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Describe your upcoming release in one sentence.
When a bestselling novel fictionalizes the death of her childhood best friend—and accuses her of the murder—Petal Woznewski must figure out who wrote it and why.
If you were going to pitch your book to a movie producer, how would you do it? What are some key words that describe the plot?
I’d describe my main character Petal as a cantankerous amateur detective—in my head she’s a cross between Janeane Garofalo and Kathryn Hahn—who is an adult living like a 1990s teenager, because that’s when her tragedies occurred. When a new book tries to profit off those tragedies, she returns to her hometown to figure out who is dredging up her past.
For key words, I’d choose: buried secrets, modern noir, voice-driven, Madison (Wis.), friends with benefits, introvert, sinister clues, and complicated friendships.
Describe the mood of your book using food.
Petal is a junk food addict—and a chronic pot smoker, so that doesn’t help her eating habits. If the book was a meal it’d be a Culver’s Deluxe Butterburger and a cheap beer to wash it down.
Did you start with the plot or your protagonist, Petal Woznewski?
I started with a small kernel of plot: the idea that a book might use the dedication space in its opening pages not to thank someone, but to accuse someone. Then I started to think about my main character, and, almost as an exercise, to write someone as different from myself as possible. Petal came together very quickly after that, and specifically how her teenage trauma shaped the adult she became—though some might argue she never grew up. Once I had her figured out, the rest of the plot sprouted from there.
Could you also tell us what was the inspiration for your book?
So much of my writing is inspired by my reading. The inspiration for my plot came from reading Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. I was blown away by what he did with his clever book-with-a-book premise. It got me excited about what I could do if I wrote a novel about a book.
More about Cayce on her website here.
Follow her on Twitter: @CayceOsborne or Instagram: @cayceosbornewriter
Follow her on Twitter: @CayceOsborne or Instagram: @cayceosbornewriter
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