We’re thrilled to have here today, Special Agent Veronica Vasquez from R. Barri Flowers’ crime thriller, BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN. Veronica is a thirty-five year old Criminal psychologist and profiler with the FBI’s Serial Killer Unit., living in Washington, DC, but visiting Portland, Oregon.
It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Beyond the Books!
Thank you so for this interview, Veronica. Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?
Yes, I believe the book was pretty accurate in its depiction of me as a career FBI criminal psychologist, a widow still hoping to find love again, and a sister seeking to reestablish the bonds with my estranged sister.
That said, I would like to tell the readers that I didn’t run away from my hometown of Portland for the sake of running away, per se, but rather because it was time to start a new life. Though there have been some regrets along the way, I firmly believe that things happen as they were meant to, for better or worse.
Do you feel the author did a good job colorizing your personality? If not, how would you like to have been portrayed differently?
Yes, the author was spot on in colorizing my personality. I am basically the same down to earth, yet analytical character with an open mind as a profiler and tender heart for those who mean something to me as illustrated. Like other people, I have a few flaws and am continually trying to rectify them.
What do you believe is your strongest trait?
My dedication to the job, even as other things were falling apart in my life. An honorable mention would be a willingness to look at the big picture while zeroing in on the smaller one.
Worse trait?
My worst trait is perhaps a stubbornness that I inherited from my mother—in which I can be pretty inflexible to my own detriment. It’s something I’m working on.
If you could choose someone in the television or movie industry to play your part if your book was made into a movie, who would that be (and you can’t say yourself!)?
That’s a great question. If it were a television movie, it would definitely be Kelli Giddish, who resembles me physically and is a great actress. For a motion picture, I would say that Kate Hudson or Amanda Seyfried would be ideal choices to play me. If they decided on a British actress, I’d love to see Dominique McElligott in the role.
Do you have a love interest in the book?
Yes, I am happy to say. Things between me and Homicide Detective Sergeant Bryan Waldicott of the Portland Police Bureau become pretty intense as the story moves along.
At what point of the book did you start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?
I would say about three-quarters of the way when I think I’ve got the bead on the serial killer and am forced to look in a different direction, unsure just who the unsub is.
If you could trade places with one of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want to be and why?
I definitely wouldn’t want to be the killer that’s for sure, because he’s going down—if I have any say in the matter.
Beyond that, though I love my sister Alexandra, I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. Mainly because it would just be too weird as we know each other too well (not always a good thing). Also, I don’t get along too well with her new husband and certainly wouldn’t want to wake up one morning and find that I was married to him.
How do you feel about the ending of the book without giving too much away?
I feel it was really a great ending—everything you would expect in a good thriller with a heart pounding conclusion that wraps up everything while leaving open the door to the future.
What words of wisdom would you give your author if he decided to write another book with you in it?
I would tell him to keep my character three-dimensional while exploring new ways for me to do my job and pursue a social life.
Thank you for this interview, Veronica. Will we be seeing more of you in the future?
You certainly will. BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN is the first in a new crime series, starring me as a tough but vulnerable FBI criminal psychologist and profiler, ready to do my part in solving cases and bringing perps to justice; along with continuing an exciting new romance and exploring its potential.
Thanks for interviewing me. It was fun. Hope to do it again sometime.
—————————————————
R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and internationally bestselling author of more than sixty books–including thriller and suspense fiction, relationship fiction, young adult mysteries, true crime, and criminology titles.
Bestselling mystery and thriller fiction, including SEDUCED TO KILL IN KAUAI, MURDER IN MAUI, MURDER IN HONOLULU, KILLER IN THE WOODS, DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL, STATE’S EVIDENCE, PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE, and JUSTICE SERVED.
Other novels by the author include the bestselling relationship novel, FOREVER SWEETHEARTS, and young adult novels, COUNT DRACULA’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY, and DANGER IN TIME.
Flowers has also written a number of bestselling true crime books, including THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS, THE PICKAXE KILLERS, SERIAL KILLER COUPLES and MASS MURDER IN THE SKY. He was editor as well of the bestselling anthology, MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME.
The author has been interviewed on the Biography Channel and Investigation Discovery.
Official Website: http://www.rbarriflowers.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Barri_Flowers
Video Introduction to Author: http://youtu.be/kKvkXirbpgM
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/R.-Barri-Flowers/e/B000APKBLI
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RBarriFlowers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rbarri.flowers?ref=ts
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rbarriflowers/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=52919163&trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/#102817962533514256321/posts
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/crimewriter_rbarriflowers
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/authorrbarriflowers
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=r.+barri+flowers
LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/author/flowersrbarri
Blogs:
Mystery Fiction Blog: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=node/334
Thriller Fiction Blog: http://hawaiimysteriesauthorrbarriflowers.blogspot.com/
True Crime Blog: http://rbarriflowers.blogspot.com/
Young Adult Fiction Blog: http://bestsellingteenfiction.blogspot.com
Audio Books Blog: http://authorrbarriflowers.wordpress.com/
Beyond the Books 