AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amazon Best-Selling Author – Willow Rose “The Queen of Plot Twists” – Brett Nelson

Man Sitting Under A Tree Reading A Book during Night Time — Photo courtesy of Josh Hild

Hello Readers. Thank you for coming back for another installment of my AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT blog. While starting an author blog has turned out to be a time-consuming endeavor, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Having an opportunity to speak with and work alongside other talented fellow authors has been a fulfilling and exciting experience for me. I’m so grateful for the authors who are willing to give up a few minutes of their time to be my guest, as well as for the many readers who make it to my blog every month to read about the great authors I spotlight.

For as far back as I can remember, reading has been a favorite pastime of mine. I don’t recall the early childhood books I liked (I’ll have to make a note to ask my mom), but as an older child/teenager I loved Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew series. I still have the original first-print hardbacks of “The Secret of the Old Clock” and “The Hidden Staircase,” and every so often when I want a nostalgic read, I STILL enjoy picking them up and reading them because they’re my childhood. I also enjoyed the Hardy Boys series of books by Edward Stratemeyer, the Boxcar Children books by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and the “Little House on the Prairie” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, among so many others.

I love books because they take us to places we’ve never been, they force us to deal with types of people we would not otherwise encounter in our life, and they make us a witness into the characters’ extraordinary life circumstances. I can say with resounding gratitude that though I have my own fair share of heartaches, tribulations, disappointments, and hurdles to navigate in life, thank goodness I don’t have to deal with the extreme atrocities that most of us authors like to put our characters through!

We may not always like every book we pick up, because reading is subjective. A reader may hate a book with every fiber of their being, while for ten others it’s one of the best things they’ve ever read. That’s the beauty of books–they mean different things to different people.

Like every other reader on the planet, I don’t love every book I pick up, but I’ve come to realize there is value in every book because behind every word on the page is a living and breathing person who lovingly infuses every word with their essence. Within every page is a journey worth taking, there is a lesson to be learned, adversities to face, and situations to overcome. Books, to me, are among the very best treasures in life.

As a reader, when you pick up a book that doesn’t instantly spike your “love-o-meter” into the stratosphere, I encourage you to focus on finding something positive to take away from your reading experience. Trust me, it’s there if you take the time to open your mind and search it out. I believe even if you don’t totally love a book, you can still allow it to take you on a wild ride.

Without a doubt, wild rides are what’s in store for you within the pages of the books of today’s guest of AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT. To date, my special guest has penned more than eighty novels, and she dips the quill of her pen into the ink to bring us great stories in many genres: mystery, thriller, paranormal, romance, horror, supernatural thrillers, and fantasy.

She has sold more than six million books, and is an Amazon All-Star Best-Selling Author in the U.S., UK, and Canada.

She has more than 7,000 followers on Facebook, almost 30,000 followers on Bookbub, and her fans have dubbed her as, “The Queen of Plot Twists.”

It is with great pleasure that I bring you today’s AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Willow Rose.

Brett: Before we get into the nitty gritty of why we’re here—BOOKS—let’s go back a few years to before you were a writer. As a child, were you an avid reader? If so, what childhood books formed your love for reading and ultimately for writing

Willow: I have always loved reading and writing. But mostly telling stories. I would sit in the classroom and tell my classmates stories at recess, making them forget to go out and play. My teacher would listen in as well and would sometimes give me hints afterwards to get better. My favorite book as a child was “The Neverending Story.” I loved it so much, I read it over and over again. I still pull it out from time to time and re-read it, just because it’s so wonderful.

Brett: At what age did the realization hit that, “Writing is something I’d like to do?” Was a novel your first attempt at writing, or did you start smaller and work your way up to full-length novels?

Willow: I remember making a cartoon as a child, killing off Tarzan, and of course it was Jane who did it. And then later I would write short stories in high school, that my teacher thought I should send in to literary competitions, but I never did because I didn’t think they were good enough. I wrote my first novel when I was twenty-nine, and it took me two years to finish it.

Brett: Let’s go back in time and talk about the first novel you ever published. Putting a novel into the world, especially for the first time, can be scary, because even though it’s fiction, there’s still a little of the author tucked away in there. Which novel was the first you ever published? How did you feel when you realized your first attempt at writing was out there for anyone in the world to pick up and read?

Willow: My first book was under my maiden name and was published in Denmark, where I lived at the time, before I moved to Florida. It was based on a story I had been reporting about back when I was a journalist working at a Danish national TV network. It received the worst reviews it possibly could, and one paper wrote that they didn’t think I would ever publish another book. I proved them wrong, lol. Eighty-eight books later, I am still at it. It was super tough when it happened, but it made me realize – once I was done crying – that I didn’t write for the critics. I wrote because I couldn’t help myself, because I loved it so much. And then I decided to make the next book better and to keep getting better for the rest of my career.

Brett: Eighty-eight books! Good for you for not allowing critics to keep you from following your dream! When it comes to novel writing, are you a “plotter” or a “pantser?” Do you plot your novels before writing them, or do you just jump in and figure it out as you go along?

Willow: I’m definitely a plotter. All my books start with a plot, an idea. And then I make an outline. The storyline can develop along the way, and often it does, but I need a good plot to begin with. I need to know where I am going. It’s always more important to me why someone was murdered, than how or even who did it.

Brett: This is a nearly impossible question to ask an author because our books are our blood, sweat, and tears, so forgive me in advance. Of all the books you’ve written, can you tell us your top three all-time favorites, and why?

Willow: “Such a Good Girl” that I published in June of this year, was a big favorite of mine. Mostly because it was based on my own #metoo story from when I worked at the TV network. It was by far the toughest one I ever had to write, but it was also healing for me to finally tell my story. I haven’t told anyone about what happened in twenty years.

Brett: So We Lie is the novel you’ve most recently published. For those who haven’t read the book, tantalize us with some of the highlights of that novel.

Willow: So We Lie is a prequel to my most popular series, the Eva Rae Thomas series. It takes us back ten years to when she was just fresh out of the academy and trying to prove her worth as an FBI profiler. It was super fun for me to dig down into her past and explore to beginning of all her struggles.

Brett: Of all the books you’ve written, is there one that stands out as the most difficult one to write, either emotionally or technically, etc? Why?

Willow: “Such a Good Girl” because it was my own personal story, one I had never told anyone before.

Crop lady with pen and notebook on bed at home — Photo courtesy of Ketut Subiyanto

Brett: As an author myself, I don’t have as much time as I’d like to read other authors’ works, but I have read two of your novels ITSY BITSY SPIDER and BETTER NOT CRY. I’m an avid lover of all things Christmas, and I admittedly enjoy warm and fuzzy Christmas books. That said, BETTER NOT CRY was the first of your novels I wanted to read because…HELLO…Christmas! I really enjoyed having a Christmas read that was on the darker side of what I usually like, and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. Tell us a little about this book, and what prompted you to branch into the “naughty” side of Santa.

Willow: I was asked to write a short story for a Christmas box set with a bunch of other authors, so I wrote one called BETTER WATCH OUT, and later published it as a novella. But I wanted to do more with the story, so that’s why I made an entire book that takes off where the novella ends, and features Rebekka Franck from my series by the same name.

Brett: What are the chances of you bringing us another Christmas-themed book in the future?

Willow: They’re pretty big, as I love taking a scary twist on something as nice and cozy as Christmas.

Brett: On average, how long does it take you to write one novel?

Willow: Around 2-3 months usually. I used to write faster, but I don’t have to anymore as I am selling a lot of books now.

Brett: Think back over all the books you’ve written—and there are a LOT! You’ve written hundreds if not thousands of characters. Which character would you not get along with in real life? Which one would be a friend you wish you had?

Willow: I don’t think I would get along with Richard Wanton from SUCH A GOOD GIRL. He really makes me angry. And I would love to have a friend like Miranda who is Eva Rae Thomas’ ex mother-in-law. She’s such a fun and wonderful person. And she’s always there to help Eva Rae out when needed. Not many ex-mothers-in-law would do what she does for Eva Rae.

Brett: When you start writing a book, do you always know the title before you begin writing? Or have there been times when the title didn’t emerge until later in the writing process?

Willow: I usually find the title before I begin, but it hasn’t always been like that. Sometimes it’s like the title won’t come. I have even had some books where I had used one title and then changed it years later, when something better came along.

Brett: Do you ever finish a book and worry that you’ll never be able to write another one?

Willow: Every time. That’s why I always start a new one almost immediately, and then take a break once the start has been written. Because then I can rest knowing the next one is already on its way.

Brett: After completing a novel, how long does it take before you launch into the next one?

Willow: I do it right away, and then after I have written about 20 pages of a new one and have the outline ready, then I usually take a couple of weeks off. In that time, I complete all the stuff I have kept postponing while writing, like cleaning the house and going to the dentist and all that.

Brett: Give us a short description of your working space. Is there anything you must have to flow in the creative process? When you take a minute to look out the nearest window, what do you see?

Willow: I have about thirty snow globes on my desk. Every time I stop to think about something in the book, I shake all of them and watch the snow fall inside of them. It’s been this thing for years that every time we go somewhere, I will buy a snow globe and bring it home, so they are from all over the world.

Brett: Let’s pretend Hollywood just called and they want to make a blockbuster movie of ONE of your books, and you must choose which book. Which would it be? You also get to be the Casting Director—who plays the main protagonist and the main antagonist?

Willow: DON’T LIE TO ME, the first book in my Eva Rae Thomas series. I want Melissa McCarthy to play Eva Rae Thomas and Christoph Waltz to play the bad guy (I’m not going to say who he is, because that would reveal the plot of the book, and that’s not fair to those who haven’t read it yet.)

Brett: Who is your current favorite author(s)?

Willow: Right now, I am reading through all of Mary Higgins Clark’s books. She died in 2020, and I thought I wanted to read everything she had written to sort of study her development. It’s very interesting and the books are excellent, even for today.

Brett: You and I have that in common. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my very favorite authors, too. What book(s) are you reading right now? How many books are in your ‘to be read” pile?

Willow: I’m currently reading KISS THE GIRLS AND MAKE THEM CRY by Mary Higgins Clark. I have a ton of books in my to read pile. I wouldn’t know how many.

Brett: I remember the first time I cried when writing a particularly emotional scene in my Christmas novel. I wasn’t expecting that to happen, and it took me by surprise. Has this happened to you? If so, can you describe which book and scene that was?

Willow: In SUCH A GOOD GIRL, I write about a rape I experienced myself and that was so hard, I had to write with the tears rolling down my cheeks, and I had to take many breaks. I haven’t read it again since we published it, and I’m not sure I want to. I do believe it made the book so much stronger and better though. Because it was so personal. Go where the pain is, someone said to me once.

Brett: If you could co-write a book with another author, living or dead, who would that be?

Willow: I don’t think I can write with someone else. I really really like working alone.

Brett: If I were to drive to your home in Florida to have dinner with the Rose family, what would be on the menu?

Willow: Danish Frikadeller or Tarteletter. We like to serve Danish meals for people. And we would give you Danish licorice for dessert. It’s salty and spicy, not sweet.

Brett: If you could spend an entire weekend doing nothing but bingeing your favorite television shows, what would you watch?

Willow: Grey’s Anatomy. I love that show.

Brett: What’s your favorite hobby/activity for the rare occasions you’re not writing?

Willow: If the waves are decent, I surf

Brett: What’s your favorite format when you have time to sit down with a book (ebook, physical book, audiobook?)

Willow: I usually read ebooks on my Kindle. It’s so easy, and you can take it everywhere.

Brett: Have you ever read a novel and left thinking, “I could have written that better?”

Willow: I always think that about my own books. I think that’s why I keep writing, because I believe I can write something better than the last thing. In a way, I am constantly trying to write the perfect book, and as long as I haven’t, then I continue.

Brett: I know authors don’t like talking about their work before it’s completed, but give us ONE word that would best describe the novel you’re working on now.

Willow: Shocking

Brett: Willow, thank you so much for being a guest on my AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. Is there a date when your next novel will be published?

Willow: My next book is up for preorder. It’s called LITTLE DID SHE KNOW, and it’s the tenth book in the Eva Rae Thomas series. The date is set for the spring right now, but that will be moved closer when I know more about how long it’s going to take me to write it.

For readers interested in contacting Willow Rose, you may email her at: www.willow-rose.net