Henya Drescher

After reading Stolen Truth, a psychological thriller, I was honored to sit with Author Henya Drescher to find out why she likes writing this genre, what gets her creative juices flowing, and what readers can expect from her next book!

JM: Thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, are one of my favorite genres to read and favorite types of movies to watch. What was it that made you decide to write in this genre vs. another?

HD: I will begin by saying that I like to read psychological thrillers because of their inherent vicarious entertainment and the intellectual rush of taking part in a mystery that I feel I have helped unravel. But what’s most intriguing is acquiring a deeper understanding of what makes the human mind function, soar or break.

Therefore, writing psychological thrillers is something I enjoy not only reading but also writing. In the process, I attempt to uncover my characters’ unstable or delusional mental and emotional conditions.

 

JM: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

HD: For as long as I can remember, I read books. Books fascinated me. I was able to construct and take part in magical worlds. At age thirteen, I read great Russian literature such as Crime and Punishment, War & Peace, Anna Karenina, Life & Fate. Like breathing, wanting to become a writer was natural. Also, writing in my journals was an outlet for my growing pain every teenager goes through. I’d pour my feelings and hurt onto the page.

 

JM: After reading your blog, you seem to have a passion for current events, and social justice in every area seems important to you. How does this part of you influence your novel writing?

HD: Like psychological thrillers, I am deeply entranced in social psychology and how current social events influence what we do as a society. Similarly, the characters in my novels are shaped by their environment and upbringing. I find that both are closely related. We are all influenced by the world around us and have unique experiences that affect our writing. In the same way, I find that my past influences me. Growing up poor and experiencing gender and socioeconomic status disadvantages have significantly impacted my writing.

 

JM: I read the summaries for both Blind Pursuit and Stolen Truth and am excited to read both of them in entirety. Which one was the most exciting to write? Do you have a favorite of the two?

HD:  So far, STOLEN TRUTH is my favorite novel. But I also like each of my novels differently. My first novel, BLACK DIAMONDS, is loosely based on a true story. In the 70s in New Mexico, female coal miners were an anomaly and viewed by their counterparts as a threat. It’s a love story between two women. My second, BLOW FORWARD, charts the life of a female long haul truck driver and her attempt at putting her life back together again but was derailed when hijacked by a terrorist. STOLEN TRUTH is also female, character-oriented. About a woman who was hinged and disoriented at the beginning of the story, but soon she turned her life around in pursuit of her goal and overcoming many obstacles along the way.

 

JM: You’re currently working on your third novel. Does it have a title yet? What can readers expect from this one?

HD: BLIND PURSUIT is a novel in progress—the theme of the story is in line with the rest of my books. I make the subjects familiar. I take an everyday situation and ask myself how it is relatable to each of us. The bond between mother and daughter is complicated—something that every daughter can picture herself in this kind of relationship. Homa, my main character, is every-woman. With a lifetime’s worth of stuff between mother and daughter, both trying to exist within the manifold layers of their unique bond.

After transitioning from a life as an intelligence officer to a security detail, Homa Anwar is called back into action when she discovers that she’s not responsible for nine soldiers’ death back in Afghanistan. Instead, that she now thinks she must protect the severely brain-damaged sole surviving soldier from the squad of ten.

 

JM: Outside of writing, it sounds like you have a pretty active lifestyle. Is there one activity you do that helps your creativity and ideas come more easily?

HD: I think the best while in movement while gardening while lifting weights while cleaning the house. During these think-less tasks, my mind is free to roam around. Luckily, I can store my ideas in my head and use them later in my writing.

                                                                        

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Henya is absolutely delightful and she's one of the kindest people I've ever spoken with. I could sit and chat with her all day. Instead, she shared with me what brings her joy when she isn't writing.

JM: What is something you enjoy doing for fun?

      HD: As unlikely as it seems, I find to have a great deal of fun while spinning. Challenging my body to its outer limits is a task I embrace and enjoy.

JM: Do you have a favorite dessert?

HD: Chocolate is my favorite ... and more so since I don’t allow myself to eat it regularly.

JM: What is one place you’d love to visit but haven’t yet?

HD: I’d love to see Russia. Unwittingly, my mother introduced me to its culture and food. And reading most of the Russian literature and history, I developed an affinity to ins culture.

JM: What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? 

HD: Being afraid of heights, I am apprehensive while hiking in steep terrain. This is a challenge I embrace despite my fear.

For more about Henya Drescher, her blog posts, stories she's published on Medium.com, and social media info, visit https://henyadrescher.com/.

Stolen Truth is available for purchase on amazon.com.

**Cover design by Black Rose Writing.

***Author photo is property of the author.