Author Barbara Nickless
Welcome to Interview Alley! Today’s guest is Barbara Nickless, who whether she’s churning out her bestselling Sydney Rose Parnell series or entering contests, this woman is cranking! With her debut Blood on the Tracks (2016), which turned out to be an Amazon Charts Bestseller, to Dead Stop (2017), Ambush (2019) and Gone to Darkness (2020), Blood on the Tracks and Dead Stop won the Colorado Book Award (mystery). Her first three books in the series won the Colorado Authors’ League Writing Award (Genre), and, currently, Gone to Darkness is a finalist in both the 2021 Colorado Authors League and 2021 Colorado Book Award. Suffice it to say I had questions–lots of them, and Barb graciously granted me answers. Let’s hear what she has to say. Please welcome Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Barbara Nickless.
Donnell: Barbara, thank you for being my guest today. Every book from Blood on the Tracks to Gone to Darkness opens with either a heart-breaking, invest-the-reader-type scenario or one that defies readers to not turn the page.
I hid under my bed after reading Gone to Darkness’s opening. Just saying. You write gritty, dark, and fearless. So, here’s question number one. When you start a new book, is the opening intrinsic to you or do you power through and go back as you work through the plot?
Barbara: So happy to be here! Thank you. But, Donnell, you hid under the bed where the monsters are?!? What were you thinking?!?
Usually when I’m starting a new novel, it’s vital for me to feel solid about the opening—when, where, who, and why. I know those opening pages will still need work, and as the story advances, I go back and tweak them. But finding the opening and the story’s voice is the primary way I get into the head of my main character (and it’s a requirement even when the book opens in a different POV).
I say ‘usually’ because with Gone to Darkness, I wrote the prologue after the novel was completely finished. Only then did I know what my villain was doing in the days leading up to the events in the story.
Donnell: I don’t think I can name another author whose protagonist undergoes as much character growth/change as Sydney Rose Parnell. From Mortuary Affairs in Iraq as a marine, to her stateside career as a railroad agent, to Sydney’s quest to find Malik, and solving his mystery in Ambush, and currently Sydney’s move to Major Crimes in Gone to Darkness, she’s one unstoppable protagonist.
I love that even as a Denver police detective, she has to call upon her railroad agent experience for her first homicide case. Can you talk about these changes in your series? Was that the character arch all along?
Barbara: My editor and I had agreed that Sydney would not remain a
railroad cop. While the publisher was thrilled to have someone take a new approach to the police procedural genre, there was some concern that I couldn’t sustain a series that was tied to the rails. It turns out, I have pages and pages of railroad-related ideas. But I’ll admit it’s been fun to send Sydney and her K9 partner Clyde into Denver’s Major Crimes Unit. And to pair her with her former nemesis in the department. Detective Len Bandoni is a gruff and grumpy character who just begged for a deeper dive. (Indeed, the publisher and I briefly considered doing a spinoff series based on him.)
Donnell: I’m not sure your readers could tolerate Sydney not partnering with Clyde. Which of course she does—shows up with her K-9 partner from day one in Gone to Darkness. In Ambush we didn’t see her Belgian Malinois in the opening. But when he does appear, he’s front and center, all teeth, and amazing. My concern is Clyde been injured in your books. How old is he? Does retirement come up in dog years, and have you thought about/prepared for that?
Barbara: Don’t all of us live in denial about the aging process? That’s the beauty of fiction—we can fudge, at least a little. Military working dogs and K9s do hit a retirement age after 10-12 years of active service (some sources say it’s more like 7-8 years), usually after illness or injury. But when I added gray to Clyde’s muzzle in Ambush, my husband said (direct quote): “Are you kidding???” So out came the gray—easier than Grecian Formula—and Clyde retained his youthful exuberance. And, in truth, he does have some good working years left in him. Will I have to deal with this in the future? My answer is, it depends. After hearing from readers who write asking for confirmation that Clyde is okay before they finish the novel, I’m thinking this particular Belgian Malinois might have to find the fountain of youth.
Donnell: I enjoy the chapter introductions in your novels. Some are from Sydney’s personal journal. Sydney’s English lit class, her grandmother’s sage advice, or perhaps another character’s private quips such as Len Bandoni’s “When a dog has a chance to bite, he will.” They are so fitting for each segment. Can you share your process as to how these intros develop?
Barbara: I do so much research for my novels that I end up with a ton of fascinating tidbits that have no place in the actual story. Thus I came up with the idea of the epigraphs—they’re a way to add backstory and shading without slowing the pacing. That said, I was so frantically under deadline with Dead Stop that I forgot all about the epigraphs until the last minute. Then I had to spend a day or two creating them from my research notes.
Donnell: I understand you teach writing courses to military veterans. You’ve also done Citizens and FBI Academies. How instrumental have these events been for your writing?
Barbara: The citizens’ academies are an incredible way to learn about the inside workings of any branch of law enforcement, be it the police, the sheriff, or the FBI. I highly recommend these academies for everyone, writers and non-writers alike. This is especially true during today’s tense debates over the role of police in America. It’s imperative that we work to understand both sides of this ongoing issue instead of reflexively choosing one side over the other. Being informed is our civic duty.
As for teaching veterans, I have never used their personal experiences in my writing. I’m just honored to be able to give a little back to the community who gave us so much, often with only a passing “thank you for your service” as an acknowledgement for what they gave up or endured.
Donnell: Going back to Ambush, you surprise the reader when someone extremely important in Sydney’s past appears. Without too much of a spoiler alert, this creates a triangle. I held my breath as a reader. I wondered how you, the author, could choose.
Barbara: Honestly, I didn’t know going into the novel how the triangle would resolve. I think it went the only way it could, but there was certainly nothing set in stone. I learned what Sydney’s decision was when she did. 🙂
Donnell: Speaking of ghosts from the past, in Blood on the Tracks, you were advised to leave them out of the series. I think you considered that possibility but ultimately left them in. In Gone to Darkness the ghosts are there, but appear to be more connected to the recent crimes, although the Sir appears during one critical fight scene. Is Sydney letting go? Was this deliberate on your part?
Barbara: I’m glad I didn’t forsake Sydney’s ghosts. They’re a critical
part of her. And I’ve heard from so many veterans, service members, and their families that soldiers and Marines feel haunted in exactly the way Sydney is. But you’re right that Sydney is letting go of some of her trauma and guilt—she is healing, book by book. And part of that healing means putting some of her ghosts to rest. Thus there are fewer ghosts from her time in Mortuary Affairs and fewer “ghostly” moments in the novels.
Donnell: In one chapter of Gone to Darkness, Sydney and Bandoni interview the parents and brother of a murder victim. Sydney shows such empathy and understanding to the mother, and the author clearly separates her authorial self as the parent of two to her protagonist, single and childless. Sydney lost so much in Mortuary Affairs. I thought the scene was well done, yet, as your friend and reader, I flinched. If you’re comfortable could you talk about that?
Barbara: As you know, my husband and I lost our son, Kyle, in 2020 to something called SUDEP, or Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. It was, just as the name implies, shocking and sudden and utterly devastating. If I can get on my soapbox for just a moment, I urge all parents of children, teens, and young adults with epilepsy to seek out information and talk to their child’s neurologist about ways to try and mitigate the risk.
I finished Gone to Darkness before Kyle passed. After he died, it did cross my mind to wonder if I’d done justice to the bereaved mother in that novel. I also wondered if I’d write that passage differently now, knowing what I do. For certain, I’m even more cognizant now of what we endure when someone we love dies suddenly, whether it’s through violence or in some other way.
Donnell: Since 2020 is in the rearview mirror, I’ve been taking a lot of road trips. https://emilysuttonsmith.com/ did a masterful job on the audio version of Ambush. Has she narrated all your books?
Barbara: Isn’t she amazing? I’m so impressed with her work, and I’ve been deeply grateful for the fact that she’s narrated all of Sydney’s books.
Donnell: Finally, I can’t end this interview without mentioning how much I enjoyed your new and returning cast of characters. Bandoni, Sydney’s lieutenant, and Cohen’s cousin Evan Wilding, a forensic semiotician. The plots must be exploding in your brain. What comes next for Barbara Nickless and Sydney Rose Parnell?
Barbara: Plots exploding—spoken like a true writer, Donnell! The publisher has said they want more of Sydney and Clyde and Bandoni and the rest. But they’ve asked first for a spinoff based on Evan Wilding, the forensic semiotician who is introduced in Gone to Darkness. At First Light will come out December 1st of this year.
Donnell: Oh, great! More reasons for me to hide under my bed. Seriously I can’t wait. And, readers, here’s a bit about At First Light, which is available for preorder: https://www.amazon.com/At-First-Light-Barbara-Nickless-ebook/dp/B088R4TLHT
About the Book:
Ritual murder. Archaic clues. A visionary killer. In this heart-stopping novel by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Sydney Rose Parnell series, words can kill.
On the muddy banks of the Calumet River, a body has been found posed next to a series of mysterious glyphs and bearing wounds from a ritualistic slaying. Chicago detective Addie Bisset knows only one man who can decipher the message left by the killer: her friend Dr. Evan Wilding. A brilliant forensic semiotician, Evan decodes the etchings as Viking Age runes. They suggest either human sacrifice or righteous punishment. But to what god? And for what sins?
Only one thing is clear from the disturbing runic riddles: there are more victims to come.
As Evan races to determine the identity of the Viking Poet, he and Addie uncover the killer’s most terrifying secret yet: the motive. This startling discovery puts Evan’s life in mortal danger, and verse by ancient verse, time is running out.
Finally, you can learn more about Barbara Nickless here: https://www.barbaranickless.com/
This series sounds fantastic. Thanks, Donnell and Barbara for adding these to my TBR pile. (It’s going to topple over one of these days.)
Thanks, C.F. you need to make two piles! xo
Nice to meet you, Barbara, and my deepest condolensces on the death of Kyle.
Loved the depth and character driven descriptions in these Q&As- I will definitely buy this series!
Hey, Donnell. My goodness, what an excellent interview! You’d clearly read all of these books and had an grasp on their connections. Nice to meet you, Barbara. I’ll share this post. 🙂
Can’t wait for At First Light!
Enjoyed the interview! Can’t wait to read your latest too, Barbara! 🙂
Wonderful to read the interview, Donnell and Barbara. So many good things happening for you.
Great interview, ladies. Barbara, my condolences on your loss. Best of luck with your writing And than you for looking out for us vets. It sounds like a fascinating series.
Thank you everyone for your kind words. Donnell is not only an incredible writer, but also a wonderful interviewer. <3
Wonderful interview, Barbara and Donnell! So looking forward to your new series, Barbara. Here’s wishing you many happy hours of writing, and it’s good news that Sydney and Clyde will return. As always, sending warm thoughts of comfort your way. <3
A fabulous interview, ladies!
Barbara, my deepest condolences for your recent loss. I hope you find solace in your writing and your series sounds absolutely wonderful. Donnell, thank you for hosting another exciting guest on your blog!
I’m so glad to meet Barbara so I can read her books.
This series is fantastic. The characters intrigue you, help you better understand the sacrifices military men and women experience, and rope you in from the first words. Can’t wait for the new one!