The subject matter of Karen Fenech's new novel, Gone, is extraordinarily dark. It opens with the heroine about to see her mother executed. And the mother is herself a murderer who has killed one of her other children. Pretty tough stuff to write, I suggest.'My heroine really works for her resolution,' says Fenech. 'As for the book being harrowing to write, I had never thought of it that way, though it may have been at times. My heroine, Clare, has strong emotions - about her childhood, about her fierce need to find her missing sister, and about the unexpected return of the love of her life, Jake.
What appeals to Karen Fenech most about the suspense genre is the heightening of the stakes. "Characters face situations that could bring about their death and/or the death of the people they love. Those are the highest stakes there are."
She also writes romantic fiction, which may seem quite a contrast. How do the two genres compare, from the writer's perspective?
'I would have to say that my romantic fiction always has elements of suspense and my suspense fiction always has elements of romance. It seems I can't write one without having the other.'
She is also one of those writers who need to be doing it most of the time: she writes every day, and although most weekends are reserved for time with her family, she'll still take out time to work on a story. 'Even if it's just a paragraph or two. I find that I need to do this to stay in the story.I write the ending first. Sounds strange, I know. I won't start a book until I know how it's going to end. Once I have the end written, I outline the rest of the plot.'
Although her outlines leave room for flexibility, she seldom finds herself needing to deviate from them. 'I go over the outline again and again and again, testing the plot points to see if they're viable, and to test for problems. Before I do any actual writing, I make sure the problems have been solved and the structure of the plot is sound. I've found that a solid outline saves me from writing myself into a corner - myself and my characters.'
Fearless her stories may be, but there's one subject so off-limits for Fenech that you'll never find it on her pages. 'Insects. I have a terrible aversion to them. I can never write a book where a plot device involves insects. And the worst kind for me begins with the letter "s". EEK!
Liz Jensen is the author of six previous novels, including the acclaimed THE NINTH LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX, and ARK BABY, a New York Times Notable Book. Her work has been nominated three times for The Orange Prize and has been translated into more than 20 languages. THE RAPTURE is currently in development as a major motion picture.
