Interview Of Laura Griffin, Author of Unforgivable

Ms. Griffin, your writing career is an obvious success story. It sounds if you are living your dream. Kudos for following your heart and putting your thoughts and words into an arena where all can enjoy them. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.

1.) Why did you write this book? What initiated this particular burst of creativity?
Thanks for inviting me to talk to you about UNFORGIVABLE! For years, I have been wanting to tell Mia’s story. The heroine of the book is a DNA expert at the Delphi Center, a cutting-edge forensic laboratory where the mission is to help stop violent crime by putting serial offenders behind bars. Mia has a host of personal reasons for being dedicated to her job, and those reasons come out in the story.

2.) Does your story line develop organically or is it a gestalt before you begin?
I usually have a kernel of the story thought out… maybe an opening scene, or a climax. The rest evolves as things go on. As I get to know the characters better, they dictate the story direction.

3.) Is one of your series closer to your heart than the others, if so which one and why?
 I’m loving my current work on the Tracers series. It really combines my favorite topics: forensics, police work, a good love story. The common thread in each Tracers book is the Delphi Center, where an array of forensic experts work. So I can explore anything I want that has to do with crime-solving, from DNA, to ballistics, to human bones. The story possibilities are endless.

4.) Do you have a favorite character in this book and if so why?
I love Mia for her passionate dedication to putting away violent offenders. One of her career goals is to help put a dent in the thousands and thousands of untested rape kits sitting in evidence rooms. This is a character who really believes in victim’s rights.

5.) What do you like the most about writing?
The beauty of writing fiction is that I get to find something that interests me and then create an entertaining story around it so that I can get other people interested in it, too.

6.) Where do your new story ideas come from?
As a former reporter, I’m kind of a news junkie. I’m constantly reading papers, magazines, watching CNN, skimming headlines.

7.) What advice has helped the most in your writing?
“Write the book you want to read.”

8.) You are a prolific author, what is next on your agenda?
I’ve been thrilled with the success of the Tracers series, and I have more stories to tell. We’ve got three more Tracers books planned, beginning in 2011.

9.) Who is your favorite author and why?
I can’t pick one! I love such a variety… from J.D. Salinger and Edith Wharton, to contemporary authors such as Patricia Cornwell and Jonathan Franzen.

10.) What advice would you give for the want to be writer?
This is a tough industry, so develop a thick skin and don’t give up.

Thank you for your willingness to share your time and your expertise.
See my review of Unforgivable.