Blog Archives
Tested To The Extreme
The Ridders follows a self-proclaimed wreck of a human being who is given a seemingly simple task that spirals wildly out of control. What were some ideas that sparked your imagination while writing?
I like the idea of taking common occurrences and making them uncommon, and then watching what our characters do under duress. I’m always fascinated to see if my characters crumble under the pressure, rise to it, or even thrive, maybe, ignited by some previously unseen inner force. I think that’s the case with BJ.
What were some obstacles you felt were important to defining BJ’s character in the story?
His feelings about his family are tested to the extreme in this book. So love and loyalty turned out to be not only obstacles but liabilities for him, to the advantage of his pursuers. BJ’s a searcher, and that means he cares about the truth and authenticity far more than safety, certainties, and predictability. And so reconciling the truth of his relationship with Lacy was also an important turning point for him.
I find that authors often ask themselves questions and then let their characters answer them. Do you think that’s true?
I love these insightful questions! Definitely – one of the questions I like to ask (my characters and myself) is “what would happen if…” I love, when reading thrillers or watching movies, the author or director is following the predictable formula and then yanks the rug out. This story follows the path of a young private investigator trying to prove himself. But in his pursuit of worthiness, he proves that he’s way over his head. I think the questions that came to mind while writing this book were “How far will you go to find the truth” and, more importantly, “What will you risk to find those answers?”
When and where will this book be available?
All retail book stores and it will be released on November 30th 2022 by Indies United Publishing. It will be published in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook formats.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok | Website
The Ridders
All BJ needs to do is deliver an envelope. It’s a simple task and shouldn’t take much thought or preparation–walk in and hand it over. He could do it in his sleep, really. It seems too good to be true, and he’s well aware of it. This, however, is not your ordinary envelope and comes with some truly disturbing consequences. On the other hand, if BJ can just talk himself into completing the task, he will walk away with a cool million. There are few things holding BJ back–his brother, his experience as a quasi-private investigator, and as it turns out, a murder.
The Ridders, by Lisa Towles, is a political action thriller and contains every element of humor, drama, and suspense readers could hope to encounter in 220 pages. Towles has introduced an amazing cast of characters beginning with narrator, BJ Janoff. BJ is a self-proclaimed wreck of a human being and prone to taking risks while his brother, Jonas is a level-headed planner and much less likely to fall prey to the type of scheme he believes BJ has now found himself battling.
The parallel storyline in Towles’s work is the perfect complement to BJ’s life-or-death delivery task. Jonas’s missing person case brings an even more intense sense of urgency to the storyline. As it complicates matters, BJ continues to look for ways to survive a job that should take no more energy than pouring a glass of water.
Towles is a master with humor. I thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges between characters, especially BJ and Jonas. There is a strong reference to family throughout the book, and the quips between brothers only serve to build upon that theme. Towles has created a thriller that is both amazing in its twists and turns and at the same time relatable–a truly remarkable feat.
The Ridders contains the type of writing I will choose each and every time when it presents itself. Dramas with memorable characters and complicated storylines are preferred far and above all other genres. Towles delivers just that. Every page is filled with introspection by the narrator and main character, BJ. His self-doubt and the way he relates to his brother endear him to readers and bring Towles’s work to life. I highly recommend this work to fans of thrillers who demand more from the reading–they won’t be disappointed.
ISBN: 978-1-64456-438-7
LITERARY TITAN 