Through Violet Eyes

author interview

Stephen Woodworth

The idea for Throught Violet Eyes occurred to me after watching far too many true-crime shows on cable. Inevitably, whenever these shows depict an unsolved cold case file, the host will come on at the end and in a grim, hard-boiled baritone say something like "The only people who will ever really know what happened on that fateful night are the killer . . . and the victims." And I got to wondering: What if a detective could interview a murder's ultimate witness? Indeed, what if this became standard procedure, and victims could even accuse their killers in court? Could someone still get away with murder in such a world? Would the dead be any more reliable than a living witness? Or would they merely add their own prejudices, misconceptions, and hidden agendas to a homicide investigation?

I also wondered about the psychics giftedor cursedwith the ability to channel these lost souls. What would it be like for them to experience the final torment and anguish of a killer's prey firsthand, not just once, but again and again and again? How would they live with such a burden?
From such speculation were born the Violetsa group of violet-eyed mediums, rare genetic anomalies who are prized by society for their abilities yet shunned as freakish reminders of human mortality.

As I started writing, I began to contemplate the dramatic possibilities offered by a world in which the door between the living and the dead is left open. Here is an alternate reality in which one could buy a freshly painted Picasso or a CD of a symphony that Beethoven composed from beyond the grave. A place where the dead can guide avaricious archaeologists to hunt for hidden treasure. A world in whichfor a priceone could make amends with estranged family members who have passed on.

I explore these possibilities and others in Throught Violet Eyes, its sequel With Red Hands (02/05), and future volumes in the Violet series. This world has captivated my imagination, and I hope it will also have you wanting to see "through Violet eyes" for years to come.