Given that New York Times Bestselling authors such as Tess
Gerritsen and Gayle Lynds have called his novel, KISS HER
GOODBYE, "a smashing good read" and "heart pounding suspense",
it seems as if readers are in for a very, very good thing once
the wait is over and KISS HER GOODBYE is released in February.
In KISS HER GOODBYE, Browne explores every parent's worst fear, the possible loss of a child. His main character, ATF Agent Jack Donovan, wants only two things in life: to take down violent cult leader Alexander Gunderson and to reconnect with his estranged daughter Jessie. In a desperate act of revenge, Gunderson kidnaps Jessie and buries her alive. Donovan is willing to trade anything to save his little girl. Anything. Even his own life.
Browne, the father of two children, says that like any parent, he has always worried about losing them. "That theme, I've come to realize, plays a part in almost everything I've written. Sudden loss."
When asked if any sudden losses in his own life influenced KISS HER GOODBYE, Browne recounts the near-death experience of an uncle. "He and I
shared a number of creative interests and I think he influenced me in that area, fueling my desire to write and make movies."
What happened to Browne's uncle while he was clinically dead? "Whenever he was asked about his time on the other side," Browne says, "he refused to talk about it. It was obviously a very traumatic experience for him and not all the happiness and warmth others have claimed."
For fear of spoiling the ride for his readers, Browne declines to discuss exactly what part his uncle's near-death plays in KISS HER GOODBYE. "His experience frankly scared the crap out of me. But it also spurred an interest in the phenomenon. One that I've carried with me ever since."
Browne began his writing career in short stories before winning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' prestigious Nicholl screenwriting fellowship. This opportunity sent Browne to Hollywood where he wrote screenplays for several years. As he puts it, he played "the Hollywood Shuffle: taking meetings, writing scripts, pitching stories — but with nothing on the big screen to show for it."
He wrote for Fox Kids' animated TV shows Diabolik and Spider-Man Unlimited
before returning to his first love, fiction. Browne says, "Writing novels is more freeing, but also a hell of a lot more difficult. TV and movies can only show you the bare bones of a story and character. With novels you have to go much deeper. Which is why so many film adaptations of books fail. Without that ability to go deep, they can't really capture the original."
In KISS HER GOODBYE, Browne certainly has gone deep. The opening chapters are riveting and revealing while moving at a fast pace. In them, Browne
portrays the action through the points of view of three very disparate characters.
"Creating characters is not so much about making lists of where they went to school and all that kind of stuff," Browne says, "but finding their attitude. What is their general attitude toward other people and the world. That's how we get to know most people."
One of the opening chapters in KISS HER GOODBYE is told through the villain's point of view. Browne thinks that creating believable bad guys is no more difficult than creating heroes, if you're willing to dig deep.
"Villains are just like any other character. But they often have attitudes and goals that normal, law-abiding people wouldn't have."
When building characters, Browne believes it's important to move beyond the expected. "For example, in my latest book, tentatively titled DOUBLE TAKE, I have a cop who is essentially a smart-ass and something of a letch. That's his basic attitude. Sounds like your typical cop character, I suppose. But then, as I'm writing, I take that basic attitude and I filter it through ME. It's a kind of method acting thing. And out of that, the character grows beyond the stereotype and becomes a richer, fuller human being. Once I give the character a goal, I'm on my way."
It certainly seems as if Browne is on his way. As a member of International Thriller Writers' group of debut thriller novelists, Killer Year 2007, Browne is being mentored through the publishing process by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds. Lynds says of Browne's work: "From rich characters to heart-pounding suspense, KISS HER GOODBYE explores not only the deadly terrain of murder but the nuances of the soul. It’s a first-rate novel that will glue you to your chair until you finish the last satisfying word."
She's not alone in her praise. Fellow New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen says of KISS HER GOODBYE, "it moves at such a breakneck pace that you’ll scarcely have time to take a breath" and New York Times bestseller Carla Neggers calls it a "taut, absorbing page-turner... a compelling thriller full of twists and surprises."
How does Browne feel about being in the company of such accomplished
masters of the thriller genre? "Being able to spend time and discuss the craft and business of fiction with such wonderful, diverse talents -- writers I've admired for so many years -- is something I only dreamt of before now. Sometimes I wonder if I'm still dreaming."
KISS HER GOODBYE will be released by St. Martin's Press in February 2007.
To learn more about Robert Gregory Browne and his novels, go to http://www.robertgregorybrowne.com
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER
Award winning author CJ Lyons is a physician trained in
Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Winner of the Golden Gateway and
a Golden Heart Finalist in Romantic Suspense, CJ is a member
of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers,
Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Her writing
has appeared in Romantic Times BookReviews, CrimeSpree and
Kiss of Death.
Look for her debut medical suspense novel coming from Berkley in 2008. Her website is http://www.cjlyons.net and her blog Unsung Heroes can be found at http://www.cjlyons.wordpress.com
Return to Winter 2006 Table of Contents © 2006 SPINETINGLER Magazine - All rights reserved |
