Lisa Unger

Author Alafair Burke put a few questions to Lisa Unger, including:

You live in Florida, but DIE FOR YOU takes readers to the streets of both New York City and Prague. How did you decide to set the book in these locations, and how were you able to depict them so credibly?

I lived in New York City for thirteen years, and visit many times a year. So it really is one of the places I know best. When I close my eyes, I can hear it, smell it, taste it. And it has occupied such a huge place in my heart and imagination for so long that my novels seem to naturally begin there.

In 2007, I spent five weeks in Prague. And the city itself – its dark history, its gothic beauty – inspired DIE FOR YOU. I wandered the streets of that city with my husband and daughter and just let it sink into my skin. I kept thinking that Prague was a city of secrets, that beneath its pretty cobblestone streets beats a dark heart. I love that energy … it’s the same pulse in New York, and even in Florida. This idea -- that beneath the glamour of New York City, the beauty of Prague, or the sunshine of Florida lurks something feral -- is fascinating for me. The same might also be said for the lives of many of my characters.

Did your time in Prague change anything about your creative process or writing habits?

Initially, I went to Prague...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue