Five Quick Questions with The Swap Author, Robyn Harding

Briefly tell us about your book.

The Swap is the story of two married couples who feel restless and unfulfilled for various reasons. One night, after some recreational drug use, they decide to swap partners. It should have been a harmless fling, but things get complicated. And messy. And deadly… thanks to the obsessive teen who knows way too much about what happened that night.

What inspired the idea behind this book?

There are a handful of people in my orbit who are in open relationships. I’m in a traditional marriage so my curiosity was really piqued by this. I wondered… How would that work? Or, (more appropriately, for a thriller) how would that not work?

What was the research process like for the book?

When people learn my book is about a couples’ swap, they invariably ask, with a wink and a nudge: “What did you do for research?” I always tell them, with as straight a face as possible, that my husband and I did a TON of couples swapping. We didn’t, of course. I had a few people who were willing to talk to me about their open relationships, some successful, some not. I also read articles on polyamory and the psychology of sharing partners, and watched some documentaries on the subject.

Does the creative process get easier for you with each book?

I often say that you’ll never enjoy writing a book as much as your first. While the process does get easier in some ways (I have a better knowledge of structure, pacing, and point of view), I’ll never write a book just for myself. Now that I’m published, there is always a little voice in the back of my mind: Will my editor like this? Will critics think this is too cliché? Will readers find this character annoying? Etc…

What’s the easiest and most difficult parts of your job as a writer?

Dorothy Parker said: “I hate writing, I love having written.” Lucky for me, I love writing. I feel really fortunate to be able to do it for a living. The business side of publishing can be more difficult. Writers face a lot of rejection and criticism. The internet has emboldened readers to leave some really brutal reviews, even to send disgruntled emails to authors, and those hurt. Of course, we all appreciate the good reviews, but most of us support the adage, “if you can’t say something nice…”