We chat with author Sandie Jones about Killing Me Softly, which is a wickedly twisty tale of obsession, and the deadly consequences of loving someone too much.
Hi, Sandie! Welcome back! How have you been since we spoke last year for the release of I Would Die For You?
Good to speak to you again! Since we last caught up, I’ve moved house, seen my son off to college, feathered my empty nest and written another book!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I look back on my little exercise books from school, I was always very expressive in my storytelling – some would say I had an over-active imagination from an early age! Whilst my classmates stretched every letter, so they filled a page quicker, my writing was always tiny, as I never felt I had enough space to say everything that needed to be said.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: James & the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
- The one that made you want to become an author: Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Your latest novel, Killing Me Softly, is out March 31st ! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Be careful who you trust
What can readers expect?
A cat and mouse game of epic proportions as a couple’s marriage falls apart following a tragic accident, with both looking to blame the other. But whose story is to be believed? And whose side are you on?
Where did the inspiration for Killing Me Softly come from?
Believe it or not, the seed was sown whilst listening to Babooshka by Kate Bush! Music is so often an inspiration to me and the idea that the person you’re married to might be completely different to the person you thought they were, started snowballing in my head. Those we know well are usually the ones hiding the biggest secrets….
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Unsurprisingly, Anita, the mother was my favourite to write. She has very similar traits to Pammie from my debut novel, The Other Woman, and it was fun to explore that dynamic again. I do love a mother/mother-in-law in the mix as she can create tension the minute she comes onto the page.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This was a tough one to write as the story centred around the tragedy of losing a child. But having finshed the first draft (and submitting it to my editor), we decided that having a child be the motivation for everything that happens thereafter, wasn’t working. So a LOT of work was needed. Because once you change the reason that people behave the way they do, do the things they do and say the things they say, EVERYTHING has to change. It was embedded into every sentence, living in every line of dialogue…so much so that you don’t even realise…until you look for it.
I kept the bare bones of the story, but most of it had to be re-written. It’s a daunting challenge – often more difficult than starting all over. Yet the framework held up and the novel is so much better for it.
What’s next for you?
I’m plotting a new book as we speak – a faster-paced thriller that I hope will have readers holding on for dear life!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m excited to read Catherine Steadman’s Nine Lives and Ellery Lloyd’s Time to Burn this summer.
