BooksChatter: ℚ Up the Creek: Culver Creek [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Alissa Grosso to talk about Up the Creek (10 January 2021, Glitter Pigeon Press, 310 pages), a Mystery Thriller, book one in the Culver Creek series.

"Up the Creek is an exciting mystery with complex characters and a gripping plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept me enthralled until the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and trying to discover how it was all connected. [...] If you enjoy thrillers with complex relationships, and a plot that pulls you into the story, then you will love Up the Creek as much as I did." ~ Amazon reviewer

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

A very warm welcome to Alissa Grosso; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Up the Creek?

"Awhile back I had this idea for a character who had some psychic dreams, and the character of Caitlin was born. Then the rest of the story that would become Up the Creek grew around her."

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

"First of all, I can’t stress enough that the book is a work of fiction, but little bits of my own life make their way into my books. At one point a character buys up a discontinued product on Ebay, and I can report that I have done the same with a favorite shade of eyeshadow. Like my character Sage Dorian I don’t drink coffee or eat meat."

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

"I designed the cover myself, but the water artwork is a photo by Kazanovsky Photo.

I wanted a pretty minimalist look for the cover, but I also wanted a concept that would work for a series of four books each of which feature simple, clean photos against a black background."

Why should we read Up the Creek and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Well, without giving away any spoilers I will say that this mystery has just a touch of what some might term the “unexplained” to it."

Can you tell us something quirky about Up the Creek, its story and characters?

"My original title for the book was Every Parent’s Nightmare, and while it fits the book in many ways, as my friend and fellow author Stephen Parrish pointed out, the title was pretty ominous and scary sounding for a book that isn’t quite that dark. So, I decided to change it to the less ominous sounding Up the Creek."

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

"I think this book will appeal to fans of Tana French, Liane Moriarty and Gillian Flynn.

This is a murder mystery so there is a year’s old cold case murder of a young child. This isn’t a cozy mystery, but I would still describe it as relatively tame."

If you could / wished to turn Up the Creek and the Culver Creek series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"One thing that readers will notice is that physical description of the characters in the book are spare. This was deliberate. Unless it was absolutely necessary to describe a character’s physical attributes, I left that out so that readers could use their own imagination, and I hope that will be kept in mind if there is ever a cinematic adaptation of this book."

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

"So far my published novels fall into two categories contemporary realistic Young Adult fiction, and adult fiction in the mystery thriller genre.

I do enjoy reading both genres as well as many others. I can’t promise that I will never branch out into any other genres in my writing. I’ve always loved science fiction, and honestly assumed that I would become a science fiction novelist, but so far that hasn’t happened!"

What is your writing process?

"Once I have an idea for a novel, I jot down some notes for it.

There’s a “Notes” file on my computer that’s filled with ideas, and likely a lot of them will never see the light of day. But if an idea really grabs hold of me and won’t let go then I’ll write out a thorough chapter by chapter outline. I prefer to do this with good old fashioned pen and paper, then transfer that over manually to a Scrivener (best software ever!) document before diving in and writing. That way when I open each chapter folder I already know the important details about what needs to happen in that chapter, and there’s less chance for me to get “stuck” when writing.

If I do find myself getting stuck, then it likely means something isn’t working with the book, and I need to go back and rework my original outline. I like to give things a breather after I finish my first draft, but after that I like to read through at least once on the screen, then print everything out and read through it again on paper with a red pen handy."

What is in store next?

"Up the Creek is the first book in a four book series following detective Sage Dorian. Book 2 in the series Factory Girls will be out February 9th."

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 one’s a little bittersweet. Here is a picture of me with my boyfriend Ron and my dog Jack. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Jack this year. He was 15 and a half and had a good long doggy life and we shared many adventures together."