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Hello Brian Freeman. Our first question is a kind of ritual on Plume Libre : Who are you, can you tell us a little more about you?
Isn’t it a little dangerous asking for personal information about a thriller writer ? When you read my books, you may wonder whether you really want to know more about me ! No, seriously, I am a lover of my wife, my cats, and my books – and I’ll leave it to you to figure out the right order. My home is in the bitter cold climate of Minnesota, which is also where I set my books. Otherwise, except for spending my days writing about the sex-drenched lives of violent sociopaths, I am totally normal.
What led you to write? And why did you choose the thriller genre?
When I was a boy, my family moved from the Midwest to California, and sadly, it was a terrible move for me. I was not very happy during many of those years – but I look back and realize it was an important life experience, because it was during that period that I poured my passion into writing. From those days, writing books became my life long dream.
I write character-driven thrillers…stories where the drama arises out of the emotions, secrets, and sexuality of the people. I love the hidden stories in people’s lives…the mysteries of tragedy and desire that make them who they are and sometimes draw them across terrible lines. That’s why I write in this genre – to capture intense emotion in my novels and leave the reader breathless.
How do you create your duo of investigators, Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial?
I didn’t want stereotypical, emotionless detectives. I didn’t want ironic, detached characters like Sam Spade whose trenchcoat is never wrinkled. I wanted real, flawed, complex heroes who don’t always make the right choices. They are passionate and determined, but they make mistakes. They’re human. I think that’s why readers relate to them. Their story is also the story of their relationship, and it is a real love story, with ups and downs. Again, that’s what makes readers care about their fate in each book.
In a more general way, are you inspired by real people to create your characters?
There are bits and pieces of real people – including myself – in all of my characters. If you’ve read my books, you should find that a little scary! Most of the time, I create characters whose personalities, features, names, etc., are mixtures of real people and my own imagination. I also want those characters to feel vivid and human. As a result, real people may not recognize themselves in my books – but you may sometimes feel as if they are people you know. Or as Carly Simon would say, I bet you think this song is about you.
Your books take place in Duluth, Minnesota. Why this town?
We have many great writers who set their novels in urban settings like Los Angeles, Miami, or Chicago. I wanted something different. I wanted a smaller, more remote locale, in an area where people are tested by the natural surroundings. More of my books take place outdoors than other writers – and often in very bitter environs. Duluth is a city that is practically on a frontier, on the shore of a great lake and on the border of the Canadian wilderness. You have to have endurance to live there. There is also a sorrowful quality to Duluth that reflects the emotional tragedies of my stories. Duluth is a city with a monied past that has long since bled away; it’s a city of faded glory. All those extremes enrich the drama of my books.
When you wrote “Immoral”, did you have already planned to make a series with Jonathan Stride?
Actually, no! I didn’t envision the book as launching a series. I assumed it would be a stand-alone. However, my readers and publishers had other ideas. They wanted to see Stride and Serena return…and I’m glad they did, because those characters have become very close to me.
In “The watcher”, your readers learn more about Jonathan Stride’s past. Why did you decide to go back in his life?
When we meet Stride at the beginning of Jamais je ne reviendrai, he is dealing with his grief over the loss of his wife of twenty years, Cindy. That grief suffuses the narrative of the novel, and Stride doesn’t always make good choices because of his emotions. I wanted to give readers more of a sense of how Stride became the man and detective he is and to give them a chance to “get to know” his late wife Cindy. So I structured Le Voyeur to take place in the present and past, in order to show the influences that shaped Stride, including his deep love for his wife. I’ve read the last chapter of Le Voyeur many, many times, and I always break down a little and shed a tear for Stride and Cindy.
In the United States, your last novel “The bone house” presents new characters. How came to you this idea to create new characters and are you going to write new novels with Jonathan Stride?
Well, I did put Stride through hell in the first five books! The poor man needed a vacation! I had a plot concept for a book that would stand on its own, with new characters and another remote Midwestern setting. So I wrote The Bone House. Of course, as with Stride, I’m now hearing from readers that they want the detective in the new book, Cab Bolton, to return. So I may find myself writing a parallel series!
Never fear, though, I will be back in Duluth this summer to start a new Stride novel. The fifth Stride novel, The Burying Place, which will be released in France next year, is a finalist for Best Novel of 2010 in the International Thriller Writer Awards. So I’m anxious to take readers on the next step in the journey for Stride and Serena.
When you begin the writing of a novel, have you already in mind all the developments, including the end?
Usually, I know the backstory: who did what to whom and why. My plots are very complex and have many threads that lace together, so I need to know how the puzzle fits before I start. However, writing a book is an organic process, and the plot and characters do evolve as I write. Sometimes they take me in some surprising directions!
France is not the first country where your books are translated. How do an author feel when his books travel around the world?
I waited all my life for the chance to hold my published novel in my hands. Little did I know that when it finally happened, it would be in a language I couldn’t read! The Dutch beat everyone else into print with their edition of my first book – so now I tell readers they can read the book in the “original Dutch.” Truly, for me, the international success is among the most satisfying parts of the experience. I love hearing from readers around the world, because it makes the whole world feel smaller and closer. Readers are readers, and they respond to a great story and deep characters, whether they are in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan, or the United States.
What are your projects?
In addition to my suspense novels, I write books that are humorous – practically “chick lit” – under the pseudonym Ally O’Brien. My first AOB novel, Rien ne me’arrete, is available in France now. I have completed my seventh suspense novel – another stand-alone! – and I am half-way through the next Ally O’Brien novel. Then it’s back to Duluth for the next Stride novel in book eight. I better get busy…I have a lot of writing to do!
Thank your very much Brian Freeman, you have the last word.
I grew up reading some wonderful authors. I felt as if they were an important part of my life. So it’s a great honor to play that role for readers myself. Write to me when you’ve read my books…I love to hear from readers, and I always write back personally. Go to my web site, www.bfreemanbooks.com, or to my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bfreemanfans.
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