M. P. Cooley's new novel is
Ice Shear.
From her Q & A with Elizabeth Floyd Mair for the
Times Union:
Q: What made you decide to set the book in [upstate New York]?
A: It started with me being homesick, not just for cute colonial homes and gorgeous fall leaves, but also for the people. People in upstate New York like to laugh at themselves, a characteristic that can sometimes be lacking in Silicon Valley. They are down-to-earth and resilient, especially when you consider what it takes to stick it out in some really economically depressed areas.
Q: What sorts of research did you do?
A: I spoke to a lot of local, state and federal law enforcement, and two police officers read the whole thing. In addition to making some procedural notes, they would comment on how June would walk, how she would look at the world, how she would approach suspects (from the side), and how she would decide who to trust. In my book I have a character who has a "tell," a gesture that indicates that he was lying. In an early draft I had June confront him, point out that she knew he was lying, but my police reviewer had me delete it. Information is an advantage to a police officer, and they wouldn't give it up easily and rewriting that scene where June keeps the secret made it better — there's more tension.
Q: You also did some research into outlaw biker gangs, right?
A: Yes, and that was...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue