Q&A With Seraphina Nova Glass

Another murder mystery thriller I finished reading that Leah Morse sent me a copy of is The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass. Seraphina’s other novels that she’s written are On A Quiet Street, Such A Good Wife, & Someones Listening.

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog who haven’t read The Vanishing Hour, a little bit about it and how you came up with the concept for the book?

A: I guess I started with atmosphere on this one. I wanted that late Fall, misty, eerie coastal vibe. I think a empty, cliffside inn lends itself to that chilling setting. Then, I always start with the end of a book. How will it climax and come together/what will be that big reveal and twist, so once I had that idea nailed down, I started from the beginning and wrote to that end shift where it all comes together for the reader. I also really like working with multiple POV’s. I think it helps to create a layered, richer story, so it was really quite fun to play with so many different characters in this one and peel back the layers slowly, revealing how the three main characters are all intertwined. 

Q: I love reading mystery thrillers. What made you choose to write in this genre specifically?

A: It took a while! I started as a playwright and really only read literary fiction when I did read fiction. Then, when I began screenwriting in 2015 it was Hallmark Christmas movies, so it seems unlikely I would get into thrillers, but I picked up my first thriller/audiobook in October 2018 and I was hooked. I finished it and decided I needed to write one, and then just a few months later, shickling, I was signed with an agent, and a handful of weeks after that, I signed a two-book deal with Harper Collins…and here we are. I’m starting book six as we speak. 

Q: For any of your books, do you create fictional worlds and characters taken from bits and pieces of real people and places? It’s always so fascinating how authors can create a story using bits and pieces of real life.

A: I’m sure I do this subconsciously, but I can say that I never really have any real person or place in mind when I write. I think the fictional world is so much more interesting than real life. Why would I settle on using the boring day-to-day when I can create anything? At least that’s my take. I’m sure the way my characters speak and handle situations all come from a part of me in some way, and I’m sure creating oddballs, like Vinny in this book, I pull from people I once knew or things I’ve observed, certainly, but it’s nothing I could pinpoint or do mindfully. 

Q: Do you have a favorite writing spot or spots where you plot, write and edit your novels?

A: I’m boring. I like my desk at home! We don’t have kids, and my husband works a traditional job, so it’s quiet and peaceful. Just a cinnamon candle and cup of coffee. Ahhh. I will say though, that we travel a lot as our main hobby, so I have written chapters in Cuba and Croatia, Uruguay, Bonaire, Greece, and many more over the last few years. I’d rather hang out in those places though….I still like my home desk for writing 🙂

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your books? The entertainment industry is severely lacking in original ideas. I could also see The Vanishing Hour make a good limited series or a movie.

A: I can’t talk about it in any detail yet, because it hasn’t been announced and the writer’s strike, of course, has everything on hold, but we did close the deal on the film rights for one of my books very recently…for a limited series. More on that soon!