Behind The Words welcomes Amina Akhtar, author of ALMOST SURELY DEAD to our blog today. Welcome Amina. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.
Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?
I live in the mountains of AZ; I’m a former New Yorker. Yes, writing is my full-time job.
How long have you been writing?
My whole life. My previous career was as a fashion writer/editor in New York.
Share what your typical writing day looks like.
It varies. I have chronic migraine and long covid, so some days I can’t get much done. I try to write a few days a week, sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less. When I have a writing day I generally write in the morning with my coffee.
Tell us about your latest release–ALMOST SURELY DEAD? Where the idea came from? Perhaps some fun moments, or not so fun moments?
I wanted to explore the nuances between being haunted and losing one’s mind. The idea came from family lore of jinn and the stories my dad would tell us as kids.
Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book?
Some of it is based on real events in my life.
Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?
I think every character I have to get inside of is a challenge. You have to get to know them inside and out to be able to write them.
If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be?
Oh, Anya from #FashionVictim.
If you could spend the day with your character, what would you do? What would that day look like?
I’d watch her murder because that’s what she does (if I’m Anya from my first book.)
What’s your take on research and how do you do it?
Research can help but sometimes I get so deep into it that I wonder how to fit all that info into a story. So you have to pare it down and make it work within the confines of your plot.
Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write?
Caroline Kepnes, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. As a child I loved Oscar Wilde. Stephen King is always a gold standard.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
I sleepwalk, like Dunia in Almost Surely Dead. Not sure if it’s a talent or curse.
It would certainly be a unique day with your character! LOL And please be careful sleepwalking!! Thank you so much for joining us today, Amina.
Reader’s, here’s a quick look at ALMOST SURELY DEADLY. The book releases today – so snag your copy!
“Amina Akhtar’s Almost Surely Dead is a witty, fresh psychological thriller that’s part stalker thriller, part ghost story. This book took turns I never saw coming. I was up all night, tearing through the pages as the mysterious pieces came together, leading to an explosive conclusion.” ―Mindy Kaling
A psychological thriller with a twist, Almost Surely Dead is a chilling account of how one woman’s life spins out of control after a terrifying―and seemingly random―attempt on her life.
Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life―or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!”
In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her world: someone tries to murder her.
When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone―or something―is truly after her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amina Akhtar is a novelist and former fashion editor. Her debut novel, #FashionVictim, drew rave reviews and acclaim and was covered in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Martha Stewart Living, Entertainment Weekly, Fashionista, Book Riot, CrimeReads, and more. Akhtar’s second book Kismet, took on the stunning and creepy world of wellness and all the crystals that go with it. Her third novel, ALMOST SURELY DEAD, will be published by Mindy’s Book Studio in February 2024.
Akhtar has worked at Vogue, Elle, the New York Times, and New York Magazine, where she was the founding editor of the women’s blog The Cut. She’s written for numerous publications, including Yahoo Style, Fashionista, xoJane, Refinery29, Billboard, and more. She currently lives not too far from the Sedona vortexes.
Website: https://www.aminaakhtar.work
Instagram: @drrramina
X: @Drrramina
