BooksChatter: ℚ♫ A Face to Die For: Forensic Instincts [6]

Today we welcome back up with author Andrea Kane to talk about A Face to Die For (19 September 2017, Bonnie Meadow Publishing, 312 pages), a Psychological Thriller, book six of Forensic Instincts series.

Publisher’s Weekly said about A FACE TO DIE FOR:
“Bombshell of an unlikely twist.”

Also, A FACE TO DIE FOR has gotten some wonderful initial reviews on Goodreads. Some of the highlights are:

A definite unputdownable read!!!! And:

This book will pull you right in and keep you page by page! The twist this book will give you is great!

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

Hello Andrea, thank you for joining us again on BooksChatter with your latest book, A Face To Die For, which is already receiving wonderful reviews!

"It’s a pleasure to be here!

I’m very excited that the preliminary reactions are so great—it means I’ve done my job the way I always set out to do."

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in A Face to Die For, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"It’s funny you should ask, because I always write in total silence and never even hum while I’m working because it disturbs my concentration since I’m a very audial person and can’t tune out the music. (I end up singing instead of writing!) But it was different with A FACE TO DIE FOR.

The first sentence of the book is: “Anthony slid behind the wheel of his Ford Taurus and started it up, cranking up the heat the instant the engine turned over.”

Sounds innocuous enough, right?

Wrong! Billy Joel is my absolute favorite artist, hands down. And his song, “Movin’ Out” begins with “Anthony works in the grocery store…” Well, the minute I wrote my first word I started to sing “Movin’ Out”. I still sing it every single time I glance at the book and see the name “Anthony”. And I wind up singing the song all day, since it’s infectious. So there you have it—my musical concentration-breaker for A FACE TO DIE FOR! 😃"

Can you introduce us to Casey Woods and FI and tell us how they have been developing since the beginning of the series??

"Casey and the entire FI team have become like dear friends to me, starting with THE GIRL WHO DISAPPEARED TWICE, and continuing through THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE, THE STRANGER YOU KNOW, THE SILENCE THAT SPEAKS, THE MURDER THAT NEVER WAS, and now, A FACE TO DIE FOR.

It all began as a dream of Casey’s, who’s a behavioral specialist, and who wanted to start an investigative agency of her own. She used her inheritance to do that, creating Forensic Instincts, an agency that’s a cut above, with clients who seek the team’s special skills to solve their cases. She promptly hired Marc Devereaux (a former Navy SEAL, former FBI agent, former member of the Bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, and now Casey’s right-hand man) and Ryan McKay (techno-genius who’s as brilliant as he is drop-dead gorgeous). Casey, Marc, and Ryan are the original FI team members, but others have since come on board. Patrick Lynch, former FBI investigator, Claire Hedgleigh, claircognizant (who hates being called a psychic), Emma Stirling, former pickpocket (now reformed) and, of course, Hero, a stunning bloodhound who is also a human scent evidence dog.

Each novel in the series deepens the characters of the FI team as they take on cases that allow them to walk the fine line between legal and illegal in order to protect their clients and solve their cases. They keep me very busy!"

What was the spark for this latest plot that features the urban legend of the doppelganger?

"I just kept wondering what it would be like to have an identical lookalike who was being kept from you for some diabolical reason. The whole concept intrigued me from the start and kept me riveted throughout the writing of the book. It plays a crucial part in A FACE TO DIE FOR—a part you’ll see as soon as you begin the story."

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating this book?

"The intricacy of genetics. That’s all I can say without giving away too much!"

Can you share with us a favorite scene from A Face to Die For?

"Again, this one is tough without giving away too much. I’ll just say that I’m especially attached to the emotional scenes that involve family reunions."

You have now published around 30 books, including many psychological thrillers and historical romantic suspense! What is your favorite book written by you, and why?

"Whenever I get asked this question I always have to give the same answer—and I promise you it’s the truth. Whichever book I’m writing at the time is my most loved and most hated book simultaneously. I’m always immersed in the characters and the plot, and I love that as well as loving being part of the evolving storyline. At the same time, I see every flaw, every last word I need to rewrite, which drives me crazy and makes me doubt how good the final product will be. I’m always so relieved when I reread a book later on and realize I accomplished what I wanted to!"

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"Balancing all the facets of my life—my career, my family, and all the other relationships that I treasure (as well as the necessary but distasteful chores like cleaning and laundry). It’s a balance that most women have to juggle, and when you want to give your all to everything and everyone, it’s an overwhelming challenge. Maybe if I were less of a perfectionist it would be easier. But I won’t give anything less than my all, especially where it comes to my family and my books."

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

"When you have a career that opens you to scrutiny, such as writing, you leave yourself wide open for criticism. I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails many times, and it never gets easier to take. It was much harder for me when I was a newly published writer, because I hadn’t had the time or experience to thicken my skin. I remember one of my first bookstore signings when a man came rushing up to me and asked: “Are you Andrea Kane?” I sat up very proudly and said, “Yes I am.” He then went on to ask: “Did I just see you on CBS This Morning?” Since that had been my very first TV appearance, I was really stoked. “Yes you did,” I replied. “Can I ask you a question?” he went on. By this time I would have answered just about anything, I was so elated. “Of course,” I said. To which he replied, “Do you know where the men’s room is?” Talk about deflated. I nearly wept.

The best compliments always come to me from my readers when they tell me that I made an uplifting difference in their hours, their days, or, in some heartwarming cases, their lives. I don’t think there can be any greater compliment to a writer than that."

Which do you think you have the most of: talent, intelligence, education, or persistence? How has it helped you in your life?

"I’d have to say my greatest gift is emotional intelligence. I’m able to get inside other people’s heads and hearts and understand what and why they’re feeling as they do. It’s a wonderful asset because it helps me help others, as well as helping me put that gift into my writing (and, of course, into my family). It’s also my greatest curse, at times, because I can’t master the art of being an onlooker. One of my editors once said to me: “Can’t you ever just watch a movie, instead of living it and putting yourself inside everything and everyone?” It was a legitimate question for which I have no answer. I just can’t."

Do you have any special sayings or expressions?

"Lately, I’ve been walking around saying, “It is what it is.” That’s the way I deal with the ups and downs of life."

Do you feel differently about yourself now from how you felt when you were younger? How? What do you think has stayed the same about you throughout life? What do you think has changed?

"Wow, talk about heavy questions. I’ve definitely changed as I’ve matured. I’m more comfortable in my own skin now. Unfortunately, I’m also more realistic and a little less like a happy, bounding cocker spaniel. Life has a way of doing that to you through its hard knocks and tough losses. But underneath it all, I’m still the same deeply caring, hard-working, and sensitive person I’ve always been. So, now that I’ve reread my answer, I’d amend it to say that I’m modified but not changed. I still cried when I watched Beauty and the Beast this past summer 😃."

What comes next?

"My next book (still in its fledging state) is a huge but exciting challenge for me. For those of you who have read books in the Forensic Instincts series, you’ll have met Aidan Devereaux, Marc’s mysterious brother. Well, it turns out that Aidan has a clandestine team all his own who operate nationally and internationally (and inside and outside of the law) to carry out near impossible missions. Aidan has the help of members of the Forensic Instincts team, and the results are… well, wait and see! 😃"

Last time you shared your beautiful Pomeranian, Mischief, with us so we were hoping you might be able to give us an update on your little teddy bear ... (yes, we are definitely fishing for new pictures ;-) )

"Mischief continues to be his wonderful, loving, but terribly spoiled self. He spends lots of time “snouting” my laptop to try to topple it over—a blatant sign that he does NOT want me to work. He is the King of the Household, and is always treated as such! 😃 Here are some recent photos that you’re welcome to share with your readers:"