About Rachel Brady:

I’m originally from Dayton, Ohio, but now live near Houston, Texas, where I’m an engineer in a research lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. I’ve worked for the space program for twelve years and before that I did a brief stint in accident reconstruction. Science and engineering are close to my heart, but I also love the escapism that fiction offers, which is probably why I started writing. I’m honored to be the Vice President of the Southwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Like moms everywhere, I spend a good portion of every day taxiing short people around town and engaging in general tomfoolery. I do a variety of local runs, bike rides, and triathlons for fun. When it’s time to relax, I grab a book, practice the guitar, or surf the Internet. I like to share reviews with fellow book fans at Goodreads and to connect with other writers, both professional and aspiring, at my blog, Write It Anyway. I also hang out on Facebook and Twitter, where I hope you’ll stop by and say hello.

*bio taken directly from Rachel Brady’s website.

Rachel Brady Interview:

1.  What was your source of inspiration to write murder mystery novels?   Would you ever consider other genres? If so, which would it be?

When my first child was born, I made a choice to de-emphasize the role of television in my life and replace it with an emphasis on reading. This all came about from a desire to lead by example and hopefully bring her up in an environment where more value was placed on creative pursuits.

It happened that my friends were recommending books back then, and most of those books were in the mystery and suspense genres, which I really liked. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. So, when I started writing my first novel, plotting a mystery seemed a natural choice.

I would definitely consider another genre, most likely women’s fiction. However, selling fiction is tough right now. I’m fortunate to have a publisher for my mysteries and will likely stay in this genre as long as I can.

2.  How has being a research engineer for NASA helped your development of storylines?

I wouldn’t say that my day job has influenced my storylines (yet), but I certainly have drawn on the amusing traits of my co-workers when fleshing out supporting casts. I’m lucky to work with spirited, unique people, and their influence on my fiction has sometimes been profound.

3.  When you are writing, what does a day look like for you?  Do you type your story, write it, or tape record then transcribe?

One of my writing friends uses his cell phone to dictate scenes, but so far I’ve never dictated anything. I always have a notebook in my purse. When I get stuck waiting somewhere, I’ll often write longhand. In the evenings, after my kids are in bed, I’m most likely to be typing at my laptop. Lately, I get more done longhand, if you can believe that. When I’m at my computer, e-mail and the internet become distractions. No messages pop up when I’m writing in a spiral notebook.

4.  How do you decide your book titles and covers?

 My publisher retains the rights to both the titles and the cover art. With Final Approach and Dead Lift, I was lucky that they kept my proposed titles. That could change for any future books.

The publisher hires a graphic artist to design covers. Karen Phillips has delivered two great covers for me so far, and I hope she’ll be commissioned for my future novels too. Generally, what happens is that a variety of cover options are drafted and circulated. I’m asked for my feedback, but that is done as a courtesy. The publisher has been kind to consider my feedback in the first two books, but ultimately the cover decision is entirely up to the publisher.

5.  How would you describe your Emily Locke Mysteries to a new reader?

 The Emily Locke series isn’t light and cozy but it’s nowhere close to dark and noir either. The emphasis is on building suspense and the novels are character driven. I try to explore darker, more serious themes while keeping the narrative voice personal and engaging. It’s important to me to explore authentic human responses without necessarily sending readers to a tissue box. More importantly in this genre, I try to keep the pace up and the pages turning.

6.   When you begin an Emily Locke mystery, do you know what the murder mystery will be about?  Do you already know the outcome or do you let it evolve as you are writing?

When I wrote the debut, Final Approach, the outcome evolved as I was writing. Once the series got picked up, my approach changed by necessity. My editor requires a story outline before I begin writing. This means thinking the plot through from beginning to end, which of course means I must know what the crime is, who did it, and why. I liked the first approach better, but writing to a synopsis has advantages too.

7.  How would you describe Emily Locke?  Is she based on anyone?

 Emily is self-reliant with a hidden dose of self-doubt. She’s a great mother who doesn’t think she’s quite good enough. She’s pretty but doesn’t know it. She has the capacity to do more than she thinks she can.

In many ways, I think this makes her “Everywoman.”

Emily isn’t based on anyone in particular, but I guess it’s fair to say much of her background was based on mine. That’s not because I set out to write a book about myself, but rather because I’m a lazy researcher. For each quality of Emily’s that resembles one of mine, she has another that is vastly different.

One interesting thing about writing is that we learn to draw on our strengths and weaknesses as people to inform our characters and give them depth. I can imagine a character bigger than myself and write in those strengths. I can explore my own weaknesses through the characters and make those people more human and authentic.

8.  Do you have a Jeannie in your life?

No, but I think a “Jeannie” would be super fun! That’s where that character came from. Many of my fastest scenes are ones where she is around. She’s turned out to be a lot of fun to write and hang around with in my imagination.

9.  What compelled you to write about elder abuse in your new book, Dead Lift?

The crime at the heart of Dead Lift was, unfortunately, based on a real story that happened in my friend’s neighborhood. As I learned more about the scope of that case, and about how difficult it was to prove the crime and prosecute it, I became more interested in exploring elder abuse within the safe bounds of fiction.

10.  What do you hope you reader will walk away with after reading your books?  Do you have an underlying theme that you want your reader to be inspired about?

I write to entertain. I do explore themes in the novels, but those themes are important to me as a writer. They fuel the story in my own mind. If they resonate for readers, all the better.

In Final Approach, the underlying question was: What lengths would you go to for a child?  In Dead Lift: What makes a person good or bad, and who gets to decide?

When I finished Dead Lift, I didn’t feel like I’d thoroughly explored that question, so it will be back even stronger in my third Emily Locke book, tentatively titled Thin Ice.

11.  When you were an aspiring writer, what do you wish you would have known as you embarked on your first book?

 I think there’s a fine line between knowing enough to get started and knowing too much, so that a person gets scared and just stops. Or worse, never begins.

When I started Final Approach, all I knew was that I was trying to piece together a novel. I didn’t know about pace and structure, dialogue and tension. I didn’t know about voice. I sure didn’t know anything about publishing.  Looking back, it was probably good that all I knew at the time was that I wanted to tell the story of a scared woman dropped into extraordinary circumstances.

12.  Who are some of your favorite authors?  How do they inspire you?

 Dennis Lehane, Alice Sebold, Timothy Hallinan, and Meg Gardiner are some of my favorites. Each of these writers develops characters that feel, to me, like real, honest-to-goodness people. I become entranced with their worries and stress. I become invested in their concerns. These writers use language in such a way that they elicit very specific emotional reactions from me while I read. I try to pay attention to how they do this. In all ways, I’m inspired to keep these observations in mind as I develop my own characters and stories.

13.  Will we be reading more Emily Lock mysteries?  If so, what can we expect from Emily Locke’s character as she continues to evolve in your stories? 

 Emily is planned for a five-book series, so you should see her three more times before the series closes. Right now, I imagine subsequent books all taking place within a fairly tight time frame. However, lately I’ve been wondering how the series would look if a later book fast-forwarded to a time when Emily’s now kindergarten daughter were a pre-teen or teen. I’ll be revisiting these questions as I finish Thin Ice and begin outlining the fourth installment.

14.  When you are not writing or working at NASA, what do you enjoy doing?

Three things, mainly. I love taking my kids on outings to local museums, putt-putt golf courses, skating rinks, or the beach. I enjoy exercise; my favorite things to do are running and Zumba classes. And, of course, I like to end my day with a good book!

15.  Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?  If so, please share.

 Each time I’m asked for an interview or invited to speak to library and book club groups, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be on this journey. Thank you to everyone who has spent time with Emily and her cohorts, and especially to those who have taken time to offer me your feedback. Writing is such a solitary endeavor, and it is a real gift to connect with readers.

Rachel Brady’s Emily Locke Mysteries:

Final Approach

Dead Lift

Link to Bay Area Book Club’s book discussion with Rachel Brady