BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Fixer: The Last Romanov: Katerina Mills [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with returning author Jill Amy Rosenblatt to talk about The Fixer: The Last Romanov (15 October 2019, Jill Amy Rosenblatt, 692 pages), a Suspense Crime Thriller, book three in the Katerina Mills series.

"I was hooked on Jill Amy Rosenblatt’s The Fixer series from the first line in the first book, and each installment since has been amazing. The plot continues to increase in complexity, and the author deftly weaves together all the various story threads and crazy characters. I was on edge through this entire book. [...] The Fixer: The Last Romanov is chock-a-block full of thrills, chills, near misses and direct hits. [...] Thank you for another incredible fictional escape Ms. Rosenblatt; my blood pressure should return to normal by the time the next book is published." ~ Amazon reviewer

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

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

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

What was the inspiration for The Fixer: The Last Romanov?

"The Fixer: The Last Romanov is book three in The Fixer series. It’s a continuation of the story of Katerina Mills, an NYC college student desperate for cash to stay in school and keep her apartment.

She fell into a lucrative, dangerous job as a professional “fixer” for New York’s rich and powerful men. This time, Kat’s entanglements with criminals, cops, and a killer, drive her to take one last job for the biggest payoff yet, enough to escape this dark, dangerous world."

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

"I wish I was as brave as Katerina! If there was any part of me reflected in Katerina, I think it’s her tendency to want to take people at face value. Kat would like to believe what people tell her and take them at their word, but you can’t always do that. One of the themes of the book is the advice of her mentor, Alexander Winter: “trust is not a word we use.”"

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

"Alan Gaites of Graphic Design does all the teasers and covers. I’ve known Alan for over fifteen years. He is wonderful to work with and always takes my ideas and concepts and comes up with something amazing.

I gave more time to Katerina’s relationship with Alexander Winter in this book and the book cover puts them front and center but also has elements of the plot hovering behind them in the form of the Russian architecture. The egg adds a bit of mystery and playfulness, too."

Why should we read The Fixer: The Last Romanov and the Katerina Mills series; what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your series unique?

"The series is written to be a fast-paced adventure, a story to get your heart pumping with excitement and anticipation for what happens next.

It’s an origin story of how Katerina becomes a fixer and part of that is watching her learn her craft and change over time. I think Kat, and the cast of recurring supporting characters, are people readers can get attached to and root for."

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

"Just about everyone in the book is a criminal and involved in some kind of criminal enterprise!

Some characters have names that I have no idea where the name came from. One of the characters is named Moose, but I couldn’t tell you where the name came from. I just knew he would be named “Moose.”"

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

"This is a book for adults. There are a few sexual situations, and one or two scenes that could be triggers. I don’t write graphic scenes, but it is very suggestive.

There is also bad language and one scene that is disturbing and suggests violence, although again, it’s not graphic.

If you like suspense thrillers or crime fiction with some grit, I think this book would be a good fit."

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

"One of my favorite questions! I think about this way more than I should!

My dream team would be Jennifer Lawrence as Katerina Mills and Max Martini as professional thief Alexander Winter. Robert DeNiro as Anthony Desucci. Daniel Craig would be the mysterious client, Thomas Gallagher, and James Badge Dale would be fellow thief Daniel Clay. I think of Sebastian Stan for Detective Ryan Kellan.

For a director, Martin Scorsese."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I started off writing chick lit and women’s fiction, but I always enjoyed reading spy novels and adventure stories. I didn’t choose the suspense/thriller genre, it chose me!"

What is your writing process?

"Now, my writing process is very loose. I originally worked in a very structured manner using the method I learned in Robert McKee’s Story seminar. After I suffered a bout of writer’s block, I found I couldn’t work that way anymore.

I have a list of scenes that I think I would like to use, but I stay very open and however my mind wanders, whether it’s about a scene in the current book or a scene for a future book in the series, I just go with the flow and let it happen.

I feel like my characters are just running amok, telling me their story, and I’m just writing it down. It’s a very odd thing to say but I don’t tell them what’s going to happen, they tell me. Sometimes, I’m surprised by the decisions they make!"

What is in store next?

"I’m getting ready to start writing book four of the series, The Fixer: The Good Criminal. Katerina Mills is in some very tough circumstances and she’s going to have to stretch her abilities again to be able to overcome her problems."

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?