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The Antidote to Shocking Twists
Sketchy Characters follows a young woman that ends up homeless and jobless due to a hurricane, becoming entangled with a missing friend and a murder mystery. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Marilyn is the manager of an apartment complex and a part-time artists’ model. She is single and has no family; however, she has close friends, especially Fran. For my purposes I wanted the protagonist, Marilyn, to be completely unencumbered but forced to fend for herself. The hurricane accomplishes this by taking her home, job, car, and scattering many of her friends far away as they flee the rising water. Fran also goes missing and the hurricane initially appears to be to blame. Marilyn’s single, unencumbered status gives her flexibility to react to circumstances quickly without the considerations of a spouse, kids, a house, etc. It also creates internal conflict because she needs to find a way to support herself and she begins to question her life more, namely what she wants from it. From that point forward it was off to the races and the plot picked up momentum.
There is a lot going on in this novel for Marilyn. How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
Certainly, they can be the same thing. Every plot twist, whether shocking or not, should propel the story forward, otherwise the shock and the twist is simply gratuitous and doesn’t belong in the book. Which is not to say that story development must gain momentum through shocking plot twists, as obviously there are many other ways to advance a plot, but a bit of a shock judiciously applied keeps a mystery-lover reading—it’s a waker-upper. Of course, shock can become tiresome if the book is simply a repetitive, crazy rollercoaster ride. For me, the antidote to shocking twists is humor, especially when a character recognizes the shock and comments on it in a wry way. Plus I love a good sprinkling of funny observations, sarcastic dialogue, and the odd joke, throughout.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
I’ve lived in Houston since 2006, which is where the story is set, and I experienced Hurricanes Ike and Harvey up close and personal. (I included Ike and Harvey in the book’s Acknowledgements as a joke.) The devastation done by hurricanes could be called indescribable, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to draw on those experiences and give describing a hurricane a shot. Weather plays a big part in writing a novel and having grown up in Toronto, I also felt at home describing the snowy scene in Detroit.
Also, the protagonist is an artists’ model and she and her friends are artists. I too am an artist and I’ve been on both sides of the easel—long ago as a model and throughout my life as a life drawing aficionado. I paint and draw in oils, watercolor, pencil, and pastels. I also illustrate children’s books and the covers of my novels. The illustrations for the children’s book Love You Forever, is the art for which I’m most well-known.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on two books. One is middle-grade fiction set in New York City, which will have many black and white illustrations. The other is another Houston-based mystery novel. Hopefully both will be out within a year and I’ll be back in touch with Literary Titan for your outstanding reviews.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
A frantic search for a missing friend.
A brutal double murder…
When chaos blows up Marilyn’s life, and she’s forced to go on the run from ruthless killers, she can’t dodge a cast of sketchy characters that ooze into her orbit. There’s a crooked lawyer and his wealthy clients, an internet scammer, a pair of suspicious hipsters, and a serial killer targeting the artists at Marilyn’s life-drawing group. Throw a couple of good friends and a sexy and protective detective in the mix, and it’s not all bad. Even so, it’s survival of the smartest and most resilient. As the action moves full speed, and the twists and turns keep coming, Marilyn must tackle the circumstances of her new, near-impossible normal.
Sketchy Characters
Marilyn is a young woman who finds herself homeless and jobless in less than 24 hours due to the rain that has just flooded the entire city of Huston. Her friend Fran offers help by letting Marilyn stay at her place while she gets back on her feet again. Before Marilyn arrives at Fran’s, Fran informs her that she will go on a rescue mission with the next-door neighbors to help people affected by the flood. Suddenly Fran goes missing, and Marilyn is doing anything in her power to find her friend.
Sketchy Characters by Sheila McGraw is an intricate story of loss, grief, crime, as well as hope, love, and growth. This creative story handles themes of murder, drug overdoses, cover-ups, and finding the truth on one hand while also intertwining love interests and everyday activities on the other.
McGraw has successfully created a cast of characters who capture the readers’ attention on the first few pages and manages to keep it to the very last page, putting them in desperate situations and even needing to make immoral decisions to survive. Adding layers to each character, such as Marilyn’s aunt Zabi who has passed away but appears as Marilyn’s subconscious thoughts in a way that Marilyn knows she is never alone. Another thing that fascinated me is the fact that social media becomes a character in the story. The author does not ignore the social media presence in our lives but instead uses it to her advantage, spicing up the story.
The plot has been developed masterfully by McGraw, engaging the reader and giving just enough information to keep them turning the pages to find out what happens next.
Sketchy Characters is an excellent read for anyone who wants to be kept in suspense the whole time with thrilling situations and lots of action. This riveting novel is so intricate and alluring that you won’t be able to put the book down.
Pages: 354 | ASIN : B09PZLZ2YR
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