Along with thousands of other people in the last thirty days, I’ve released a thriller. It’s fun, exciting, and unputdownable or your money back*. But with all those competitors out there, the question I asked was, how do I make mine stand out? What niche is out there that would make mine unique?
I hope The Geneva Decision is distinguished by the unusual main character: Pia Sabel. She’s not from central casting.
Today’s thrillers feature James Bond derivatives: handsome, debonair men who chase and kill with impunity. There are some notable thriller heroines in the James Bond mold as well, but I’m not aware of any who are in charge of large corporations.
When I started, I perceived a shortage of powerful, accomplished women in thrillers. And so I set out to fill that gap.
If I’ve come close to my goal, then hopefully I’ve created a heroine who:
1) Interacts positively with the world around her. Eating dinner at an outdoor café one evening, I noticed a homeless man twenty yards away. As I watched, a woman jumped out of her car, handed him a small paper bag and started to leave. I called to her, asked her what was in the bag. She said, “Address for the local shelter, a PB&J, and a bottle of water. I carry them around and hand them to homeless people.” I thought, Are there literary heroes/heroines who randomly help strangers?
2) Can kick ass without a military background: Plenty of fine literary heroines exist with military backgrounds. In reality, there are very few women with real combat experience. I wanted to do something different yet keep it real. I found women’s sports was full of inspirational stories. You can practice your Krav Maga and Muay Thai all you want, but it won’t save you against a right cross from Claressa Shields (just ask Nadezda Torlopova). Can a woman really fight male criminals and win?
3) Gives rich people a good name. Yes, Bernie Madoff was a greedy, bad person. And there are plenty of self-absorbed, values-distorted rich people in the world. But there are also many wealthy people who fund hospitals, libraries, homeless shelters and other great projects. I served on the board of a charity housing homeless families and discovered many generous wealthy people who were eager to help. It’s easy to paint the rich with the Madoff brush. But consider Warren Buffett’s views on spending his wealth. Are there generous heroes/heroines in thrillers?
4) Is not immune to fear. One of the most amazing things I find in literature is how fearless our literary heroes and heroines are. This is in direct opposition to real people. A veteran once told me about getting the assignment to sweep an area known to harbor Taliban fighters. He said, “I heard the orders, knew people in my platoon would die, knew it could be me. Five years ago and I’m still scared.” Is a certain amount of fear in thrillers realistic?
5) Has accomplishments beyond kicking ass and saving lives. Many heroes and heroines in the thriller genre have lived their entire lives devoted to fighting crime. From Batman to Jack Reacher to Alex Cross, everything in a character’s life revolves around either killing or saving people. What makes real-world heroes stand out is their ability to focus on a problem and solve it. From solving math problems to solving mysteries, real-life geniuses often change careers and still enjoy success. Where did that thriller hero apply his or her talent before they joined the NYPD/CIA/FBI?
With any luck, your help and some divine intervention, I will have made these things work in The Geneva Decision. If you like Pia Sabel and the values she strives to model, please evangelize for her. Write and post a short review, mention the book on forums, or post anywhere you feel comfortable. As an independent author, I (and Pia) live on personal recommendations.
For December, review copies are available on request. Drop me a note and I’ll send you an ebook.
Peace, Seeley
*If you read the book and don’t like it, I will give you a coupon for the ebook value. Send me an email describing why you didn’t like it along with proof of purchase, answer a couple of questions to prove you’ve read the whole thing, and I’ll send you a gift certificate you can apply to your account.
