Brian Freeman v.o.





Brian Freeman

 

 

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Hi Brian Freeman. What happens in your life since our last interview (june 2011) ?
    Yes, we last talked when my fourth novel LE VOYEUR was released in France. It’s been a busy few years since then! I have three more books available now, JE T’AURAI, SUSPECTE, and now L’EMPREINTE DU SOUPCON. My last book, SUSPECTE, was awarded the Plume d’Or from Plume Libre — a wonderful honor! The book was also named Best Novel in the International Thriller Writers Awards in New York. That was one of the great moments of my professional life.

So I have been writing, writing, writing! However, I enjoyed a lovely personal milestone this year, too. My wife Marcia and I celebrated 30 years of marriage in June.

 

L'empreinte du soupçon - Brian Freeman

The Bone House, your new novel, has been available since mid-october in France in Presses de la
Cité, can you talk about it ?
    L’EMPREINTE DU SOUPCON is a novel about loyalty and doubt. The heroes are a married couple, Hilary and Mark Bradley, who live on an idyllic island off the coast of Lake Michigan. When a teenage girl is found murdered, all of the suspicion in the town focuses on Mark — and Hilary is the only one
who believes in his innocence. She is determined to find the truth, but she must also overcome her own fears about her husband, because each day brings new evidence that suggests Mark is guilty — and that his relationship with this girl was more intimate than she knew.
One of the lines in the book says it all: “You live your life, you trust, you have faith.” That’s the world in which Hilary Bradley tries to live. It’s a thriller that will keep you turning the pages, and I think the ending will shock you! But I also hope the characters will linger in your mind for a long time after the book is done.

 

Would we see again this new couple of investigators in another book ?
I envisioned L’EMPREINTE DU SOUPCON as a stand-alone novel, but the book also introduces a new detective character named Cab Bolton, along with his partner Lala Mosqueda. Readers enjoyed Cab and Lala so much that they began asking me when they would see them again!
Cab is very different from the hero in my other series, Jonathan Stride. He may as well wear a sign that says: Does not play well with others. He hates authority. He doesn’t like rules. He’s still figuring out what he wants to do with his life. One thing about Cab, though…he’s genuinely charming.
Handsome. Funny. Sharp. He banters with friends and enemies alike. He’s secure about who he is and who he’s not. He takes life seriously and himself not at all. Which makes him impossible not to like.
I listen to my readers — so my new book in the US and UK, SEASON OF FEAR, brings Cab and Lala back in an all-new novel set in Florida. The latest review calls it a “hurricane-force thriller.”

 

How do you start the writing of your novels ?
    There are three stages to each of my books. The first stage is “creating” the book — developing the plot and characters. I usually don’t have much in my head other than some themes and ideas at that point, so I fill up numerous pads of paper with notes: what might happen, what background would a certain character have, how does one crime affect another crime. My plots are very complex, so it typically takes many weeks for the web to come together.
When I have the plot and characters designed, I start stage two — drafting the book, getting the words on paper. Writing a novel is an organic process, and it takes on a life of its own. So the plot and characters typically evolve as I write. I usually have to re-do my outline over and over, because it changes along the way.
The first draft typically takes about five months, and then I begin editing. I’m a fanatical editor, trying to get every sentence and paragraph just right. I never want to get “between” the reader and the story. I don’t want them to feel my presence. So I edit carefully to make sure the prose flows smoothly in the reader’s head.

 

What are your plans ? A travel in France to meet your readers maybe ?
    Marcia and I love France! We were last there several years ago for the Quais du Polar in Lyon. I spent my birthday in Paris on that trip, too. We would love to go back soon.

I have a wonderful fan in Lyon named Maryse, and when we attended Quais du Polar, Marcia and I met her for breakfast. That was such a delightful morning! We have stayed in touch with her ever since.

 

Thanks a lot, Brian Freeman. A word to end ?
    I really do enjoy hearing from readers. I hope everyone in France who enjoys my books will connect with me. Feel free to write to me at  Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.  or visit with me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/bfreemanfans) or Twitter (@bfreemanbooks). I also have a French language web page with information about my books,  www.bfreemanbooks.com/france.html.

 

 

 

 



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