BooksChatter: ℚ Accused: Troubled Boys, Strong Men [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Wendy Byrne to talk about Accused (4 August 2015, Two O's Publishing, 263 pages) a Romantic Suspense, book one of the Troubled Boys, Strong Men series.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A big welcome to Wendy Byrne; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for Accused?

"The idea for this story started as a nightmare. I had just fallen asleep and woke up with the shakes. I dreamt that my oldest son was in trouble with the law. It felt so real I could vividly feel the sensations of what that might be like if it were true and became the basis for the book."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"It was relatively easy for me to connect with Jillian as a mother. I didn’t take much to imagine what I might be going through if my son were charged with murder. I could easily empathize with her struggles to support her son while, at the same time, worry if she was doing the right thing. And also Jillian’s fear of heights—yeah, that’s me too!"

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Accused - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I wanted something dark and mysterious for the cover due to the subject matter. I needed it to reflect a sense of urgency about the situation with Jillian and Travis so found a pic on a photo site with a young man in a hoodie. The graphic artist, A.M. Wells, put the target and blood on his chest. I think it looks amazing."

Why should we read Accused and what sets it apart from the rest?

"With my background in social work, I wanted to focus on the importance of family and how it doesn’t have to be biological family, but someone who believes in a child and supports them unconditionally. Because the hero’s foster mom believed in Sam (the hero in the story) he became someone who could give back to others. I interconnected that with Jillian’s (the heroine) commitment to her son, Travis. Her determination and belief enabled him to grow stronger as well. It doesn’t mean making excuses for your children. It means holding them accountable, while at the same time letting them know that you’ll always be there for them. Making some bad choices is part of the growing and learning process and how a child’s confidence grows. I wanted that to be interwoven into this book."

Who would you recommend Accused to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I think of this book as part romantic suspense, part women’s fiction because it’s as much Jillian’s journey as it is Travis’ struggle to figure out what happened to him. There are no explicit sex scenes, but there is rough language in parts of this book."

If you could / wished to turn Accused and the Troubled Boys, Strong Men series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"This book is set in the mountains in a fictional town about an hour away from Los Angeles. I would choose David Boreanaz (Bones) for Sam and Liv Tyler for Jillian because they both resemble how I envision my characters."

What do you like to write and read about?

"I mostly write and read romantic suspense. I do write straight contemporary romance as well. I try to infuse a bit of humor into the stories as well."

What is your writing process?

"The longer I’ve been writing and the more deadlines I have, my process has to be more structured to be more efficient. I’ve recently discovered Scrivener and like that as a writing tool as I can better find and see the outline as my book progresses. I also can easily switch chapters or scenes around without hunting through a whole Word document. I used to be a pantzer (as in writing by the seat of my pants) kind of writer, but that requires too many rewrites to be productive. I’m not as structured as some, but I do like to write down plot points on index cards (or in Scrivener) as scenes come to me and see where they might fit in the timeline of the story. I like to use a story beat sheet like the ones found on Jami Gould’s website to see how the storyline and character arch are progressing."

Great tips! Thank you for sharing them with us.
What is in store next?

"Accused is the first book in a series, Troubled Boys, Strong Men. Cole (who’s in Accused) will be featured in the next book when a mysterious woman comes to see him about a child she placed for adoption. There also will be guest appearances by Sam and Jillian in that book to fill readers in on what’s happening in their lives."

Many thanks again for talking to us today, Wendy. Have a great blog tour!