I am so thrilled to feature Author Shayla Raquel and her new book, The Suicide Tree, on my blog today!

Before getting to her lovely interview, first a little about the book itself:

A washed-up hacker. Two hated scientists. And offbeat alter personalities.

Knox Kevel receives the job of a lifetime when a mysterious man gets his charges dropped for cybercrime and hires him for an international job. His infamous parents, who created a cure for the Raven Virus, are dead and gone, but their decision to keep NovaVita from the world has taken a toll on Knox.

Swayed by quick money, Knox flies to Italy with his eccentric employer, Arlo Jenson. Knox must find the woman who experimented on Arlo and triggered his unpredictable personality shifts. But tension heightens when Knox discovers that Arlo knew his parents.

As the adventure unfolds, Knox falls for Arlo’s niece and finds himself in an even bigger mess when he comes face-to-face with the person responsible for his misfortune.

Thank you so much for joining me today, Shayla! Your book sounds absolutely wonderful, and I cannot wait to read it.

1. The Suicide Tree has a few settings: Pensacola Beach, Florida, and Italy. Did you travel to those places?

Yes. I’ve been to Pensacola Beach too many times to count. In fact, I went to college in Pensacola and years later, spent half a year there writing The Suicide Tree. In the acknowledgments, you’ll see that I thank the coffee shop owner for treating me so well (and keeping me caffeinated) while I wrote the first draft. I always knew I wanted Pensacola Beach to be a setting in a book, because it stole my heart at age 9. It will always, always be my version of heaven on earth.

Knox Kevel (and other characters) travels to Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi, Florence, and Venice. I, too, traveled to all those places in 2011. It was my dream trip, and I knew then I’d use these places in my writing. I’ve looked back at my photos from that time to ensure accuracy when writing the settings. You can’t help but love Italy: the people, the atmosphere, and the food.

2. So did I! That is so crazy that we went to the same college. What is your favorite thing about this novel?

Knox’s wit and humor. He tends to have these little conversations with himself, and they always crack me up. One of my favorite moments:

——

I remembered sitting in front of Arlo not too many days ago when he said my handle out loud, and I thought how strange it had been to hear it. “Suicide Tree,” I said.

“Like the plant?”

Marry me. Marry me right now, you crazy fool.

“Uh, yeah. How’d you know that?” I asked.

“My mom has this book of poisons”—of course she does—“and I was reading up on it. Goes undetected in autopsies. It’s like the perfect murder weapon.” She crunched into her waffle cone, and I visualized what our children would look like.

——

3. Are there any personal experiences that influenced your book?

Plenty. Perhaps the one that stands out the most is the romance between Knox and Jessa, which was 100 percent not planned at all. The characters just kind of decided to do their own thing without my permission. At the end of the novel, there’s a conversation between the two that happened verbatim to me in my life three years ago.

4. There’s a lot of food mentioned in this book. Which dish is your favorite?

It’s Italy! You’ve gotta have food! My all-time favorite Italian dish is arrabiata, which Norah recommends to Knox when they’re in Florence. Arrabiata is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. Fun fact: I love cooking Italian food from scratch.

5. Norah Delgado, Arlo’s sister, was inspired by a well-beloved fictional character. Who was that and why did you choose her?

I have been in love with Morticia Addams since I was a little girl. I was probably 7 the first time I saw The Addams Family movie with Angelica Huston. I thought she was the most alluring woman I had ever seen. I decided to mimic Norah after Morticia a bit in the way she dressed and talked. Fun fact: my Doberman is named Wednesday.

6. Why did this story capture your heart?

I am an adventurous woman. If there’s a creek on a trail I’m walking, the shoes are coming off and I’m jumping in. If I’m asked to leave for a spontaneous trip to Florida and I have an hour to pack, I’m going. If someone wants to go check out an abandoned psych ward, I’m going in. (Yes, all of these have happened.) I wanted to write a novel that captured the beauty of going on an adventure. And that’s precisely what Knox does. But he didn’t want to. Originally, it was the lure of money that convinced him to go. It wasn’t until Arlo pushed Knox to be more adventurous that Knox’s heart changed. But . . . you’ll just have to see for yourself.

7. The antagonist has a bit of an issue with germs. Are you a germaphobe too?

Unbelievably so, which is why it came so naturally to write her character. At church, we shake hands with one other, and afterward, I head straight to the bathroom to wash my hands. At restaurants, I use Germ-X after the waitress takes the bacteria-infested menus away. If someone is coughing near me, you can bet I’ll be in another country to get away from it. The antagonist is the same way, but she . . . uh . . . goes about things a little differently than I do.

8. Where did you write your book?

The first place was Pensacola Beach, Florida, at the Drowsy Poet (a coffee shop). Sometimes I wrote in my condo (the same condo Knox lives in). Back in Yukon, Oklahoma, I’d write at Vacca Territory Coffee Shop, Starbucks, or my office. I found, though, that getting out of the house sure helped me in writing the book. A change of scenery is always good.

9. Is there anything you’d change about the novel?

I’d spend more time on it, and by more time, I obviously mean a lifetime. I could edit forever. Eventually, I had to let it out and know that I wrote the best book I possibly could. I’d probably work on Jessa’s character more. I’ve always felt she was somehow incomplete.

10. What are you working on next?

It’ll be more of a sci-fi thriller, which involves blood but no gore. Hmmm.

Ooh, that sounds absolutely divine. Cannot wait!

Thank you for joining me today and telling us more about you and your gorgeous book!

Tell me, dear readers, does this sound like a book you’d enjoy? Shayla is a fabulous editor, and when I heard she had a new book coming out, I had to share it with all of you.

You can preorder here:

Amazon Kindle: http://a.co/d/1UBxa7Y

Goodreads (book): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41914928-the-suicide-tree

Signed paperback: https://shaylaraquel.com/the-suicide-tree/the-suicide-tree-paperback-signed

Or get in touch with this lovely author here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaylaraquel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaylaleeraquel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaylaleeraquel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ShaylaRaquel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-raquel-9813a582

Website: https://shaylaraquel.com/contact

I hope you love it!

In Him,

Michele

About the Author:

An expert editor, seasoned writer, and author-centric marketer, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with authors and business owners every day. A lifelong lover of books, she has edited over 300 books and has launched several Amazon bestsellers for her clients.

Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books.

She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, The Rotting (in Shivers in the Night), and The Suicide Tree. In her not-so-free time, she acts as organizer for the Yukon Writers’ Society, volunteers at the Oklahoma County Jail, and obsesses over squirrels. She lives in Oklahoma with her two dogs, Chanel and Wednesday.