Welcome to first time author Karen Grose!
I had the pleasure of meeting Karen at a writing event before we went into self-isolation for Covid-19 and bought a copy of her novel. See my review at the end of the interview!
Karen Grose was born in Canada and lives with her family in Toronto. After a long career in education, she turned her attention to writing. The Dime Box is her debut novel and she’s currently working on her second. When she isn't writing, she works in the EdTech sector and walks her high-strung French bulldog, Ruby, on the boardwalk of Lake Ontario. Connect with her online: @kgrose2 or at karengrose.ca
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
I’m a mom, an educator and learner, and live here in
Ontario. I enjoy sports and the outdoors, and split my time between Toronto and
spending time at our cottage in the Kawarthas. I enjoy cooking, but I’m not
very good at it. The same goes with gardening.
Do you have a work in progress?
I’m
writing my second novel now. Untitled at this point, I’m through the first
messy draft and am digging deeper. It’s the story of an every day normal family
who lives a block away from where a man is shot in broad daylight in his
driveway. Except the family may not be exactly normal. They have a few ugly
secrets.
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever
wrote? What made it difficult?
That’s a great question. As a new author,
I’m always curious to hear what those with more experienced would say. For me,
it was two things.
While the process of writing the first messy draft is really exciting, I found it difficult when a specific scene didn’t flow the way
it needed to. But I’ve learned as drafts evolve, I can go back to those tricky
scenes and write them with the detail, colour and depth they need. Writing my
second novel now, I keep this top of mind.
I really enjoy writing complex and compelling characters.
They evolve as the writing
evolves. It’s fun when they begin to jump off the page and reveal their quirks,
strengths and flaws. I found it a lot easier to write a character I admire, or
believe in. Greta is a strong, feisty female protagonist. Her story is one of
resilience, heartache and triumph. I fell in love with her and I hope you did
too. However, it’s much harder to write a character, using show, don’t tell,
when the character is dark. In the case of The Dime Box, I had to dig deep to
evolve Ian, to ensure a reader felt chilled as they got to know him.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
Set in Ontario, The Dime Box is the story of a young woman accused of
murdering her father. Though purely a work of the imagination, Greta’s story is
inspired by the students I had the privilege of serving in the Scarborough
Board of Education, the TDSB and at TVO. I’m also interested in social issues
we need to take action for everyday to build a more inclusive and just society.
Poverty, marginalization, gender, domestic violence, the search for identity,
adoption, and how we, as a society, define family. These themes are interwoven
into the novel. Through them, the characters in the novel are forced to face
significant moral dilemmas and make difficult decisions.
The foundation of the book reflects two of Canada’s finest pubic
institutions-the justice and the education system. As a teacher, I could draw
on my experiences, as well as tap into the expertise of my colleagues. However,
my limited knowledge of the justice system was a gap needed to be filled. Luckily,
I have a friend who works in the system and he was able to answer my fire hose
of questions. I’m grateful for the experts who made sure I represented these
two public institutions accurately in this novel.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is
there an author that inspires you?
There is something amazing about the feel of a book in our hands and
getting lost in a good story. Whether
writers self-publish, go indie, hybrid or publish traditionally, I’m in awe of
the amazing artistic talent out there.
Some of my favourites include: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The
Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and
The Shining by Stephen King.
Books I recently enjoyed: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Just Mercy
by Bryan Stevenson, The Woo Woo by Lindsay Wong, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
and Becoming by Michelle Obama.
Up next are: Crow Winter by Karen McBride, The Nickel Boys by Colson
Whitehead and Immigrant City by David Bezmozgis.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I’ll be forever grateful to my Grade 11
and 12 English teacher, Mrs. Brown. A firecracker with a great sense of humour
and passion for literature, she had the perfect blend of high expectations, and
a kind and nurturing heart. She inspired the whole class to write, telling us
she believed everyone has a story to tell. Though it was years ago, I often
still think of her encouragement as I write.
I’m also forever indebted to the many people who read early drafts of
The Dime Box. All acknowledged in the back pages of the novel, they kept me
motivated when I didn’t think I could push through the twenty-seven drafts it
took to get to the end. As I wrote, I learned a lot from my editor, Adrienne
Kerr. She’s remarkable. When someone with her expertise tells you where a novel
is strong and where it falls down, it can only get better. I believe every
story needs an editor and a great editor makes every great story better.
Canadian author Lawrence Hill was also a mentor. He taught me a lot of the
power of storytelling and the craft of writing itself.
The Dime Box
Buried secrets lie closest to
the heart. Greta Giffen
barely escaped being murdered by the man she grew up with. She’s not sure who
Ian is, or who she is, but she’s determined to find out. When she bolts from
their secluded cabin in northern Ontario and flees to Toronto, her new life
comes at a price. Ian dies under suspicious circumstances and a veteran
detective believes eighteen-year-old Greta has the perfect motive.
A prime suspect in a tense police investigation, Greta
finds it hard to make Detective Astra Perez believe the details of her dark and
appalling story. Digging deep into her sordid history and forced to face the
people from her past in a new light, Greta struggles to accept the secrets that
have haunted her since childhood. Still, Detective Perez remains doubtful. And
until Greta herself confronts the disturbing evidence in front of her, she will
never truly escape that cabin in the woods.
Where to Buy
The Dime Box can be picked up at Amazon, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes and
Noble, Walmart and Waterstones, as well as from your local independent
bookstore. It can be bought as a paperback or for an e-reader. Direct links are
all on my website.
Website
and other links to your social media pages
Twitter: @kgrose2
LinkedIn
Goodreads:
Facebook
My Review of The Dime Box
I was fortunate to get to meet Karen at an author event and loved her excitement and infectious smile! I just had to
read her book because the cover and blurb had me hooked.
Greta Giffen is an eighteen-year old with secrets that Detective Astra
Perez must interview to draw out details to solve a murder. The story winds and
builds, ebbing and flowing until Perez - and the reader - finally learn the whole
truth. While I guessed bits and pieces, Grose's writing and imagery kept me on the edge of my seat. Just
when I thought I knew what was coming next, she threw in a whole new twist.
If you love a good mystery, this is a great debut novel!
