You stated "[your] books are always set in what [you] think of as enclaves--unique areas with unique cultures."  Why does this work for you?

If you have two main characters (and this works best if they eventually fall in love) from two different cultures, that provides instant conflict.  As Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather, put it:  "Only trouble is interesting."  Also, I find enclave books intriguing in that the reader is not only taken on a thrill ride but learns something about a fascinating place or a subculture in our society.  I've used Appalachia, Amish Ohio and now central Alaska in my suspense books for these very reasons.

What makes your protagonist, Lisa Vaughn, such a strong character?

Not to be throwing too many quotes around here, but the one by Nietzsche about that which does not kill us makes us stronger, comes to mind.  As I mentioned, Lisa as a child witnessed her mother's suicide, and she fears anyone else leaving her, so she hasn't gotten too close to people.  But in the wilderness, she needs Mitch for survival.  She learns to conquer her fears and even risks her life to find out who is trying to kill her.  Lisa not only has had to be strong her whole life but she has a tremendous "I can overcome what terrifies me" character arc during the story.

Writing the middle of the book, the place you call the "muddle," scares you.  How do you take charge of the muddle and get past the fear to create a cohesive and thrilling plot?

I just plow ahead.  It scares me because I always have so many plot and character balls in the air at that point and I'm worried I'll drop one of them.  It's often where the true villain of the piece reveals himself or herself to me, but where I have to be sure that villain does not reveal himself to the reader yet.  I often try to have another real grabber plot event occur in the middle of the book so it doesn't get boring.  This may be another murder, perhaps that of the person who looked the most guilty, which is what I did in Down River to be sure the middle didn't sag.

 You stated "the serendipity of creativity is a fabulous thing about writing."  Explain.

When I was first published about 25 years ago, I always had things planned out to the nth degree, even though plot events would evolve which I had not seen coming.  How thrilling to have key characters come so alive that they did things I had not foreseen.  Now I expect that to happen and do less plotting ahead.  What a  thrill when things come perfectly together, as if out of nowhere.  For example, I have a secondary character in Deep Down, an Inuit woman who has a violent tragedy in her own past she is trying to overcome.  The subplots of her story and struggles helped to emphasize what was going on in Lisa's life.  I had not foreseen this juxtaposition of characters.

What advice would you give to aspiring thriller writers?

As a former teacher of English and writing, I could say a lot, but one piece of advice is 'no dumping.'  That is, resist the temptation to hit the reader with too much detail or description as you introduce characters or setting.  Parcel all that out as you go along so you don't slow the action and the dialogue.  This is important in any novel writing, but is essential in writing thrillers.

What's next for Karen Harper?

For the past few years I've been alternating between writing contemporary thrillers and historical novels--thrillers in their own way.  I hope to continue to do both.  I'm in the process of signing a new contract for a trilogy of suspense novels set in Ohio Amish country, where I have already set four books.  What evil can lurk in an area where quilts hang on the line and buggies drive by?  A lot, believe me!

Janice Gable Bashman is co-author (with Jonathan Maberry) of WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil (Citadel Press 2010). She wrote sidebars for THEY BITE:  Endless Cravings of Supernatural Predators (Citadel Press 2009) by Jonathan Maberry and David F. Kramer. She also writes for leading publications, including the NOVEL & SHORT STORY WRITER'S MARKET, THE WRITER, WILD RIVER REVIEW, INDUSTRY TODAY, and FOOD & DRINK QUARTERLY. And, her writing won multiple awards at the 2007 Philadelphia Writer's Conference.