The Body Reader Q&A

Writing the Badass Heroine

What inspired you to write about a woman who was kidnapped for three years?

I liked the idea of following Jude’s journey as she comes back from that place. It’s a bit of an allegory. Many of us have found ourselves trapped in unbearable life situations that can be escaped with strength and determination.

How did you come up with the idea of a woman who is able to “read” bodies?

I never actually saw  body reading as the driving force of the book, and considered The Body Reader my working title. I just wanted a cop who was more sensitive to people than the average detective, which is how I wrote her.

How did you create the character Jude Fontaine, and at any point did you find it difficult to write from her perspective?

She was difficult because it was important that she be removed and shut off. It’s hard to make that kind of character sympathetic, regardless of what she’s been through.

Would you ever consider writing a sequel to this book and if so, do you have any ideas on what you would focus on?

I’d love to write a sequel. It would be a bigger story, with a bigger canvas. Last year my editor was eager for me to sign on for a second book, but since I’m still writing the Elise Sandburg series I suggested we wait to see how readers responded to The Body Reader.

Broken family dynamics seem to play a large role in this book. What inspired you to include this topic in your story?

I come from a pretty damaged family, so it’s hard to keep that kind of thing out of my books no matter how I try. 

Chapter eighteen depicts a defining moment in the story for Jude Fontaine. Did you place yourself in her shoes during this part, and if so, was it a difficult moment to write about?

I know it sounds odd, but I actually really enjoyed writing that scene because it was the culmination of her search for her captor and it allowed her to finally wake up and feel for the first time in the book.

Is there a message that you hope your readers take away with them when they are done reading this thrilling novel?

At its core, The Body Reader is a story of female empowerment. Jude’s freedom and sense of self was taken from her, but she came back stronger than ever.