Can you tell us what your trilogy is about?
Today I’m going to write about the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, as the final book has just been released. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might remember that I wrote a “guest post” for one of the characters in the first book of the trilogy, Unnatural, in 2021. The character was Yang Peng, the director
of the secret Chinese government facility performing embryonic stem cell gene editing. So, you guessed it, that book involves human gene editing. The second book, Unwitting, is about training young autistic men to become suicide bombers. The third book, Unforeseen, explores a rogue pharmaceutical company.
Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?
The main character is Eric Rosen, a young, intelligent, highly principled San Francisco pediatrician. She has a special place in her heart for disabled children, as her brother, who recently died, had cerebral palsy and was deaf. Erica’s best friend, Daisy Wong, is an Asian American computer programmer. Her trusted assistant, Martha, provides excellent support for Erica in the clinic. Additional characters, present in all three books, are introduced in the first book. One memorable character appears in the second book, Unwitting. Zaron is a young autistic man Erica takes under her wing. Although unable to care for himself, he has some unusual abilities not immediately apparent. Zaron is closely based on my own autistic son.
Your books are set in various locations. Can you tell us why you chose these locations in particular?
All books are set in San Francisco to start because that’s a place I’m familiar with, having lived in the area for many years. Unnatural takes the reader to China, where the genetic engineering takes place. I chose China because it has an authoritarian government as well as advanced scientific capabilities. The
second and third books, Unwitting and Unforeseen, remain in the United States. Although mainly in San Francisco, other areas are also involved.
How long did it take you to write your books?
Each book took approximately three months for the first draft and another five or six months for editing. In my case, editing takes longer than the first draft. As I write, I make changes in my original plan but don’t go back to correct everything that needs to be revised to accommodate those changes.
What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?
That’s hard to say, but finding a publisher has to be right up there near the top. That has enabled me to write without having to deal with all the details needed to self-publish.
What kind of advice would you give other medical
thriller authors?
Be sure to thoroughly research your subject. Also, as with any genre, listen carefully to honest feedback from others. You may not like hearing any criticism whatsoever, but weighing their comments is the only way to improve your writing. By “improve,” I mean make it appealing to the audience you’re after.
