Sharon Potts: In Their Blood
Book Club Discussion

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Where did the idea for this story originate?

Several years ago when my husband, daughter and I were asleep in the upstairs bedrooms, someone broke into our house. And although no one was hurt, I was deeply disturbed by this terrible violation of my family and home. For months after the incident, I would lie awake, the bedroom door open a few inches, and listen for footsteps climbing the stairs. I was certain that the intruder was coming back and next time we wouldn't be so lucky. Then one day, I transferred my fears and anxieties to paper. They became the opening chapter of In Their Blood. From there the story grew. I thought—what would happen to an ordinary family that's been shattered by a violent crime? What if the parents were killed by the intruder—how would their kids survive the devastation of their loss? Would they fall apart? Fight? Remember the lessons their parents had taught them? And although I was writing about a hypothetical situation and family, I couldn't help but wonder about my own son and daughter and how they would react in those circumstances.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

You write mostly from the point of view of Jeremy. Why did you choose to make him the main narrator of his parents' death instead of Elise? Do you prefer writing in the male voice? How did you get into the male mindset so that you could write his character successfully?

That's an interesting question. I didn't consciously decide to write In Their Blood from a twenty-two-year-old male perspective, but once I began writing, I realized very quickly that this was Jeremy's story. He, more so than sixteen-year-old Elise, is at a turning point in his life. He is at the cusp of adulthood and has, until the death of his parents, successfully managed to avoid responsibility and growing up. I wanted to explore Jeremy's many unresolved issues with his parents, understanding what kind of person he is, and who he wants to be. As far as male versus female point of view, I felt at home when I got inside each of my characters' heads—from Elise, an innocent teenage girl, to Marina, the dad's deeply damaged graduate assistant. And I found it fascinating to explore the minds of men like the mom's ambitious business associates and calculating Uncle Dwight. For me, the challenge in writing is not so much whether a character is male or female, but rather what are the influences that shaped this person and how would he or she react to a particular situation based on those influences.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

One of the many facets of the novel that intrigued me was the idea of both Jeremy's mother and father leading secret lives. Do you think that most couples lead lives different from the one they show to their family, especially the children? Or do you think it happens only in unusual circumstances?

I believe there's a big disconnect between how kids perceive their parents and the reality. Kids create images of how they think their parents should be because they are parents, and often, parents behave in a way to reinforce this perception. They don't want their kids to know they have failings and weaknesses, or a history that might go against what they're trying to teach their kids.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Tell us more about the wealth of the Stroeb family. I didn't think either of the parents had careers that would put them as next-door neighbors to a hotel mogul.

The fictitious Lotus Island is not that different from actual exclusive communities on Miami Beach. There are waterfront mansions where the very wealthy live, as well as more circumspect homes on smaller, dry lots, which upper middle class families can afford. As a partner in a CPA firm, Rachel earned a very comfortable living. That, and her husband's salary as a tenured college professor, enabled them to live in the same neighborhood as the much wealthier Castillos.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Why did you include the near sex scene between Elise and Carlos? What was the importance of this situation to the overall story?

I felt it important to show Elise dealing with the loss of her parents and absence of adult supervision. With Jeremy rarely home and no one to talk to and advise her, Elise is tempted to escape her very painful situation through drugs and sex. But ultimately, Elise makes the choice to do the right thing. In fact, this is an example of how the values instilled in Elise and Jeremy by their parents, are very much "in their blood."

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Marina is an interesting character. I felt that she could have had her own book! I actually hated her and loved her all at once. Was this your intention? And, as a side note, why was she so unclean (appearance, living situation, car, etc).

Gosh—Marina. She is hands-down the most controversial character in the story. And like you, readers either love her, hate her, or both. My husband, for example, is "in love" with her. I wanted Marina to be complex enough to seduce Jeremy without causing the reader to lose sympathy for Jeremy. And that meant that I had to make Marina sympathetic, as well. The dirt and filth she surrounds herself with is a reflection of her inner turmoil and lack of self-esteem. And yet, there's also a streak of beauty and purity that runs through her that comes out when she prepares her magnificent meals.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Sharon Potts

Can you tell us anything about your current writing projects?

I just completed the sequel to In Their Blood, another suspense/thriller. Someone's Watching features Robbie Ivy, the attractive, feisty young woman who befriends Jeremy in In Their Blood, but Jeremy is very much part of the new story, as well. Two teenage girls disappear while on spring break in South Beach. One of the girls is Robbie's sister.