent Writers and has written several articles published online by the likes of CBC and Ottawa Life Magazine. Into the Fall is her first novel.

Over the years, the author has called many Canadian cities home but now lives in Ottawa with her family and two long-suffering cats. She’s always been fascinated by the raw beauty of the wilder places in the world and escapes to them whenever possible.

Catch up with Tamara on Facebook, Website, and Instagram.Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor

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