Blending Suspense, Justice, And Dark Humour In Her Thrilling Tales
Raquel Zepeda Fitzgerald explores dark humour and poetic justice in her gripping thrillers, offering an escape from reality with powerful characters and vivid storytelling.
Raquel Zepeda Fitzgerald is a captivating author whose work is a thrilling blend of dark humour and suspense, making her an exciting voice in the world of mystery thrillers. Recently honoured with the Literary Titan Silver Book Award, Raquel has carved out a unique niche, using her experiences in the legal industry and personal life to inspire her riveting novels. With her latest featured title, Dead Boss Cemetery Dot Com, she draws readers into a world where poetic justice and the complexities of toxic workplaces take centre stage. Through her fast-paced storytelling, Raquel offers a gripping escape from reality, blending suspense, dark humour, and a touch of the supernatural. Join us as we dive into the mind of a writer whose books have become a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.
Raquel’s books are riveting, fast-paced, and brilliantly crafted, delivering a unique blend of suspense and dark humour.
What inspired you to blend thriller elements with dark humour in your writing?
Having read over 300 thrillers, I decided that sprinkling dark humor and irony into to the mix would have made them better. So I did that in my stories. By adding a little bit of humor to any frightening scene in your story, you are bonding with the reader. Think about it. If you can laugh with someone, you have made a connection. Humor within the story about the characters gets you closer to the reader.
In case you’re thinking that dark humor is a negative, think again. It can give you that little push to help you maintain your sanity. It is a survival mechanism. When your life takes a bad turn, you need help. Instead of falling apart, you find a reason to make it funny so you can move on to a better place. According to psychological research, it has to do with intelligence. https://neurolaunch.com/dark-humor-and-intelligence/
How did your experience working for a difficult attorney influence the creation of your first novel?
Writing my first book helped me escape from a hostile work environment created by a very difficult attorney. I’d use another adjective to describe him, but you’d have to redact it! Writing The Eye of Osiris was like taking a lifeboat from a sinking ship into a beautiful lake. As a paralegal, I worked over eight hours a day. Imagine spending eight hours with a very unpleasant, verbally abusive person-every single day. It can be hell.
Removing the source of your pain will heal you. People retaliate in different ways. They might just quit and walk out after a well deserved verbal comeback. Or, they might send out an email blast that would hurt the business. The possibilities are endless. I’m sure everyone has heard the term “going postal,” which refers to employees resorting to violence. I found an alternative: imaginary revenge. When you use your imagination, a clever solution will follow.
One day when this particularly “difficult” attorney was out of town for two days, I ran out of work. Out of the blue, I just started writing and decided to kill him in a story. My fingers would not stop. Talk about passionate inspiration; my anger had been building up for months! Yes, revenge was the motivation for my first novel. The biggest bonus was writing a story that people liked, making a little bit of money, and being able to laugh about it all. Besides the Osiris Trilogy Mystery Series, I also wrote the Dead Boss Cemetery Dot Com series which is keenly focused on the issue of toxic workplaces.
Can you share insights into your writing process—do you plan every detail or let the story unfold naturally?
I do make an outline at the beginning of my novels. Like any creative endeavor, it never unfolds exactly like you thought it would. It’s like the first step toward a destination. The closer you get, the more things change. Your characters transform as the story comes to life.
Lately I’m trying a new method; dressing for the part. It’s a good thing I don’t write naughty novels! I like to have fun when I create my stories, and creativity needs a playground. The goal in this playground is that everyone enjoys themselves. That includes your audience. As I write, I’m always asking myself, will my readers understand and like this scenario? What is my message?
“I like to have fun when I create my stories, and creativity needs a playground.” – Raquel Zepeda Fitzgerald
My stories focus on poetic or karmic justice. There is so little true justice in this world, so I make justice happen in my novels. I especially enjoy incorporating supernatural forces into them. Then it’s time to put on the wizard’s hat. Perhaps I should just wear it all the time.
Your books often feature strong female protagonists. What draws you to these characters, and are they inspired by real people?
Growing up, I got to know and adored two of my aunts who had emigrated from Mexico. They were so strong, funny, and wonderful. Coming from a Catholic country, they were truly brave women because they were divorced. They had a lot of funny stories to tell me, some of them dark and humorous. Could it be hereditary? My father’s family had a talent for it. Maybe the fact that they grew up during La Revolución/Guerra Cristera had something to do with it.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to write compelling thrillers?
Don’t quit your day job! Understand that writers are entertainers and that’s what entertainers do. We work to work some more-at something we love.
Before you hit the keyboards, consider this: What is the craziest thing you have ever experienced and how could you build an interesting plot around it? What did you learn from that event? Be clear about your bottom line message. What is the moral of your story? If you can create a story using this simple recipe, who knows; you might just write yourself a best seller.
Since your stories are about poetic justice, which one of your books is more relevant to current events?
I believe Dead Boss Cemetery Dot Com (Four Book Series) is the most relevant. In the Prologue, I refer to a speech that was delivered in 1886 about slavery and parallel it to what is currently happening to the middle class. The story is about three women who start an employment agency and run into a curious problem: horrible bosses. When they create a brilliant solution, their business is back in the black. Unfortunately, someone slithers along and decides to take justice into their own hands, leaving behind a trail of bloody corpses. I must confess that I did weave some of my personal work experiences into these stories. That alone, helped me give the story a compelling edge.
