NBTM & Giveaway - Retribution Ridge by Anna Willett

Retribution Ridge

by Anna Willett

GENRE: Thriller

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BLURB:

For Milly Birdsworth and Her sister Judith, a two day trip in an isolated area of the National Park seems like an ideal way to mend their tattered relationship. With Milly’s best friend Harper along for moral support and experienced hiker Lucas as their guide, it seems nothing can go wrong.

But when everyone has something to hide, it’s difficult to know who to trust. What starts out as an adventure to bring two sisters together quickly becomes a terrifying ordeal where old wounds are exposed and a deadly tragedy is brought to light. One thing is clear, someone is seeking retribution and won’t stop until the guilty are punished.

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EXCERPT:

Milly reached for her hand under the sleeping bag. It felt icy. “Anything could be happening. We don’t know it was Harper screaming.” There was so much she wanted to say. So many things she needed to tell her, but now wasn’t the time.

“What’s that?” Judith jumped and squeezed her hand tight enough to cut off the circulation. “In the trees, I… I thought I heard something.”

Milly followed her sister’s gaze. Three metres beyond the fire lay only blackness. It was impossible to see anything, human or animal. Suddenly Milly wondered if the fire was a good idea. If there was someone out there, the light would make the two women clearly visible to anyone watching. They’d be easy targets. Targets for what? Her mind raced in a dozen half-formed directions, all of them ominous. She shuddered and leaned against her sister.

“I don’t hear anything,” Milly whispered. “Maybe it’s an animal. A kangaroo or something.”

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Talking with author Anna Willett! 

What is your writing environment?

I’m a creature of habit so I work well when I’m in familiar surroundings. I write in my study surrounded by notebooks and at least one of my two German Shepherds. I like plenty of natural light and uninterrupted silence. The silence part isn’t always easy when you have a family, but my husband and adult children (yes they live at home and I like it that way) are getting better about giving me time and space to write.

What is your writing process?

I’m an owl, not a lark so I write in the afternoon and evening. If I’m getting close to finishing a book, I’ll still be writing at midnight.

I’m a pantser not a plotter, so when I have an idea that’s grown into something large enough to be a novel, I plunge straight in. I leave most of the research and fill in the blanks when the novel’s finished otherwise I become too side tracked.  After the first few chapters, I make some notes about what will happen next, but apart from that, I really fly by the seat of my pants. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me. So I suppose I’m a pantser owl.

What authors have caught your interest lately and why?

I believe that to write well, one must read extensively. I read every day, have done for years. Lately, I’ve discovered James Carol. His Jefferson Winters series is excellent. I also happened upon Richard Laymon a few years ago. Now deceased, he wrote strange and gripping horror stories – a lot of horror stories. I’m working my way through his novels in between books.

What was your inspiration for this particular novel?

I was very inspired by the location I used for Retribution Ridge. The story is set in an isolated and sometimes rugged part of Western Australia, The Cape to Cape Track. It’s a place where it’s easy to imagine anything could happen. By Stripping away mobile phones and creature comforts you can really get to the core of characters and push them into some extreme situations.

What is your favorite scene in your new release?

There’s a scene where one of the characters, Harper, meets and elderly man named William Walterson. She’s in danger and running for her life when William appears on the walking track. What happens next is shocking and has repercussions for those who survive the track.

What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?

I’m working on two novels at the same time. Both thrillers set in Western Australia. One is about two women who meet and after a seemingly unimportant encounter, one of them is abducted by a serial killer operating in Perth and the South-west. The two women’s lives become connected in a deadly way. The other is about a group of friends who have the opportunity to spend a weekend at an idyllic but isolated holiday house. Soon after they arrive, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I’m always reading something, it’s part of my daily routine; something I can’t live without. I’m a huge film buff, I love everything from the 1930s to contemporary stuff.

I’m fortunate enough to live in a part of the world that averages three hundred sunny days per year so I love going for walks in the bush with my husband and dogs. Oh and food. Going out for lunch or dinner. 

What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?

I’m terrified of flying. I suppose it’s my writer’s imagination, but when I’m up there, all I can think about is what could happen. I do still fly, with a great deal of preparation and a little help from my doctor, but it’s definitely not my favourite mode of transport.

Top 3 things on your bucket list?

In no particular order; I’d like to see New York, difficult with my fear of flying but not impossible. I’d like to play a zombie in a film or TV show. I want to learn another language, probably German as I studied it in high school but was too busy mucking around with my friends to really learn anything.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Anna Willett is the author of Backwoods Ripper and Retribution Ridge.  Raised in Western Australia Anna developed a love for fiction at an early age and began writing short stories in high school. Drawn to dark tales, Anna enjoys writing thrillers with strong female characters. When she’s not writing, Anna enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her husband and two children.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15315859.Anna_Willett

http://www.annawillett.info/

https://www.facebook.com/Anna-Willett-1732961043643247/

https://au.pinterest.com/AnnaWauthor/

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AMAZON

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GIVEAWAY:

Anna Willett will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway