Faye Snowden
Author Interview - Faye Snowden
Author of A Killing Rain and A Killing Breath
About A Killing Breath:
Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd “Fire” Burns. When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father’s crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away. Decades later Raven’s hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd’s evil has settled in her bones.
About A Killing Rain:
After former homicide Raven Burns returns to Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana to begin a new life, she soon finds herself trapped by the old one when her nephew is kidnapped by a ruthless serial killer, and her foster brother becomes the main suspect. To make matters worse, she is being pursued by two men— one who wants to redeem her soul for the murder Raven felt she had no choice but to commit, and another who wants to lock her away forever.
Author Interview - Faye Snowden
Author I draw inspiration from:
2026: A difficult question because I'm inspired by so many! Since I was a young girl my inspirations included Toni Morrison, pretty much all of her books. My favorites were "Beloved", "A Bluest Eye" and "Song of Solomon", especially the nod to the African American myth about African American's ability to fly. It actually inspired me to study African myths to use in my fiction.
Being a lit major in college, I love Faulkner, who also influenced Morrison. Flannery O'Connor, Shirley Jackson and Richard Wright are other major influences. My favorite book of all time, the book that influenced me the most is Ralph Ellison, "The Invisible Man". It was the first time I really discovered that you could write prose that sounds like music. Contemporary writers I love include the horror authors Jonathan Janz, Tananarive Due, & Gabino Iglesais, and the very talented authors Rachel Howzell Hall and Tracy Clark. Delia Pitts is also very good. And I love what Attica Locke does with southern gothic! I'm sure I left many out, and more I will discover later.
2022: I write dark. My villains are charming with inner cores of pure evil. I put my heroine— homicide detective Raven Burns— through pure hell while forcing her to battle her own internal demons on almost every page. So, I not only have to think about how to stay inspired, but I also have to think about how to stay grounded while carrying around the seeds of such terrible stories.
The way I stay grounded is to remember that though I may have a character who has to fight for every inch of joy she experiences, there are many things in my life that I love and things that bring me joy. I'm able to maintain the distance between my life and the characters I create by remembering that. They only live on the page. I don't set a place for them at my table, and I definitely don't let them drink up all my good liquor!
For inspiration, I look to the stories of my own life, and that of my extended family. I also find inspiration in news stories and TV shows. I have been a big fan of shows like Law and Order and Dateline forever. Lastly, I love reading great fiction regardless of genre. Reading a good piece of literature makes me want to go out and write some myself!
Favorite place to read a book:
2026: Easy answer! Thanks for the softball. My favorite place is out in the sun somewhere, in the summer in the backyard with whisky & coke, or coffee in the mornings and my Pomchi dog, Chewy, who makes sure I go outside on weekend mornings to read. He doesn't care what's happening. If don’t move quick enough, there he is biting by toes. I also like reading in parks. So, my favorite place to read a book is vast! Anything outside in the sun
2022: Outside in full sun with a light breeze going. I usually go to a park close to my house and lay a blanket out on the grass. The best.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
2026: I would have to say Judge Mary Stone from the book, “Judge Stone”, by Viola Davis and James Patterson. I absolutely loved that character, the way she handled her own rage, the racism in her hometown, and the systemic injustice to people of color with a quiet strength fed by her upbringing and, dare I say it, the ancestors. I was especially fascinated with depictions of her off the bench and lecturing the courtroom with her black robes flaring. The imagery there slayed me. That character was so fully developed I can almost believe it’s possible to encounter her in an elevator. If we were stuck between floors, I would ask her these questions: How do you do it? How do you stay calm in the face of the disrespect you received from that bonehead DA, the governor and the attorney general? How do you keep from punching them in the throat? I think she would tell me what I already know as an African American woman in a male-dominated field. She would say chose your battles. She would say that it would be wise to not waste your energy proving to people that you belong in the seat you occupy. While sometimes its necessary to clap back, do it when it counts. Otherwise, they aren’t worth your breath.
2022: It would definitely be the unnamed character in Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man. The first thing I would ask him? Yes, you guessed it, his name. And another? Why in the heck did it take so long for you to fall down that hole after all this country put you through?
For a character in a contemporary novel, I'd would want to have a chat with Cass Raines of Tracy Clark's Runner. I'd like to talk fathers with her as Raven is having problems with her own father—albeit on an entirely different (and incredibly scary) level.
Author Interview - Faye Snowden | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
2026: I talk about this on the 7Criminal Minds blog. There was never a moment when I knew I wanted to be an author. I just wanted to write, and did so for many years without seeking publication. I do remember reading the first few pages of a mediocre book that everyone was raving about. I think I realized then that publishing may have been something I could achieve. If they can do it, why can’t I?
2022: I'd say from the time I was 9 or 10. I fell in love with reading and writing almost from the moment I was introduced.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
2026: Holy Moly. I love them all! I usually listen to an audiobook, read a print book and an e-book simultaneously. Here are my likes and dislikes:
Hardback/Paperback - Pro: It's tactile. I like the way it feels and smells. Cons: I lose them all the time. (I read with whisky, remember?) In addition, they are very difficult to rewind.
Audiobook - Pros: The narrators add to the story, and help bring it alive. I've stuck with many books instead of abandoning them because the narration was so good. They are also very difficult to lose. Con: Reading them requires that I drive, cook, clean, or walk. Those rules are very strict. So, if I'm listening to an audiobook, it involves some sort of work.
e-books: Pro: An entire library at my fingertips. If I finish one book, I can easily start another one! Con: Sometimes I miss place this entire library. It also runs out of batteries.
2022: This makes me laugh. All of them. I usually have 3 books going at a time. It goes like this- 1 paperback or hardback, 1 e-book, and 1 audiobook. I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded.
The last book I read:
2026: Can you guess? Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson. Right now, I'm reading "AI Snake Oil", and my own novel. I'm in the midst of revising the last book in the "Killing" series as its due to my editor very soon, tentatively titled, "A Killing Earth".
2022: Midnight Hour: A Chilling Anthology of Crime Fiction from 20 authors of Color ed. by Abby L. Vandiver. I have a story in this book, and wanted to see what the other stories were like. I was not disappointed.
Author Interview - Faye Snowden | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
2026: I'm a big believer in free writing. After I have my idea fleshed out, I write scenes with pen and paper. I then type them into Word. After that, I do several developmental edits. Once I'm happy with it, I read the novel in 1 or 2 sittings looking for plot holes, problems with pacing, etc. And then, I print it all out, go to a coffee shop and read it like a reader.
2022: I would like to say pen and paper, but it's a computer for me...something about seeing the words form on a blank screen keeps me going.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
2026: Maybe because it's so much on my mind, it would have to be Judge Mary Stone. I think we would be good friends because I'm fascinated by her brilliant mind, work ethic and compassion.
2022: Dang. I read dark books, usually, so they are all so messed up. I don't know if I could be best friends with any of them-- maybe a best therapist friend? Okay, seriously, Cass Raines in Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark.
Author Interview - Faye Snowden | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
2026: Now the hard questions are coming! I do have a day job that I love very much. Writing takes time and effort, and I'm in that phase of life when I have young grandkids. If I wasn't an author I'd turn to being a full time grandmother and spoiler of kids. That is a profession, right?
2022: Lawyer. Always wanted to be a lawyer.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
2026: The twenties without a doubt. Women's fashion then was a comment on women's liberation, in my opinion. I also liked the forties and fifties fashion, not so much the bullet bras, though! I loved the evening dresses from that time.
2022: Easy. 1920's. Love the drama and rebellion against the Victorian period of fashion.
Place I’d most like to travel:
2026: I want to spend more time in the Caribbean in one those little huts on the water. Or Africa. I wouldn’t mind traveling to Kenya, and definitely Ghana because of all the literary expats that lived there in the past, including Mayo Angelou & W.E.B. Du Bois. I believed James Baldwin spent some time there? Or was it Paris? If it’s Paris, I want to travel there! LOL!
2022: Italy, Greece, or any place with lots of sun and acres of sparkling blue water.
My signature drink:
2026: I think I've already answered this question. I make a mean old-fashioned, and a pretty good Sazerac.
2022: Old Fashioned-- not to sweet, though. And over craft ice.
Favorite artist:
2022: There are many favorites, but if I have to choose one, it would be Bruce Springsteen if we are talking music. Aside from the stories he tells, his work ethic, integrity, and devotion to his craft inspire me to no end. I try to emulate that as much as I can. His picture is hanging in my office right above my computer. It gets me going when I'm stuck.
Number one on my bucket list:
2026: There is this incredible African American sculptor named Augusta Savage who never got her due. She had a piece at the 1939 World's Faire, a 16-foot sculpture called "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Like most of her work, it didn't survive. Another is Jean-Michel Basquiat who had a close connection to Andy Warhol. You can see influences of his work in different commercialized artwork today. Like, you might find Target selling something that looks like a Basquiat. Anyway, those are the two that come to mind.
2022: Finish writing a novel that is outside of my genre, one I've been thinking about for years. After that? Vacation in Italy!
Anything else you'd like to add:
2026: No! I'm exhausted! LOL!
2022: No, except great questions. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to natter on about myself.
Find more from the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faye.snowden.9/
Instagram @fayesnowden
BlueSky: @fayesnowden.bsky.social
About Faye Snowden:
Faye Snowden is the award-winning author of the southern gothic A Killing series mysteries. The second book in the series, A Killing Rain (Flame Tree 2022) was named by CrimeReads as one of the best southern gothic mysteries of 2022, and was long-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger. It won gold in the 2022 Books Foreword INDIES awards. The third book in the series, A Killing Breath was released on April 14th, 2026. The fourth and final Raven Burns tale is in the works. Aside from novels, Faye writes short stories, two of which have appeared in ‘best of’ anthologies. Learn more about Faye at www.fayesnowden.com.
