he Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment
Thanks for having me over, Matthew! My host asked me to write about organized crime in fiction and why I chose members of the Russian Mafia as my antagonists.
We’re all familiar with the Mafia, but although the Italians are the most well-known, they don’t hold a monopoly on organized crime. There’s the Yakuza of Japan, The Triads of China, and the Cartels of Mexico and South America. Lesser known are the Jamaican Yardies in Britain, as well as the Albanian, Serbian, and Israeli Mafias.
Second in size and influence to the Italian Mafia in the US is the Russian Mafia (Mafiya). Though they’re less prevalent in pop culture, they’ve made appearances in movies such as Eastern Promises, Boondock Saints, and Training Day. And while there are plenty of non-fiction books on the Russian Mafia, there are very few novels…until mine.
I drew on this particular group because of my own experience. They’re the only bad guys I’ve ever met personally. I was inadvertently privy to information they were interested in, info that could have endangered the wellbeing of a friend. I chose to withhold that info and was threatened as a result. It was only natural for them to become the antagonists in my book.
So when I set The Mistaken in my old hometown of San Francisco, I drew on that frightening experience. Just like in real life, my Russians, the Solntsevskaya Bratva (brotherhood), deal in human trafficking and offer my protagonist—who seeks revenge against the woman who killed his pregnant wife—a deal.
In exchange for this woman, the Russians agree to finally let his brother leave the business for good, with his debt wiped clean and his heart still beating. It’s a deal he can’t refuse, that is until he kidnaps the wrong woman. Now he must protect this innocent woman from the very enemy he’s unleashed. But the Russians are holding his brother as leverage to force him to complete their deal. Somehow he must find a way to save himself, his brother, and the woman, but with the Russian Mafia, even two out of three makes for very long odds.
Have you ever had to deal with any bad guys in your real life?
If so, have they ever found a way into your writing?
(If you want to learn more about my personal experience with the Russians, tune into
Lisa Regan’s blog on Tuesday, 10/30 for the full story.)
Visit Nancy’s blog, follow, and leave a comment during her book tour for a chance to win an ARC of The Mistaken. Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook.
Purchase here: (I’ll send you the active buy links once they go live on 10/15 or 10/16.)
Amazon Books
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
Praise for The Mistaken:
“A deliciously slow burn that builds to a ferocious crescendo, Nancy S. Thompson’s THE MISTAKEN kept me riveted until the very last page. Tyler Karras is a complex and flawed protagonist, and his redemptive journey makes him the perfect anti-hero. This psychological suspense is a standout, and I can’t wait for Thompson’s next book.”
~ Jennifer Hillier, author of CREEP and FREAK
“Nancy S. Thompson’s debut novel, The Mistaken, is a first-rate thriller full of hair-raising twists and turns. Pursued by the police and the Russian mafia in San Francisco, brothers Tyler and Nick Karras are fascinating, fully-drawn, desperate characters. The action is non-stop. Thompson’s taut, intriguing tale of revenge, mistaken identity, kidnapping and murder will keep you enthralled and entertained.”
~Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author of DISTURBED and TERRIFIED
“Fast-paced and emotionally gripping – once the ride begins, you won’t stop reading until it ends.” ~Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of CASSAFIRE and CASSASTAR
Source:
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