We chat with debut author Amy Pease about Northwoods, which sees the dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic.
Hi, Amy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Amy Pease and I’m the debut author of NORTHWOODS, a mystery thriller set in my home state of Wisconsin. I’m a Nurse Practitioner and HIV specialist, and I’ve spent the past 20 years serving primarily marginalized and underserved populations. It’s a much more fun job than it sounds! I have two very spirited young daughters, a middle-school-teacher husband, and a couple of dogs who are Very Good Boys. I LOVE reading historical romance (read: bodice rippers), especially by Joanna Bourne, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Sarah MacLean. My favorite crime fiction is the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith. When I’m not working/writing/parenting/doing laundry, I like to travel, garden, and lift weights.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My great grandpa gave me his first edition copy (from 1908!) of Anne of Green Gables when I was eight years old and it’s still my favorite book, to this day. It inspired me to be an author, just like Anne was. It wasn’t until about thirty years after reading that book, though, that I actually sat down and wrote something, which is now Northwoods. Better late than never!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
- The first book I remember reading: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
- The book that made me want to become an author: Anne of Green Gables
- The book I can’t stop thinking about: Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
Your debut novel, Northwoods, is out January 9th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Think: Dopesick, Ozark, The Firm
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect some dark topics – mental illness, substance abuse, corporate malfeasance – but the underlying message of hope and kindness and love saves the story from becoming bleak. This is a character-driven story, but with a nicely complex mystery plot that should keep everyone entertained.
Where did the inspiration for Northwoods come from?
The idea came from a moment of boredom, where I challenged myself to picture a scene, any scene, and what popped into my head was the opening scene of the book. From there, I included tropes and plot elements that I personally enjoy, especially elements that speak to my experience as a healthcare provider, such as an insider view of Big Pharma and a nuanced view of people suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The first three chapters essentially wrote themselves, and, a dozen revisions later, they are nearly unchanged to what they were in the first draft. The two main characters, Eli and Marge, must have been hiding in my imagination for years before I started writing the book because they came out almost fully formed. It’s as if I had known them all along. My favorite secondary character is Dan Simons, the curmudgeonly ex-felon hermit. I loved him so much that I gave him a puppy!
This is your first published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
First and foremost, if you want to be a published author, you have to REALLY want it. It’s a very long, hard process with a lot of frustration and setbacks along the way, and you can’t succeed without very strong self-determination. Second, seek out any and all information on the craft of writing and storytelling and the publishing process. This includes books, magazines, blogs, vlogs, workshops, classes, etc. Always be learning. And finally, read a lot, in lots of different genres by lots of different authors. And when you read, pay close attention (and take notes!) to what the author does that makes the book good, or not so good.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on Book 2 (and beyond) of the Northwoods series.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
My favorite book of 2023 was Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I also loved Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor, which is a lot like Demon Copperhead. They are both very dark, with tough topics, but the authors created characters you wanted to travel through the darkness with.
I loved The Wager by David Grann (non-fiction). I’m a sucker for anything involving shipwrecks and mutinies.
I discovered the Spymaster Series by Joanna Bourne, which is genre historical romance. But don’t let the shirtless men on the cover deter you – each book is an incredibly written historical mystery/spy thriller that just happens to have a central romance and a certain amount of “spice”.
