HUNTED received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Monique Gliozzi.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The book in question is entitled HUNTED and was published in late June of this year (2019).
What’s the book’s first line?
The first line of the Prologue is : ’There is something majestic about the mountain range spanning across the Alpine states of Austria, Lichtenstein and Slovenia.
The first line of Chapter One is : ‘Irma Trauber opened the window of her small apartment located on the top floor of the Kirbana Hotel, which she had managed for over ten years.
What is the book about?
It’s a story that follows on from the first book, Foresight, in which a detective by the name of Isabella Ashford, working on a double homicide case, is framed by her enemies. She is stalked and threatened with the intent of being murdered . A head injury sustained as a child during an earthquake in Mexico, which left her and Marco, her twin brother orphaned, opened up her ‘third eye’ giving her the advantage to have Foresight into past and present events. She uses this in her work becoming a successful investigator. The twist in the finale of this story, leads into the second book HUNTED. The fugitive’s name is Peter Steil responsible for a triple homicide, framing his twin brother for the crime. He is wanted by the US authorities. Fleeing to Switzerland he creates a new persona and using his marine background, builds a life for himself as a helicopter pilot for a tourist bureau. He mixes with high society, fooling all and committing acts of violence to avoid being identified and captured. Detective Ashford has not forgotten him and puts together a team of FBI and Interpol agents to go under cover . Their mission takes them across the borders of Austria, Italy, and Switzerland to hunt him down.
What inspired you to write the book?
A holiday in Alaska and Canada in 2017 gave me time to reflect on what more I would have liked to achieve in life. As a child I wrote short stories, that never got published, as it was more of a pass time. However, my father began writing after retirement and has published 4 books in Italy (he writes in Italian). He asked me to read his manuscripts and provide constructive feedback on the plot of each story. This involvement planted a seed of creative writing in me.
So the scenery in Alaska and Canada tickled my imagination as to the location for Hunted. Having lived in Germany, Italy and travelled through Austria and Switzerland I was familiar with the culture and languages. The close proximity of the countries in Europe I thought would make the hunt and thus options for the fugitive more diverse and intriguing for the reader.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The format of HUNTED (and Foresight) lends itself to enjoy a fast paced storyline. The target audience is aimed at a cohort of busy working people who like to read, but are discouraged by time constraints. The main plot is diversified by several sub-plots which keep the story dynamic, whilst maintain the reader’s interest.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who do they remind you of?
The distinctive aspect of Isabella Ashford is that she has this ‘gift’, harnessing it to help others. However, her tenacious nature and versatility helps her through personal and professional setbacks.
There are aspects of her experiences that remind her of myself. By this I mean that she is well traveled and able to adapt to different cultural customs. I myself have always had strong intuitions about certain people I’ve encountered and sometimes even about events. When I was ten, my family and I traveled through the northern towns of Italy. In one particular place after a couple of days, without a triggering factor, I had a strong urge to leave. Finally I convinced my parents do so. The day after we’d departed, there was a small earthquake.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
If the made my book into a movie or miniseries, I think that Neve Campbell would do well as the main protagonist. The villain would be best portrayed by Ryan Reynolds.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I first decided to start writing in August 2017 following the trip to Alaska.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
HUNTED is my second book.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
The amount of time I spend writing varies, but usually 5 hours per week.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
My advice to an Indie author is to keep the plot simple but well paced.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am a doctor by profession with expertise in Psychiatry and an interest in Forensic Pathology. I’m also a commercial pilot and flight instructor teaching others to fly on weekends. I write to evolve the creative side of my life and have been inspired by Mary Higgins Clarke, Agatha Christie and James Paterson.