FACE OF BETRAYAL launches a new adult mystery series, "Faith and Consequences." How did you two authors, Lis Wiehl, a Fox legal analyst, and April Henry, a multi-published mystery/thriller author, get together?Lis had published a couple of non-fiction books, but she was looking for someone she could write a mystery with. Ultimately, her agent approached my agent and then we danced around for a while trying to decide it if would be a good fit. It was kind of like being set up by matchmakers. It turned out we were a very good fit.
How did you share the work of plotting and writing the book? Any advice for other co-authors?
Lis had the basic idea for the series: three women at the peak of their careers. Allison is a federal prosecutor, as Lis was in New York. Cassidy is a TV reporter, as Lis is on FOX. And Nicole is an FBI agent, as Lis's father was. I also took the FBI Citizen's Academy to give myself an even better grounding.
Once we had decided on a plot, then I wrote the first draft, with a lot of consultation with Lis. Like it turns out I had no idea how grand juries work, or even how a prosecutor would interview a suspect. She also reached out to her sources in law enforcement and medicine to help answer questions. Lis and I emailed each other probably a dozen times a week. Then once the first draft was done, we fine tuned it together.
To be coauthors, you have to really trust and like each other. You've got to check your egos at the door and think about whether something helps the book or not.
The basic plot of FACE OF BETRAYAL seems ripped from the headlines, although the Senate page who goes missing in your story was walking her dog instead of jogging. Was your initial concept inspired by Congressman Gary Condit and Chandra Levy's story?We spent a lot of time considering potential plots based on cases Lis had covered or prosecuted. We finally decided to take inspiration from the Chandra Levy case and transport it to Portland, Oregon. We made our main character, Katie Converse, a Senate page, which meant she was in high school. The book also drew inspiration from former Congressman Mark Foley, former Oregon govenor Neil Goldschmidt, and president Bill Clinton, all of whom were involved in sexual scandals, mostly with people who were underage. And we looked at what happened when a young woman went missing from a parking lot in Corvallis, Oregon, a few years back, where she was cleaning lampposts. Her flip flops and a soapy pail of water were the only things ever found.
How important are faith-based characters to this story?
The three characters have different attitudes toward faith (something that is rarely explored in books at all). Allison has a strong faith that sustains her even when she faces personal and professional challenges. Nicole was brought up as a Christian, but now thinks that it is foolish to believe in God. And Cassidy jumps from belief to belief, whether it's feng shui, palm readers, or kabbalah. But the books aren't preachy or religious. These are just one more facet of the characters.
Previous April Henry books have been reviewed as "witty and fun." Fox TV star Bill O'Reilly blurbs FACE OF BETRAYAL as "a blast to read." Yet the storyline sound serious, gritty and tense. Will this new series use such a disparate mix of tones and styles?
I don't think Bill O'Reilly meant FACE OF BETRAYAL was humorous. The book does have an edge to it, as the series will have, although the character of Cassidy can be counted on for occasional comic relief. I was talking with G.M. Ford the other day and he pointed out how hard it is to write comic mysteries that sell well. Janet Evanovich is a rare exception.
The April Henry website (www.aprilhenrymysteries.com) offers some helpful tips for writers, including "Standalones vs. Series." Now that you have written both, what can you share with readers and other authors about singles vs. series?I think it's great to write both. A series lets you go deeper and deeper into characters you already know. A standalone allows you to kill off everyone around the main character, if you choose, without having to deal with the repercussions in the next book. A series should have a consistent tone, while a standalone lets you play around. If you write both, then you have the best of both worlds.
What's the future for this series? Are other books written or planned?
HAND OF FATE, the next in the series, is already finished and being edited. It begins with the murder of a radio talk show host (who bears NO resemblance to Lis's co-worker, Bill O'Reilly, I swear) in what might be a terrorist attack.
We are just beginning work on the third book, which is inspired by a case Lis prosecuted in 1992. A woman charged with murder for hire turned out to have murdered two children by drowning them when she was a teen. When she was arrested, she was teaching kids to swim at the local Y!
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Karen Harper
has been published for 25 years. She is the winner of the 2006 Mary
Higgins Clark Award. A former college and high school English
instructor, Harper currently writes contemporary suspense for Mira
Books and historical novels for Putnam. She and her husband divide
their time between Columbus, Ohio and Naples, Florida. 
