If there is one thing I love it is a summer thriller. There is nothing better to tuck in a beach bag then a book that you can rapidly flip through and sit in suspenseful moments as the story unfolds. Those kinds of books that your eyes can’t read fast enough because you just HAVE to know what is going to happen. If you have been waiting for the next-big-thing since Gone Girl, then I have the just the book for you!
Today I am excited to feature a fantastic debut novelist, Mary Kubica, and share a little about her first book, The Good Girl. I snagged an advanced reader of this book from NetGalley, but it is now out on the bookshelves just begging for you to pick it up. Debut novelists hold a special place in my heart and I’m excited to share her incredible journey into seeing her first book come to life with you.
The book opens with the following words, “I’ve been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don’t know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she’s scared. But I will.”
Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia is unlike her parents in every way, content with her life as an inner-city school teacher. When she finds herself at a bar one night alone, after being stood up by her boyfriend, she meets a guy. Her plans for a one-night stand turns into the worst mistake of her life.
I don’t want to say anymore because the beauty in this book is those plot twists you never see coming!
Grab your coffee and let’s chat with Mary Kubica about her debut novel The Good Girl!
I am a big reader and it is so difficult to find a book that actually has plot twists I didn’t see coming, but The Good Girl absolutely surprised me. As the writer of these twists, did you always see these twists coming or were they as equally surprising to you?
This is a great question! The plot twists are often equally as surprising to me as they are to the reader. In the case of The Good Girl, I had written a significant chunk of the novel before the ending came to me. This is one of the most exciting parts of writing for me – when I get that clear picture of how the story will end. I don’t typically outline or do much note taking before starting a new manuscript, and so all I have is a starting point; the rest of the details remain obscure. I make it a point not to overthink my plot too much, and to have faith that the details, plot twists, etc. will come in due time. It’s very exciting when it all comes together in my mind, and I get to go through the manuscript and insert clues to help the reader along, or in some cases, throw them off course. It’s one of my favorite parts of writing this genre!
Mia’s mother is the character that I relate to the most in your story because she is always questioning if she did enough or if she was a good enough mother. Is this something you really identified with too?
Absolutely. Mia’s mother, Eve Dennett, is the character I relate the most to. She is a woman, for one, but more importantly a mother, and as a mother myself, I was able to put myself in her shoes and ask myself how I would respond to the situation. How would I feel, and what would I do or say if it was my child that was missing? I really felt for Eve in the pages of the book. Even the very best mother makes choices that they may second guess, and not only is Eve longing for her missing child, but she’s desperate for a chance to make things up to Mia and amend for the poor decisions she made in Mia’s childhood. I think that as mothers, no matter how hard we try there is always the fear we will fall short and not do anything and everything we can for our children. I believe many mothers out there will relate to Eve on some level.
I found myself sympathizing with Colin so much that I did not see him as the bad guy in this story at all, even though I felt very differently at the beginning. Did you sympathize with him?
Without giving anything away, I think that The Good Girl is a novel that makes you rethink much of what you know, and teaches the reader not to take things at face value. What you see if not always what you get, a fact which holds true with many of the characters in the book. I sympathize with nearly every character in The Good Girl for various reasons. They are imperfect and flawed, as most of us are, something that will hopefully make them relatable to the reader.
Your journey of becoming a debut novelist is such a good one and showcases why writers should never give up on their dreams. How long did you have to wait to see your book on bookshelves? Does it still feel surreal to you?
Yes, it feels absolutely surreal. It was 2006 when I first began working on The Good Girl, and 2014 when it was published. That’s 8 years of hard work, hopes, dreams and fears – all of it. There were many ups and downs all along the way, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. After finishing the novel, I submitted it to many literary agencies, and, as you may know by now, it was rejected by every single one of them. I thought that was it; any hope of a writing career was through. Two years later I received an out-of-the-blue email from one of the agencies that had previously declined to represent my novel. The Good Girl had stuck with them all that time and they wanted to represent it – proof that writers, or anyone for that matter, should never give up on their dreams. It still shocks me to see my name on a book at the bookstore. I wonder if this will ever feel real to me and no longer surreal? Probably not.
Your book is being compared to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. What do you think of the comparison? Do you think this comparison has helped in the selling of your novel?
I definitely think the comparisons to Gone Girl did nothing but help The Good Girl. There are so many Gillian Flynn fans out there (including me!), and so I’m thrilled with the comparison. That said, it can be a bit unnerving, trying to live up to such a masterpiece, but early feedback for The Good Girl has been phenomenal. I couldn’t be more pleased.
We featured Heather Gudenkauf and her book Little Mercies this past month (which was also so fabulous!) How did you end up partnering with her for your book promotion?
First, let me say that Heather Gudenkauf is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with, and her latest novel Little Mercies is by far one of my favorites of 2014. Heather and I share not only the same publisher – Harlequin MIRA – but the same editor as well, and seeing as our novels came out just a month apart, and we write in the same genre, it’s a perfect match. We’ve been able to travel together many times to promote our books, and have connected at many conferences throughout the year. Heather has been a wonderful mentor to me, and I feel so fortunate for our time together. It’s so great to be able to connect with other authors. Writing can be an isolated profession, and so the more people – authors, readers, etc. – we’re able to connect with, the better!
Can you give us a sneak peek on what you have in store for us next?
Yes, I’d love to! I just finished up my second novel Pretty Baby, which will be released by Harlequin MIRA in 2015. This is another psychological suspense set in the Midwest, about a Chicago mother who encounters a young homeless girl with a baby. She becomes quite taken with the two of them, and as she does, we learn more about these women and what effect this chance encounter will have on both of their lives. Be sure to check my website or follow me on Facebook or Twitter for updates on Pretty Baby as they arrive!
If you could tell anyone to read one book (other than your own) what would that book be?
My favorite book of all time is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. This is one that I tell everyone to read. It’s a Vietnam War memoir, but is much more than that. You don’t need to be a history guru to fall in love with this book. When it comes to my own genre though, psychological suspense, Before I Go To Sleep is one I often recommend. I just loved this S.J. Watson novel.
I’m always thankful for these moments with writers and I hope you will pick up this amazing book! You can always connect with me on GoodReads,through our books section of our site, and you can read our entire Sundays With Writers series for more author profiles. Happy reading, friends!
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