Cobie
LaJeanne has been creating characters since she could read. At the age of six,
she had already collected an assortment of Baby Name books, started crafting
characters, and brought them to life with imaginative play. Writing came soon
after.
Cobie
writes palpable psychological fiction with in-depth characters and storylines
that will haunt you for years to come. She is passionate about bringing
awareness to the severity of child abuse, abduction, and has a heart for the
victims over the killers. She is currently in the final revisions of her first
novel, Do Not Spare the Angels, which is the first of an eight book
series. This novel will be queried to agents and publishers starting mid-2022.
Cobie
will make her Kindle Vella Debut with a novel called Strings, a
paranormal thriller with characters you will fall in love with, which is slated
to be released February 14, 2022.
Genre: Psychological Crime Thrillers and Paranormal Thrillers/Horror
Q&A:
Q1: What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest novel is entitled Strings and
will be released on Kindle Vella in episodes. It was inspired by a nightmare I
had years ago where I was trapped in a little house with ghosts and dolls and other
interesting characters that took me a while to embrace.
Q2: What advice would you give to help others create plotlines?
My biggest advice is to never stop asking “What if…” and to free-write those “what if’s”. There are so many ways you can twist a story to make it unique. Exploring the options before you start writing is a great way to ensure your book has that different feel to it. And when you pick a twist, push just a little further. Nothing is out of reach. Take some chances.
Q3: What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lousia May Alcott is the
first author who ever influenced me. I fell in love with Little Women,
but I fell even harder for Little Men. I owe every ounce of passion for
writing to this woman.
For thrillers, I have been positively influenced by Loreth Anne White and Karin Slaughter. What I admire about them is that they don’t cower back from the tough topics in our society. They face them head-on. It’s refreshing, engaging, and thought-provoking.
Q4: What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I work all hours that
I can. I have been fortunate to have my in-laws close to watch my young
children while I work. Some days I work up to sixteen hours and other days I
work whenever I can pull my cell phone out. It really depends, but I make it a
priority no matter what is happening during the week.
Q5: Does writing energize or exhaust you? Or both?
It does both. I would say the times it exhausts me are when I am working on a
scene where I must pull from my own trauma. But I wouldn’t change it because digging
into those scenes has been so healing for me. Everything about writing beyond
that energizes me. I love the worlds and the characters I have created, and I
enjoy spending time with them.
Q6: What is the best writing advice you have ever heard?
The best writing advice I
have heard is that every story has been told, but it hasn’t been told by you.
Your experience belongs to you and your voice and imagination are what make
your work special.
Q7: How do you come up with character names for your stories?
Naming my characters
is one of my favorite parts of writing. Sometimes the names are easy to find,
but I like to try and break stereotypes. I am constantly going through lists
and finding names that feel like a certain trope but might not be a James or a
Michael. I struggle the most with surnames. I use BehindtheName.com a lot to
find new and exciting names. There are also some great name accounts on
Instagram (@charmingbabynames is my favorite).
Q8: What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?
Practice. Practice
discipline. Practice freewriting outside of your book. Practice creating
character profiles and worlds. Practice your learning skills. Learn to be
open-minded to all possibilities of your story.
Q9: What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on
my debut Psychological Crime Thriller tentatively titled Do Not Spare the
Angels. I have been working on this novel for over two years now and am in
the final revision stages before I begin the querying process. I am also working
on Strings. Since it is a serialized story, it keeps me on my toes and
helps me focus on what needs to be done to have a strong story.
Q10: What are you currently reading?
I am currently
reading Fractured by Karin Slaughter which is the second book in her
Will Trent series.
Strings will be available on Kindle Vella from February 14th, 2022
After the unexpected
death of his wife, Kenny Webb left his successful career as a crime journalist
to stay home with his daughter. He no longer chases the high that danger
brings.
When a strange doll is
delivered to his house with a harrowing message, Kenny tries to resist the urge
to dig deeper, but the more the possessed toy taunts him, the urgency to get it
out of his life and away from his daughter grows stronger.
Radley Eastabrook owns
her own sanctuary for the haunted, working as a caretaker for restless souls
attached to their earthly belongings. But when Kenny appears at her doorstep,
she knows she can’t turn him down. The haunted doll seizes her intrigue and Radley
won’t rest until she knows what it needs.
They find themselves
deep in the Hush Forest where the worlds of the living and the dead blur
together, forcing Kenny and Radley to learn to trust each other in the midst of
terror. They must find who or what is holding these spirits captive before
their own fate is sealed and they are trapped in torment forever.
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