Beneath Bone Lake by Colleen Thompson
In a plot ripped out of the daily newspapers, Colleen Thompson delivers yet another thriller that's sure to grab readers by the throat and set their hearts racing. But this book will also pull emotions out of them that they didn't expect. Contributing editor Cathy Clamp sat down with the author and found out how the story came about.You've made this a timely book with a heroine returning from a war zone. Do you have anyone in your life that's serving overseas, or how did you create the reactions you've given the heroine?
Coming through the Houston airport one day, I was privileged to witness the emotional reunion of a returning soldier with his family, complete with balloons and banners, hugs and tears, and a crowd of onlookers spontaneously bursting into applause. As a mom, I was especially moved by the way the young dad and his little daughter hugged so fiercely. And then I got to thinking, how horrible would it be if you came back and no one came to meet you... if the family you'd been living for had somehow disappeared?
Coming home to find her house has become a meth lab is another issue ripped from the newspaper pages. Do you have first hand knowledge about the battle against drugs in Texas, or did you speak to local cops to get the sight, sound and feel into your head to give to Ruby when she first finds the house?
Through my husband, a Houston firefighter/EMT, I am fortunate to have access to an amazing group of experts, and I've been hearing many stories about the horrendous hazards posed by both meth addiction and meth labs. Firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders told me how they have to be constantly on the alert for the harsh reek that can warn them of the highly-explosive chemicals used in far too many hidden labs. Afterward, it didn't take much digging to find out the labs have become a huge problem in isolated, wooded areas in East Texas.
What was the most unusual thing you discovered while you were researching for the book? That alligator eyeballs continually orient themselves with the pupils pointing up and down, no matter how the gator twists and turns to drown its prey. There's something frighteningly alien about these animals, and for me, that fact seals the deal.
Are these characters grown from other books or will they be new to readers?
Beneath Bone Lake is a stand-alone, with all new characters, so it's a wonderful place for new-to-me readers to hop on board.
The title is really interesting. Where does it come from?
There's a section of Caddo Lake, a huge, primordial-looking body of water that spans the East Texas and Louisiana border, where the skeletons of drowned trees stand, their trunks and Spanish-moss-strewn branches bleached white by the sun. The look of it was so evocative, so haunted, I imagined locals might nickname such an area Bone Lake. Fictionalizing the locale, I decided to take the liberty myself.
Will you be touring for the release? Where can readers find you if they'd like to get a signed copy?
I'm writing another book and unfortunately won't be touring, but I do have upcoming signings in Houston and in Washington, D.C. For more information, I invite readers in those cities to stop by my website, http://www.colleen-thompson.com, and check under "Appearances."
Anything you'd like the readers to know about the book that might not have made it into the final cut?
Although Ruby, the heroine of Beneath Bone Lake, is returning from Iraq, she's not a soldier, but a civilian contract worker lured to drive buses by the chance to earn big money - money the young widow needs to provide a stable future for her four-year-old child. In researching the book, I've been extremely moved by many stories of Americans in similar situations, some of whom have been subjected to terrible dangers and abuses. The stories I've read and heard wove themselves into the fabric of what I hope readers will find an especially relevant and exciting tale.
Contributing editor and USA Today bestselling author Cathy Clamp
has co-authored nearly a dozen award winning paranormal romantic
thrillers for Tor Books with C.T. Adams, along with multiple short
stories and outdoor articles for magazines and anthologies. The duo's
next urban fantasy thriller, MAGIC'S DESIGN, under a new joint pen name
of CAT ADAMS hits the shelves in February, 2009. She and her husband
live in the Texas hill country where they raise goats--which (usually)
keeps them out of trouble.ThrillerFest
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