Writing Crime

BLACK AMBER is Ursula Wong's newest mystery in her Amber War series. She answering our questions about writing and her book.

How would you describe the plot of the book to your faithful readers?

Dear Readers-at-large:

President Vera Koslova of Russia seeks to regain the supremacy her once-mighty country has lost by becoming the world’s largest provider of natural gas, but a team of cyberterrorists plot to attack her new pipeline in a desperate attempt stop her unrelenting pursuit of power. Book 4 of the Amber War series.

What was the a-ha moment that made you write this story?

After my uncle, a WWII army veteran, died, I found manuscripts about the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe among his papers. This started years of research resulting in the Amber War series that takes the relationship between Russia and her Eastern European neighbors from WWII into modern times.

Recently, Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines through the Baltic Sea into Europe stoked my political spider-sense. Some think Russia may use the pipelines to influence EU and NATO votes by ransoming access to natural gas—others say Russia would be foolish to jeopardize natural gas sales. What do you think? It’s all in Black Amber.

What excited you most about writing this story?

Dry as it sounds, I like to examine the political viewpoints of an historical event. Eastern Europe is concerned that Russia will ransom NATO votes for access to natural gas. In the novel Black Amber, someone or something stops the flow of Russian gas into Europe, and the world panics. Most think Russia did it. But did they? Mix this with a female Russian President, a young woman journalist from the US, and a man from Lithuania who thinks he’s finally doing something good with his life, and you have a real thriller.

Who is your favorite character and why?

I love Vera Koslova, President of the Russian Federation. An exKGB agent, she brings feminist attitudes to a government dominated by men. She’s arrogant, boastful, and demanding—I found her surprisingly easy to write.

Were there indispensable people without whom you couldn’t have written the book?

Susan Fleet, in Sisters in Crime, has a talent for unwrapping a story. She did yeoman service in helping me iron out the ‘kinks.’  Her Frank Renzi series centered in New Orleans is tremendous fun. Fellow Sisters in Crime member Dale T. Phillips was an invaluable sounding-board. Check out his Zack Taylor mysteries that bring Maine to life. Finally, my husband, Steve, tolerated many beautiful summer weekends at home so I could write. All my books seem to require a village .  . .

Ursula Wong writes about strong women who battle impossible odds to achieve their dreams. Her Amber War series of historical thrillers are available on her website:  http://ursulawong.wordpress.com. In her latest novel, Black Amber, Russian natural gas becomes a bargaining chip in a ruthless game of fuel versus freedom.