Interview With Hannah Mary McKinnon

Please join me in welcoming bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon to the blog. Hannah Mary is an accomplished novelist who specializes in psychological suspense. She is the author of Sister Dear, Her Secret Son, The Neighbors, and Time After Time. And coming May 25^th from MIRA (HarperCollins NA) You Will Remember Me, a novel that New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger calls: “Riveting, smart, and utterly diabolical.”

Born in the UK and raised in Switzerland, living in Ontario, Hannah is the former CEO of an IT recruitment company, mother of three, wife of one, and co-creator of First Chapter Fun with Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Forget the truth.

Remember the lies.

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can’t remember who he is. Everything—his identity, his life, his loved ones—has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

First off, congratulations on your upcoming release, Hannah Mary. It must be gratifying to see the early praise You Will Remember Me is getting.

Your life has taken you on a number of journeys. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer/novelist?

Writing novels wasn’t on my radar until we moved from Switzerland to Canada in 2010. When we arrived here, and my HR start-up company failed, it catapulted me into deciding what I truly wanted to do, and whether I would seize the opportunity to reinvent myself. After a long while (with a lot of moping about) I realized the answer was to become an author, and I got to work, making a ton of mistakes along the way (more on that later…).

What made you decide to write psychological suspense novels?

My debut was a rom com called Time After Time (2016) a light-hearted story about paths not taken. When we were out on submission with that book (i.e. my agent had sent it to publishers to see if there was interest), I started writing The Neighbors. I soon realized it was darker, far grittier than Time After Time, and that things may not work out for everybody by the end of the story, which I found more compelling and interesting to write. I didn’t worry too much about switching genres because Time After Time hadn’t sold at that point.

Once I’d finished writing The Neighbors I knew my move to the dark side was permanent. I enjoy putting ordinary (fictional) people in extraordinary circumstances and exploring what might happen to them, and what they might do. I’m not quite sure what that says about me…

Your books are full of twists and turns. One would think it might be difficult to keep things straight when plotting. Do you create a detailed plot line of the story ahead of time? Or are you more of a seat of your pants author?

Oh, I’m 100% a plotter. I’m very structured, and the more I write, the more I plan. My novels start with an idea—something that pops into my head such as a news story for You Will Remember Me, or a radio segment for Sister Dear—maybe a discussion I overheard. I noodle the thoughts around for a while as the main characters take shape. The next step is to write an outline. I start by jotting down the big picture plot points, which I then use as stepping-stones to build and write the rest of the outline. I fill out personality questionnaires for my main characters to understand them better, and search for photos on the internet to build a gallery I stick on my pin-board. By this point I’m raring to go.

At first, I write a basic manuscript that’s a little over two-thirds of the final word count, then layer and develop until I’m happy calling it a first draft, and send it to my wonderful editor, Emily. That’s when the real editing work begins, which is incredibly exciting because I know the story will become a thousand times better with her expert input.

Just thinking about pantsing an entire book makes me shudder, lol.

Favorite book?

No way! I can’t answer that question. There are far too many too choose from. Recent favorites include Caz Frear’s Shed No Tears and Karma Brown’s Recipe for a Perfect Wife.

Can you give us examples of authors who have influenced your writing? How so?

I’ll tell you a story about my great friend Jennifer Hillier. While waiting for my son at our local library I spotted her debut Creep on a shelf. Intrigued by the cover, I picked it up, read the blurb, took it home and couldn’t put it down. It was a turning point in my writing career. When I was younger, I mainly read thrillers, but after a personal tragedy in my early 20s, I could only stomach light-hearted reads. Creep reminded me of my love of thrillers and gave me that final push I needed to cross over to the dark side while writing The Neighbors.

Fun fact: a few years later I met Jennifer at Boucheron and had a total “fan-girl-moment” which led to us meeting for coffees and dinners, and a wonderful friendship ensued. We live in the same town, which is amazing. Jennifer is an inspiration, fiercely talented, and I devour her books. I’ll read anything she writes!

What advice do you have for authors who are considering writing a psychological suspense novel?

Whatever the genre, I’d advise you to read as much and often as you can and listen to audio books. I wrote an article about how the latter make you a better author here. Write, even if you think it’s rubbish, because an empty page is impossible to edit. Another tip someone once suggested was to skip ahead if I couldn’t get a grasp on a chapter or scene, that I should focus on another part of the manuscript and trust myself enough to backfill later. It was revolutionary, and it beats the heck out of staring at a blank page or shoving my hand in the cookie jar. Also, I was advised to read my manuscript out loud. Every. Single. Word. Doing so helps avoid repetition, improves cadence, and zaps stilted dialogue. And share your work. It can be scary, but it’s the only way you’ll get feedback and improve your craft.

I was going to add specifically for psychological suspense, that you should make sure you’re driving the plot forward with every scene and end each chapter on a mini cliff-hanger. Mind you, that’s true for every genre, isn’t it? Whatever you’re writing, give the reader every reason to keep turning those pages, and zero reasons to put the book down.

You embarked on your writing career in 2011. Is there anything you did early on that, given your later experience, you would have done differently?

Honestly, at the beginning I had no clue what I was doing. I had an idea for a novel and I went for it. I made a ton of mistakes along the way (submitting to agents way too early, and not being patient are just two examples) and I should have taken creative writing courses far earlier to hone my craft. It probably would have saved me a lot of time and quite possibly rejections from agents. I was naïve in my approach, but I think not knowing how hard it would be was beneficial. If I’d known, I may not have continued, although I’ve always been determined (my mum would have said “bloody-minded”…).

As a series writer I find it pleasant to revisit my characters and locale with each new novel. I would think that the most difficult part of writing stand-alone novels, as you do, would be getting to know the characters. Do you find that to be the case? Do you have any plans for a series?

I do a lot of character backstory development during the plotting stages and because I write in first person, I really get into my characters’ psyche. It takes well over a year from initial idea to 100% finished product, time interspersed with working on other novels that are at different stages, so I do find I get to know my cast well. I haven’t written a series thus far, mainly because I feel my stories are complete when they end (although I’ve had multiple requests for a sequel to Sister Dear). I enjoy creating new characters and the worlds they live in, how they’ve become who they are when their story starts. It’s a fun process I don’t think I’ll ever tire of. Will I ever write a series? I’m not sure but I’m certainly not ruling it out.

You’ve had success both as a novelist and a short fiction writer? Which format brings you the most joy? Or do you find them equally gratifying?

Definitely novels. They’re a thousand times harder but the satisfaction is immense. I wrote the majority of short stories during writing workshops, and had fun doing so, but all of my time is now devoted to my novels.

Worst writing advice you’ve been given? Best advice?

Worst: write what you know. It’s incredibly limiting and that’s what we have our imagination for. It’s my job to make stuff up. For example, I know nothing about murdering people (I promise!) but I do so all the time in my books. That being said, you have to research what you don’t know, ask the experts for input, and be very careful and respectful when dealing with characters who have a different background to your own. My motto is: if in doubt, leave it out.

Best: write a “puke draft” first and don’t show it to anyone until you’ve cleaned up the mess. It’s liberating to write knowing nobody will ever see that particular version.

About a year ago you and Hank Philippi Ryan started a fun promotional opportunity for authors called First Chapter Fun. I and many others have enjoyed watching you both read from other author’s novels. You’ve got quite a following now. Did either of you ever imagine it would become so popular?

No, and it’s been an absolute joy to see—one of the good things that came from the pandemic. I’m beyond thrilled by how it’s grown considering it all started on a whim. Back in March 2020, when Covid first hit Canada, a group of us were discussing how we could help promote one another and give our books a boost. I half-jokingly offered to read the first chapter of their novels live on Facebook and Instagram, and within a few days I had over 40 daily readings lined up and officially launched First Chapter Fun. I read for 53 days in a row (didn’t think the “must do hair and make-up” thing through very well), introducing viewers to a new novel and author each day.

In May 2020, I teamed up with my partner-in-fictional-crime, powerhouse author Hank Phillippi Ryan. We created a new Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/firstchapterfun and www.instagram.com/firstchapterfun. We read twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday (the days with a “T) on both platforms simultaneously at 12.30 pm ET, and already have readings scheduled until the end of 2021. All the previously aired episodes are saved and can be viewed at leisure.

It’s a wonderful community where we share the love of books and introduce new and/or new-to-you authors twice a week. Our goal is to keep your “to be read” pile completely out-of-control and, or so we’ve been told, we’re succeeding.

The one thing that surprised me the most about the writing industry is how genuine, welcoming, and helpful authors and readers are. This project is a way of paying it forward.

You can have a drink with any writer (living or dead) who would you choose? Worry not. If you choose a dead one, we’ll reanimate them for you.

Can we all have drinks together at an event like Bouchercon instead, please? That would be my wish, but if you’re forcing me to choose one person…it would be Michelle McNamara, author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and who passed in 2016. Her research into the “Golden State Killer” was incredible. Most of all I’d love for her to know he was caught, and her work is considered instrumental in that.

You have another novel coming in 2022. Can you give our readers a glimpse of what that one will be about?

Book 6 (as yet untitled – I find titles are harder than writing the entire book) is in my wonderful editor’s hands. It’s written from the anti-hero’s point-of-view, which I’ve never done before, and is the story of Lucas, who hired a hitman to kill his wife. A month later, Lucas receives a partial photograph of his wife in the mail. Who sent it? What do they know? And, more importantly, what do they want? I can’t wait to introduce you to my characters (and thank you, Bruce, for helping me get away with fictional murder…again!).

Hannah Mary, thank you so much for taking the time to give us the benefit of your thoughts and experience. Best of luck with your new book, You Will Remember Me.

Hannah Mary McKinnon is a member of International Thriller Writers, and Crime Writers of Canada.

To learn more about Hannah Mary, visit her website at: https://hannahmarymckinnon.com

Hannah Mary McKinnon was interviewed for Murder Books by Bruce Robert Coffin.