IMMINENT DANGER by Katherine Prairie
Imminent danger. We sense it when
the sky fills with dark clouds and the wind picks up. We feel it in the pit of
our stomach when our tires screech against the pavement. As a thriller writer,
I set out to write a story that makes my readers feel that sense of imminent
danger from the first page to the last. And I’m not one to start slow!
The fire in THIRST; the
daring plan in BLUE FIRE; my novels open with deadly situations that push Alex
Graham to the edge. It’s a strategy that leaves little
time to convince readers to come along for the ride with my intrepid geologist,
and so these first pages are often the ones that are the hardest to write. It
also sets a high bar for the rest of the story, because like ominous black
clouds, those opening scenes warn of a coming storm, a big one!
But Alex isn’t alone. Caught up in the swirl of danger that surrounds her in
BLUE FIRE are Tanzanian miner, Mosi Ongeti, and Jorge Silva, the Brazilian
ex-cop responsible for the Novoteras mine. Each faces his own challenge, and so
too does the man they all come to fear: Shen Li. Their lives are interwoven in
BLUE FIRE; they are part of the gathering storm.
I want my readers to
experience the story with these characters, to feel their anxiety and fear. For
that reason, I choose to write multiple points-of-view, allowing readers to
live the action alongside key characters. It adds a challenging dimension to my
work, because as I write, I must slip into these characters and see the story
through their eyes. Every one of them has a detailed backstory that creates a
real person for me: I can picture they way they move, hear how they speak and predict
their behaviour. And some of these characters get under my skin.
It took months of research to tackle
the Brazilian, Chinese and Tanzanian characters in BLUE FIRE. I immersed myself
in the Chinese culture especially, using my own personal experiences and the
guidance of Chinese professionals to create Shen Li. For that reason, he is one
of the most complex and satisfying characters I’ve written so far. And I’ve learned how this deadly villain
thinks and acts. Slipping into this character proved to be an unnerving start
to more than one writing day!
It was less jarring to shift into
the characters of Mosi Ongeti and Jorge Silva, but no less challenging. Like
Shen Li, the behaviour of these men from Tanzania and Brazil is influenced by
their cultural backgrounds, and neither man is a native-English speaker. It
means that everything from the way they speak, to their interaction with family
and co-workers, has to carefully considered.
I’m already hard at work on the next book in the Alex Graham
series, and while some characters will return, a new slate of characters are
emerging. Slowly over the coming months, each of these people will develop
personalities, and I will come to understand them.
I’m learning more about Alex, too. Although she began as a compilation
of some of the most interesting geologists I’ve been privileged to know, she’s
now taken on a life of her own. Her history with her father; her past
relationships; her willingness to take risks; her need to succeed; they all
influence her decisions and reactions. I now find myself asking “what would
Alex do here?” rather than directing her through a scene. The same is true for
returning characters Dr. Eric Keenan, and RCMP constable Nate Taylor. Both of
these men have grown into complex people since their first appearance in THIRST.
There are more stories for
Alex down the road. Ideas that I can’t
let go of, will turn into intriguing new challenges for my geologist.
And Alex Graham is ready for the
storm.
************************************************
AUTHOR
BIO
Katherine
Prairie brings her own experience as an international geologist to the Alex
Graham thriller series. Her debut novel THIRST was shortlisted for the 2017
Whistler Independent Book Awards. She served as the founding president of
Sisters in Crime - Canada West, and she is a 2018-19 Crime Writers of Canada
director.
AUTHOR LINKS
BUY
LINKS:
PUBLISHER BOOK/BUY LINK
https://stonedriftpress.com/books/blue-fire/
BOOKSTORE BUY LINKS
BLUE FIRE
Genre: Thriller
Publish date: July 26,
2018
Publisher:
Stonedrift Press Ltd.
Description
A
daring act reveals an incredible secret deep in a Brazilian mine, and catapults
geologist Alex Graham into the world of a powerful arms dealer. She heads to
Tanzania, to her father whose cryptic message started her quest. But her enemy
is closing in.
Back Cover
Tanzanite,
a rare blue gem born in fire and revealed by lightning, is found only in the
Merelani Hills of Tanzania. But now the death of a gem smuggler points to
another possibility. A South American mine owned by Tabitha Metals may hold the
find of a century. But why is it kept hidden from the world? Geologist Brian
Graham can draw only one conclusion: the mine’s untraceable wealth is used to
fund terrorism. And he must reveal the truth.
Brian
heads to Colombia to check out mines there while his geologist daughter Alex
and Tanzanian miner Mosi Ongeti start in Brazil. But their daring plan ends
with a gunshot, and they are now pursued by the henchmen of a sinister,
powerful arms dealer.
In
a high-stakes race across two continents, Alex fights to expose the mine before
the man behind Tabitha Metals can stop her.
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