"Into the Darkest Corner," Elizabeth Haynes
Jeff Glor talks to Elizabeth Haynes about "Into the Darkest Corner."
Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?
Elizabeth Haynes: At the time I wrote the story, I was working as a police analyst looking specifically at violent crime. I was reading a lot of crime reports concerning domestic abuse and I was struck by how my own personal stereotypes were being challenged. I'm one of these people who always wondered why people in abusive relationships don't just walk away, or even fight back, but in reality there may be so many complex, multi-layered reasons why it just isn't that simple. I'd started with the idea of writing about how it felt not to be believed by your closest friends, to the extent that you even start to doubt yourself, and the two themes wove together to form the draft of "Into the Darkest Corner."
JG: What surprised you most during the writing process?
EH: I always start writing with just the germ of an idea and eventually the characters seem to develop the story for me, so often things turn up that are a surprise. I never know the ending when I start writing, as I get bored easily and I wouldn't be able to carry on if I knew what was going to happen. I get delicious moments of excitement when something unexpected happens in the story, and they are usually the bits that stay in when the editing starts.
In terms of my journey to publication, every stage of the process from the moment my editor offered me a publishing contract has been a complete surprise. This is the sort of thing that happens to other people, not to me.
JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
EH: Technically, I'm still employed as a police analyst although I'm on a two-year career break right now. I miss the team I worked with, a fantastic group of people, and I miss the interesting work I was doing, which felt like I was making a real difference. So if I could choose anything other than being a writer, which I have to admit is fantastic, I'd be back with my old team.
JG: What else are you reading right now?
EH: I've just come back from CrimeFest, a crime writing convention in Bristol, U.K., with a suitcase full of books by fabulous authors - so I'm working my way through those. I have to keep tearing myself away from "The Primrose Path," which is a crime thriller by Kelvin Goddard. He's as yet unpublished, which is a big surprise to me, given how brilliant his book is.
JG: What's next for you?
EH: I'm working on the final edits for my second book for HarperCollins, called "Revenge of the Tide." It's quite different to "Into the Darkest Corner" - the heroine is feistier, and researching the book involved the unusual topics of pole dancing and boat renovation. As well as that, I'm editing my third book, "Human Remains," and writing my fourth - making the most of my career break.
For more on "Into the Darkest Corner" visit the Harper Collins website.
