BooksChatter: ℚ Her Every Move

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with returning author Kelly Irvin to talk about Her Every Move (9 February 2021, Thomas Nelson, 352 pages), a Romantic Suspense.

“A gripping story that will have you on the edge of your seat until ‘The End.’”―Patricia Bradley, author of The Logan Point Series, Memphis Cold Case Novels, Natchez Trace Parkway Rangers series

“Explosive, tender, and races all the way through!”―Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, author, screenwriter, and forensic specialist

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

A very warm welcome back to Kelly Irvin; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Before we start with our questions... here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Her Every Move, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I don’t listen to music while I write. Complete silence works best for me."

What compelled you to write this particular story, Her Every Move?

"I love the idea of featuring a librarian who breaks all the old stereotypes we have about librarians. And also of libraries. They are still incredibly relevant today and serve as community meeting places and centers of technology for people who can’t afford laptops, internet, etc.

I also wanted to explore the divisiveness that we’re experiencing in this country around political issues.

Ultimately, though, the story is about family dysfunction, something I often explore in my books."

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

"Only in the sense that I love public libraries. I lived at the library in my hometown in Abilene, Kansas, when I was a kid. My parents couldn’t afford to buy books so the five of us kids traipsed the mile into town to the library for story hour once a week in the summer. I checked out as many books as I could lug back home. My parents wanted me to be a librarian, teacher, or nurse. They thought those were suitable professions for a woman. I chose newspaper reporter, but that’s another story."

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Her Every Move?

"How much social services are offered by libraries and librarians. They’re often called up to help educate the public about issues like the opioid crisis and domestic violence. They help with people who are experiencing homelessness who use the library’s bathrooms to wash up and spend their days browsing the internet on library computers"

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

"Since my book is traditionally published, I’m not the final word on the cover.

My publisher’s marketing, sales, and editorial staff collaborate in coming up with the concept. Before they start I fill out a marketing survey that includes numerous questions including descriptions of the main characters, important items that might be used for the cover (like the murder weapon), the setting, the season, etc.. They use that information to craft the concept.

Then they share it with me. They frequently tweak it based on my feedback. In this case the cover continues a “look” that is considered my author brand for my romantic suspense novels."

Why should we read Her Every Move and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"The unique appeal of Her Every Move, as well as my other romantic suspense books, is in the multicultural setting of San Antonio. It’s a beautiful backdrop with iconic landmarks with which many readers are familiar. San Antonio is a cultural melting pot that lends itself to a rich narrative.

Her Every Move takes on some relevant issues in today’s society as well such as climate change—is it real, is it a hoax?

Profiling of people based on their ethnic and religious backgrounds is another one. Complicated family relationships. Political graft. It’s a meaty book while staying true to the genre of romantic suspense. Suspense is foremost."

Can you tell us something quirky about Her Every Move, its story and characters? For example, were the characters named after something or someone in particular?

"Not in Her Every Move, but I must admit to using details from my son’s life in the last book, Closer Than She Knows. Like his pickup truck and the decision by him and his wife not to have children. The kind of dog they have (two pit bulls who are sweet and friendly)."

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

"I’d recommend it to any reader who loves the genre of romantic suspense. I love the romance that blooms in this book. Two very different people drawn together by difficult circumstances, pitted against each other for reasons neither of them can control.

It has its share of violence. If a reader loves cozy mysteries, this might not be the right one for her or him."

If you could / wished to turn Her Every Move into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"If I could have a young Kevin Costner (like the age he was in Bull Durham) play Avery Wick, I would love that. He’s such a versatile actor and so charismatic. I’d like Cassidy Freeman from the Longmire TV series to play the part of Jackie Santoro.

Even though it’s a TV series, I think the dream team for producing the movie would be the folks who do the Bosch series for Amazon Prime. It has a movie quality feel. The writing is terrific and stays true to Michael Connelly’s books.

It’d have to be filmed on location in San Antonio."

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"Time. Even though I’m medically retired and write full time, I always feel as if I need more time."

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

"Before I was published, an editor sent me a rejection letter that said his publishing house only published books with “extraordinary writing” and mine didn’t rise to that level. It was devastating. However, I used that experience and those feelings to really push hard, perfecting my craft. The best revenge was getting published. I now have more than 20 books out there in the world. So take that, Mr. Snooty.

The best compliment? Readers buying my books. The reader who buys a book and then looks for the next one or searches for my backlist to keep reading them pays me the highest compliment possible."

What is in store next?

"Right now I’m working on another standalone romantic suspense novel that features two connected murders that happen ten years apart. San Antonio’s historic art district, La Villita, serves as the backdrop for the story and my heroine owns a framing shop in La Villita. I’m having lots of fun with it!"

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?