HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well hey, couple of things today! First, breaking news! HER PERFECT LIFE is on sale today, for $1.99! And you can snap it right up for Kindle, Nook, Kobo or Apple. it’s s 80 percent off! (Isn’t that right?) Reds and readers, I really hope you will click and get a copy for yourself or a pal.. Every book makes a difference, and it really matters. Here’s a link. Tell your pals. End of sales pitch.
Also today, Happy Happy Birthday to one of my dearest best friends in the world, the incomparable Hannah Mary McKinnon. Of course you know the two of us are partners in fictional crime on First Chapter Fun every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30 PM ET live on facebook and Insta, and some of you Reds and Readers are beloved members of the Funster family, and we are incredibly grateful. Today is episode 262!
Hannah is rockstar brilliant, and her new book Never Coming Home is out in two weeks. It’s darkly hilarious, completely sinister, and incredibly original. And you are all invited to the launch party!
She has a fascinating past, and now she’s realized that past gave her a secret weapon for her current work!
(And see if you can get some clues about the riveting NEVER COMING HOME from this piece she wrote just for us.)
Embracing Research
Many years ago, when I worked in IT recruitment as a Chief Operating Officer, I sat in a meeting during which we decided to open a subsidiary in Frankfurt. I lived and worked in Switzerland, and while I’d frequently traveled to Germany, I had zero knowledge of setting up a company there. My boss asked if I’d take on the project. “Absolutely!” I said, which I meant wholeheartedly, and I couldn’t wait to get started. After all, during a recent performance appraisal we’d chatted about how much I loved being thrown into new situations and figuring stuff out.
It seems the thrill of cannonballing into the deep end has stuck around and translated into my being more than a little willing to shove my characters in unknown territory, too. This involves them doing dark deeds, getting the ultimate revenge, and committing murder, mind you, not working on administrative logistics like I did, but the approach remains the same: I need to do research.
As a crime writer, this takes me down some pretty dodgy cyber rabbit holes, and I get to have some, uh, interesting conversations I’ll bet have resulted in my being flagged by security agencies. For my third novel, Her Secret Son, I called a school board in Syracuse, asking if I could register a kid without a birth certificate. “Who did you say you were?” the woman asked, her voice going up a few notches. “And why are you asking?” She hung up shortly afterward despite my reassurances of, “Honest, ma’am, I’m an author, I promise.”
Then there was the time when an employee at poison control swiftly pointed out that, no, she couldn’t tell me if a particular concoction would kill someone…but she did ask which of my books I recommended, so I hope the chat broadened my audience.
My most devilish research was for my latest novel, Never Coming Home, which is written exclusively from the antagonist’s point of view. At the start of the book, Lucas Forester is about to inherit a lot of money. His wealthy mother-in-law is dying, and his wife, Michelle, is missing—presumed dead. Lucas already knows Michelle’s never coming home because he hired a hitman on the dark web to get rid of her. All he needs to do is play the desperate, grieving husband and wait for the cash to roll in…until someone thwarts his plans, and all hell breaks loose, of course.
Writing from the antagonist’s perspective was unique in many ways. In particular, it made me think like a criminal for the entire duration of the novel, slipping into the shoes of someone who wants to get away with murder while pretending to care about the victim. Oh, and I should mention that tricky hitman business. Like most, I’d heard about the dark web, but didn’t know the details, so I listened to various podcasts about its history and current state, which I found both fascinating and disturbing in equal measure. I also spoke to crime author Drew Murray, who shared more details. I didn’t venture on the dark web though. That was a step too far, even for me.
I did however have a few conversations with crime writer Bruce Robert Coffin, a retired police detective sergeant and bestselling author of the Detective Byron Mysteries. He’s always my go-to when I’m thinking about (fictional!) murder and has helped make many of my plots even more cunning. After I’d described Lucas’s plans, and how he’d always stay three steps ahead of the cops, I’ll admit to feeling pretty chuffed when Bruce paused, chuckled, and said, “If I didn’t know you’re an author I’d worry because you’ve thought of almost everything”—and then he gave me another few tips.
Some may find research is a solitary experience, but for me this isn’t the case. It probably helps that I’m not shy. For example, when I needed input from a family lawyer, I filled in a contact form for a firm I’d found online and got a call from the senior partner ten minutes later, a charming man who was delighted to give me the skinny on adoption laws.
Then there was the funeral director I contacted via Facebook, and who gave me ideas about hiding a body at a cemetery (I haven’t used the info yet, but I hope to in a future book). A friend connected me with an ER physician with whom I spent an hour on the phone and who thought it was a lovely break to discuss my musings because nobody real got hurt. More recently, I corresponded with a pediatrician, who said she’d jokingly entered a sweepstakes with her family about my including her in the acknowledgments. I told her I’d go one better, and named, and styled my family doctor character after her, ensuring she’d win the bet.
When I conduct my research, it’s often so much fun I have to force myself to stop and refocus on my manuscript. People always surprise me with their generosity and willingness to help, it’s truly extraordinary. So, if you’re ever wondering if you should try to connect with someone when you’re attempting to figure something out for your books, don’t hesitate. You’re not making a sales call, you’re not asking them to part with their money—you’re requesting their assistance, knowledge, and expertise, something many individuals are more than willing to do, and they’re often flattered you asked.
As I sat in that corporate meeting all those years ago and agreed to figure out how to open an office in Frankfurt, I’d never have considered it training ground for my career as an author. But looking back, there’s no doubt that it was, so thanks again, Boss!
HANK: How about you? Got a fun research experience you want to share? And did you notice--Hannah wrote this book from the antagonist's point of view! Wow! What do you think about hat?
Tell us in the comments!
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing. While her debut, TIME AFTER TIME, was a rom com, she transitioned to the dark side thereafter. Her suspense novels include THE NEIGHBORS, and bestsellers HER SECRET SON, SISTER DEAR, YOU WILL REMEMBER ME, and NEVER COMING HOME. Hannah Mary lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons. Connect on Facebook and Instagram @hannahmarymckinnon, and on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon. For more, visit www.hannahmarymckinnon.com
First comes love. Then comes murder.
Lucas Forester didn't hate his wife. Michelle was brilliant, sophisticated and beautiful. Sure, she had extravagant spending habits and that petty attitude, a total disregard for anyone below her status. But she also had a lot to offer. Most notably, wealth that only the one percent could comprehend.
For years, Lucas had been honing a flawless plan to inherit Michelle’s fortune. Unfortunately, it involved taking a hit out on her.
Every track was covered, no trace left behind, and now Lucas plays the grieving husband so well he deserves an award. But when a shocking photo and cryptic note show up on his doorstep, Lucas goes from hunter to prey.
Someone is onto him. And they’re closing in.
Told with dark wit and a sharply feminist sensibility, Never Coming Home is a terrifying tale of duplicity that will have you side-eyeing your spouse as you dash to the breathtaking end.
Website: www.HannahMaryMcKinnon.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon (@hannahmarymckinnon)
Instagram: www.instagram.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon/ (@hannahmarymckinnon)
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HannahMMcKinnon (@hannahmmckinnon)
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15144570.Hannah_Mary_McKinnon
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/hannah-mary-mckinnon
Contactin.bio: https://HannahMaryMcKinnon.contactin.bio
First Chapter Fun www.firstchapterfun.com
