Writing a Thriller @C.Becker Author @wildrosepress #awriterslife

Today on a Writer’s Life we have C. Becker Talking about writing  a Thriller and her new book Finding Euphoria

Cat: Tell us about why you chose to write a romantic thriller:

C. Becker:  After I had written my first children’s book, the idea of writing a longer story brewed in my mind. I thought a novel would be more challenging. I’ve discovered that each genre is unique in its own way.

Cat: What was your inspiration for Finding Euphoria?

C. Becker: I had heard that people should write what they know. Once I decided to write a novel, I knew that I’d focus on about medicine. Incorporating diseases into a science-orientated plot intrigued me, so I integrated diabetes and Parkinson’s disease into the story, as well as drugs, since I had experience in testing drugs of abuse from working in a clinical laboratory.

Cat: What was your method of writing (like drafting plots, building suspense, adding romance, building antagonists?

C. Becker: At first, everything was a hot mess. I wrote scenes, not sure how everything would come together. I knew who my main characters were, but I had to decide on the secondary characters and use them to move the plot. Often, I envisioned the characters acting in a movie and I’d try to capture those scenes and dialogues in my writing. I’d lie in bed with my eyes closed as I scribbled down on notecards what was happening in each scene. Over time the story began to take shape. After I had written most of the story, I reread the novel and wove subplots into the plot. Seeing how everything tied together was satisfying. I loved tying up all the loose ends.

Cat:  Is it hard making your novel suspenseful?

C. Becker:  Not too hard. Once I wrote the main story, I went back and found places where I could make the scenes more suspenseful. I tried to think what was the worst conflict that could happen in a scene and then I made it even worse.

Cat: What was the most educational thing you learned while writing?

C. Becker: Each genre is different. My writing group helped me realize this. Originally, I wrote the story with very flowery writing, describing scenes and characters in great detail. My group wrote in genres of science fiction, historical romance, paranormal, and poems. They helped me focus on making the dialogue natural and keeping shorter sentence structure during intense scenes to help the suspense. The best advice I had was to join a writer’s group. I can’t suggest that enough for writers as they begin a writing project. Writer’s group should give feedback that will help improve your story. No author wants to hear the rough drafts are perfect. There’s always room to grow. But it’s also important for people to give “glows” as well as “grows.”

Cat: When do you do your best writing?

C. Becker:  Definitely, during the night after everyone in the house goes to bed. During the day there are way too many distractions.

Cathy: Tell us a little about Finding Euporia.

Book Title: Finding Euphoria
Series title: Euphoria
Book no. 1
Author: C. Becker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
cover artist RJ Morris
editor ELF
Genre:   Thriller
Pages: 416

Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.

Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey’s past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.

Together, they must unravel the mystery of the drug called Euphoria and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it’s too late.

Excerpt PG-13 +

He turned the bottle around in his hand and set it on the end table. “Don’t put me in this position. You know what would happen. Grace is his mother. She’s the one who needs to stay with him.”

Regret tugged at her heart. “I wouldn’t take any time away from her.”

Parker groaned. “Just you being there would make her feel uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“But I’ve stayed away for seventeen years,” she whispered.

“That was the adoption arrangement.”

She bit her lip. “I can’t stay away any longer.”

“You agreed to those terms in the contract. You terminated all parental rights.” Parker stood and paced to the kitchen.

“But it’s not fair!” She put down her water and began wringing her hands.

Straightening his arms, he leaned against the bar. “Hailey, please don’t start. I know how you feel…”

“You couldn’t possibly know how I feel. I need to see him.” She fought to control the bitterness in her voice.

“No.”

She rose, knocking over the water bottle. “He’s my son!”

“Not anymore, he isn’t.”

The rebuke stung. “He’ll always be my son!”

“When you gave him up, you promised to keep your distance.”

“I have.”

“Forever.”

The reminder lanced her heart. “You’re being unfair. He’s dying.”

He slammed his fist on the bar. “Don’t say that. He can’t die.” Parker pushed himself up and stomped near the window, raising his hands to rest on top of his head as he faced the curtain.

A muscle twitched in her hand. Her knees buckled. She sat on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands. “I was young. I couldn’t give Justin the life he deserved. I’m not asking to take him back. I only want to see him.”

Rubbing his jaw, he walked back to the couch and sat. The hard lines on his face softened. “The adoption papers were clear. No contact.” He placed his hands on top of hers and stilled them. “If the decision was mine, I would allow it, but Grace would lose it if she found out you’re Justin’s biological mother.”

Her hands squeezed into tight fists. The urge was unbearable. “I wouldn’t tell her.”

Parker ran a hand through his hair. “Argh! Don’t you understand? She’d take one look at your face and know the truth. Don’t forget, you’re the one who wanted us to protect him.”

She stood. “Well, you did a hell of a fine job, didn’t you? You divorced Grace and deserted him. Parenting takes sacrifice, Parker. You were too busy changing careers, and now he’s messed up with drugs. How did that protect him?”

Standing, he reached for her.

“No. You stay away from me.” She extended her hands and backed up a step. “Justin’s dying! Dying, Parker! And I don’t know him…You won’t let me see my own son.”

He wrapped his arms around her.

She pushed him, pummeling her fists against his chest with all her strength.

He silently took his beating.

Buy links:

The Wild Rose Press Finding Euphoria ebook link

Amazon Finding Euphoria ebook link

Amazon Finding Euphoria paperback

Barnes & Noble Finding Euphoria ebook link

Apple itunes Finding Euphoria ebook

Kobo Finding Euphoria

Meet. C. Becker

A native of western Pennsylvania, C. Becker earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and MT (ASCP) certification. She has worked in clinical settings analyzing body fluids and testing drugs of abuse. As an author, C. Becker has published multiple stories in various genres.

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