The following interview was conducted with mother - son team Iris and Roy Johansen in anticipation of the release of their co-written new novel Silent Thunder. You can read our review of the book here, but, in summary, I really enjoyed this initial teaming of two suspense masters.I have already published my thoughts on the book, but suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this literary thriller. I'd like to thank Iris and Roy for taking the time to answer a few questions from another Southern native and avid fan.

TKC)  What can you tell us about your new collaborative novel Silent Thunder? Having read previous works from both of you, I was impressed with the seamless manner in which your notably different styles came together for this thriller.

Roy:  We spent a lot of time and energy to make sure the book had one voice...  Nothing would pull a reader out of a book faster than to be constantly thinking "Roy wrote that" or "Iris did that."  We each found ourselves writing a bit toward the other's style, which helped.   But we also made sure that our sense of structure and pacing was consistent.

Iris:  We each already move our stories along with dialogue, so it was crucial that our characters spoke and even thought the same way.  Once we had that in place, half the battle was won.

TKC)  How did the two of you work together to write the book (i.e. swapping chapters, looking over each other's shoulder, etc)?

Iris: We actually wrote SILENT THUNDER on separate coasts: I live in Georgia, and Roy lives in LA.  Roy came up with the basic premise, and I wrote the first two chapters so that I could establish the characters.  We then each traded off writing large sections, editing each other's work as we went along.

Roy: It was an invigorating process...  I loved getting a big chunk of pages from my mom and seeing what she had done with these characters we created. But I was bummed each time I got to the end, because I wanted to know what happened  next.  Of course, then I realized I had to write what was next!

TKC) Has a review or profile of any of your works ever shaped or changed your perspective of that work?

Iris: Constructive criticism can be useful, but I try not to read reviews of my books.

Roy: The only time my opinion changed, it was for the better... The process of writing and rewriting my first novel, "The Answer Man," was so protracted that I began to lose sight of the things that had excited me about the story in the first place.  As the publication date approached, I wasn't sure if readers would be at all interested.  Then the book was greeted with stellar reviews: New York Times, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly...  Then I thought, okay, I guess it's a good book after all!   Sometimes negative reviews can offer insight as to why something isn't working, but often the reviewer just might not like the story you're telling.  And that's okay. Writers should write to please themselves and hope that others come along for the ride.


TKC) You are both seasoned authors with a wide range of material and styles in your novels.  Are there any new authors out there in the suspense/thriller genres that have piqued your interest?

Iris:  These days, I draw much of my inspiration from my friends who have begun writing thrillers: Linda Howard, Catherine Coulter, and Kay Hooper. And I've always been a big Dean Koontz fan.

Roy:  I actually draw more of my inspiration from films...  Funny as it sounds, I don't think there's been a better recent thriller  -- in any medium -- than The Dark Knight.


TKC) Aside from the standard "be persistent and keep writing", what advice would you give an aspiring author trying to get published in the thriller genre?


Iris:  Read a lot of books in your genre, and take the time to figure out why they work for you.  Apply these lessons in your own writing.  A lot of it may come naturally to you, but it takes time to hone your craft.

Roy: Be true to yourself, and what you like.  I suppose there are writers who become successful by tailoring their work to the marketplace, but it's so much easier if you just write what you would enjoy reading.  That's a much more reliable barometer than trying to figure out what someone else may
like.  And no matter what eventually happens to your work, at least you have the satisfaction of crafting something that you can take pride in.

Again, thank you to Iris and Roy Johansen for taking the time to speak with us.