A young woman’s escalating obsession with a seemingly perfect man leads her down a dangerous path in this novel of suspense brimming with envy, desire, and deception.
We chat with author Lindsay Cameron about her new release Just One Look, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Lindsay! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thanks for having me. I’m a former corporate lawyer turned writer, which means I’ve spent a lot of time in front of a laptop. I was raised in Vancouver, but now live in New York City with my husband and two children. We make a pilgrimage back to British Columbia every summer to visit family and friends and to make sure our children know how to skip rocks and explore the forest. Just One Look is my suspense debut and I’m so excited for it to be out in the world!
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!
Great question! The first book I remember reading is Charlotte’s Web (which is also the first book that made me cry!) There isn’t one particular book made me want to become an author, but Steven King’s memoir On Writing gave me a lot of valuable insight into the craft. There are so many books that linger in my mind that I can’t stop thinking about, but if I need to pick one it would be The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The story haunts me, in a good way.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love writing! As a child I was always scribbling in my diary (making my day sound far more dramatic than it was), dreaming up my latest short story, or writing my own Babysitters Club fan fiction. But believing I could turn my love of writing into a career came much later!
Your latest novel, Just One Look, is out July 27th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
suspenseful, envy, obsession, emails, deception
What can readers expect?
Just One Look follows the story of a young lawyer named Cassie who becomes infatuated with a seemingly perfect partner at the firm after stumbling upon private email exchanges between him and his wife while reviewing correspondence for a case. Cassie knows she shouldn’t read the emails, but she can’t help herself. What begins as a bit of snooping escalates into a dangerous obsession when Cassie devises a plan to take his wife’s place.
Readers can expect to feel a sudden need to change all of their passwords after they finish the book!
Where did the inspiration for Just One Look come from?
The seed for this story was planted in my mind years ago when I was working as a lawyer at a large firm in New York. There was a group of temps reviewing archived emails for a lawsuit involving one of the firm’s clients and, as the result of the result of a glitch, entire inboxes of multiple lawyers were mistakenly included in the review folders. After the error was discovered, the rumor mill churned as to whose emails had been read, what was written, and what the fallout would be. The anxiety that filled the air of the hallways was thick and it struck me that the fear of someone accessing your inbox was probably up there with someone breaking into your home. Our inboxes can contain an entire blueprint of our lives. And, because I love a good thriller, I started to wonder what would happen if that blueprint fell into the wrong hands.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I was working on an edit of this novel in March 2020 when the world was plunged into lockdown, so that was especially challenging. In between doom scrolling and wiping down my groceries, I suddenly found myself without childcare and supervising virtual learning. In order to get anything creative accomplished, I forced myself to turn off CNN and worked out a schedule with my husband where I could lock myself in my bedroom without any distractions. When I could lose myself in my manuscript again, it turned out to be a welcome diversion.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Cassie’s interactions with Ricky because he added a little comic relief to the story and I could see him so clearly in my head. His role in the novel actually grew because I enjoyed writing his character so much! He was based on a combination of different people I’ve worked with in the past (with a little artistic license thrown in…), but I think we’ve all worked with someone like Ricky at some point. He’s universal!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best: You can’t edit a blank page. I’ll often repeat this in my mind on the days when I’m feeling stuck as a reminder that the first draft is just that – a draft. The magic can happen in the edit.
Worst: Write every day. I think it sets up unrealistic expectations. I know it works for a lot of people, but it’s too much pressure for me. Write when you can!
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my next novel which will also be suspense, but I’m too superstitious to give more details than that until it’s finished! I’ve always been pretty hush hush on any work in progress.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I sure do! For your beach bag: The Husbands by Chandler Baker. Everyone needs to read this one because I want to talk about it with someone! For a pulse pounding thriller: Woman on the Edge by Samantha Bailey, Bath Haus by PJ Vernon, The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine and The Hunting Wives by May Cobb. For suspense you’ll want to read in one sitting: The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, The Herd by Andrea Bartz, For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing, and You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes.
