Ginna Leatherbury’s book ‘Always the Blood’ recently roared onto the bestseller list, capturing the imaginations of readers across the world.  But as fans already know this is not a new development for Leatherbury, her first book ‘Vengeance Squared’ also hit the bestseller list. ‘Always the Blood’ followed in its footsteps delivering a thrilling adventure, compelling characters and a powerful storyline.

In ‘Always the Blood’ Sarah, a pregnant, teenaged girl, runs away from NYC and everything she knows, and ends up tied to the mob. She not only works for it, she marries it until a brutal murder spree eviscerates daydreams of happily ever after. Sarah and her best friend Cassie are the only survivors. They part ways never to see each other again.

A decade later, there is a coordinated hit to take out both women. Sarah is hunted as she sits in the back of a courtesy van on the Long Island Expressway and is executed. The hit on Cassie, who is waking up in the Florida Keys after a one-night stand, fails. With a bounty on her head and nowhere else to turn, Cassie puts her trust in Deputy James Lager, a by the book cop. Until now. Together they must travel from the Florida Keys to NYC without getting killed. The life of an innocent is at stake. A teenager, who has no idea she has blood connections to the mob.

If you want to know what happens, and let’s be honest you do, then check out ‘Always the Blood.’ It is destined to be the book of the season, and seasons to come. Recently we had a chance to talk to Leatherbury to learn more about her, her work and what’s coming next for this talented storyteller.

‘Always the Blood’ is an epic read. What or who was your inspiration for this book? 

What is it they say in real estate? “Location, location, location.”

That is what inspired this book. 

I wanted ‘Always the Blood’ to kick-off from a fabulous location—the Florida Keys. Think tropical breeze, brilliant sunshine, and pale blue-green waters. A place where life is laid back and the hardest decision to make is whether to grill the tuna or yellowtail you caught that day for dinner. A place where people from around the world come to escape their everyday responsibilities, if only for a while.

Where better than such an idyllic place for my character, Cassie Trover, to hide?

But then paradise is shattered when the hitman who has been hunting Cassie for the past ten years finds her. He takes aim and fires, sending the otherwise carefree community into a tailspin.

The geography of the Keys lends itself to a daring cat and mouse chase by boat up the coast to Homestead, FL. Cassie’s escape continues up the I-95 corridor and ends in the hustle and bustle of New York City. From the idyllic sandy beaches of Florida to the concrete jungle of New York City, with segues to Rochester, NY, location plays a key role in the storyline of ‘Always the Blood.’

Recently your book ‘Vengeance Squared’ hit the bestseller list, and ‘Always the Blood’ is on track to follow in its footsteps – what does success mean to you on a personal and professional level?

Personal success is hearing the words, “I couldn’t put your book down.” My aim is to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat and to end each chapter with the reader dying to know what happens next. 

Success on a professional level? I am not holding out hope for a Pulitzer Prize though I would not mind lunching with pros such as Gregg Hurwitz, Karin Slaughter, or James Patterson.

Cassie and Deputy James Lager are extraordinarily dynamic and engaging characters, which capture the hearts and imaginations of readers. What is one of the keys to developing your characters? Also, if you could meet one of them from ‘Always the Blood’ which one would you choose and why?

My hope in developing a character is to evoke an emotional response from the reader. I want the character to be loved or hated. Felt sorry for or scared of. Be understood or misunderstood. If they trip, do you want to give them a hand up or kick them while they are down? 

Of the two characters you asked about, I think I would have to choose Cassie Trover. I find Cassie’s background fascinating. She has done things that were clearly illegal. Yet at heart, Cassie is a good person. A survivor of a brutal shootout, she has been hiding from the mob for ten long years. She has no money and does what she has to do to survive. When a hitman finally finds her hiding in the Florida Keys, Cassie is forced to trust someone. 

A deputy. 

I would love to ask Cassie how she felt at that moment because the only people looking for her as hard as the mob has for all these years are the authorities. And if she is brought into police custody, she will be a sitting duck.

There are so many genres today that authors write in, how did you come about writing in the Thriller and Mystery genres, and why?

Are you familiar with the phrase, “You are what you eat?” Well, I write what I read. My decision to author a novel came simultaneously with the idea for the opening scene—a gruesome murder. The die was cast—I was in thriller/mystery territory.

You have another book coming out this month. Can you tell our readers a bit about it?

My novel ‘Sparky’ is set in the Washington, D.C. area and involves the very affluent Thomas Avant. 

Thomas is polished, prominent, and rich as sin. He is also a psychopath.

Thomas makes money the old-fashioned way—he steals it. Under the guise of his world-renowned auction house, he acquires rare treasures and then fences them through a local charity auction. He extorts Sandra, the charity head, for that privilege.

Sandra discovers an encrypted file accidentally left open that shows incriminating financial information. With only seconds to document her findings, she enters seven dates on another drive, shorthand clues of Thomas’s duplicity.

When Thomas learns the encrypted file was breached, his goons track down Sandra and chase her into a local nature preserve.

Mark Mays is a young architect with a humble background and not a bad bone in his body. He is also in the preserve, walking his dog off-leash. When his friendly pooch wanders by Sandra, she hides both drives in its bandana before she is found and killed. 

 And just like that, Mays becomes ensnared in Thomas’s dark web. 

Mays must discover the relevance of the seven dates, the last of which is only days away. Because Thomas is planning something big, the crescendo of his recent killing spree set to occur on the hallowed grounds of Capitol Hill.

To learn more about  Ginna Leatherbury and ;Always the Blood’ head over to Amazon.