The Gingerbread Man [NOOK Book]

Interviews & Essays

Barnes & Noble: Would you share with readers your views on suspense, romance, and the chilling themes you explore in The Gingerbread Man?

Maggie Shayne: Whether labeled as such or not, I think every book I've every written has been, more or less, a romantic suspense. I have always put tremendous effort into making each book a page turner: The harder it is for the reader to put it down, the better I've done my job. To me, romance and suspense go hand in hand. What's more suspenseful than wondering how two wonderful people can manage to get together in spite of the world going crazy around them?

B&N: What did you most enjoy about creating Vince O'Mally, the cop who needs to keep his professional distance, and the man who's got a history of needing to be needed?

MS: What I love best about Vince is his irresistible need to help. He wants to make things better for people, especially women.

It isn't sexual or predatory. To me, it's an echo of the old code of chivalry: the idea that when you make a promise, you keep it, and that you always try to help those in trouble. I love the fact that Vince, even though he has this innate quality, is so uncomfortable with it. And I love that he has to step back a little, in spite of himself, to let Holly find that she can help herself. This is his real challenge, recognizing the strength in her and giving her the chance to tap into it, rather than just rushing in to save the day.

I think between the two of them, trust and respect are very important. If Vince breaks Holly's trust, ever, I don't think he would win it back easily. Fortunately, he's too noble a man to do that, and has too much respect for her.

B&N: Holly is smart, perceptive, and determined, but her background of guilt and loss has left her vulnerable. Why did you set things up so most people would see her as fragile, while Vince also sees her strengths?

MS: I enjoy heroines who grow and come into their own during the course of a story. Holly was probably the most emotionally screwed up heroine I have ever written about. At first she was very focused on her own past, her own pain, her own ghosts. She had to eventually let go of all of that to focus on the present. If she hadn't been able to do that, the killer would have managed to get away with his crimes. That's a real heroine to me. Not someone who starts out strong and perfect and together, but someone who has faults and flaws and challenges, and still manages to find her own feminine power and use it to conquer her demons. That's what this genre is about, when you get right down to it. That's why women read it -- it's empowering.

B&N: What made you decide not to include the paranormal in The Gingerbread Man, when you've used it with such success in so many of your other books?

MS: I love paranormal, as many readers already know. However, there are some issues that I think are best addressed without the distraction of a paranormal element, and the issue of child predators is one of them. Sometimes more reality is better, and that's what I was going for with this story. I didn't want a lot of over-the-top elements detracting from it. I want people to be uncomfortable with the reality of it; I want them to think about it after the book is done.

Some of the realities in this story happen all the time. Some mothers don't believe their children when they work up the nerve to tell them about abuse, and others want so badly to believe it isn't so that they can't see the obvious. Child molesters are routinely convicted and sentenced to anything from probation to two years, and they rarely serve their time.

The reality is that one out of four girls in this country are molested before they get out of high school. Most child predators don't kill their victims, but they always kill their innocence. That's not a situation the mothers of this nation can continue to tolerate. I want to reach women with this book, and talk about that very real issue. I want to make readers mad, so they'll speak out for tougher sentences, and zero tolerance for pedophiles.

B&N: It sounds as if you'd like to hear from readers. How would you like them to contact you?

MS: I encourage people to visit my web site at www.maggieshayne.com for all the latest news about my books. While letters may not be answered until I have a newsletter to send out, I still love to hear from readers at P.O. Box 180, South Otselic, NY 13155-0180, or they can contact me via email at Maggie@MaggieShayne.com, where it's easier for me to give a quick response.