Her latest book is the thriller, Tell
On You.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
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About the Book:
Tell on You is a psychological suspense novel that best fits within the Gone
Girl-inspired niche genre of “grip lit.” Jeremy
Barrett’s obsessive love equals that of Jay Gatsby for Daisy Buchanan, as life
imitates art in his private school English class. But his angst-driven
infatuation brings dire consequences as he is drawn into the machinations of
his disturbed 16-year-old student Nikki Jordan, whose bad intentions rival
those of her teacher. A fast-paced, drama-filled
tale, Tell on You reminds readers about the wildness and trauma of
adolescence—and the self-defeating behaviors to which adults resort in times of
stress. From gaslighting to vicious bullying, poisonous family privilege to the
loss of a parent—Freda Hansburg draws on her experience as a clinical
psychologist to explore the depths of each dark situation in Tell
on You.
PURCHASE YOUR COPY:
Amazon
What’s inside the mind of a psychological thriller
author?
Well, dark stuff, right?
I love to take an ordinary situation and imagine a spin that takes it
into the realm of suspense. For instance,
I see a guy walking his dog and preoccupied with his cellphone. He’s probably texting his mistress. But what if the mistress isn’t what she
appears to be…? You get the idea.
What is so great about being an author?
The rewards are both intrinsic and extrinsic. The inner gratification includes getting so
immersed in the flow of writing that I lose track of the time, or even what day
it is. The satisfaction of seeing an
idea through to fruition is enormous and empowering. The external goodies are pretty great,
too. When readers tell me they couldn’t
put down my book, it makes my day.
Giving people pleasure is awesome.
When do you hate it?
I’ve become more able to accept the inevitable impasses in
the writing process. But it’s still
uncomfortable when I feel stuck, unsure of how to move the story forward,
doubtful of my abilities. I know many
writers give up when they hit this kind of wall. I hope I don’t become one of them.
What is a regular writing day like for you?
When I’m in low gear, I’m focused on inching forward. Usually, that’s in the first draft. Any progress at this stage is fine with
me. So I’ll work out, do my chores,
settle in at my computer after lunch and go at it for an hour or two. When I’m in high gear, I’ve got real momentum
and I’m locked in for longer stretches.
That’s typically when I’m nearing the end of the story or doing
rewrites.
How do you handle negative reviews?
I approach them like a prospector panning for gold. Examine it for any valuable nuggets and discard
the rest. Readers have different tastes.
How do you handle positive reviews?
I drink them in and savor them.
What is the usual response when you tell a new
acquaintance that you’re an author?
People are usually curious, fascinated, impressed. They have all sorts of questions including
what I write, how I write and whether I’m on Amazon. I admit it’s fun.
What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing?
Do you force it or take a break?
I’m not James Patterson, cranking out bestsellers. When other parts of my life are more
pressing, I’ll take a break. But I don’t
let myself off the hook for too long. If
I’m struggling, I’ll set the bar lower and push myself to produce something, no
matter how small, to move forward.
Any writing quirks?
If I’m daunted by the challenge of starting a new scene or
chapter, I may finesse my way into it.
Instead of continuing in the manuscript itself, I’ll open up a blank
page and use it to “tune up” before I incorporate the new content into the
story. I do macro and micro outlines
(the overall arc of the novel and then more detailed next directions for the
upcoming chapters). But I’m happy to
deviate from the game plan when my characters lead me in new directions.
What would you do if people around you didn’t take your
writing seriously or see it as a hobby?
Inore them. If you go
around worrying about their perceptions, you’re not writing.
Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to
writing. Can you relate?
Dorothy Parker said it best:
“I hate writing, but I love having written.” Writing is incredibly hard work, but that’s
part of what makes the payoff so rewarding.
Do you think success as an author must be linked to
money?
It took me a moment to realize you probably meant: “Does an author have to make money to be
considered successful?” My first take
was, yes an author may need money to invest in proofreaders, designers,
promotion, etc., unless she’s under contract with a large, traditional publishing
house. But can an author be called
successful if she doesn’t strike it rich?
I vote yes. I did a book launch
appearance last week in my community.
About forty friends and neighbors attended, gave me a standing ovation,
bought my book and are still congratulating me.
That feels like success.
Finishing a book feels like success.
What has writing taught you?
Hang in, keep moving forward. Trust yourself. Do research.
Embrace the journey.
Leave us with some words of wisdom.
I think I just did.
Embrace the journey.
