First
may I say, Thank You Shandy, for hosting me on Mama Knows Books! It's a
pleasure to be introduced to your readers. I thought I would talk a
little bit about Women & Thrillers. Afterall, everyone likes a good
thrill...don't we? :)
After completing my first book, Vigilare, in the Vigilare
trilogy, I thought I had written a detective mystery with a paranormal
spin. Lo and behold, my surprise, when I kept reading reviews referring
to my novel as a THRILLER. I had no idea I was that exciting!
Gabino Iglesias of the Austin Post said, “Vigilare walks
the line between a thriller and a supernatural adventure while safely
anchored in a scientific discourse around blood that James put together
so well that it's reminiscent of a Douglas Preston or Michael Crichton
novel. With action, romance, a strong female hero and a likeable group
of characters, Vigilare reads like a good action movie.”
After reading his review, I call up my Editor, and I say, “How would you classify Vigilare?”
She says, “With all of that action, twist and turns, and a cliffhanger-ending, you have a thriller on your hands, my dear.”
With
further research, I found that I did in fact write the beginnings of a
thriller trilogy, as the novel has aspects of suspense, tension and
excitement. Wikipedia says, “Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's
moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened
expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror.”
With
renewed clarification of just exactly what my novel consisted of, my
curiosity was piqued about the Thriller genre. After looking into it
further, I found men have been writing and reading thrillers for years,
with the name James Patterson dominating that list. The genre is
relatively new as a mainstream medium for women, however there are many
talented female thriller writers, such as Tami Hoag, who successfully
made the jump from romance to thrillers. I always found Anne Rice to be
quite thrilling, even before the term thriller became synonymous with books.
Vigilare is set in the town of Vanguard, where Detectives
Gina DeLuca and Tony Gronkowski investigate a string of murders among
Vanguard's most loathsome population, rapists and pedophiles. With fed
up citizens, the city is on the verge of a vigilante uprising in support
of their seemingly superhuman Vigilare with the sparkling emerald green
eyes. Friend or foe, Vanguard Police Department
has a job to do in bringing the vigilant one to justice, causing their
own internal battle with right and wrong, immoral and just. Following
their leads, Detectives DeLuca and Gronkowski find themselves pulled
into a mysterious world of super blood and super powers, and closer to
the Vigilare than ever expected. It's a race to the finish between
Detectives DeLuca and Gronkowski and the Vigilare to figure out who she
is and why. The first in a trilogy. Vigilare—the one who watches over—comes to light. Where one system fails, another never gives up!
Vigilare, an Italian term, meaning to watch over, to look out, to protect—is a play on vigilantism. I was inspired by comic books and movies, such as Batman and The Punisher. Pitting evil against good, and how good can turn bad, even with the most pure of intentions.
I
am an upbeat, positive individual in my personal life. I like light,
love, peace and tranquility. However, when I get into writer mode, most
often I enjoy allowing my mind to take me to uncomfortable places. I
find fear only propels us to a deeper understanding.
In my first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me
(An Amazon Breakthrough Novel Quarter Finalist), I take on themes, such
as domestic abuse, alcoholism and suicide. I certainly do not take on
darker subject matter with the intent to justify it or glorify it.
Shocking things happen to people everyday. As a writer, I feel difficult
subject matter can be delivered candidly, yet with enough finesse and
tact to allow readers to transport through it (maybe on the edge of
their seats...or biting their fingernails) to the other
side.
To
start in the darkness, allows an author to steer her words toward the
light, allowing characters to come to terms with tragic things in their
past, growing, evolving and coming out of it. For me, dark, intense
reads allow for pivotal character development. And as a reader, I enjoy
works that are more than the words on the page. Books that make me
think. Books that make me question my own morality, standards and
outlook. Books that leave me wondering, What would I do? If given the same set of obstacles. As a reader, I don’t pay
particular attention as to who is delivering the story…male or female.
“If
there is something in which James excelled, it has to be the way she
treated her subject matter. Scenes of attempted rape and physical
violence abound in Vigilare, but they're always carefully
and tactfully done. Instead of going for the cheap thrills and shock
value, the author gently deconstructs a sad reality and unflinchingly
exposes the psychological devastation that such an experience can
bring.” –Austin Post
Maybe
it’s the mixture of dark and light, hard and soft, trauma and romance,
that makes it glaring. There are some questions as to whether a true
thriller should include a romantic underbelly. For me, that is the
redeeming quality. It’s like a female heroine. She can’t be concrete
tough and without flaws, or the reader will not relate nor empathize.
Right? I get no satisfaction out of reading a book that starts out dark,
intense and at times horrifying, and ends the same way. As a reader, I
have to have a resolution. Take me on a journey, even a harrowing one,
but life me up at the end, give me closure.
Essentially,
I write from the female perspective, with intent to tell a good story,
and empower those who have come through challenging circumstances. It is
not by choice that darker subjects pique my attention and weave their
way into my writing. It simply is what comes out of me. It has been a
most interesting journey into the thriller genre. If you may be
interested in a suspenseful journey, I hope you will take into
consideration my Vigilare series.
Vigilare, book #1 in the trilogy can be found on Amazon, in both Kindle and print form @ http://www.amazon.com/
Vigilare: Hell Hound, book #2 in the trilogy, NEW RELEASE in both Kindle and print form @ http://www.amazon.com/
Other places one can find me: My Website: www.brooklyn-james.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Brooklyn James is an author/singer/songwriter inspired by life in the Live Music Capital of Austin, Texas. Her first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has
an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in
the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Brooklyn holds an M.A. in
Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. The Vigilare trilogy
is an adaptation from a short narrative film. She is currently working
on the last novel in the series, as well as another book and music
soundtrack combination. All songs from the soundtracks are
written/co-written and performed by the author. Listen free at www.brooklyn-james.com or www.facebook.com/
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