In Drue Allen's debut novel, The Cost of Love, national security comes at a price. Domestic terrorists are testing a biological weapon in southern New Mexico, and her hero is forced to confront the terrible threat dominating the night skies of Roswell. Allen's romantic thriller reveals a real chill at its core. Writing the book involved a great deal of 'good old fashioned research' but Allen says she was also fortunate in already knowing a few people working in covert operations and military installations.
'I have always been interested in the men and women who protect our nation and what they are called upon to protect us against. I'm also a news junkie. Those things combined to form the nucleus of the plot of The Cost of Love.'
The novel's setting is inspired by her own fascination with the outdoors. Allen enjoys remote camping in the rugged mountains along the southwestern Texas border, coastal kayaking, and backpacking through the Canadian Rockies, and she has hiked extensively in the Guadalupe Mountains. She has also visited Roswell. 'I wanted to set my story in a region that was desolate, but that would also allow for some fun,' she explains. 'And what could be more fun than extraterrestrials? While bio-terrorism is a terribly serious topic, our fascination with what is BEYOND is intriguing and allowed me to lighten the mood in places.'
As a debut author entering the market, she says she has learned a few important lessons on the road to publication: chiefly not to be hesitant about asking established authors for advice and/or endorsements. 'We constitute a community of writers, and I have been amazed how willing people are to help one another. Respect their time, always be professional, understand that a no is a no and it's not personal, but ask!' She makes the point that fifty requests might net you 48 negative responses and 2 positive ones, but those two positive ones will make all the difference in your career.
Allen's next thriller will take her to the Pacific northwest and to what she considers to be one of the biggest threats facing the modern world: cyber-terrorism.
'While initially we might think of this as a non-violent attack, standing on the top of the Hoover Dam, I realized that it would only take having the computer controls to the locks that open the flood-gates, and suddenly cyber-attacks could kills thousands if not millions. That's only one scenario that will be broached and--hopefully--stopped.'
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.
