Forster, Rebecca
An Interview with Rebecca Forster, judge of our 2014 SHORT STORY AWARD
Rebecca Forster marketed a world-class spa when it was still called a gym, did business in China before there were western toilettes at the Great Wall, and mucked around with the sheep to find out exactly how her client’s fine wool clothing was manufactured. Then she wrote her first book, and found her passion.
Now, twenty-eight books later, she is a USA Today and Amazon best-selling author and writes full-time. Most recently, her police/fantasy thriller Before Her Eyes was named best mystery in the B&Ps Reader’s Choice Awards; Hostile Witness, the first book of the Josie Bates thrillers, was named an Apple Breakout Book, and Audible.com named the witness series- a series audio selection.
She earned her B.A. at Loyola, Chicago, and her MBA at Loyola, Los Angeles. Rebecca has taught the Business of Creativity at the UCLA acclaimed Writers Program; The University of California Long Beach Writers Certificate Program; and the UC Irvine extension. She has worked with The Young Writers Conference in middle schools in the Los Angeles area. With more than two hundred speaking engagements under her belt, Forster loves talking books and the power of pursuing a creative passion.
She is married to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. Alex is a talent manager and producer and Eric is a playwright and novelist, who recently returned from Peace Corps service in Albania. Rebecca spends her free time traveling, sewing, and playing tennis. You can reach Rebecca at: www.rebeccaforster.com
BWG: Did you grow up knowing you wanted to write? If not, when did you realize you were an author?
RF: No, I didn’t even think about writing until I was in my thirties and then I only began because someone dared me to try. After going to college and graduate school I worked in advertising. My client was married to an author I had never heard of – Danielle Steel! When I found out who she was I made a comment to a colleague that “I could do that (write a novel)”. My co-worker dared me to do it and the rest is history. I had no idea I had it in me. However, I don’t think I really thought of myself as an author until my eighth or ninth book. I kept thinking each published book was a fluke. Then one day I realized how deep my commitment was to writing and how passionate I was about becoming the best writer I could be. That was the day I became an author.
BWG: You started writing contemporary romances and now write legal thrillers. How did that happen?
RF: My first Harlequin was about two lawyers. I look back on my romances and contemporary women’s fiction novels and realize almost every one of them dealt with a lawyer or some aspect of the law. I guess I thought writing about the law was really for men and especially men who were lawyers. I found my stride when I gave myself permission to write what I really loved: thrillers. Well, that and my editor at Kensington basically fired me from romance. He said, “You can’t keep killing everyone before they fall in love.” That was a good hint I should change genres.
BWG: You are not a lawyer, yet you write gripping legal fiction. What happened to the “write what you know” advice writers always seem to get?
RF: The truth is I sort of ‘write what I know’. My husband has had an amazing career. He was a federal prosecutor specializing in organized crime and terrorism, he was appointed to the superior court and as a judge he handled aspects of the OJ Simpson case and other high profile trials, and he has dealt with foreign governments in his capacity as an Assistant US Attorney. Our circle of friends includes DEA agents, police, private eyes, court reporters and lawyers of every ilk. Pretty much I’m a legal voyeur. I read the legal newspapers, watch the news. I love everything having to do with the law but I never had a desire to actually become a lawyer. As much as I love the technical aspects of the law, I never forget a book is about characters. There is nothing more exciting than pitting a single person against a system . The justice system makes for great personal drama.
BWG: How much research do you do for your books?
RF: It really depends on the storyline. If it’s a courtroom drama I do a lot of research including seeking help for appropriate cross examination and how to explain a legal premise without it coming across like I’m presenting a research paper. Other books are really character driven and inspired by some aspect of the law but are not procedurals. When my characters don’t spend much time is spent in the courtroom, then the research is limited. My favorite research, though, was for Eyewitness. I researched the legal system in, of all places, Albania. My son was serving in the Peace Corps and when we went to visit his village, I came away of an incredible story about centuries old system of cultural justice that I combined with our modern judicial system. I love that book.
BWG: Tell us about your current book. Where can we buy your books?
RF: I’m working on book number six of the witness series, Forgotten Witness. This series follows Josie Bates, a Hermosa Beach attorney, her sixteen-year-old ward, Hannah, and Josie’s lover Archer. Each book in the series moves their lives forward. This is not a normal series where each book explores a court case, but one that spotlights each of the main characters. There is always a cliff hanger that moves them into new arenas and new challenges. I’ve had wonderful response to this approach of following the characters rather than a procedural formula. This series held the top five spots in Kindle Legal Fiction best sellers for a year in both the U.S. and the U.K. They are still on the top 100 list. I also have a number of stand alone books including Before Her Eyes. This is an unusual thriller – a classic police procedural with a fantasy element. My publisher wasn’t crazy about this approach to a procedural but it recently won a Readers Choice Award for Best Mystery. I understand 8,000 readers voted. I was really honored. My books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Kobo, and Smashwords. Quite a few are in print through Amazon. Hostile Witness and Silent Witness have been produced for audio books and were a series selection on Audible.com. Hostile Witness was also translated into French this year. That was really exciting
BWG: For over 25 years and 25 books, you were traditionally published. Why did you decide to launch your indie career?
RF: One of the reasons was Before Her Eyes. I truly wanted that book to have an audience. Good or bad, I just needed to put it out there. The book was inspired by my dad and my father in law’s illnesses. They passed within three months of one another and I was privileged to witness what did pass ‘before their eyes’ at the end of their life. For me, there was no question but that book needed to be published and that I was going to have to do it myself. At some point I think all authors have a ‘book of their heart’ that pushes their creative envelope. This is mine.
Also the publishing world was changing. Bookstores were disappearing, publishers were not buying as much as they used to. I really felt it was my time to either move forward or retire after twenty-five years in the business. That was three years ago. I am so happy I moved forward. The creative freedom, the ease with which I can engage with readers, the ability to price my books reasonably are all reasons why being indie has been so fabulous.
BWG: What do you know now that you wished you’d know before you went indie?
RF: I wish I had created a better work model earlier so that my writing time was not given up for marketing time. I think I have it knocked now after three years. Writers truly need to remember this is not all about creativity. It is about business. It is about charting our own course.
BWG: You have two scripts in development, an original romantic comedy, Saving Seymour and a thriller based on your USA Today bestseller, Keeping Counsel. How is writing screen plays different from writing novels?
RF: I thought writing a script was very difficult. Dialogue is important but visuals are king. There is no connective tissue in a script. No expository. What the viewer sees communicates emotion, plot, pacing, and characterization. I kept wanting to explain things. Luckily, I worked with my son who is a talent manager and he finally said: show the car making a fast turn – don’t tell us the character is frantic to get where he’s going. He was right. I had to think more visually. We have wonderful attachments to both these scripts including Ed Asner to play Seymour and now it’s a matter of funding.
BWG: What advice would you give to emerging writers?
RF: Develop your unique voice. The best compliment I ever had was when a reader said, “Even without a cover, I would know I was reading one of your books.” That’s what I think every author should strive for: defining and perfecting their voice. It takes a lot of trial and error but when you ‘hear’ it, you’ll know.
BWG: Thank you for sserving as the judge of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable 2014 Short Story Award competition. Our theme this year is “Food Stories.” As our judge, you may be reading genres that are far different from romances or thrillers. What criteria will you use to judge such different genres?
RF: The only question genre should pose for a judge is: does this work fit the genre? If so, then the book is not judge on personal taste but how well the author executes within the parameters of the genre. As a judge, I look for a high standard of storytelling. There can be no prejudices for genre, only appreciation for the particular challenges of each and how well those challenges are met. The good news is, as a reader I am a very eclectic. My personal library has everything from erotica to horror, romance to thrillers. I look forward to reading some exciting things during this contest. I am truly honored to be a part of it.
Interview by BWG member Marianne Donle
An Interview with Author Rebecca Forster (Nov. 2011)
[Ms. Forster was interviewed by BWG member Marianne Donley. Marianne writes quirky novels fueled by her life as a mom and a teacher. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her husband and a tank full of fish. Marianne has a monthly blog at All Day, All Night: The Mariannes and an occasional blog at A Slice of Orange.]
Rebecca Forster is the author of 24 novels, including the USA Today bestseller KEEPING COUNSEL. Ms. Forster's Witness series thrillers have appeared on Amazon’s Top 100 list of legal thrillers for the past two years, with HOSTILE WITNESS, ranking #1 on the Amazon free books in September. Her latest novel is BEFORE HER EYES (2010). She holds an MBA from Loyola University. When Rebecca isn’t working or traveling she likes to play tennis, read, and sew.
Q. What's the best thing about being an author?
A. Every experience, emotion and dream I ever had, or will have, is relevant to what I do.
Q. What are you currently working on and when can we read it?
A. I’m working on EXPERT WITNESS, the fourth book in the bestselling Witness Series. I hope to have it done by Christmas, 2011. The first few chapters can be seen on my website under Thriller in Progress.
Q. Where can we get your books?
A. I wrote for New York publishers for 26 years. Now I am an Indie and e-publish. My books can be read on all e-readers, tablets, computers and, yes, even phones. I am thrilled to have had multiple books on the Kindle and Amazon top 100 list for over 18 months. This is an exhilarating new challenge in publishing.
Q. Do you have a website, blog, twitter where fans might read more about you and y our books?
A. My website/blog is at http://www.rebeccaforster.com. Find me at Twitter @rebecca_forster. I am a follow-backer! I'm on Facebook and LinkedIn and love connecting. I answer every e-mail.