Brian Freeman, author of The Ursalina
Genre Fiction Category, sponsored by Macalester College
Each week leading up to the 35th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why?
I always tell readers that I write thrillers with an emotional core. That’s particularly true of The Ursulina. Yes, this novel is twisty, shocking, and sometimes dark — but at its heart, it’s a deeply personal book. You can feel the passion and urgency of the young woman narrating the story. And that last chapter! I could start reading it to you now, and by the end, I’d have to stop because I’d be in tears.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
I always tell aspiring writers to remember that 100% of unwritten books have never been published! Writers can often be their own worst enemy. They psyche themselves out; they question what they’ve done; they listen to that little voice in their head that tells them they can’t do it. But you have to have a crazy amount of self-determination to succeed in this business. That means you have to glue yourself to a chair and WRITE.
Tell us about a favorite book. Why did you find it moving, influential, or otherwise memorable?
One of my favorite books growing up was Trinity by Leon Uris about the troubles in Ireland. It’s told in the first person and is a magnificent, sweeping epic saga. But what shocked me – spoiler alert! — is that the first person narrator is killed in the end. That creative choice taught me a lot about what writers can do when they’re willing to break the rules.
The Minnesota Book Awards is a celebration of writers, readers – and libraries. We’d love if you would share thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
I’ve had the good fortune of visiting libraries throughout Minnesota, in venues from big cities to the smallest of small towns. Regardless of size, one thing never varies — the role of the library as central to the life of the community. It’s obvious, meeting readers in their home towns, how much they depend on the library not just for books, but for knowledge, companionship, and connections.
Brian Freeman is a New York Times bestselling and Minnesota Book Award-winning author of more than two dozen psychological thrillers, including the Jonathan Stride series and multiple popular stand-alone novels.