Daniel G. miller

 

The Orphanage by the Lake is a new series with Hazel Cho as your detective and protagonist. Where did she come from?
     I’ve always loved detective stories and I’ve wanted to write one for a long time. However, I felt like the grizzled, alcoholic, white guy with a haunted past had been done to death. I thought it would be fun to take that convention and turn it on its head with a smart, fun, spunky female detective like who resembled many of the women in my life.

           How is this series different from your Tree of Knowledge series?
     While I love them both, the two . are quite different. The Tree of Knowledge is more of a speculative fiction adventure series about larger historical themes: faith vs. logic, democracy vs. authoritarianism, etc. The Orphanage By The Lake is a much more focused, real-life mystery-thriller series about the demons we face every day.

          I like that Hazel is mid-age, 30 years old, single, and that her private investigator business is going under. The reader immediately roots for her to succeed.  Economics, or social levels, play a big role in this book. What are you saying beyond the mystery plot?
        Beyond the mystery plot, The Orphanage By The Lake is fundamentally about power and how it impacts everything we do in both subtle and overt ways. As an African-American orphan child, Mia is the personification of the powerless, so no one makes much an effort to find her. It’s only when Madeline (a powerful white woman) and Hazel (a fighter for the powerless) intervene that things begin to change. Likewise, because the perpetrators in Mia’s disappearance are powerful, no one with the power to find Mia actually wants to know the truth. I find this to be a major theme in our society, how power corrupts our search for truth.

          A missing person’s case linked with an orphanage was a captivating idea. What—WHAT IF—brought about the idea for the story?
     I actually reference the case that catalyzed the idea in the novel. I saw an article about a children’s home in which hundreds of children had run away over the years. I asked myself, “how could this be?” And the story flowed from there.

          Your novel is very informative about missing person cases while Hazel is ferreting out how a girl from an orphanage could have vanished. Where did you get your research? How extensive did you research before writing?
     I did a ton of research before writing this because I wanted the book to ring true. I spoke with experts in the field, including police and private investigators who had worked on missing persons cases. I also read everything I could find on police procedure. Finally, I had experts read the novel to check if anything I wrote missed the mark.

          Your plot features many characters with complex character arcs, many of whom become prime suspects. Do you outline your character arcs and plots before writing?
     Yes, and I swear by this as a writer. Before I write an ounce of story I write detailed character sketches so that when I’m writing the character I know everything that makes them tick. This enables the plot to flow naturally from the characters motivations. For example, Mackenzie isn’t just mean to Hazel because it serves the mystery, he’s mean to Hazel because he cares deeply about St. Agnes and doesn’t want to see his legacy ruined.   

          “…looked more like haunting houses now. Each one has a simple light on inside, big enough to lure you in but dark enough to trap you.”  The novel is set around Halloween and has some dark elements. But you keep the atmosphere more in shadow than darkness.  Were you tempted to go darker? If not, why not?            Great question. No. I’ve always liked Hitchcock’s approach of leaving the horror behind the curtain to allow people to imagine the worst.  

          The Orphanage by the Lake became an immediate bestseller. Why do you think it hit the market so big—other than it is a well-written and intriguing story? Did you set your mind to your reader and keep to that focus?  Research marketability?
     I think there were two big factors. First, was the fact that, unlike with the Tree of Knowledge, I targeted a very specific audience with the style and substance of this book. I wrote a book that would appeal to people who like fast-paced thrillers like Freida McFaddens, Charlie Donlea, Lisa Jewell, etc. Second, there’s something uniquely creepy about the old-school orphanage in our imagination that makes it irresistible to thriller-lovers.    

           Book 2 of the Hazel Cho series, The Red Letter, will be released on February 25th. Do you see this series as multi-volume?
     I would like to do at least three Hazel Cho stories. Beyond that, I’m not sure. It will depend on whether I feel like there’s a real story to tell with Hazel versus just cranking out another book.

          What are you working on now? And how best can readers connect with you other than here on this website?
​I’m putting the finishing touches on The Red Letter, which I actually like better than The Orphanage By The Lake. We’ll see if readers agree. After that, I’m working on a stand-alone novel. More to come on that. I love hearing from readers and they can email me anytime at [email protected]. I also post and interact a fair amount on Facebook and Instagram so please follow me there. 

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