Author Interview: Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas

I am a huge fan of thrillers, and a bigger fan of Kara Thomas, so clearly I can’t wait to devour her debut ADULT thriller, Out of the Ashes! For all the true crime fans, Out of the Ashes, is based on a true unsolved mystery from 1945. The story re-imagines where and how one of the survivors moves on with her life. This one is releasing on May 1st – check out our interview with Kara below and preorder a copy now!

Many thanks to MB Communications and Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy!

Out of the Ashes

by Kara Thomas
Published by: Thomas & Mercer
on May 1, 2023
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 288
Bookshop
Goodreads

A woman’s investigation into her family’s murders uncovers lies, secrets, and dangerous truths in a heart-wrenching novel of suspense.

When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.

Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.

It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.

Author Interview with Kara Thomas

1. Tell us about Sam. What parts of her still live in your head?

Sam came to me before any other aspect of the story. Her voice was always crystal clear in my head— I knew I wanted her to be hardened from her trauma, but still vulnerable. She’s the type of person who is not too proud to beg for help— I’m proud of where her character turned up and the decision she makes at the end of the book, and even if it’s polarizing, I hope it’s one readers can’t get out of their head.

2. What was research like for Out of the Ashes?

I had to put in a ton of time to research house fires and arson for obvious reasons. “Fire science” and the question of what happens to human bodies during a fire that burns that long were important to the plot and the information Sam uncovers.

3. Out of the Ashes is your first adult book. How was your writing process the same or different for YA?

My writing process is the same— basically I get hit with a storm of ideas and scenes and plot twists that I have to wrangle into a cohesive story! The only part of the process that is a bit different is the way I approach characters and dialogue— just like I want my YA characters to sound like teens, I need my adult characters to sound their ages.