Xlibris Publishing introduces KJ Stewart, author of The Spinster and the Madman.
Briefly describe your book.
The Spinster and the Madman is the story of probationary Constable, Gina Palumbo, who sets out with her girlfriend, Tara, for the Blue Mountains to visit friends. Once there, she has a strange encounter with their neighbour, an elderly woman called Sylvia, who claims to be the child of a notorious serial killer who murdered and buried eight women in the family orchard in the 1970s.
Gina is drawn into the story of Sylvia’s past, and begins to question the damage such horror could potentially have on a person’s psyche, and possible consequences. As the dark tale hurtles towards its conclusion, Gina must use all her internal resources, together with the assistance of a superior officer and mentor, to uncover the truth before it is too late.
The Spinster and the Madman is a fast-paced crime thriller that takes a different and unique look at the morbidly fascinating topic of serial killers, and what it means to be the progeny of such a murderer.
Who is the author behind the book?
I am a close-to middle-aged woman, married with two children, a daughter turning 27 and a son aged 9. The eighteen year gap suggests I’m either very brave, or a little insane; I like to think it’s a combination of both. My dream has always been to become a published author. It began in Grade 6, at age eleven, when my teacher insisted I read one of my short stories aloud, a tale which brought almost the entire class to tears. It was then I recognised and understood the beauty and power of the written word.
So, what took me so long to fulfil this dream? Well, life threw a myriad of events and circumstances which kept me scrapping for survival, an all-consuming pursuit not conducive to creativity. I now reside in The Blue Mountains (my twenty-fourth move in almost as many years) where I found the right environment and community to encourage me to write.
Do you have any particular literary influences that have helped you develop in your genre, subject and style?
I have always been an avid reader, devouring novels from across a spectrum of genres, finding pleasure and growth in the tomes of literary brilliance that stayed with me long after the last page. Just as much, I love the novels I can consume in one sitting, the type of story that grips you and keeps those pages turning until the end. The latter is the type of book I’ve written and the author who best epitomises this type of writing, for me, is James Patterson. His novels provide a light relief between more serious literature, as well as a style of entertaining escapism I thoroughly enjoy.
Xlibris Publishing will return with KJ Stewart in Part 2.
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