We chat with The Waiting author, Michael Connelly.
A&U: Hey Michael! Thanks so much for talking with us. Tell us about your new book The Waiting?
MC: Well, this book has a lot of things going on, possibly the most complex storytelling I have written so far. At center is Renee Ballard and at times she’s joined by a Bosch. That is, Harry Bosch in some chapters and Maddie Bosch in others. Together they handle three unrelated cases, including L.A.’s most notorious unsolved murder, The Black Dahlia case.
A&U: Renee Ballard is such a kickass character. How do you write such a great female lead?
MC: Renee is based on an actual kick ass detective named Mitzi Roberts. I feel like I write these books with Mitzi looking over my shoulder — in a good way. She has been and will always be so instrumental in the forming of Ballard and how she works and how she sees the world.
A&U: This is your 39th book (the big 4-0 next year!) and your books just keep getting better and better. How do you keep the stories so fresh and real each year?
MC: My career has been a gift and I cherish it and guard it. I know I can never mail it in. I try to avoid getting stale by always looking for stories of inspiration, stories that I know will keep me plugged in and with momentum through the writing of the book. Momentum is key. If you don’t feel it then something is wrong and needs to be corrected.
A&U: Any hints on what's coming next?
MC: I don’t have a title yet but I am working on a novel for next summer that will introduce a new character, the lone Sheriff’s Detective who works on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.
A&U: What book are you reading at the moment and loving?
MC: Daniel Levitin’s new book, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord. It’s a scientific study on music as medicine.
The Waiting
by Michael Connelly
Renée Ballard will need Bosch and his daughter to help bring down her enemies—this is Michael Connelly at his compelling best.
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