Into the Dark
by Stacy Green
Branch Manager Emilie Davis is having a day like any other–until two masked men storm into WestOne Bank demanding cash. Her hopes of a quick end to her terror are dashed when she realizes one of the men has no interest in the bank’s money. Emilie is his prize, and he’s come to claim her.
When hostage negotiator Nathan Madigan and Las Vegas SWAT enter the bank on a rescue mission, Emilie’s captor makes a shocking escape into the abyss that lies beneath the city: the Las Vegas storm drains, a refuge for the downtrodden and the desperate.
HOW WILL IT END?
Who is the man the media has dubbed the “Taker?” Why is he after Emilie, and what is the connection he’s convinced they share?
Emilie can’t run from the Taker, and she can’t escape her own past. As her life closes in on her, she has nowhere to turn but to Nathan. The lines of professionalism blur as Nathan becomes determined to save Emilie. Together they venture into the depths beneath Las Vegas and discover a shocking piece of the puzzle.
But the Taker remains one step ahead. Desperate for the threat to emerge from the shadows, Emilie makes a bold move to reclaim her life, and it may cost her everything.
This has been a fantastic book so far - come back on Monday to see my review! Meanwhile, please welcome Stacy and let's learn some more about her.
Hi Kristi! Thanks so much for having me today. I’m excited to talk with you and meet your readers.
How do you typically write? Do you plot it all out beforehand or do you just let the story pour out?
My process is an ongoing one. When I first started INTO THE DARK, I was a complete pantster. I had a few ideas I loved and wrote the book around them, which meant a lot of rewriting. I didn’t know much about story structure, either, and once I started studying, I realized a lot of what I’d done wrong. I started learning how to plot and outline, and the book went through several phases until it was good enough to be published. Now, I’ve turned into a pretty hardcore plotter. My next book, TIN GOD (April), has a pretty tricky plot, so I had no choice but to plan ahead. I think everyone has their own process, and it’s going to improve with each book.
Is there anything that has surprised you about writing, publishing or touring with your books?
Everything! When I first decided to try to publish two years ago, I still thought self-publishing was no more than vanity publishing. I thought having an agent and waiting for years was the only option, and I thought I’d have a lot of help in the marketing arena. None of that is true, but the control freak in me loves it. I like being in charge of what I’m going to promote and what strategy–if any–I’ll use. I love that I’ve been forced to come out of my shell and connect with new people. It’s an author’s world now, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Do you have a favorite author/book or one that you always recommend?
Lisa Gardner. She is a master of suspense, and I’ve learned a lot from reading her books. She keeps things fresh, too, and creates characters readers attach to.
Do you have a job outside of being an author?
I’m lucky enough to be a stay at home mom, and I do childcare part time. My daughter is in first grade now, and having the little one around is a great way to remind myself not to get stuck in my writing hole. Nothing like a laughing two-year-old to pull you out of a funk!
What would you tell a beginning writer?
Honestly, I still consider myself a beginning writer. I’ve learned a lot these past few years, but I’ve got so much more to learn. I’d say study your craft. Read books in your genre and think about what you love about them. What makes you come back to an author? Learn about story structure and the rules, but make them your own. No matter what the experts say, there is no perfectly right way to get from point A to B. A great story is what matters, and only you can decide how yours will come to be.
If you could meet one person who has died, who would that be?
Ooh, this is a great question. There are so many people I’d love to talk with. I’m a big history buff, and the Civil War is one of my favorite time periods to study. I’d love to sit down with Robert E. Lee and find out not only what it was like to fight against the Union he believed in for the sake of the Virginia, but also to meet a true old-fashioned Southern gentleman.
I’d also have to say Laura Ingalls Wilder, because she’s the first author I fell in love in with. I wanted to be a frontier girl so badly as a kid, and I’ve read all her books dozens of times.
Do you have a favorite quote?
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. –Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In one sentence, why should we read your book?
It’s fast-spaced suspense with surprising twists and a villain you’ll hate to love.
How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books?
They’re very proud. My husband has been really supportive, and yes, he’s read Into The Dark and anxiously waiting to read the next one. My parents are extremely happy, especially my mom. She’s wanted this for me as long as I can remember. She’s got some serious health issues, and it means a lot that she’s been able to see me published.
Silly questions –
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Flying. I dream about flying a lot. Not sure what that means!
Night owl or early bird?
Preferred night owl but forced into being a reluctant early bird.
Talk or text?
Text. Hate talking on the phone.
Favorite tv show?
Bones, Criminal Minds, Supernatural
If you could travel forward or backward in time, where would you go and why?
Ancient Egypt. I’m fascinated by the time period and used to collect a lot of Egyptian sculptures. I would love to be able to see how they really lived.
Thanks again for having me, Kristi!
AN EXCERPT FROM INTO THE DARK
Excerpt Three
Emilie’s resolve faltered as they reached the tunnel entrance. She peered over Nathan’s shoulder at the triad of pipes branching off in different directions. Big enough for a tall man to walk through easily, their murky blackness was as foreboding as anything Emilie had ever experienced.
She pressed the button on her flashlight and shined it into the abyss. Four other lights joined hers, and the inner concrete walls of the tunnel became visible. Graffiti was scrawled over them. A bevy of cockroaches scuttled away from the intrusion.
Emilie followed Nathan and Chris across the threshold and tried not to give in to the claustrophobia that immediately wrapped itself around her. The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side with room to spare, but the sense of being closed in was amplified by the heavy silence. The group’s splashing feet echoed and then faded away into the never-ending darkness. How deep were the channels?
A smell resembling the rotten egg she’d once dropped on Evan’s porcelain kitchen floor hit her full force. Emilie’s hand flew to her mouth.
“Something else, ain’t it?” Chris’s voice broke the uneasy stillness. “I liken it to a men’s locker room filled with dirty socks and jocks after a five-mile run.”
“If you guys stink this bad, you need medical help. Christ.”
“At least my stomach’s not rumbling anymore,” Nathan said.
“Shit, I could eat,” Chris said.
“You can always eat. You’re like a human trash compactor.”
“Do you guys have any idea where to find Snake?” Avery’s voice came out muffled.
Chris turned around and shined his light on Avery. “Dude, that hanky over your face ain’t gonna stop the stink. Embrace it. Feel the burn.”
Emilie laughed as the knot in her stomach began to uncoil. The banter made it easier to forget why she was here.
Her right foot suddenly came down on something hard in the shallow stream of water. She stumbled into Nathan’s back before an arm caught her from behind.
“Watch it,” Avery said. “Last thing you want to do is fall face-first in this.”
“Sorry.” Emilie clutched the hem of Nathan’s thin T-shirt. “I tripped over something.”
She shined her light into the two-inch-deep water. A pair of soulless black eyes stared back at her. A child’s doll lay abandoned, its once-blond hair soaked with the filthy water.
Children lived down here?
Purchase Links
The homeless living in the storm drains of Las Vegas played a vital part in INTO THE DARK, and I want to give back. From November 1
st until February 28
th, participants will have several options to enter the raffle, including donating to
HELP of Southern Nevada. The grand prize will be a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless shelter of their choice.
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Stacy Green
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BIO
Stacy Green is fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind and explores true crime on her popular Thriller Thursday posts at her blog, Turning the Page.
After earning her degree in journalism, Stacy worked in advertising before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. She rediscovered her love of writing and wrote several articles for Women’s Edition Magazine of Cedar Rapids, profiling local businesses, before penning her first novel. Her debut novel, INTO THE DARK, is set in Las Vegas and features a heroine on the edge of disaster, a tormented villain, and the city’s infamous storm drains that house hundreds of homeless. INTO THE DARK is available on all digital formats and paperback November 30th.
