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| Author promotional photos credit: HarperCollins. All other photos belong to Girl Well Read — do not use without written permission. |
Ben McNally Books and Harper Collins Canada hosted an evening of great conversation with New York Times bestselling authors A. J. Finn (The Woman in the Window) and Mary Kubica (Every Last Lie, and When the Lights Go Out) that was moderated by Karma Brown (The Life Lucy Knew, and Come Away With Me).
A topic that is always interesting to hear about is the writing process—Karma asked if they were a "pantser" as in fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, or a "plotter". Mary expressed that she is definitely more of a pantser which obviously has worked incredibly well for her given the success of all of her previous books. She also went on to say that her process is to write one storyline in full before starting the other, in this case she wrote Eden's first before moving on with Jessie's, and then she meshed them together. Whereas A. J. is definitely more of a plotter.
Kubica's book was inspired by a personal experience with sleep deprivation. Mary had taken a red-eye flight to ensure she would be home in time for a prior commitment for one of her children thinking that she would rest on the plane. It turns out that she couldn't sleep on the flight and got home completely exhausted. So exhausted in fact that when she was unpacking, she put her shoes away in the dishwasher. She thought to herself that's only one night without sleep, what would happen if my character missed several nights without sleep? The insomnia piece adds a whole other layer to her story—Kubica likes to push her characters to the limits.
"A. J. Finn" is actually a gender-neutral pen name that is a mash-up of his cousin's name, Alice Jane, and Finn is the name of another family member's French bulldog (he will soon be a French bulldog owner too). His real name is Daniel Mallory. As a former book editor, he chose to use a pseudonym in order to distinguish himself from his profession.
The idea for The Woman in the Window came to Finn one night while he was sitting on the couch watching Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a lamp switch on in the apartment across the street and marvelled at the parallel of spying on his neighbour just like Jimmy Stewart was in the film.
Finn has injected some of his own experiences in Anna. He is very open about his struggles with agoraphobia and bipolar II disorder as well as his treatment. Anna Fox may be a mess, but she owns her mess, and does so all without the help of a man. This is so refreshing for this genre because so often women characters are worrying about men, fretting about relationships, worrying about family and are relying too heavily on others, when in fact women are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves.
When asked what books the two wished they had written, A. J. spoke highly of Tana French's Into the Woods and how brilliant he found the recently published The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. One of Mary's picks was Before I Go to Sleep, a brilliant thriller by S. J. Watson that was also adapted for the big screen.
It was a fantastic evening. Karma was her wonderful, engaging self and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Mary and A. J. about their books. There is no end to their talent, I wish them continued success and can't wait to read what they write next!
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
The #1 Instant New York Times Bestseller – Soon to be a Major Motion Picture
“Unputdownable.” —Stephen King
For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighbouring house.
It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .
Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbours.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.
Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.
BUY NOW
A. J. FINN has written for numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and the Times Literary Supplement. Finn’s debut novel, The Woman in the Window, has been sold in forty territories worldwide and is in development as a major motion picture from Fox.
A native of New York, Finn lived in England for ten years before returning to New York City.
When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica
A woman is plunged into a bizarre case of stolen identity in this ambitious and riveting thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica
Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that forces her to question everything she's ever known.
Finding herself suddenly at the centre of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie's mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what's real and what she's only imagined.
Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman's split–second decision may hold the key to Jessie's secret past. Is Jessie really who she thinks she is? Has her whole life been a lie? The truth will shock her to her core…if she lives long enough to discover it.
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MARY KUBICA is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature.
She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.
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