That Night by Chevy Stevens: Review with Q&A

As a teenager, Toni Murphy had a life full of typical adolescent
complications: a boyfriend she adored, a younger sister she couldn't relate to, a strained relationship with her parents, and classmates who seemed hell-bent on making her life miserable. Things weren't easy, but Toni could never have predicted how horrific they would become until her younger sister was brutally murdered one summer night. 

Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were convicted of the murder and sent to prison.

Now thirty-four, Toni is out on parole and back in her hometown, struggling to adjust to a new life on the outside. Prison changed her, hardened her, and she’s doing everything in her power to avoid violating her parole and going back. This means having absolutely no contact with Ryan, avoiding fellow parolees looking to pick fights, and steering clear of trouble in all its forms. But nothing is making that easy—not Ryan, who is convinced he can figure out the truth; not her mother, who doubts Toni's innocence; and certainly not the group of women who made Toni's life hell in high school and may have darker secrets than anyone realizes. No matter how hard she tries, ignoring her old life to start a new one is impossible. Before Toni can truly move on, she must risk everything to find out what really happened that night.

But the truth might be the most terrifying thing of all.

4.5 stars What happened THAT NIGHT????? You will have to weave back and forth in time with Toni as she unravels the tale of mean girls, young love, family issues, social pressures and a tragedy that forever changed the trajectory of Toni’s life and those she loved the most. With the true style and well developed plot and characters we have learned to expect and crave, Stevens does it yet again with a book that will keep you turning pages and trying to figure out how it will end! Another hit and 4.5 stars

CHEVY STEVENS grew up on a ranch on Vancouver Island and still calls the island home. For most of her adult life she worked in sales, first as a rep for a giftware company and then as a Realtor. While holding an open house one afternoon, she had a terrifying idea that became the inspiration for Still Missing. Chevy eventually sold her house and left real estate so she could finish the book. Still Missing went on to become a New York Times bestseller and win the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel.  Chevy’s books have been optioned for movies and are published in more than thirty countries.

Chevy enjoys writing thrillers that allow her to blend her interest in family dynamics with her love of the west coast lifestyle. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s camping and canoeing with her husband and daughter in the local mountains.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A.  Initially it’s usually a question, a “What if?” Sometimes it’s a true story that has haunted me, or an image that sticks in my mind, and I wonder how something would feel, what it would be like to experience that event, or what else could have happened. While I’m actually working on a project, various things inspire me if I’m stuck, going for a drive, or taking long walk, just letting my mind wander over ideas and thoughts. Sometimes listening to a wonderful piece of music or reading an excellent book, or getting engrossed in movie will also help my back brain work through a problem and inspire me.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

A.  I love the world of make believe. As a child, I spent hours daydreaming, walking to school or working on our ranch. Daydreams were an escape where I could be whoever I wanted, and live amazing adventures. Telling myself stories made me happy, and occupied my busy mind. My favorite part of writing is the beginning stages, when I’m coming up with new ideas and opening my mind’s eye, watching scenes and characters as though they are movie playing just for me. That’s when I fall in love with my new story, and characters. They let me lead different lives and express my feelings through them. I also like knowing that my words are connecting with readers, that I’m making them feel something too.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being a writer?

 I think a lot of people don’t realize how much time is spent on tasks that aren’t writing, such as marketing, or dealing with paperwork, accounting and taxes. It can be a challenge to juggle everything and make sure that you still have time to work on your current writing project. But I try to remind myself that it is a good problem to have—it means my books are being published!

Q.  What character from all of your booksare you most like?

A. They all have pieces of me, but probably Annie is the closest because her voice is my own way of speaking—I have a sarcastic sense of humor.  At the time that I wrote her, I also had a dog and lived in an older home and I was a real estate agent. I don’t have as much in common with my other characters.

 Q.  Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

 A.I would love to spend a week inside Under a Tuscan Sun.I’ve always wanted to visit Italy, but also the food would be incredible. I might never want to return home, though!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

 I don’t design my own covers—my various publishers around the world come up with a design they feel best suits their audience. Each time one of my books is released, that cover is my favorite because it’s new and exciting.With Still Missing, I loved the soft colors, the vulnerability of the woman’s neck. ForNever Knowing, it was the look in the woman’s eyes, the intensity and her strength. I love the blue tones on Always Watching, the intriguing image of a woman gazing across the water. That Night is my current favorite. The deep blue water and the ripples with that vivid leaf are so striking. It manages to be moody, and mysterious but also beautiful at the same time, and just the right amount of creepy and dangerous.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A.  I’m almost finished my fifth book, which will be released the summer of 2015. I don’t like to reveal the title until I am done the book—I’m superstitious! But I can tell you that it is about three sisters who are forcedto go on the run to escape a terrible situation and get caught up in an even worse nightmare.