We chat with author Jumata Emill about Wander In The Dark, a new pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.
Hi, Jumata! Welcome back! How have the past 12 months been since we last spoke?
Busy writing, writing, writing. Oh, and traveling across the country meeting readers and talking about my debut novel The Black Queen.
Your latest novel, Wander in the Dark, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Be prepared to cry…maybe.
What can readers expect?
Lots of sleuthing, emotional punches and the “Hollywood ending”-style confrontation between our heroes and the villain.
Where did the inspiration for Wander in the Dark come from?
A few different places. I’ve always loved The Hardy Boys and wanted to write my own version of teen detective brothers. My love for this old UPN half-hour comedy called Half & Half, which was about these estranged half sisters and the hijinks and drama that went along with their blended family. And lastly, my own complicated relationship with my father.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Both of my POV characters. Marcel and Amir are two halves of me. Marcel being the out and confident teen I wish I was at his age and Amir harboring all the anger I used to have at his age toward my dad.
With this being your second novel, were there any key lessons between writing the two and also the publishing process?
No lessons really. Just a better understanding of the process and timeline it takes to get everything done on the road to publication. I wasn’t asking as many questions about when certain things would happen. The only thing that was different the second time around was all the outside noise that starts filtering in after you publish the first book. That outside noise being reviews. I learned quickly not to read them and focus on my writing.
It appears you love a good thriller/mystery with this book and The Black Queen! What led to your interest in this genre?
It’s the genre I read most. And also, my background in crime reporting gave me a lot of real-life experiences to pull from and utilize.
What’s next for you?
Working on book number three and I want to get back to reading. I’ve kind of been in a slump.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
The second book in Krystal Marquis’ The Davenports series. Where Sleep Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé should be a fun read. And there are a few more titles I know about but haven’t been announced yet that I can’t wait to dive into.
