Wild Women Authors welcomes debut author Emilie Barage as she celebrates the release of The Man Across the Alley, a contemporary mystery, published by the Wild Rose Press. With Emily is Holly Harrison who will go first.
Welcome, Holly. Thanks for taking time away from the theater you manage to spend time with us. Let’s begin with where you’re from. Originally the suburbs of Chicago but ever since I moved to the city after college, it’s felt like home.
Tell
us a bit about The Man Across the Alley. It’s about my obsession with true crime. Well, more like a true crime
blog, Murder for Your Thoughts, I’m pretty much obsessed. RJ, the blogger,
wrote about a string of kidnappings and they happened to be in my area and
basically after I read that, I started to pay attention to my surroundings…which
included my new neighbor Luke….he’s very good looking. Anyways, he and I decide
to team up when we find a suspect and try and solve these disappearances.
What
did you think the first time you saw Luke? The first time I saw him I was pretty angry because he and his roommate
decided to move into the apartment next door at EIGHT IN THE MORNING! Do you
realize how loud you are when you move? But then I peered through the window
and saw his butt in a pair of jeans and I softened up a bit.
A nice set of buns is usually a good ice-breaker. What was your second thought? Later that morning when I got a proper look at him, I was caught off guard by how attractive I found him and how happy I was that we were to share a back porch.
Was it
love at first sight? No, not that;
but was I smitten? Absolutely.
What
do you like most about Luke? He just…he
gets me. He seems to know when to calm me down, when to encourage me and his
passion for certain things is catching.
How
would you describe him? He’s tall with
dark curled hair and scruff. I remember thinking he looks like a guy who doesn’t
know how good looking he actually is? Like a farmer in a Hallmark Christmas movie-
he’s just living life, oblivious to how hot he is. Besides that, he’s smart and
considerate and protective which can get annoying but I kind of love it. Also,
he’s not a farmer…
How
would Luke describe you? Crazy? No I
think he would say I’m smart, outgoing, pretty…I mean I’m no slouch in the
looks department but he does call me beautiful a lot. I guess he would also
say I’m driven. When I have an idea in
mind, I follow it until the end, even if it gets me in trouble.
What
made you choose theater work for a career? Oh I’ve always loved theater and I figured if I was going to be doing
something multiple hours a day for years, it should be in a field I love. I
used to act in college but I’m strictly behind the scenes these days. Maybe one
day I’ll run a theater by myself.
What
is your biggest fear? A while ago I
would’ve said spiders but maybe staring into the eyes of a crazy man is
something I should add to the list now.
How
do you relax? Wine, cheese and
romcoms with my roommate and best friend Kate.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? Maybe
Sherlock Holmes? Or Irene Adler, the only lady who could best him. Love a good
smart and slightly diabolical woman.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? Think before you act. I should probably listen to that
more but it’s helped me out quite a bit.
Thanks for
spending time with us, Holly. Now we’d like to chat with Emily.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I’ve always been obsessed with true crime so any
documentaries or procedurals like Law and Order: SVU or Criminal
Minds has been an inspiration. I also am a huge fan of the podcast My
Favorite Murder which definitely served as inspiration. On the romance side,
I’m a big Kindle Unlimited reader and love a good enemies to lovers romance. LJ
Shen and Eden O’Neil are amazing authors who weave good romances.
Is
there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story
and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I wrote this book while I lived in the Chicago neighborhood of Lakeview
so just living in that apartment served as the basis for the entire setting.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? The
Wild Rose Press is a wonderful romance publisher. I found them through a blog,
while looking for publishers in general, and really liked their atmosphere when
it came to working with new authors. They’ve been amazing at helping me every
step of the way and I couldn’t recommend them more to anyone looking to start
writing!
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? My pile is too big right now. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone
St. James, Troy by Stephen Fry, Depraved by Harold Schechter…
They were all on hold while I ran through the entirety of Zodiac Academy
Lastly, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I actually just finished the first draft of the second
book in the Murder for Your Thoughts Series! It’s about a different couple and
a different kind of crime but you’ll see some familiar faces and hear some
familiar true crime voices…
Instagram
@emiliebarage
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21705538.Emilie_Barage
Website:
emiliebarage.com
To purchase
The Man Across the Alley, go to:
Amazon,
Barnes&Noble, Books A Million, and SemiColon
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