Q&A: 'Dead Cold' Crime Thriller Author Jennifer Chase @AuthorJenniferChase

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning crime fiction author and consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists.

Her latest book is the crime thriller, Dead Cold.

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Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us to the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Thank you for the interview opportunity. The Emily Stone Series came from real events in my own life. A violent sociopath, who lived next door for more than two and half years, stalked and threatened to kill me on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. It was an experience that seemed to come straight out of a movie. When I first came up with the storyline for my thriller series, I wanted to create a different slant to the crime fighter in modern thrillers. Emily Stone hunts down serial killers and child abductors covertly, and all under the law enforcement radar. She performs the entire investigation as a vigilante detective and then sends all the information to the police in charge of the case. Well, the cases don’t always go as planned of course. The sixth novel, Dead Cold, is the latest stand-alone in the award winning series, which has plenty of action and an intricate crime scene investigation to enjoy.

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

Writing a thriller is challenging, but it has been a labor of love for me. I’ve been a fan of all types of thrillers and 80s action films for most of my life. I’ve written a dozen screenplays before writing my first novel, Compulsion, which has helped me with creating action and dialogue in my books. I’m an outliner, not extensively, but I find it helps with the roadmap of my story. I make sure that I have a completed storyline strong enough to hold the reader’s interest before typing the first chapter.

A tip for writers in the crime fiction genre would be to make sure that your research is complete and well budgeted for time. Whether it’s for police procedures, forensics, psychology, or any other aspect of the story, don’t skip any research by using other fictional works as resources. My strict rule is to have three solid sources and not all internet sources. Books, articles, textbooks, established crime fiction writers, and professionals in related fields are great places to obtain the information you need.

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

After publishing my first book, Compulsion, I realized that I had quite a bit to learn about the publishing process and promotion. No matter how much research, connecting with other writers, and checking off your list of to dos, you still have more to learn. Never stop learning. Promotion and marketing is like writing another book—tough and sometimes tedious.

Q: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

I have another series, Chip Palmer Forensic Mysteries, and the next book, Scene of the Crime, will be published by the end of the year. There will be an Emily Stone Novella published at the beginning of 2018. The next installment in the Emily Stone Thriller Series, Dark Lies, will be published in the spring of 2018.

Q: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

Even though I’m a criminologist and behavioral profiler, I still conduct research. There is no way to know everything and all subjects relating to crime, forensics, and criminology. I like to make sure there are interesting and not widely known forensic facts in my books for readers to enjoy.

Q: Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

I don’t know if there’s a black and white message, but I love to be able to root for the underdog who has a driving conviction to save others at any cost. It makes you take a look at your own life.

Q: Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

I wanted to thank everyone who have reached out to me and left reviews for Dead Cold. Readers and fans are the reason I do what I do. Thank you.

About the Book:

What happens when one California community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could design—and execute.

On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and forensic expertise may not be enough this time.

Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.

Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could destroy them.

The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and everything—in Dead Cold.