Q&A with Sarina Bowen

 

Photo by Kate Seymour

 

 

Sarina Bowen is the author of the new novel Dying to Meet You. Her many other novels include The Five Year Lie. She lives in New Hampshire.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Dying to Meet You, and how did you create your character Rowan?

 

A: The dedication inside the front cover reads: To my sons. Thank you for sharing your location with me so that I could think up the creepy plot of this book.

 

When my older son was 16 years old, I opened the location app on my phone for the first time. I just wanted to make sure he got to soccer practice safely. But then I found myself opening up this app with more frequency, even though it felt a little eerie watching his avatar biking down our dirt roads. And I started to wonder… what is the creepiest thing that could happen with this app?

 

Rowan, my character in Dying to Meet You, starts out in much the same way–by tracking the location of the people she loves. But it goes to a darker place and it almost ruins her life.

 

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I love research! For this book, I interviewed an architect and a Maine police detective. I toured two historic mansions in New England. And I did a lot of reading into the dark history of maternity homes in the United States. Those things don’t sound like they go together, but in this book they absolutely do!

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Rowan and her daughter, Natalie?

 

A: It’s tense! As a parent of a teenager, I tried to keep it real. Natalie is intelligent, independent, imperfect, and occasionally rebellious, but ultimately deeply loyal to her mother. I really enjoyed writing her.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I knew one of the major twists when I started, but the other one had to find me at the midway point. It usually works that way. The more you write, the more you know.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm currently working on a new novel that explores generational trauma and family secrets, but in a different setting and with an entirely new badass female character. Like Dying to Meet You, it will likely blend elements of mystery, family drama, and investigation.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m also writing a romance this year! I like to switch back and forth. It keeps me fresh.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Sarina Bowen.