Crime Fiction MARS, THE BAND MAN, AND SARA SUE with L. Marie Wood

Sara Sue is bored with her suburban life, but then late one night, she witnesses something sinister in the park near her home and things get interesting.

The next day, Sara Sue makes a gruesome discovery in the shadows of the playground. Compelled to investigate, she soon realizes all is not what it seems in her sleepy neighborhood. Dark secrets lie just beneath the surface.

Someone close to her is hiding the truth.

When strange things start happening, Sara Sue realizes she’s being watched. Now she must untangle the mystery before the shadows come for her as well.

But can she uncover the truth in time to escape the looming threats that surround her?

Award-winning author L. Marie Wood recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss her first thriller novel, MARS, THE BAND MAN, AND SARA SUE.

L. Marie Wood

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Be careful where you daydream!

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

Recognizing that I had been caught up in a daydream and staring at people who may have wondered why made me realize that I needed to write that feeling down. An old song on the radio and the answer to the equation of how long ago it was complete sent me spiraling. I knew I wasn’t alone. I knew there was a story to tell.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

It felt like home. I connect with the main character, I know people like who she encounters in her universe. I had no other choice than to tell her story.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

I think that middle-aged women are not captured in entertainment enough and this was my chance to change that. I wanted to put women on the page who were older and reflect how relevant those years are.

Were there any particular books, movies, or songs that were knocking around in your head while you were writing this one?

No, not this time.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

I have the makings of a neat romance thriller in the works – too early to say much more, but I’m excited!