Stephen B King on Strong Women

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome Stephen B King back to our blog.

In part 1 I spoke of the women I’ve written about BC. – Before Coming to The Wild Rose Press; my new publisher. But after is where, my writing of strong women seems to have taken on its own life-force

Thirty-Three Days: Jenny O’Brien is my most favourite character of all time, and is the bravest person I could (and did) imagine. At sixty-eight years old she is a lonely spinster who has devoted her life to her cat, and study – she spent many years gaining three Master’s Degrees, and then worked tirelessly lecturing, tutoring and mentoring students about the environment. She is approached by Simon, who tells her he is from the future, and has travelled back in time to meet her. She alone has been selected by a committee far in the future and is to take on a vital mission. She must take a drug which will send her consciousness back in time to her thirty-five year old body. Once there she will have thirty-three days to convince a young micro biologist not to use genetic modification to alter a strain of wheat, which, hides in its gene structure a blight. If she cannot stop him, the blight will grow and mutate, and two hundred and thirty years hence, will spread and destroy every living plant in the world, and bring extinction to mankind. In the past, she falls in love for the first time in her life, and it’s is the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime – but she can only stay in the past for thirty-three days. Can she find a way to save the world, and keep the love she waited a lifetime to find?

The Deadly Glimpses Trilogy: Book 1: Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer: Patricia Holmes is a criminal psychologist who is approached by the police to assist in providing a profile after a series of horrific murders. She meets Rick, the detective in charge of the task force hunting the killer, PPP. They are instantly attracted to each other; though they are both married. Together they trawl through old case files, looking for the murderer’s ‘footprints in the sand’ which Pat is convinced they can find. When Rick’s own daughter is abducted, Pat must face the killer alone to try to save her. But he is a Narcissistic Sociopath, who can’t be reasoned with, pleaded with or threatened, and she must use all her wits and guile to avoid becoming a victim herself.

Book 2: Glimpse, The Beautiful Deaths, and Book 3: Glimpse, The Tender Killer: Pat is back after her ordeal, and with Rick as her protector, uses her intellect, cunning, and intuition to find two more Serial Murderers before PPP escapes, intent only on revenge, and wreaks havoc on their lives.

I’m not sure that any of my female protagonists are ‘Wild Women’ but they are certainly strong, intelligent, and dynamic characters, worthy of inclusion in such fine company as here.

Good news! Pat decided to tag along today and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m a criminal psychologist with a degree in psychiatry as well, working with the Major Crime unit of the West Australian Police. When I finished university I was fortunate enough to win an internship with the Profiling Department of the FBI where I found my niche in trying to understand the criminal mind. When I returned from the US I found a position working with the criminally insane at Graylands Mental Health hospital, and also a lecturing post with the university. I also am used as a consultant to the courts on matters of mental health.

Tell us a bit about The Deadly Glimpses Trilogy. The series tells the story of my being brought in as a consultant with the police to help track down three separate serial killers, each of which kill for different motives. Across the three stories it charts my relationship with my partner, Detective Sargent Rick McCoy and the impact on our respective marriages. Rick and I became very….close due to mutual appreciation and attraction to each other, causing a lot of problems.

What made you choose police investigation for a profession? The human mind is a fascinating subject. When it fractures it can cause a person to become criminally insane. I am drawn to trying to understand why. They say we only use 10% of our brain power consciously, which begs the question, what does our subconscious do with the other 90%. We are capable of great good, but also great evil. Why are some drawn to become serial killers, and can we, by understanding them, find a way to stop them.

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a police detective or do something different? I’m right where I want to be, no there is nothing in the world I’d rather do.

What is your biggest fear? Getting something wrong that causes someone else to die. The thing about serial killers are you know they are going to do it again, it’s just a question of when the right set of circumstances re-occur to trip their switch.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? One of the forensic guys asked me on meeting me if I was related to Sherlock Holmes. I told him yes he was my great grandfather just to tease him. I always admired his deductive reasoning.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Rick told me on our first meeting, that most killers are caught through good, often boring, repetitive police work, so not to expect miracles. He was right, and I think what he said is pretty true for most things in life.

Thank you, Pat. Stephen said you would be an interesting interview; you proved him right. Now we'd like to spend a few moments with him.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I used to love a British TV drama series called Wire in the Blood. It featured a Criminal Psychologist by the name of Tony Hill. I was so interested I sought out the books, by Val McDermid and I bought from her website, signed copies, which I treasure. I never aspired to write about a psychologist, but I suppose in the back of my mind it gnawed away like a dog with a bone. I really loved writing Pat’s character, and letting her be the insightful person she is.

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? Great question. In Book 3, Glimpse, The Tender Killer, the murderer is a situational schizophrenic. And part way into the book, my laptop died and I lost 15,000 words, In rewriting what was lost, it turned right angles, and I began to wonder, what if his imaginary alter ego wasn’t imaginary, he just chooses who can see him. In the context of the story, that is a frightening concept and I loved writing about him, as if he were real – which of course, to the victim, he was.

What are you reading right now? The Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell, Book 1 of the Wallander series, made famous by the TV show with Kevin Branaugh. I love his writing, so rich and descriptive. I wish I could write as well.

What's next for you? .Having only just finished Book 3 which concluded 300000 words of the trilogy, I’m in no hurry to start another project just yet, but as always I have various ideas simmering.

To learn more about Stephen B King and the stories he creates go to:

www.stephen-b-king.com

Twitter: @StephenBKing1
Facebook: @stephenbkingauthor

To purchase Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer, go to:

goo.gl/x6LEQM