Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Felicia Watson
Book Title: Worse Than Any Bullet
Released: 08/25/26
Genre: Adult Crime Mystery
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Worse Than Any Bullet”?
Watson: This novel is a major rewrite of the first book I ever wrote and never got published. My critique group back then let me know the novel didn’t work for them. There were too many flashbacks that dragged the story down. One woman I really respected said, “I think you’re not yet a good enough writer to tell the story you want to tell.” After all these years of writing, I felt like I was talented enough to finally tackle the story and do it justice. I realized what I needed was a prequel of sorts which turned into the first book in this series, ‘Where No One Will See’. With her backstory covered, that left me room to write the mature Lucia we see in ‘Worse Than Any Bullet’.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Watson: Lucia has been in my head so long, I don’t really remember where I got her name. I think she came to me as a character with that name. I can’t imagine calling her anything else. Other characters like Patsy and Tony are based on people I know, so their names are a nod to the inspiration people and then there’s Julianna, a character I love and gave the prettiest name I know.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book? I love hearing from readers. When people tell me how my novels affected them, touched them, made them think, that’s the payoff for all the hard work I pour into my stories.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Watson: I love hearing from readers. When people tell me how my novels affected them, touched them, made them think, that’s the payoff for all the hard work I pour into my stories.
If "Worse Than Any Bullet" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Watson: Ava Michelle, if she'd put on a few pounds for the role, could pull off Lucia and Gabrielle Union would be absolutely perfect for Juli. I could definitely see Bobby Cannavale playing Tony.
If you could have dinner with any character you’ve written, who would it be—and what would you talk about?
Watson: Oh, I definitely have dinner with Lucia and I’d love to hear the nitty gritty details of her early days as a private eye! Plus I want to know more about what it was really like growing up in that family, especially with Micky as her dad’s best friend.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Watson: I write something totally self-indulgent. Some vignette or small scene that I’m dying to write instead of what I need to write. That usually gets the creative juices flowing and I can get back to the real work.
What’s the weirdest or most unexpected place you’ve gotten a story idea from?
Watson: There’s a scene in one of my scifi novels where I have my characters in an artificial environment that is almost entirely based on one of the weirdest dreams I’ve ever had. That’s why I was able to write so vividly about what the place looked and even smelled like.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Watson: I read so many genres it’s hard to say but my two favorite books are ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ and ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ – make of that what you will! Ursula K. Le Guin is without a doubt my favorite author, though.
What are you working on next?
Watson: I am working on the third novel in the Fidelia mysteries, ‘Water From a Poison Well’. It’s set just a few years after ‘Worse Than Any bullet’ so we see how things are progressing with Lucia and her loved ones – and her not-so-loved ones, too.
Learn More About the Author and Worse Than Any Bullet here:
Website: www.feliciawatsonwrites.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feliciatheauthor/
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
review