with Melissa Groeling
We are delighted to welcome back author Melissa Groeling to Omnimystery News today.
Melissa's second novel is the suspense thriller Lights Out (Black Opal Books; December 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) and earlier this month we posted an excerpt from it. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with her to talk a little more about the book.
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Omnimystery News: When you were writing Lights Out, did you consider making it one of a series?
Photo provided courtesy of
Melissa Groeling
Melissa Groeling: I feel like if I keep putting the same character in more than one book, he/she is going to go stale. I mean, there are some series out there that are insanely good, with the same character going through different things and never losing that thread that grants them staying power. But for me, maybe it's my rather short attention span but I need someone new and different in every book. It keeps things interesting and it keeps me interested too.
OMN: Did you have any problem finding the right voice for your male protagonist?
MG: Writing Paul Holten in Lights Out was a lot of fun in a … morbid kind of a way. I definitely don't discriminate with my characters, male or female. The range of human emotion is always the same. The only difference is the reaction to them. I've always had a sense of Paul in my head so it was pretty easy to put him down on paper. As long the story is engrossing and solid, I'd like to think that it doesn't really matter to any reader of the character is male or female.
OMN: Tell us more about how you came up with the title for Lights Out. And were you involved with the cover design?
MG: Settling on the title of Lights Out was not easy. I couldn't decide on anything. My only saving grace was I knew what I wanted the cover to look like. I remember telling my friend and cover artist, Nathan, this: "Hey, man, for the cover, can you do a shattered lightbulb?" Next thing I knew, he had the cover made and it blew me away! It was so precise and clear and at that moment, I knew the title had to be Lights Out. Not only because of the design but because throughout the book there are instances of darkness both figuratively and literally. So it was the perfect fit. Thank God because it was really driving me crazy!
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world — all expenses paid, of course — to research the setting for a book, where would it be?
MG: Wow, that's a great question. Let's see&nsbp;… there are so many places I would love to go for book research. For right now though, I think I'd settle with Europe. Okay, that's kind of general but I would love to visit the castles over there, maybe stay in one, get a feel for the enormity of it. I think that would be so awesome.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And do any of these find their way into your stories?
MG: Even though most writers are solitary people, I love hanging with family and friends. I find the best inspiration from the crazy folks I surround myself with. And I'll tell you what, a lot of baked goods find their way into my stories: scones, cupcakes, muffins, bakeries in general. I don't know what it is about a pastry fresh out of the oven. It's simply too tasty to pass up. Plus, I find myself constantly on the look-out for a new bakery&nsbp;… some might call it an obsession but man, it's a delicious one.
OMN: Give us a Top 5 list on any topic.
MG: Top 5 Favorite Things to Eat: (in no particular order)
1) Cupcakes;
2) Chocolate (dark chocolate please especially while writing);
3) Meat (chicken, beef, pork, just about any type will do but hold the veal);
4) Cheese; and
5) Fruit (currently I'm addicted to blueberries mixed with vanilla yogurt).
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Melissa Groeling graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in English. She lives, reads and writes in the Philadelphia region and wherever else life happens to send her. She is a hardcore New York Giants fan and loves chocolate.
For more information about the author, please visit her website and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Lights Out
Melissa Groeling
A Suspense Thriller
Even when the lights are out, he can still see you …
Paul Holten's profession doesn't leave much room for doubt or conscience, but he's reaching his breaking point. The nightmares are getting worse, the jobs are getting harder to finish, and the volatile relationship with his boss Aaron is falling apart. Now faced with the possibility of an impending death sentence, Paul makes the fatal decision to run.
Drawn into one hellish situation after another, he's forced to confront his dark past — and wonders if perhaps dying isn't the better option.
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