Today is the Publication day for The Wife Stalker by International bestselling authors Liv Constantine and I am beyond excited to welcome them on syllablesofswathi.com as they talk about their new psych thriller, and how they work together as a team. Also a glimpse from their future thriller which is super intriguing! Scroll down to read more….
About Liv Constantine
Liv Constantine is the pen name of bestselling authors Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Their debut thriller, THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, was a Reese Witherspoon book club selection, a People Magazine book of the week, a Target book club selection, and is in development for television. Their second book, THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, was published by HarperCollins in May and is in development for film. THE WIFE STALKER, their third book, will be published on May 19, 2019. Lynne and Valerie are national and international bestselling authors with books available in over 32 countries.
A Conversation with Liv Constantine
Can you tell me something about you that your readers might not know?
Valerie: I tried to think of something really amazing like: is a former Olympic skier or was once in a rock band, but alas, there is nothing that spectacular. Some less thrilling things readers might not know about me are that I spend a lot of time in England, because my husband is a Brit…and I worked at the White House in my younger days, which turned out to be great training for writing twisty thrillers.
Lynne: Growing up I always wanted to be a criminal defense attorney. Then as I became an adult, I considered pursuing a career as a psychologist. I suppose it’s no accident that both disciplines play a major role in the stories I write and read.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
Valerie: Greece, Greece, Greece. We’ve actually talked about Greece as a setting for a future book.
Lynne: I have to echo Valerie’s choice. Greece is my favorite place in the world. I’d go to Mykonos.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Valerie: Maybe.
Lynne: I don’t want to give anything away.
Picture this: You feel uninspired and you’ve sat at the computer for an hour without conquering any words. How do you get your creativity flowing?
Valerie: Taking a walk or sitting outside is a great re-set, but that only works for me if the weather is nice. If it’s raining or too cold out, I close the laptop and do something entirely different––read a book, do a crossword puzzle, play the piano, browse news (and some not news!) on the internet. If the temptation is too great, I might have a cookie…
Lynne: I pop over to Facebook or Instagram and engage for a little while. Then I tell myself I can’t get up until I’ve completed my word count and I force myself to write, telling myself it doesn’t matter if it’s drivel, I can edit it later.
How do you both brainstorm new ideas together?
Both: This is one of the things that’s the most fun for us. It usually starts with a little kernel of an idea and we build on that over a period of time as we talk it through. Coming up with an idea is the easy part. The work comes when you add all the meat to the bone––the characters, the course of action, how the idea plays out, etc. The idea usually evolves, changing as we talk through character and plot and often times what we thought was a good idea turns out not to be. But…the back and forth results in a refining that we hope continues to surprise and delight our readers.
Your words of wisdom for aspiring writers.
Both: Work on your craft. Find a good mentor or mentors to point out areas needing improvement. Don’t let the rejection get to you—every writer has had to endure it. But if writing is your true love, then persevere for as long as it takes to achieve your goals.
Writing ‘The Wife Stalker’
Where did you come up with the idea for ‘The Wife Stalker’?
Lynne: We were brainstorming our idea and I said what if the wife…And Valerie said…was…(can’t tell you) and the idea took off from there. Then we talked about the themes we wanted to explore and added those as we developed the story.
Dream cast for Piper, Joanna and Leo.
Both:
Piper – Blake Lively
Joanna – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Leo – Robert Downey, Jr.
What did you edit out of this book?
Lynne: I think we’ve blocked out the editing process!!!
What was your hardest scene to write in ‘The Wife Stalker’?
Both: There isn’t really one particular scene that stands out, however, the first and last chapters are ones we find ourselves going back to many times to refine. The first, because when we’ve started, we’re just getting to know our characters and by the time the book is finished that chapter needs rewriting. The last, because we want to make sure we’re not racing to the finish and are giving the ending the appropriate time and space it needs.
How would Piper and Joanna self-isolate and what would they do in lockdown?
Both: Piper would do yoga, read inspirational material, meditate and build her social media platform. Joanna would play with the kids and cater to Leo.
What’s next for Lynne and Valerie Constantine?
How are you making use of your time now in lockdown?
Valerie: I’ve been doing lots of writing and editing. And our third book, THE WIFE STALKER, releases on May 19TH. Our book tour has been canceled due to Covid19, so we are preparing for lots of virtual events. Aside from that, my husband and I take nice long walks with our dog and have probably done more gardening than I ever have before. My yard looks great. FaceTime and Zoom with kids and grandkids. And perhaps watch too much on Netflix and Amazon.
Lynne: Lots of writing, social media interaction, and I’ve recently started a weekly Zoom talk called: Thriller Talk Thursday where I bring on other authors and industry experts to talk about writing related things. I’m also taking lots of walks with my husband and our dog, reading, watching lots of television and trying to make family dinner special each night with our college-aged children.
Are you working on a new book? Can you tell my readers a little about it, a blurb, potential release date, etc?
Both: We’ve been working on our fourth book, which will be published in 2021. It’s the story of a woman with retrograde amnesia who doesn’t know who she is and cannot remember anything from her past.
Thanks so much for being here with us today Lynne and Valerie. Wish you a huge success for your fantastic new book. I totally enjoyed reading it!!
About ‘The Wife Stalker’
Published by: Harper
Release Date: May 19, 2020
Genre: domestic thriller, psychological thriller, suspense, women’s fiction
Pages: 306
ISBN13: 978-0062967282
ASIN: B07WRCHH3W
Buy the Book: AMAZON, APPLE BOOKS, BARNES & NOBLE, BOOKS-A-MILLION, BOOKSHOP, INDIEBOUND
Overview
Breezing into the tony seaside paradise of Westport, Connecticut, gorgeous thirtysomething Piper Reynard sets down roots, opening a rehab and wellness space and joining a local yacht club. When she meets Leo Drakos, a handsome, successful lawyer, the wedding ring on his finger is the only thing she doesn’t like about him. Yet as Piper well knows, no marriage is permanent.
Meanwhile, Joanna has been waiting patiently for Leo, the charismatic man she fell in love with all those years ago, to re-emerge from the severe depression that has engulfed him. Though she’s thankful when Leo returns to his charming, energetic self, paying attention again to Evie and Stelli, the children they both love beyond measure, Joanna is shocked to discover that it’s not her loving support that’s sparked his renewed happiness—it’s something else.
Piper. Leo has fallen head over heels for the flaky, New Age-y newcomer, and unrepentant and resolute, he’s more than willing to leave her behind, along with everything they’ve built. Of course, he assures her, she can still see the children.
Joanna is devastated—and determined to find something, anything, to use against this woman who has stolen her life and her true love. As she digs deeper into Piper’s past, Joanna begins to unearth disturbing secrets . . . but when she confides to her therapist that she fears for the lives of her ex-husband and children, her concerns are dismissed as paranoia. Can she find the proof she needs in time to save them?
