Alexandra Sokoloff

Last updated


Alexandra Sokoloff is an American novelist and screenwriter who splits her time between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Los Angeles. [1] Her books often concern paranormal phenomena, such as spirit hauntings.

Contents

Her debut novel, the ghost story The Harrowing, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, as well as an Anthony Award for Best First Novel. [1] She is also well-known as the author of the Huntress/FBI series (2014–2019), which follows an FBI Special Agent, who is trying to catch a female serial killer and later is haunted by a ghost. The six books include Huntress Moon, Blood Moon, and Cold Moon; they're published by Thomas & Mercer.

Career

Sokoloff started her career in theater. [1] A native of Berkeley, California, she graduated from University of California, Berkeley, majoring in it. [2]

After college she moved to Los Angeles, where she first worked in the Los Angeles County prison system as a teacher of juvenile detainees — male gang members and young women prostitutes. [3] This experience later informed her vision for novels like Hunger Moon (2017), a work in which human trafficking of young women is a significant theme. [3] She then made a living with novel adaptations, and sold original thriller scripts to various Hollywood studios, like Sony and Fox. [2]

Literary work

Her first novel, The Harrowing, was published by St. Martin's Press in 2006. The novel follows a group of five ivy-league type freshman at college, who end up riling a ghost that's lived in their dormitory for a century when they mess with a Ouija board. The event unfolds during Thanksgiving break, a time when everyone else is home. The five "strays" who stay in the mansion-turned-dormitory over the long weekend, including lonely and isolat protagonist Robin, each with wildly differing personalities, must "form bonds and alliances under the pressure of surviving," in spite of their "behavior, stem[ming] from their inadequacies, real or perceived." [4] It received acclaim, was reviewed at the time or retrospectively by a variety of outlets, [5] [6] [7] was nominated for multiple major awards, [8] [9] and cemented Sokoloff as a new writer to watch. Originally discussed in an issue of 2006, and posted in 2010 online, Kirkus summed it up as "a little scary, a lot silly, boast[ing] the big-screen virtues of quick pace and an engaging plot;" however, "in the end, it reads more like young-adult fare than a book for grownups." [6] They also noted that her overuse of movie tropes betray her screenwriter sensibilities with soundstage in mind. [6] Another review by Publishers Weekly called the book "a teen terror flick in prose" and found the characters boring and annoying, saying that one of them, the nerd archetype, projects a "skepticism [that] grows increasingly grating with each repeat expression," and that as for the rest, they "develop little personality outside of their carefully crafted types." Continuing, "the pyrotechnic climax, in which the kids prove unusually adept at occult subterfuge, stretches credibility", but on the other hand it "provides a suitably cinematic finale." [7]

Her second novel, The Price, was published by St. Martin's in 2007; her third, The Unseen, in 2009; and her fourth, Book of Shadows, in 2010.

She co-wrote the paranormal mystery romance series The Keepers and the screenplay for the psychological thriller Cold Kisses. She also has co-written two books on story structure, Story Structure and Writing Love, based on her Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workshops and blog.[ citation needed ]

Her most recent novel efforts involve the fictional FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke as he attempts to track down a female serial killer named Cara Lindstrom. The first novel in the series, Huntress Moon (2014), to some, "introduced something new to the field that left an impact close to the one chewed out by Hannibal Lecter," because "the concept of a female serial killer was a unique one" in the genre at the time of publication. [10]

Style

In a discussion about The Harrowing, SFFWorld said the author "writes camera-ready prose – concise, direct, visual – so that [their work] proceeds somewhat like a movie, in well-realized scenes giving a sense of a camera following [characters]," like a screenwriter would in a script. [4]

Personal life

She lives in Los Angeles and in Scotland, with her husband, the Scottish crime author Craig Robertson.[ citation needed ]

Awards

Bibliography

Standalone novels

The Keepers Universe

Huntress/FBI thrillers

  1. Huntress Moon (2014)
  2. Blood Moon (2015)
  3. Cold Moon (2015)
  4. Bitter Moon (2016)
  5. Hunger Moon (2017)
  6. Shadow Moon (2019)

Related Research Articles

<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> (film) 1991 horror film by Jonathan Demme

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer named "Buffalo Bill", who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film also features performances from Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, and Kasi Lemmons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Connelly</span> American author (b. 1956)

Michael Joseph Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of 38 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, The Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel The Lincoln Lawyer starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004.

Janet Inglis "Janny" Wurts is an American fantasy novelist and illustrator. She has written several standalone novels and series, including the Wars of Light and Shadow, The Cycle of Fire trilogy and the internationally best-selling Empire trilogy that she co-authored with Raymond E. Feist. Her short story collection That Way Lies Camelot was nominated for the British Fantasy Award in 1995. She often illustrates her own books, and has won Chesley Awards for her artwork.

Iris Johansen is an American writer of crime fiction, suspense fiction, and romance novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Jane Kozak</span> American actress and author

Harley Jane Kozak is an American actress and author. She made her film debut in the slasher film The House on Sorority Row (1982), and had a recurring role as Mary Duvall on the soap opera Santa Barbara between 1985 and 1989. She later had supporting parts in Clean and Sober (1988) and When Harry Met Sally... (1989), before starring in the major studio films Parenthood (1989) and Arachnophobia (1990).

Leslie Ann Esdaile Banks was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including African-American literature, romance, women's fiction, crime suspense, dark fantasy/horror and non-fiction.

<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> (novel) 1988 book by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1988 psychological horror novel by Thomas Harris. Published August 29, it is the sequel to Harris's 1981 novel Red Dragon and both novels feature the cannibalistic serial killer and brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. This time, however, he is pitted against FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she works to solve the case of the "Buffalo Bill" serial killer. It is the most well-known installment of Harris' Hannibal Lecter series, selling over 10 million copies.

<i>Red Dragon</i> (novel) 1981 novel by Thomas Harris

Red Dragon is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, first published in 1981. The story follows former FBI profiler Will Graham, who comes out of retirement to find and apprehend an enigmatic serial killer nicknamed "the Tooth Fairy". The novel introduces the character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer whom Graham reluctantly turns to for advice and with whom he has a dark past.

Karen E. Taylor is the author of The Vampire Legacy Series of novels, published by Kensington Books. A voracious reader of vampire/horror novels, Karen first started writing Blood Secrets in January, 1988. She conceived of writing the novel while living across the street from a very large cemetery. It was never intended to be the first book of an ongoing series, but fans who had read the novel demanded a sequel. To date, the series stands at seven titles, and has earned a cult following. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including: Love Bites, 100 Vicious Little Vampires, 100 Wicked Little Witches, A Horror Story A Day, and Seductive Spectres. In 2001, she was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for best short story for "Mexican Moon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Flynn</span> American writer (born 1971)

Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American author, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for writing the thriller and mystery novels Sharp Objects (2006), Dark Places (2009), and Gone Girl (2012), which are all critically acclaimed. Her books have been published in 40 languages, and according to The Washington Post, as of 2016 Gone Girl alone has sold more than 15 million copies.

The Harrowing is a horror novel by Alexandra Sokoloff. It was first published in 2006 by St. Martin's Press, and is the author's debut book, following a screenwriting career. According to Sokoloff's website, she was inspired to write the novel because of her experiences teaching to troubled teenagers in the Los Angeles County prison system. The Harrowing was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen FitzGerald</span> Australian writer

Helen FitzGerald is an Australian novelist and screenwriter. Her debut novel, Dead Lovely, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2007, and The Exit in 2015 by Faber & Faber. Viral was released in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N. K. Jemisin</span> American science fiction and fantasy writer

Nora Keita Jemisin is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her fiction includes a wide range of themes, notably cultural conflict and oppression. Her debut novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and the subsequent books in her Inheritance Trilogy received critical acclaim. She has won several awards for her work, including the Locus Award. The three books of her Broken Earth series made her the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel in three consecutive years, as well as the first to win for all three novels in a trilogy. She won a fourth Hugo Award, for Best Novelette, in 2020 for Emergency Skin. Jemisin was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellows Program Genius Grant in 2020.

Michelle Gagnon is an American crime fiction novelist. Her bestselling thrillers have been published in more than a dozen countries worldwide. She has dual citizenship in the US and Ireland, and currently lives in San Francisco. Her second novel, Boneyard, was nominated for the Daphne du Maurier award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense Along with Tamim Ansary, Khaled Hosseini, and Kemble Scott, she is part of the San Francisco Writers Workshop . Her Young Adult Persef0ne trilogy received starred reviews from Kirkus, VOYA, and School Library Journal, and was an IndieNext pick for Autumn 2012. It was also selected by the esteemed Junior Library Guild, and by the Texas State Library Association for their recommended reading list for teens.

April Smith is an American novelist, television writer and producer. Her most recent novel, suspenseful historical fiction, is Home Sweet Home. Previously, A Star For Mrs. Blake, chosen by the Cincinnati Public Library as their 2014 "On The Same Page" all-city reads book. Other works include a series of four mystery/thrillers featuring FBI Special Agent Ana Grey. One of them, Good Morning, Killer, was adapted and executive produced by Smith for the TNT Mystery Movie Nights in 2011. She is also the author of a stand-alone thriller about the only woman baseball scout in the major leagues, Be the One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malinda Lo</span> American writer of young adult novels

Malinda Lo is an American writer of young adult novels including Ash, Huntress, Adaptation, Inheritance,A Line in the Dark, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club. She also does research on diversity in young adult literature and publishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. T. Ellison</span> American writer

J. T. Ellison is a New York Times bestselling American author. She writes domestic noir and psychological thrillers, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens. She also pens the "A Brit in the FBI" series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. With over a million books in print, Ellison's work has been published in twenty-eight countries and sixteen languages. She is also the co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television series, A Word on Words, which airs on Nashville Public Television. Ellison is also the founder of Two Tales Press, an independent publishing house, and The Wine Vixen, a wine review website. She lives with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee.

Oyinkan Braithwaite is a Nigerian-British novelist and writer. She was born in Lagos and spent her childhood in both Nigeria and the UK.

<i>My Sister, the Serial Killer</i> 2018 novel by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a 2018 thriller novel by Nigerian writer Oyinkan Braithwaite. Braithwaite's debut novel was originally published in Nigeria as an e-book with the title Thicker Than Water in 2017 before being released in the United States by Doubleday Books on November 20, 2018.

Billie Sue Mosiman was an American writer. Mosiman was known for her novels and over 200 short stories that encompassed the genres of horror, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers and suspense fiction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Alexandra Sokoloff". Baker & Taylor Biographies. 2000. Retrieved June 16, 2024– via EBSCOHost.
  2. 1 2 Calvani, Mayra. "Interview with Alexandra Sokoloff, Author of Book of Shadows". Seattle pi. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  3. 1 2 fundinmental (February 26, 2018). "Interview & Review – Hunger Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff @AlexSokoloff". fundinmental. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  4. 1 2 M, Randy (October 30, 2015). "THE HARROWING by Alexandra Sokoloff – SFFWorld" . Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ James, Thea (October 26, 2009). "Halloween Week Book Review: The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff". The Book Smugglers. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Harrowing". Kirkus. May 19, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Dark Scribe Magazine - 1st Annual - Nominees - Nominees for the 1st Annual Black Quill Awards". www.darkscribemagazine.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Anthonys 2005- 2009". My Site. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  10. ↑ Simms, Dave (February 12, 2018). "Review: Hunger Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff". Cemetery Dance Online. Retrieved June 17, 2024.


Flag of the United States.svg Big Book blue.svg

This American novelist article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.