Stacey Abramshas a knack for being ahead of her time.
Her riveting new legal thriller sounds ripped from the headlines.
“That night, I wrote the first scene.”
Stacey Abrams.Lynsey Weatherspoon for EW
Abrams was then a Georgia state legislator and a published romance author.
“It’s all about storytelling,” she reflects.
As Selena Montgomery, Abrams published romantic suspense novels, which came with their own thrills.
Lynsey Weatherspoon for EW
“My first romance novel was intended to be an espionage novel,” she explains.
“But back in 1999, I was told publishers don’t run espionage by or about women….
I was like, ‘I know I’ve seen women spies before.’
Where did I read them?
“I sold [my first romance] while I was in law school.
“[That] was going to confuse people.
It was easier to create a brand identity for my romance.
It’s hard to publish tax policy under a pseudonym.
“It is very cathartic to kill a bunch of people,” she jokes.
“The tension and stakes have to be high.
I don’t want to beGame of Thronesabout it, but a good body count’s important.”
As for the biomedical terrorism component, Abrams points to her interest in probing moral grey zones.
“It’s one of the few conversations that has a moral tension to it,” she reflects.
“And I like telling stories where the morality of the issue isn’t so clear.
The moral ambiguity makes you have to think, ‘Do we really want this?
Is it worth the promise if this is the threat?'”
For many, Abrams’ dedication to political rectitude and voting rights has made her a moral beacon.
While Abrams' storytelling may or may not be what we deserve, it is what we need.
While Justice Sleepshits shelves May 11.
For more from EW’s Summers Books Special, find it at Barnes & Noble stores beginning May 14.
