Interview with author Natalie Simmons: ‘Good girls die last’

good girls die last From Natalie Simmons, this tense feminist thriller is set in a heat wave in London. Perfect for summer reading! It hits hardcover this week, has already received critical acclaim, and has even been awarded a TV series deal.

I was lucky enough to preview the book before its release, but I had a hard time stopping reading until I got to the unexpected ending. It deals with important topical themes in an engaging, contemporary and thought-provoking way.

Some interesting discussions arose during and after the reading with partners who read this book about how people have important experiences in their daily lives that are too often overlooked and ignored. increase. I admire how the author insists through storytelling that we always dig deeper into things going on around us and consider some personal perspectives.

I especially liked that it was written very visually. I felt like I was in Trafalgar Square.

Many expats in The Hague will relate to some of the challenges of immigration she has woven into her book.I am lucky that Natali is based here in Holland and I interviewed her in person over celebratory cocktails at Little V in The Hague last week.

Nice to meet you, Natalie.i really enjoyed good girls die last. I felt many emotions while reading it. It must have been hard to write this book.

I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Renee.yes i am writing good girls die last It’s pretty harsh at times because everything that happens in it happened to me and the women I know in some way. Thankfully, the part isn’t about serial killers, it’s about the microaggressions we all encounter on a daily basis. I cried and felt uneasy while writing, but most of all, I sweated. Editing a book wasn’t easy in the real heat of last summer.

nevertheless good girls die last This is your debut thriller, but not your first book. Please tell me about other books.

good girls die last Actually, this is the 12th book I’ve written. The first was a fantasy trilogy (pass keeper, secret sonand children of shadows), and the last work was a finalist for the RNA Fantasy Award. Writer friend Jacqueline Sylvester and I have so far co-authored his four books in his Caedis Knight paranormal romance series. blood web chronicle, There is also a cartoon series. Two other middle school books he wrote, Historical Fantasy and His YA Romance… have never been published. someday! I am currently writing my 13th book (also a thriller).

Is writing fantasy very different from writing thrillers?

completely. Fantasy takes a lot of worldbuilding and research, so it takes a lot of time (especially historical fantasy). However, literally anything can happen, you can invent monsters, you can create magic systems, it’s a lot of fun. Thrillers, on the other hand, are usually much fewer characters and can be written faster because they are set in our world, but they can be difficult to understand exactly because characters have to be killed. . You have no idea how hard it is to plan a realistic and unpredictable fictional death.

nevertheless good girls die last is a tense thriller that deals with a great deal of themes related to women, especially those who have emigrated to other countries. Please tell me more about it.

Being the daughter of Spanish immigrants myself, who emigrated from Spain when I was 7 and lived in London until I was 30, I wanted to write a story about a woman like myself. A woman who stepped into each culture.

This position is very unique because you never feel like you belong wherever you are. Em is trying to contend with a very desperate external problem, but with a heat wave and a serial killer on the run, and having to walk to the airport, she’s also trying to figure out who she is. and are willing to accept what they want. All the while she faces the worst people society has to offer.

I wanted to write a book that not only focused on the racism immigrants encounter on a daily basis, but also reflected the realities of being a woman. Yes, this is the story of a woman trying to reach her destination while the city is in chaos, but it’s really about the little things that make a woman go crazy. Uncomfortable clothes and shoes, inability to find a toilet, broken suitcases, long hair on hot days, constant harassment and criticism, and the ever-increasing pressure of social media hysteria.

What was the general reaction to such a thought-provoking thriller? Is it what you thought it would be?

good girls die last was released on Kindle and audio on May 1 and in hardcover on June 22. I am pleasantly surprised and moved by the wonderful feedback.

I expected readers to be shocked by the rawness of some parts and to ask why I made Em bisexual and why the book is littered with profanity… But so far, most reviews have been very positive.

One of the things I didn’t expect to receive was the influx of personal messages from women with stories of sexual harassment. Mostly women who were Em’s age 40 or 50 years ago and were even less vocal than we are today. The women who read this book remembered their youth and realized how unacceptable their daily experiences were, and thanked me for highlighting that.

What is the main purpose of this book?

My main purpose was to entertain. I love to make my readers feel something, and it’s such a fast-paced book that I’m secretly happy to keep everyone up all night. But more than that, I wanted to start a discussion about immigration and what it feels like to be a woman in today’s society. I wanted to ask the question, “Is it safer to be silent about abuse, or is it safer to speak up?” And I think we have achieved that.

and i hear good girls die last Is it being made into a TV series?

yes! Three TV scouts started reading the book a few months before its release, and STV is a British drama production company. screw and Missing Elizabeth Optional for TV. As an executive producer, I had a lot of fun giving my opinion on the team we put together and the casting. It’s a long way to go before everyone can see it on TV, but just getting there is a dream come true.

Thank you so much for reading such an inspiring and thought-provoking article.

good girls die last It is also available as an audiobook and can be ordered (pre-ordered) as a paperback or ebook through Bol, Amazon, and others. More information – SaveM.com