60 seconds with Jessica Huntley

Behind every thriller is an author who transformed their personal experiences and emotions into a magical yet dark read.

In this 60-second interview, psychological thriller author, Jessica Huntley discusses her thriller books, and what led her towards this genre.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I currently live in Surrey, England, but I’m from all over, having grew up on a farm in Wales, lived in Germany with the Army and lived in various other places, including Edinburgh.

I write mainly psychological thrillers, but I’ve also written horror, having been a part of several anthologies.

Officially, I’ve been writing since April 2020 (thanks lockdown!) but unofficially, I’ve been writing stories since I was 5, having written ten books as a teenager and growing up wanting to be an author, but never taking it further until 2020.

My inspiration comes from everywhere, including movies and other books I read, but mostly it comes from daily life struggles and my own imagination. I like to put my own twist on things and put myself in my character’s shoes.

What draws you to write thrillers?

Thrillers have always been my go-to books to read, so writing them felt like the only step to take. I’m not a big romance fan, so it’s not often used in my books.

I’ve suffered a lot with my own mental health battles in the past, so psychological thrillers and this dark way of thinking was also a natural genre I decided to write in.

Are there any themes or messages that you aim to explore in your books?

Almost all of my books explore dark mental health themes and my main message in my books is that you aren’t alone in your struggles and you don’t have to be ashamed or hide away if you need help.

Why is writing about mental health important for you?

I feel it's important to highlight in my books with regards to mental health because I've been there before. I'm happy to say I am free of depression, but anxiety still has a hold of me from time to time, especially in social situations and large gatherings. I often find I am shy and if I'm in a social situation too long then I experience quite distressing symptoms, such as heartburn and nausea.

I also have my fair share of phobias, which I've been on medication for and sought help via Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I am still learning to cope with them, but am now off the medication.

Are there any elements in your novels that are based on real experiences?

Too many to list here! I take a lot of my own life experiences to create characters and scenes in my books. Jinx is especially based on real experience, as it has a military theme and both me and my husband were in the Army.

I didn't go on tour to Afghanistan, but my husband did and many of my military friends did. I asked my husband for help to get the settings right in the Afghanistan scenes for Jinx. It's important for me to get those details right, even if they are uncomfortable to read.

While in the Army, I also experienced bullying and sexual harassment and developed severe depression and anxiety to the point I went on medication and saw a professional on numerous occasions due to a risk of harming myself. The first time I experienced depression was in the Army and it's a darkness I carried around for the next ten years of my life, but I am now over that part. However, I have the scar to remind me of it. 

What was the most challenging scene to write in any one of your novels?

One of the scenes in My Real Self, the third book in the My...Self Series, made me cry. The characters have to say goodbye and it felt like saying goodbye to my own twin sister, but otherwise I’m pretty resilient when it comes to writing tough scenes.

Can you share any memorable fan interactions or feedback you’ve received?

Any time I’m tagged in glowing reviews always make me happy, but I think meeting my readers in real life is a fantastic and surreal experience. I think the best was having readers come up to me at a book party and asking me to sign my book. I’ll never forget it.

Let's talk about your latest book. What inspired the storyline, and what can readers expect from it?

My latest traditional book is called Horrible Husbands and my latest self-published book is The Murder Maze.

Horrible Husbands is a dark, yet humorous story of three best friends who are fed up with their horrible husbands and decide to take matters into their own hands, but with dire consequences. The story came about after a fun-filled girl's weekend of my own. Expect some laughs, dark topics and lots of female revenge.

The Murder Maze is a high-concept thriller about four strangers on a remote island who must fight for their lives and the prize money, finding out along the way that they aren’t truly strangers at all. You can expect plenty of twists, short chapters and a very, very bad man who you will absolutely hate.

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about?

I have a lot of audio books coming out this year, including all 4 books in the My...Self Series, which I am beyond excited for and working with Charlie Albers, an award-winning narrator. I’ve also got an audio book for The Murder Maze coming out working with both my narrators, which is super amazing!

Tell us about your work in progress in 5 words.

Dark. Side-story. Mystery. Friends. Sad.

If you could tell your past self anything, what would it be?

It’s strange because maybe I should have started writing sooner, or kept it up when I wrote books as a teenager, but then if I did keep writing, I wouldn’t have done and experienced everything in my life now. So, I think I’d just say that your time will come, be patient.

Free Short Story:

Grab a free short story called You Die...I Die when you sign up to Jessica's newsletter where you’ll receive two emails per month, including indie author recommendations, first look at new book covers, promotions and updates on Jessica's writing.

Sign up here: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/374a2c10-1bfe-11ef-a0f4-4fba7f289cc4 

You can also find Jessica here:

Website

Facebook 

Instagram 

To stay up to date with my 60 second interviews with indie authors, book launches, giveaways and more, sign up to receive my newsletter at the bottom of this page.