Ever imagined writing a book with your husband? Aimee and David Thurlo have made a career out of writing mysteries together set in Navajo country. How do they do it? I interviewed them to find out.
Tell us about your latest books:
Black Thunder is a mystery set on the Navajo Nation, and it's one of our personal favorites. In this book danger lies buried deep in a remote area of New Mexico near a steep sided outcrop called the Hogback. Vigilantes cry out for justice, but their interference only blocks the search for a possible serial killer who may soon strike again. At the same time Ella’s ability to concentrate is battered by worries about her teenage daughter, who has been skipping school, and her mother, who is cooking up a storm, a sure sign that trouble is brewing in the household.
Black Thunder has received glowing reviews! Publisher Weekly said "an insightful portrait of a native culture still evolving between tradition and modernity."
Booklist, the Journal of the American Library Association called Ella Clah a "compelling character", and added that Black Thunder "should keep readers on their toes until the final pages."
We also have a brand new romantic suspense this November first - Winter Hawk's Legend.
Romantic Times has given it four and a half stars, which means "in a class by itself" and said, "Thurlo's tale [is] a read- with-the-lights-on story."
In this suspenseful tale Holly Gates must hide out with Daniel Hawk, a fearless security expert sworn to protect her. She finds herself falling in love with him though, unlike her, he craves no home or family - just the same freedom as the great hawk. This is a story about the power of family, of hope, and the courage to defy the odds.
Genre Go Round Reviews said: "Winter Hawk's Legend is a superb Native American mystery starring a woman in peril who has no concept as to who wants her dead or her unknown adversary's motive. Thus readers have an innocent doing an innocent thing leading to her danger, mindful of Alfred Hitchcock. Readers will relish team Thurlo's enchanting New Mexico thriller."
I have to admit, being compared to Hitchcock made our year!!
How is it that you began writing about the Navajo Nation?
My husband David was raised on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock. His father worked for the Bureau of Mines at the Navajo Helium Plant, where helium was extracted from natural gas, and his family lived near the Kerr-McGee uranium mill. Later, like many places on the Rez, David’s home and entire neighborhood were found to be hot beds of radioactive contamination and were subsequently demolished and buried.
David is a graduate of Shiprock High School on the Rez and the University of New Mexico.
Your books have been compared to Tony Hillerman’s. Were you a fan ? Did you ever meet him?
Tony was one of the nicest human beings one could ever hope to meet. He lived in the same area of town as we do, and was truly a class act. I remember one of my first conversations with him. We'd just finished our first mystery set on the Navajo Nation. Tony asked me to send it to him. I hemmed and hawed and finally said, "Well, Tony, it's not exactly a mystery. It's got lots of romance in it."
His answer -- "What? You think I only read Hemingway?"
As I said, Tony was one in a million.
You write with your husband. Most of us can’t imagine how that works.
I take it for granted, but it wasn't until recently that I realized that this was a point of interest. I wrote a blog about it a few days ago - my first. I've never blogged before. It's titled Writing as Partners.
http://adthurlo.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/working-as-a-team/
How would you describe your books?
They're a blend of high action (what David does best) and characterization (what I like best.) To me the story is always about the people in it.
There's something I should point out here. Although we deal with another culture our goal has never been to instruct. It's to entertain. Of course if along the way people learn a bit more about another culture, then that's good too. I find that beneath the skin, we're all remarkably alike - we laugh, we cry, we have hopes and dreams.
Talk about romance, I understand when you met your husband it was love at first sight. You were married three weeks later. It sounds like you are both romantics. How does that end up in your books?
David and I knew each other less than three weeks when we got married. From that first moment I knew in my heart that he was for me, and I've never looked back. I don't think love is about logic - it's about intuition, about trust, and mostly about hope. David is one of the gentlest men I've ever known and that drew me to him. Over the years our relationship has grown, and if anything, we're even closer.
A friend of mine once said that David is the rock that keeps me from going over the edge. I'm emotional, he's calm; I go with my feelings, he thinks things through; I take everything personally, he can stand back and see the overview. We fit into each other perfectly. In our writing, it's the same. We can write with one voice because, together, the two of us make one perfect writer.
Together the two of you write three different mystery series? How do you balance work and life with you both writing?
That's the hardest of all - balance. As any author will tell you, writing can be all consuming. Yet we've learned that doesn't serve us or our readers. We need down time. One of the things we love to do is go for long walks with our three dogs along the bosque, the wooded area beside the Rio Grande.
Another thing we both absolutely love is eating tons of popcorn while watching football. Sundays nights are sacred. We turn off the phone, get that microwave fired up, and enjoy the game!
What is your writing process like?
The process of creating a book has incredible highs and lows. Though our team has been very successful, our collaboration isn’t always smooth. The very fact that there are two of us working on the same words, pages, and story almost guarantees that there’ll be disagreements somewhere along the way. Since our first priority is the novel we’re working hard to create, we’ve agreed to settle those issues in a manner we believe is most beneficial to the work. If it’s an emotional or characterization problem, I have the last word, but David’s opinion takes precedent on any aspect of the plot or the actions scenes.
Where do you get your ideas?
In the most inconvenient locations where there's never a pen or pencil in sight. For some reason if we sit in front of the computer waiting for the plot to materialize we get zip. We invariably get our best ideas somewhere like the frozen food aisle of the grocery store, or in the shower, or late at night. We now both keep pen, paper, and flashlights by our nightstands.
Anything you would like to tell your readers?
You make it possible for us to do the work we love. If we could, we'd come over and grill green chile cheeseburgers for you every weekend. Thanks so very much for all the support you've given us and for all your wonderful letters. We answer each and every one personally and will continue to do so. Come and join us on Facebook, too. We can always stay in touch there.
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