Karen Grose is from Toronto, Canada. Her debut novel, The Dime Box, was selected by Amnesty International for its 2021 Book Club. Her second is Flat Out Lies, and All June Left Behind is coming Spring 2025. She has flash, poems, and short stories published by Roi Faineant Press, Paddler Press, Punk Noir Magazine, Epistemic Literary Magazine, Hooghly Review, Bunker Squirrel Magazine, and Superior Shores Press. Track her down on X: @kgrose2, IG: karengrosewrites, FB, or at www.karengrose.ca
Links: TDB and FOL can be purchased everywhere books are sold.
Both your novels are vivid and include complex and engaging characters that allow readers to be drawn into their world. What character did you enjoy writing? Was there one that was more challenging to write?
Thank you. I love writing compelling characters. They don’t necessarily have to be ones I admire, only characters that surprise me as they come alive and jump off the page.
In my experience, the process of character development is natural and authentic. When I start writing, I don’t have each character’s full personality figured out. It’s a partnership. They evolve as the writing evolves. It’s fun when they begin to reveal their quirks, strengths, flaws, and motivations. As the plot thickens and the interaction between characters deepens, I’m often amazed by the decisions and choices they want to make.
I find it a lot easier to write a character I admire or believe in, like Jacob who is one of Ria and Jim’s sons in Flat Out Lies. It’s harder to write a character when that character is dark. I had to dig deep to evolve Ian in The Dime Box, to ensure readers felt chilled as they got to know him. Rather than telling readers who he is, I had to determine what situations to put Ian in to show his character.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in your books?
My first novel, The Dime Box, embodies the themes of domestic violence, as well as themes of justice, the search for identity, adoption, and how society defines family. Flat Out Lies is completely different. Narrated by both Ria and Jim, the novel depicts the complicated dynamics between two flawed people. Flat Out Lies offers readers the opportunity to explore different facets of love, loyalty, and betrayal.
I loved Flat Out Lies! What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
All June Left Behind is coming Spring 2025. It’s mystery and I’ll share a pitch: An introverted, widowed farmer discovers that opening his heart to others may be the only way to confront the painful truths about his beloved wife’s murder.
I am so excited about All June Left Behind as I love the main character. A devout family man, Ray is no fan of technology and a little stuck in his ways, yet his curiosity and determination are underestimated by his adult children and community. As Ray unravels his wife June’s secrets, he faces a little more than he bargained for but he’s unstoppable.
FLAT OUT LIES

Ria Stiles is a good wife, a loving mother and successful photographer. She is also a practiced liar, with a dark past concealed by a new identity. Her husband Jim is no saint. He’s preoccupied by the threat he is about to be fired and their teenage son’s questionable antics.
When gunfire erupts in broad daylight on their street and one of their neighbours is murdered, Ria and Jim’s home life begins to unravel. Both double down to protect themselves, desperate to keep their nefarious activities hidden. As the police try and track down the shooter, Ria and Jim’s secrets collide.
But not everything is as it first appears.
In a game of lies, when only one can win..
Sometimes the truth can be deadly.
THE DIME BOX

Greta Giffen barely escapes being murdered by the man she grows up with. She has no idea who Ian is, or who she is, but she’s determined to find out. When she bolts from their secluded cabin in the woods and flees to Toronto, her new life comes at a price. Ian dies in a under suspicious circumstances, and a veteran detective believes Greta has the perfect motive.
A prime suspect in a tense police investigation, Greta finds it hard to make Detective Astra Perez believe the details of her dark and appalling story. Digging deep into her sordid history and forced to face the people from her past in a new light, Greta struggles to accept the secrets that have haunted her since childhood. Still, Detective Perez remains doubtful. And until Greta herself confronts the disturbing evidence in front of her, she’s never going to truly leave that cabin in the woods behind.
Many thanks to Diane Bator, Author for chatting with me about writing. Character development, novel themes, and a sneak peek about my next 2025 release, All June Left Behind. Give it a read. Always grateful for conversation.