Interview: Rebecca Zanetti on her Laurel Snow romantic thrillers
Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Zanetti, author of new romantic thriller You Can Run.
Disclosure: If you click a link in this post and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission.
Author Bio: Rebecca Zanetti is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty romantic suspense, dark paranormal, and contemporary romances. She is a two-time RT Reviewers Choice Award-winner, the recipient of the RWA Daphne du Maurier Award, a five-time Daphne du Maurier Award-finalist, and a PRISM Award-winner. Nearly a dozen of her novels have been selected as Amazon Best Romances of the Month, including Lethal Lies, Mercury Striking and Fallen, which were also Amazon Best Books of the Year.
Rebecca Zanetti on new Laurel Snow romantic thriller series
A very warm welcome to Booklover Book Reviews Rebecca! Firstly, tell us a little about what readers can expect from your upcoming romantic thriller release You Can Run (Kensington Publishing).
Thanks so much for having me here. I really appreciate it! You Can Run is the first book in the Laurel Snow thrillers and it features a child prodigy who is using her brilliance to catch killers. There is a slow-burn romance, but this is much more of a thriller than I’ve written before.
What research did you undertake when developing your lead characters Laurel Snow (an FBI profiler) and Huck Rivers (a former soldier and trained sniper)?
The research I conducted was mainly focused on jurisdiction laws in Washington state. Like who has jurisdiction when a body is found by a river near both state and federal lands. Huck Rivers, who is the love interest in the series, is also the head of the Karelian dog bear unit that they actually have in Washington state. Their fish and wildlife officers are fully-commissioned officers. They also patrol and do all that, but there’s a specialized unit that has special dogs that scare bears. They basically get bears away from people. I thought it’d be an interesting job in addition to search and rescue.
You already have so many different series on the go. What inspired you to add a new one to your list?
That’s a great question and really it was the interplay between Laurel Snow and somebody she runs across who is another child prodigy named Abigail Caine. It was the interaction between these two women that just would not leave my head. They’re very similar on one hand and they’re very different on the other hand. I don’t want to give away any spoilers or anything, but they fascinated me and that’s why I wanted to write this thriller.
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How do you juggle all your different series and different publisher commitments? Do you have multiple novel drafts on the go at the same time?
No. I write one book at a time beginning to end and I’m only creating something new at a time. Sometimes I do have to stop and do edits or page proofs or marketing and that’s fine, but I’m usually only writing one actual story at a time.
You have a diverse set of career experiences, from interning for Ronald Reagan (in his post-presidential years), to art exhibition curator, to college professor and lawyer. Which of these sparked your desire to become an author and/or most influences your writing today?
Yes, I have had a lot of different careers, and I think that we all pull from our real lives when we write. It could be about something we just observed once. I think being a lawyer is what helps me to write thrillers because it’s the same analytical process. I think that’s also why you see so many authors who are also lawyers. We use the same skill set.
What was the last book you read that you absolutely loved and recommended to all your friends?
I’ve been just binging Lisa Jackson’s books. She is such a fantastic storyteller and I get lost in her books right away, which I love.
You Can Run sounds almost tailor-made for Netflix or big-screen adaptation. Is there anything in the pipeline?
We actually did just sign the series with a film TV agent out of Hollywood, so I’m hopeful that something big will happen.
When can readers who enjoy this Laurel Snow thriller expect the next title in the series to be released?
The next book in the series is called You Can Hide and it will release in November. It should be up for pre-order within the next month or so.
Thanks so much for joining us today Rebecca.
Thanks so much for having me! This was a lot of fun and I really appreciate it.
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You Can Run Synopsis
Laurel Snow Thriller Book #1
Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…
A former soldier and a trained sniper, Huck’s thirst for blood is rivaled only by his fierce pursuit of Laurel. He’s been burned by love, wounded by the government, and betrayed before, and to say he has trust issues is the ultimate understatement. Plus, he might be closer to this killer than anybody knows…
Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her distracting desire for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was…
“Pitch-perfect… deliciously intricate mystery. Readers will delight in this smart take on a classic trope.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Plot twists and red herrings abound in this fast-paced novel that will keep readers turning the pages.”—Library Journal
Get your copy of You Can Run (Laurel Snow #1) from:
Amazon Bookshop US Booktopia AUCheck out Rebecca Zanetti’s website or connect with her on Facebook or Goodreads.
