KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~~
WATCH US FALL
A Novel
BY CHRISTINA KOVAC
BLURB
But when Addie, the group’s queen bee, discovers that her ex-boyfriend Josh has gone missing, the Sweeties’ worlds are turned upside down. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Josh, a star investigative journalist from a prominent political family, was behaving erratically—and Lucy is determined to find out why. All four friends upend their lives to search for him, but detectives begin to suspect that the Sweeties might know more than they’re letting on.
As the investigation unfolds, Lucy’s obsession with the case reaches a boiling point, and with it, her own troubling secrets begin bubbling to the surface of her carefully curated life. A thrilling account of the lies and delusions that lurk beneath cloistered groups of female friends and the sinister realities of celebrity, Watch Us Fall is a gripping mystery and an examination of the things we tell ourselves when we can’t face the truth.
PRAISE FOR WATCH US FALL:
“…brisk pacing and bountiful melodrama keep the pages turning. Paula Hawkins fans should take note.”—Publishers Weekly
“Watch Us Fall is a stunning work of suspense that’s impossible to put down. Christina Kovac masterfully combines a twisty missing-person mystery, a heartbreaking love story, and an insightful exploration of the nature of obsession and trauma. I loved this novel.”—Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek
“An insightful look at the complex dynamics of close female friendships and the lingering effects of trauma, Watch Us Fall is also a fast moving, twisty thriller that pulls you in on page one and keeps you reading until the surprising and satisfying ending.”—Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Note
“No one writes about D.C. like Christina Kovac. Her latest, Watch Us Fall, is as much a poignant examination of female friendship as it is about what happened to a golden boy journalist from a Kennedy-esque political family chock full of secrets. I couldn’t put it down!”—Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Missing White Woman
“Fast paced and full of surprises, Watch Us Fall is like a Russian nesting doll with layers of secrets and mystery—and at its center, a rumination on how grief and desire can distort reality. Christina Kovac has written a very of-the-moment thriller about love and friendship that will keep readers on their toes and compulsively turning pages.”—Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Paradise
“There’s nothing twistier and more fascinating than the human mind, and Christina Kovac does a terrific job of exploring that landscape in Watch Us Fall. Lucy Ambrose is a compelling main character and an even more engrossing narrator, making this novel of secrets and lies the kind of puzzle that keeps you guessing on every page.”—Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of Crooks
“One of the best psychological thrillers of the year! Watch Us Fall is a beautiful exploration of the bonds of friendship and how far we’ll go to protect those we love—and what happens when secrets threaten to tear everything apart. Emotionally rich, atmospheric, and twisty—Brace yourself for the fall.”—Alex Finlay, bestselling author of Parents Weekend
~~~
WATCH US FALL
A Novel
BY CHRISTINA KOVAC
Interview
INTRODUCING…. Christina Kovac, author of Watch Us Fall
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
I’m a former journalist, now full-time writer who lives in the Washington, DC suburbs with my family and a noisy orange cat. I worked in television news, lastly at NBC News, for nearly two decades in DC but left at the end of the second Obama administration—yes that long ago! My kids kept getting held late in daycare when I was stuck at work, so I decided I ought to change careers. I’d try to write novels, I figured, since I loved books, and how hard could it be anyway? (Plot twist—it is very, very hard.) I’m a beach-goer, book-lover, and my newest hobby is rock-climbing, which makes no sense, since I’m terrified of heights and of falling, but maybe I enjoy it, being terrified. Watch Us Fall is my second novel, and I love it so much. I’m working feverishly on my third now.
1. What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write psychological suspense novels set in DC. I’m so intrigued by why people do the destructive things, their underground tensions, the love that obsesses them, that sort of thing. The human mind is an endless mystery—I don’t even understand myself half the time. I love writing about DC, too, because I miss working in the city so much, and also because people think they know the city from school trips to the Air and Space Museum, but they really don’t—not the District neighborhoods and its residents and the wonderful mix of cultures and arts and music and tensions that makes it uniquely DC. And it’s such a beautiful city.
2. What’s your favorite beverage?
COFFEE! Hot, black, as much as possible, every bean. In the mornings when I’m writing, I will drink an entire pot. At night, my special treat might be an espresso martini, yummy.
3. If you had to listen to one song over and over again for a whole day, what would it be?
Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song”. Story goes (and I think this is true): her studio demanded she write a love song because it would sell. She did not want to write a love song. They told her to do it or else. So she wrote I’m not gonna write you a love song, and called it “Love Song”, and it turned out to be her biggest hit. I think that’s hilarious and a great lesson for writers.
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Running out of time. There is never, ever enough time. Even now, I’m looking at the clock on my computer and thinking, oh no!
5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Probably at the beach. It’s the best place to write. My family has a place in Ocean City, and there’s nothing like a window full of blue to calm your mind and create. And along the shoreline is a great place to walk after you’re done writing for the day.
6. Are you an avid reader? When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?
I read at least one book a week, sometimes two—it depends on how heavily I’m writing during the day and how tired my mind is. Mostly I do read suspense thrillers, or literary thrillers, or crime fiction, but some of my favorite authors write literary or romance or historical novels, so I move around. I just read an early copy of the latest Lily King for example, and it’s probably my favorite book this month. This summer I dipped into Romantasies on a friend’s recommendation, and it was fun, a nice switch. As a writer you can learn so much from other genres.
7. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
I start with place. In DC, so many locations evoke ideas of freedom and justice and love and sacrifice, all the things worth writing about. Once I figure out what neighborhood a character inhabits, I can figure them out, and their world around them, and the dangers they encounter in their world. This book, Watch Us Fall, takes place in Georgetown, which is a really expensive part of the city, and the narrator is broke, so there’s that tension. Georgetown is also near the C&O Canal National Park, which plays a prominent role in the book. In the very first chapter, one of the characters is attacked on the C&O Canal towpath.
8. Tell me about your ideal reader.
Someone who likes reading fast-paced, character-driven stories about good people trapped in terrible situations. I like to write about love—love for your friends, sexual love, how hard it is to balance love with everything else going on in this crazy world, ambition and jobs and finances and oh, a murder. I’m really interested in women’s lives, the particular dangers we face just walking around in a female body. It’s so unfair.
9. If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?
Expanding time, getting more time. Maybe even going back in time to fix mistakes. If I could go without sleep that would be super cool—I’d write all night.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
Watch Us Fall is a psychological suspense novel about four best friends who are living their post-grad dream life in a shared house in Georgetown. When one of their ex’s (a celebrity journalist from a famous political family) disappears, police come calling, their lives are upended, their secrets spill, and things fall apart very fast. It goes on sale December 2nd.
About Author Christina Kovac…
Christina Kovac is the author of Watch Us Fall and The Cutaway. She worked for seventeen years managing Washington, DC, newsrooms and producing crime and political stories in the District. Her career as a television journalist began with Fox Five’s Ten O’Clock News, and after that, the ABC affiliate in Washington and then at NBC news. She lives with her family outside of Washington, DC.
~~~
Links to Christina’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/4rHBlRV
Website: christinakovac.com
To pre-order Watch Us Fall:
https://christinakovac.com/books-2
To sign up for my newsletter:
https://substack.com/@christinakovac
To follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christinakovacwrites
Would love to read book in print format so I can review book
Can sign up to your newsletter by email? I have no substack account
Crystal. You don’t have to be a member of my substack to be on my mailing list, so I think you can join her newsletter as well. Substack is a variation of a mailing list delivery system.
Nice to meet you, Christina…..
Interesting you, too, come from a news background… ala Hank Phillipi Ryan … Similar genres, too
I’m going to be looking for your book.
Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, Christina. I love the premise of this book! I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the insights into your writing life. I enjoyed the interview. I, too, would love to see a LOT more time added to my day. There never seems to be enough time to write. Thanks again for sharing your book with us today.
Hi, your book sounds like a great read, and Thank you for sharing the interview also. Have a Great week.