ℚ♫ Hide in Place: Sylvan [1] - Emilya Naymark

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Emilya Naymark to talk about Hide in Place (9 February 2021, Crooked Lane Books, 279 pages), a Thriller, book one in the Sylvan series.

“An original, satisfying roller-coaster ride for domestic suspense fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“Heaps of praise to author Naymark...A captivating story.” —New York Journal of Books

"HIDE IN PLACE grabs you from page one." —David Rothenberg on WBAI Radio NYC

“Crammed with suspense as a mother tries to overcome her panic and use her training to find her kidnapped son. A great read!” —Andrea Kane, New York Times bestselling author of the Forensic Instinct series

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

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A very warm welcome to Emilya Naymark; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music, so Emilya Naymark has shared with us her music playlist for Hide in Place - enjoy!

Feuer Frei – Rammstein
      "because fire. Lots of fire in the book."
Nocturne No.20 in C-sharp minor – Chopin
      "because my young character is a musician and plays this in a scene."
Astro Zombies – The Misfits
      "because it’s the kind of pulpy graphic fiction the kid would have been into."
Minor Threat – Minor Threat
      "not because any of the characters would listen to it, but because that’s what I always thought of my young character as—a minor threat—with all the double entendres intended."

What was the inspiration for Hide in Place?

"I’ve been wanting to write stories starring an undercover detective for ages (being married to one). 

One day I watched my son walk to school with his trombone case in hand and wondered what in the world was going on inside his secretive little head.  And so, a synthesis of a mother who happens to be an undercover detective, her troubled teenager, and all the ways that could go wrong formed in my mind.   (I am not an undercover detective, and my son is an angel, so, you know… artistic licence)."

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

"Well, I’m a mom, and I have a teenage son who plays a musical instrument, much like the boy in Hide in Place.  I gave Laney Bird, my protagonist, my own worries and concerns about her child, though I believe such worries are universal.

I set the novel in two locations dear to me: the Hudson Valley of upstate New York and Brighton Beach, at the southern tip of Brooklyn. 

The Hudson Valley is where I now live, and its forests, lakes, and mountains are viscerally inspiring. 

Brighton Beach, or Little Odessa, is home to many Russian immigrants, as well as to something darker—Russian organized crime.  Being a Russian immigrant myself, I loved being able to write a little about this culture."

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

"The cover, created by Kara Klontz, was entirely the concept and execution of my publisher, Crooked Lane Books.

I think Kara did a perfectly sinister job, enough so I wished I had thought to use a shovel in the story!"

Can you tell us something quirky about Hide in Place, its story and characters?

"Setting some of the novel in Brighton Beach gave me an appetizing opportunity to have my characters scarf down piroshki, cheburekis, caviar, shashliks, pelmeni, etc., as well as to describe Russian culture in all its outlandish glory.

The teenage boy in the book, Alfie, is a Boy Scout, and whenever I ended up with him facing an impossible situation, I’d think, well, what does he know as a scout?  And sure enough, there’s a badge for whatever I needed him to know."

Who would you recommend Hide in Place to?

"I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers of women’s fiction, crime fiction, and police procedurals.  Moms of teenage boys, especially quirky ones, would very much relate.

If you enjoy Harlan Coben or Ruth Ware, you would like Hide in Place."

If you could / wished to turn Hide in Place and the Sylvan series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Ooh!  I love this question.   I always imagined my protagonist resembling a young Annie Lennox.  I thought of her as having strong, sharp features and short hair.  For some reason everyone else looked like people I know IRL.  And as for direction, Steven Soderbergh of course! "

What is in store next?  Please tell us about your future plans; if book is part of a series, can you give us any hints on future developments?

"Yes! Hide in Place is the first in the Sylvan series.  Book 2 is going to the editor imminently.  Let’s just say that life in idyllic Sylvan is about to get explosive.  And of course, there’s more Russians behaving badly. "

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 Iggy."

Thank you for sharing, Emilya.  We hope you are having a great tour!

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She left the NYPD in the firestorm of a high-profile case gone horribly wrong. Three years later, the ghosts of her past roar back to terrifying life.

Hide in Place
Available NOW!

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