My Life of Crime: Carla Kovach author of The Next Girl, Her Final Hour, and Her Pretty Bones
It's a delight to welcome Carla Kovach onto The Crime Warp today. She is one of the nicest, bubbliest characters you could hope to spend time with ... and she brought biscuits!!! - Told you she's a star. I have had the pleasure of doing a Noir at the Bar with Carla and her partneer and can vouch for how good her writing is ... but it's time for me to hand over to Carla and for her to get down to the nitty gritty of her Life of Crime.
I am a crime and horror author from the UK. The Next Girl, Her Final Hour and Her Pretty Bones are the first three books in the DI Gina Harte series and are published by Bookouture. My earlier works include, Whispers Beneath the Pines, To Let, Flame and Meet Me at Marmaris Castle.
I co-run a video production company, write stage plays and screenplays. I currently have a horror feature film in production which is due for release in 2019.
May I say how delighted I am to be
asked to write a piece for My Life of Crime. There are many more works of
fiction and people that I greatly admire that have been influential in my life,
so narrowing the list down for this article proved to be difficult. Thank you
so much for having me here.
Two
books that have influenced me.
Dracula
by Bram Stoker.
I absolutely adore the way this book
was written. I love the diary excerpts and letters that fill every page. To me
it is a timeless piece of literature that is dark and thrilling, and totally
terrifying to read. It’s also one of the only books I’ve read a few
times.
Damaged by Cathy Glass.
The fact that this book is based on a
true story makes it even more heart-breaking. Any book that can move me
emotionally like this one did, whether the characters are real or fictional,
deserves to be read and shouted about.
Two
songs that have influenced me.
Bad Dream by Ben’s Brother.
This is a brilliantly written song
where the music and singer take it to another level. Again, I find it
influential as I really feel for the character in the story. The lyrics and
delivery are so moving, it’s like being stabbed in the ribs. I think if a
person is listening to this song and doesn’t feel an element of sadness, they
can’t be human.
Feeling
Good by Nina Simone.
I must add that I actually love
Muse’s version just as much. If this song doesn’t make you feel good with all its
breeze, birds and the sun in the sky, I don’t know what will. Again, I feel as
though the lyrics and music encompass the mood perfectly.
Two
people that have influenced me.
Emmeline Pankhurst.
I feel that the fight for equality is
not over yet but we all have Emmeline to thank for being instrumental in
getting the vote for women. Not giving women the same democratic rights as men
was a part of our scandalous and dirty past, one which should not be forgotten.
Women being no more than property – what was that about? It’s hard to
comprehend now. Thank goodness for the suffragettes who took to the streets,
got arrested, went on hunger strikes, got abused, got force-fed and died for
the rights we have today. At the time she was seen as a militant activist and
no doubt a troublemaker by some, but it just shows, sometimes society is wrong,
the law is wrong and it needs to be challenged. If she were here now, I’d like
to thank her and the other suffragettes for what they did and everything they
went through. 
Anyone who can take on a big company
such as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in the way she did, deserves
to be admired. Despite not holding many formal qualifications, this
environmental activist refused to back down and she got justice. This is a case
of a little known person taking on a big company with all its wealth. A
remarkable achievement in which I hugely respect.
Two films/TV dramas that have influenced me.
The Handmaid’s Tale.
This series filled me with so much
emotion, I couldn’t not make it my ultimate favourite work of televised
fiction. It also show how fragile society is, how politics and attitudes can
shape what happens next and being a woman, this work of fiction filled me with
fear. The main character, June, takes the viewer on an up-close and personal
journey, one of which I take inspiration from. This series made me lose sleep,
it brought tears to my eyes and more than anything, it still makes me think. I
should also note that I have Margaret Atwood‘s book and I fully intend to read
it soon.
Schindler’s
List.
Not only is this another Spielberg
cinematic masterpiece, it tells the story of Oskar Schindler - a story that
should be told. The scenes showing the girl wearing the red coat in this black
and white film were immensely powerful as a filmmaking tool. It shows that
something so small can make such a huge impact. That little girl is one of the
most iconic characters, representing innocence in this horrendous situation,
yet she has very little screen time.
As with The Handmaid’s Tale,
Schindler’s List has stayed with me for a long time. Due to the content and
that it’s based on true-life, I put off watching this film for years. I
struggle with watching films about the holocaust. However, I’m glad I did watch
it.
Book 3 in the DI Gina Harte Series.
THE
UNPUTDOWNABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NEXT GIRL
She’s just the girl he’s looking
for…
A young woman falls from a vehicle
speeding down a quiet road. Battered and bruised, she turns her head to the
person who comes to her aid. ‘Help her’, she whispers before her eyes
close.
Days later, the body of another young
girl is found in a shallow grave just a few miles away. The similarities
between the two girls are startling – same age, same frail body, same shocking
red hair.
As the town fears there’s a serial
killer living amongst them, Detective Gina Harte must put aside her own
struggles at home, and catch the killer before he finds another perfect
girl.
AN ABSOLUTELY HEART-STOPPING CRIME
THRILLER FROM CARLA KOVACH – if you like Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare
Mackintosh, Her Pretty Bones will have you hooked.
iBookstore: tinyurl.com/ycy6h8c3
Kobo: tinyurl.com/ydzylg8e
Googleplay: tinyurl.com/ybz9adr3
Social
media:
Twitter - @CKovachAuthor
Instagram - Carla_Kovach
Website - www.carlakovach.com
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