Recently, I had the pleasure of talking to Kathy-Diane Leveille, author of the suspense novel Let the Shadows Fall Behind You. Kathy is a former CBC broadcast journalist who gave it all up to follow her dreams to be a writer. With one book under her belt, a collection of short stories titled Roads Unravelling, Kathy is gearing up to introduce another to the world this month. Pull up a chair and listen in as Kathy talks about what inspires her, facing that blank page and her new book.

Arwen Taylor: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Kathy-Diane Leveille: I'm a former broadcast journalist with CBC radio. Seventeen years ago, when I was home on maternity leave with my youngest son, I dug out an old file of story ideas and started scribbling. By the time the date arrived when I was supposed to return to work, I had already decided that I didn't want to keep putting my dream of writing fiction on the back burner. Since then I've done different jobs, including being a janitor and typing medical transcription, to give me the time and energy to pursue my passion. My first book Roads Unravelling, a collection of short stories set on the Kennebecasis River where I live, was published a few years ago. Let the Shadows Fall Behind You released this spring is my first suspense novel.

Arwen Taylor: What made you decide to switch from working with CBC radio to writing fiction books?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: When I was a journalist I was always telling other people's stories. It was an exciting job, and helped pay the bills. However, at the end of the day I had no energy reserves left to pursue my passion of fiction writing. My father passed away, and I started to take a good look at my life. I decided that I didn't want to keep putting my dreams in the back seat. I wanted them to drive my car.

Arwen Taylor: What inspired your new suspense novel Let the Shadows Fall Behind You?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: My novels are sparked by a question surrounding a mysterious disappearance. I actually have a blog to record them all at Unsolved Disappearances. In the case of Let the Shadows Fall Behind You, Nikki, Brannagh Maloney's lover, disappears. Brannagh allows herself to be drawn back to New Brunswick, a place she swore she would never return to, by her best friend Annie for a reunion of their all-girls club the Tuatha-de-Dannans.

She stays at her grandmother's cottage even though it is far too close to the woods where her mother was murdered. Brannagh struggles to put to rest the questions surrounding Nikki's death as well as deal with the pressing family secrets that surrounds the most tragic disappearance of all.

Arwen Taylor: Why do you think readers will enjoy the book?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: Let the Shadows Fall Behind You has the multi-layered depth that lovers of good psychological suspense are attracted to. I tend to discover a new author with an unusual slant on the genre and compulsively read everything they've written. Lately, I've been devouring the works of Nicci French, a husband and wife British team. Maybe I'm just intrigued that this collaboration continues without self-combusting. I really like sophisticated screen thrillers too like Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, and have watched both quite a few times. I love the mechanics of an intricate plot paired with superb characterizations. I think every movie I watch and book I read informs my writing to some degree, because when the story transports me, I'm always curious as to why, and try to nail it down. That seamless pairing of plot and characterization to heighten suspense is what I've tried to master with Let the Shadows Fall Behind You. At heart, this is a book about the power of friendship. When Brannagh returns home for a childhood reunion of the Tuatha-De-Danaans, despite Nikki's vanishing, she finally confronts the shadow she's been running away from. Nothing can change the past, but friendship holds the power to transform the future. It was important for me to write about this because it's a lesson I've been processing, as is so often the case with writing. The story is a reflection of what life is teaching me. This is all very mysterious and happens subconsciously; and very comforting.

Arwen Taylor: People say that once you write one book that it is easier to write another. Have you found that to be true?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: Yes and no. I think all writers have a fear of the blank page. No matter how many books you've published and how many awards you've won, when you're inspired by that initial idea, you really have no guarantee you'll be able to carry it through from beginning to end. (And that if you do, it will not only work and hold together, but enthrall readers, amaze your publisher and zoom up the bestseller list.) However, learning the craft of writing a novel is a huge apprenticeship. Once you can finally juggle all those balls in the air (plot, character, setting, pacing, theme), it does get much easier to develop a strategy each time going in. I just finished my next suspense novel IN COLD STORAGE and while it's a different creature than SHADOWS (I like challenges) I found it went much faster.

Arwen Taylor: I noticed that you do speaker phone chats for reading groups. How has it been speaking to the readers about your characters and book?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: I love talking to readers about my writing. They are the warmest group of people I know. Connecting with book lovers is where the rubber hits the road. They are insightful and honest. When they get a story, you know all the work was worthwhile. To be honest, I'm always a little embarrassed and surprised when someone stops me and talks about how they enjoyed a character or story. I have to pinch myself!

Arwen Taylor: What would you say is the most rewarding thing about writing?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: There are so many, it's hard to chose one. I learn from my writing. It isn't something I pursue consciously, but eventually when I look at a book I've written I can see that I was learning something about life from the character's journey. I was born a writer and something deep inside me comes alive when I put pen to paper. I would wither like the proverbial plant in the desert without water if I couldn't. Being published is the biggest thrill you can imagine. Holding that book in my hands never gets boring.

Arwen Taylor: Any advice for your fellow writers?

Kathy-Diane Leveille: Rule number one: Go to the page. Rule number two: Go back to the page. Rule number three: Go back to the page again. I think it's important to exercise your true voice, test it, settle into its strengths and weaknesses, and learn to trust it BEFORE you attend workshops. If you attend 'how to' sessions too soon, the tendency is to try and act on the information with the left brain and copycat what is being taught. If, however, you already write in your true voice, you will trust your gut instinct to take the information taught and adapt any parts of it to your style to enhance it, and discard the rest. How do you know if you're writing in your true voice? The words catch fire, the room disappears and you hum along on a magic carpet in your imagination.

Rule number two: Devote at least half as much time as you spend writing to learning the publishing business.

Arwen Taylor: Thank you, Kathy, for sitting down and chatting with us today. It is a true pleasure to speak with you.

Kathy-Diane Leveille: Thank you so much for inviting me to be your guest and meeting all your readers.