Author Interview: C.G. Abbot, Author of 'The Society' #interview

CG Abbot was born and raised in Colorado, graduated from college with a degree in business administration as well as a degree in Sacred Theology. While working in large companies and even Department of Defense, she dreamt of writing. She still resides in Colorado and enjoys creative outlets like scrapbooking, card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. She inherited a love for reading from her family and grew up talking about books at the dinner table.

Website Address: www.cgabbot.yolasite.com

Welcome, C.G.! Your new suspense thriller sounds captivating! Can you tell us how you came up with the idea?

C.G.: The basic concept and plot evolved over time. The story elements and plot in the book began as a Ghost Whisperer type main character who returns to the town she spent her youthful summers and that visit places her life in danger. That kernel of a story line had come to me early on but the rest of the plot involving a secret society and conspiracy came together as I developed the plot. I worked on this novel over several years and added some Gothic atmospheric touches in several scenes too.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters?

C.G.: Elizabeth Grant is an architectural engineer who, during a summer of her late teen years, saw the ghost of her best friend appear to her. That event rocked her world as her mother and uncle send her to a psychiatrist while her grandfather lines her up for an exorcism. She worried she had a brain tumor. Now that she is grown, she returns to her grandparents home to face her demons which unwittingly puts her life in danger.

Malcom Alexander is an FBI agent looking into his aunt's unexpected death, Juanita is a spunky and idealistic young reporter in way over her head, and Heath is the hacker Juanita turns to for assistance.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in your book?

C.G.: According to my Beta Readers, there are a few such moments. One in particular is when Elizabeth is abducted. I like to think those chapters are pretty dramatic.

Do you proofread and edit your work on your own or pay someone to do it for you?

C.G.: I go through and edit/polish, it goes through Beta Readers, and then a paid editor.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

C.G.: Absolutely. The cover gives a snapshot into the basic book style and signals the type of book that awaits the reader. A cozy mystery cover will look dramatically different from a thriller or a paranormal romance. The cover of The Society is intended to show the suspense thriller aspect.

What did you want to become when you were a kid?

C.G.: When asked the same question by a teacher, I answered "The next Einstein." I loved astronomy and even took planetary geology in college. Like most kids, that changed over the years. By high school I was writing fictional stories. My first effort was of a teen girl nursing an injured fawn back to health.

Do your novels carry a message?

C.G.: I strive to tell an entertaining story primarily. As I researched for The Society, I incorporated information that many might not have known before, so I have an Author's Notes section at the end. But it wasn't in an effort share any specific message.

Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?

C.G.: A Goodread's reviewer said this: "What can I say but WOW! This is a true suspense thriller. I couldn’t believe how the characters lives eventually intertwined to an ending that is just surprising. I don’t want to spoil your experience by giving too much away. Let’s just say Elizabeth’s “gift” is remarkable. Great story line that kept me guessing out loud while I was reading and really did not have this one figured out at all!"

About the Book: