Q&A: Deven Greene, Author of Erica Rosen MD Trilogy #Q&A #Interview

Fiction writer Deven Greene lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Ever since childhood, Deven has been interested in science.  After receiving a doctorate in biochemistry, she went to medical school and trained as a pathologist. She worked for several decades in that field before starting to write fiction. Deven incorporates elements of medicine or science in most of her writing. She has published several short stories. Her debut novel, Unnatural, is the first book of the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, and was released in January 2021. Unwitting, released in October 2021, is the second Erica Rosen MD novel. Unforeseen is the final book in the Trilogy.

Visit her website at www.devengreene.com or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for this interview, Deven. Congratulations on your trilogy! Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your books written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? Can you tell us about your journey?

Writing a novel is a lengthy process. For each book in my trilogy, I spent about three to four months writing the rough draft. Then the real work began. Each draft needed quite a bit of editing. This included adding and removing passages, moving chunks of the story around, fact-checking, and, of course, correcting spelling and grammatical errors.

Once I finished the first book, Unnatural, I needed to find a publisher. That took a while, and I accepted the first solid offer made.

I stayed with the same editor for the second and third books, Unwitting and Unforeseen, so I was spared searching for a publisher for them.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

I like to read, attend lectures, and work in my garden. Most evenings, if I’m home, I watch TV for about an hour.

What makes your books stand out from the rest?

The protagonist in my trilogy, Erica Rosen, is a young pediatrician. I am unaware of any other medical thrillers featuring a pediatrician. Erica takes on large issues of consequence rather than smaller concerns, such as single murders or murders in one hospital. While all of my books are fiction, they are based on solid science and are within the realm of possibility. 

Can you give us a glimpse inside your book?

Here’s the first page of the second book in the series, Unwitting:

I remember that afternoon in August, the first time I saw the video of people walking slowly, talking, and laughing, as they entered San Francisco’s Oracle Park baseball stadium. Then a fiery flash. I’ll never forget the slender arm, a silver bracelet around the wrist, flying through the smoke and debris. This was followed by images of dead bodies, bloodied people crying, some being comforted, some comforting others. My assistant, Martha, showed it to me on her cell phone when I was in between patients in the pediatrics clinic at UCSF, where I am director. Martha dabbed tears from her eyes as I watched.

Looking around, I noticed other doctors and staff studying their cell phones. Over the next few minutes, people spoke in hushed tones, put away their phones, then peeled away to finish the day’s work.

If your trilogy was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

The winter holidays would be optimal, and the whole trilogy would make a great gift for someone who likes suspense. The first book takes place in cool weather. The second and third books take place in summer and spring, respectively, and could be saved for beach reads. Of course, these books work any time of the year.

Would you consider turning your trilogy into a series or has that already been done?

It’s already a trilogy. I’m not planning to add to it, although I wouldn’t rule it out.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

Although I enjoyed writing when I was young, I didn’t think of it as a career back then.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on my next book, a stand-alone medical suspense novel. In addition, I have a slew of short stories I’d like to edit and publish as a collection. Another novel I wrote a while back also awaits more editing.