BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Fixer: The Killing Kind: Katerina Mills [2]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Jill Amy Rosenblatt to talk about The Fixer: The Killing Kind (14 November 2016, Jill Amy Rosenblatt, 411 pages), a Suspense Crime Thriller, book two in the Katerina Mills series.

"The Fixer is high-spirited, fast-paced fun. The cliffhanger will leave you anxious and wanting answers and resolutions.” ~ Book Junkie Reviews

"The Fixer: The Naked Man is an entertaining, engaging and intelligent read." ~ KG and The Flurries Unlimited

"...it's fast paced, unexpected, and addicting." ~Your Book Babe

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Jill Amy Rosenblatt; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music, so Jill has shared with us her music playlist for The Fixer - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for The Fixer: The Killing Kind?

"My latest book, The Fixer: The Killing Kind is the second in this crime/suspense series. The original inspiration was a thought that came to me after a very sleepless night. I was struggling with writer’s block and upset that I wasn’t working on anything. I had a thought about a young woman in a cat and mouse psychological game with a man. She needed something (I didn’t know what) from him and he wouldn’t give it to her and they were negotiating.

I started from there. Who was this woman? What did she want? Why did she want it? I had heard of the term “fixer” before, someone who makes problems go away for a price, and followed the idea of this woman as a fixer. Her back story started to grow from there and soon expanded from an idea for one standalone story to a series that will have one large plot that runs through the series with smaller subplots in each book.

That original see of an idea will show up in one of the later books, but it has evolved quite a bit since the original idea. And I’m very happy to report that I no longer have writer’s block!"

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

"I think I’m reflected in the book in that I’m curious to learn about different things. Katerina Mills is a character that needs to learn her trade as a fixer. She will grow and change as she learns something new in each book that will help her improve at what she does.

She is also a college student and studies subjects that I’m interested in, such as philosophy and ethics. Part of the story covers her dilemmas with moral and ethical decisions as she is pushed further into the gray areas of life."

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

"The artist of my covers is Alan Gaites of Graphic Design. He is amazing. I love working with him and working out a vision for each cover.

My plan is to keep the red and black background cityscape on every cover. New York City will always be a big presence in the books, almost another character.

For the second cover, I wanted to give a sense that whatever Katerina is into, it will move beyond New York City, take her out of her comfort zone, and expose her to more danger than she has ever been in before."

Why should we read The Fixer: The Killing Kind and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I think what makes the book unique is, even though it is written in third person, there is plenty of opportunity to get into Katerina’s head and watch her wrestle with the decisions she is faced with. Also, there is continuity in the form of plotlines that will run through the entire series. Readers will take this journey with Katerina, watch her follow these challenges from beginning to end, and watch what decisions she makes under the most extreme pressure.

On another note, I like to write in a fast pace, keep the plot moving, and add secondary characters that I hope readers will enjoy coming back to see in each book."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Fixer: The Killing Kind, its story and characters?

"The characters seem to take on a life of their own, including their names. There is a character in this book named “Moose.” Don’t ask me why he’s named “Moose.” When I was writing the book and it was time to name the character, it just came to me. “Moose.” And the name fits him.

I think what’s quirky about the story is that everyone is coming from their own morality; everyone looks in the mirror and finds a way to think they are a good person, and sometimes that leads to darkly humorous situations."

Who would you recommend The Fixer: The Killing Kind to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend The Killing Kind to adult readers who enjoy action, crime, suspense, and romantic suspense as well (there is a potential love story blooming).

Readers should be aware that there is some strong language, talk of crime and committing crime, and there is a scene of sexual assault. I stay away from being overly graphic because that’s not my writing style, but it is disturbing."

If you could / wished to turn The Fixer: The Killing Kind and the Katerina Mills series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think about this all the time! I would love to have Steven Spielberg (who wouldn’t!) or Barry Sonnenfeld as director (I loved Get Shorty, one of my favorite movies).

For Katerina Mills - Jennifer Lawrence.
For Alexander Winter - Max Martini.
For Anthony Desucci - Robert DeNiro.
For Daniel Clay - James Badge Dale."

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"My greatest challenge has been working on the craft itself, constructing sentences that have a smooth narrative flow. My first area of study was screenwriting so working on narrative has always been a challenge. I still do feel a little more comfortable with dialogue."

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

"My toughest criticism is when I’m finished with the editing process and I think the manuscript is done and I get feedback that “it needs work.” Also, sometimes I’m asked tough questions about plot choices and I see that I missed the mark and it bothers me that I didn’t catch the plotting issue or I didn’t see there was an opportunity to make a scene stronger. Thank goodness this all happens before the book is released!

The best compliment I received for The Killing Kind was “Wow, what a book.” That’s it. It doesn’t get any better than that."

What is your writing process?

"Originally, I followed the Robert McKee writing method which worked wonderfully for me. It’s very structured and detailed. As I struggled through the writer’s block, I found I couldn’t follow that process anymore.

My writing process for The Fixer series is extremely loose and unstructured. The characters are running amok and I am constantly reminding myself not to stress over the project and just let the characters tell their own story. If a scene comes to me for a later book in the series, I take it down. It’s a natural, organic process and the plots are coming together and the series is taking shape.

I also have a playlist that I put together that I like to listen to when I’m typing (I write longhand in a journal first). The different songs are inspirations for different points in the series."

What is in store next?

"I am working on book 3 of the series, The Fixer: The Last Romanov. Katerina gets out of NYC for a bit in this book and spends time between Vermont and California. There will be more adventures, more danger, and more Alexander Winter."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"This is a great question. I had to think about this. I am a huge ice hockey fan and one of the things that is special to me is my #30, Henrik Lundqvist jersey (Let’s go Rangers!) I am happy to provide a picture :) "