Stories come to me from a multitude of sources. While I don’t “rip” my stories from the headlines, often an idea grows after I read several articles and play the “what if” game.
For example, in my first published novel THE PREY, I had read an article about a man who killed his entire family, then himself, and his colleagues and neighbors were stunned. They said, “He was so nice … helpful … kind …” they didn’t see it coming. That made me think of what really goes on behind closed doors. A murder-suicide doesn’t just happen. Then I thought, what if one of his children survived? Who would she grow up to be? How would the past affect her present? Those questions led to my protagonist.
For me, every book starts like this — I read something that strikes me as interesting, tragic, unusual — then I start asking questions. Twisting the story, adding new characters or conflicts, researching facts and settings, and at some point, like the lock on a safe, the tumblers all click into place and I have my story premise.
For TELL NO LIES, it started after reading an article about the discovery of what might have been a camp for illegal aliens near the border. It was odd because there was evidence of violence … but no bodies, no hard evidence about what might have happened. Then I read an article about how coyotes — human smugglers — operate. I read about drug running, gun running, how law enforcement catches (or doesn’t) catch the perpetrators.
Then I stumbled onto a website about the history of mining in Arizona as I was scrolling through hundreds of articles on Google. Copper mining used to be a $5 billion dollar industry in the state, and is still one of the primary mining operations. Copper is also the subject of theft because of its value—it’s why copper wiring in businesses and old houses is often targeted by thieves.
An idea started to form, just a nugget about illegal dumping, and because it was a topic I didn’t know much about, I needed more research before I could commit to it.
Businesses have strict protocols and regulations about waste disposal, so how could I make that work? But again … my internet procrastination time benefited me. I read about an article where the employee of a company had taken kick-backs for steering contracts to a specific vendor. I thought … what if that vendor took the money and dumped the toxic slag (from copper refining) in the middle of the desert?
I interviewed someone from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality about their procedures, specifically related to mining regulations. I mapped out known mines and learned how copper is refined. I talked to my brother-in-law, a wildlife biologist, about how animals are affected by illegal dumping. He explained that the animals first affected would be birds because of their small size and fast metabolism.
That’s when I pictured my story — a young, idealistic environmental activists finds dead birds and investigates the cause.
She ends up dead in the first chapter.
And because I was still very interested in what happened to that abandoned border camp, I explored another what if … what if the illegal dumping scheme leads to a darker, more violent crime?
TELL NO LIES is set in Patagonia, Arizona, a small mining town southeast of Tucson and only twenty miles from the border. It has a rich and interesting history, houses only 1,000 residents, and provides the perfect desert and mountainous location for the story. Other than the location, I made up everything else.
What if? games are fun to play, especially when you’re an author.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” She’s been nominated for multiple awards, including the Thriller, RWA’s Best Romantic Suspense (five times), and twice won the Daphne du Maurier award. She lives in Arizona with her family and assorted pets.
