Cheryl Norman's newest novel, Running Scared, has already been called an "edge-of-the-seat page-turner" and a "terrific thriller." The protagonist, Ashley Adams, has finally divorced her abusive husband and regained control of her life. Months of therapy have helped her adjust, and months of training have prepared her to run her first marathon. But little does Ashley know that when she runs for the finish line, she'll be running for her life.The Big Thrill caught up with Cheryl in her RV "somewhere in Iowa" to talk about the September release of Running Scared.
One of the main characters in Running Scared, Ashley Adams, is a marathon runner. How (and why) did you come up with the idea to set your story in the world of marathon running? And why Jacksonville?
I trained for my first three marathons in Jacksonville. My training partner and I trained in a neighborhood similar to the one in which my heroine witnesses a shooting. We came up with the plot idea while running a twenty-miler, just to entertain ourselves and pass the time. Running four to five hours gets boring. Who knew that years later I'd take that idea and write a novel?
Ashley is a victim of spousal abuse. Can you discuss your decision to handle this delicate topic in one of your novels?
Someone close to me suffered spousal abuse from a control freak. It never ceases to amaze me how abusers succeed in convincing the victims that it's their fault. Abuse doesn't have to be physical, either. Verbal abuse is more common (unfortunately) than most people know.
Your first novel, Last Resort, was a contemporary romance. Why did you begin writing mysteries (albeit with a romantic element!)? Do you have a preference for one genre over the other?
Actually, Running Scared is the first book I wrote (as an adult) but not the first book I sold. Last Resort had a murder mystery subplot, but I'll admit it was a departure for me. Its inspiration was the film Last Holiday (the original, starring Alec Guinness, not the remakes). Why do I write mysteries with romance? I love to read them. I underestimated how difficult they are to write, though. It's like writing two books in one.
Your website (http://cherylnorman.com) mentions that you've visited all fifty states in the US. Was that a goal you set out to achieve (sort of like running a marathon), or was it more by chance? And how have your travels figured into your writing?
My husband and I love to travel, mostly in our motor home. We set a goal to visit all 50 states, which we achieved with our first trip to Alaska in 1997. I've been to every setting I've used in a book.
You are busy woman! In addition to your passion for writing, you love food and cooking (and have published two cookbooks) and you are a classic car buff (which figured prominently in your last novel, Restore My Heart). How do you find time to write? Describe a typical day in Cheryl Norman's life.
A typical day is fairly boring. I get up, walk my dog, eat my cereal, and, if it's hurricane season, turn on the Weather Channel. Then I boot up the computer and start my writing day. I take breaks to exercise, eat lunch, read e-mail, and cook dinner (I'll admit I'm usually kitchen-testing a new recipe). After dinner, I spend time with my husband watching truTV programs, which is where I get a lot of my ideas for crime fiction. I sacrifice housework. I do the bare minimum to keep the kitchen and baths sanitary, but I'm lousy at dusting and vacuuming. My office is a mess.
You wrote your first mystery at age 13, but then "life sidetracked" your writing ambitions. What made you return to writing?
My husband. He knew I'd always dreamed of writing, so he encouraged me to quit work and write a novel. He never doubted I'd succeed, so how could I fail? He's my very own hero.
Are there certain writers who have influenced your own work? Favorite authors?
Yes, many. Dean Koontz and Louis L'amour are two of the most romantic novelists of our time. Their books have seriously influenced me. What? You think Louis L'amour wrote only westerns? Think again, and read Haunted Mesa. Also, although it isn't romantic suspense, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is one of my all-time favorite books. Such character development!
What's next for Cheryl Norman after Running Scared?
Reclaim My Life is a connecting story to Restore My Heart and is set in the fictional town of Drake Springs, Florida. It'll be released September, 2009. I already have a third in the series plotted, but it's too early to talk about that one.
Contributing editor Julie Compton practiced
law in St. Louis, Missouri (the setting for Tell No Lies) before moving
to the East Coast, and most recently worked as a trial attorney for the
U.S. Department of Justice in Wilmington, Delaware. She now lives in
Florida with her husband and two daughters, where she writes full time.
Actually, Running Scared is the first book I wrote (as an adult) but not the first book I sold. Last Resort had a murder mystery subplot, but I'll admit it was a departure for me. Its inspiration was the film Last Holiday (the original, starring Alec Guinness, not the remakes). Why do I write mysteries with romance? I love to read them. I underestimated how difficult they are to write, though. It's like writing two books in one.
Your website (http://cherylnorman.com) mentions that you've visited all fifty states in the US. Was that a goal you set out to achieve (sort of like running a marathon), or was it more by chance? And how have your travels figured into your writing?My husband and I love to travel, mostly in our motor home. We set a goal to visit all 50 states, which we achieved with our first trip to Alaska in 1997. I've been to every setting I've used in a book.
You are busy woman! In addition to your passion for writing, you love food and cooking (and have published two cookbooks) and you are a classic car buff (which figured prominently in your last novel, Restore My Heart). How do you find time to write? Describe a typical day in Cheryl Norman's life.
A typical day is fairly boring. I get up, walk my dog, eat my cereal, and, if it's hurricane season, turn on the Weather Channel. Then I boot up the computer and start my writing day. I take breaks to exercise, eat lunch, read e-mail, and cook dinner (I'll admit I'm usually kitchen-testing a new recipe). After dinner, I spend time with my husband watching truTV programs, which is where I get a lot of my ideas for crime fiction. I sacrifice housework. I do the bare minimum to keep the kitchen and baths sanitary, but I'm lousy at dusting and vacuuming. My office is a mess.
You wrote your first mystery at age 13, but then "life sidetracked" your writing ambitions. What made you return to writing?
My husband. He knew I'd always dreamed of writing, so he encouraged me to quit work and write a novel. He never doubted I'd succeed, so how could I fail? He's my very own hero.
Are there certain writers who have influenced your own work? Favorite authors?
Yes, many. Dean Koontz and Louis L'amour are two of the most romantic novelists of our time. Their books have seriously influenced me. What? You think Louis L'amour wrote only westerns? Think again, and read Haunted Mesa. Also, although it isn't romantic suspense, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is one of my all-time favorite books. Such character development!
What's next for Cheryl Norman after Running Scared?
Reclaim My Life is a connecting story to Restore My Heart and is set in the fictional town of Drake Springs, Florida. It'll be released September, 2009. I already have a third in the series plotted, but it's too early to talk about that one.
Contributing editor Julie Compton practiced
law in St. Louis, Missouri (the setting for Tell No Lies) before moving
to the East Coast, and most recently worked as a trial attorney for the
U.S. Department of Justice in Wilmington, Delaware. She now lives in
Florida with her husband and two daughters, where she writes full time.
