Women’s fiction author, Heather Frimmer, returns to the Spotlight this week to talk about her latest novel, Better to Trust
Author Name: Heather Frimmer
Book Title: Better to Trust
Book Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie
Congratulations on your latest release, Heather! Please tell us about Better to Trust.
When a neurosurgeon hiding a prescription pill addiction operates on his sister-in-law’s brain, the family is forced to grapple with a devastating question. When trust is violated, can it ever be recovered?
You tackle a lot of sensitive issues in this novel—addiction, sexual identity, disability, to name a few. What drew you to exploring and ultimately writing about those issues?
I look for ideas for my novels everywhere. When an acquaintance mentioned that her surgeon husband performed a minor procedure on another family member, that got me thinking. What if the surgery was more significant? What if that serious operation didn’t go as planned? Those questions sparked the idea and I ran with it. I didn’t set out to write a story about any particular issues—they just naturally worked their way into the plot.
What kind of research did you do for this book?
Since the topics in this book are not directly related to my day job, I read up a lot on stroke, aphasia, neurosurgery and addiction. I also found a group of incredible beta readers which included neurologists, neurosurgeons, addiction specialists, speech pathologists and members of the LGBTQ community. I asked them to be honest about any parts that didn’t ring true and suggest ways to revise accordingly.
In what ways do you think you’ve evolved as an author since your first book came out?
My debut novel, Bedside Manners, was very much drawn from my life and career experience. With Better to Trust and my current work in progress, I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone to write about things I haven’t experienced. It’s both exhilarating and scary at the same time. Learning to embrace the fear and channel it into my writing has been a challenge.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I love the creativity and freedom of writing the first draft. The story could go in a thousand different directions, kind of like a choose your own adventure book. Perhaps because I refuse to outline, revising is more difficult for me. I have a hard time cutting out hard earned words and shaping the story into a finished piece.
What are you working on now?
My work in progress centers on an obstetrician struggling with an anxiety disorder and a patient who is suing her for malpractice. In the current draft, there are three points of view—the doctor, the patient, and the patient’s malpractice attorney. The attorney character, an older Jewish widower, came to me first and the story unfolded from there. He’s very endearing and I think I have a bit of a crush on him. I can’t give away much more as it’s early in the process and I’m still figuring it out myself.
Where can readers find you?
My website is heatherfrimmer.com where I write a blog about new books and also pair up books with similar themes. Sometimes I even throw in pairings with TV shows or movies as well. You can also find me on Instagram @heatherfrimmer and on Facebook @heatherfrimmerauthor
Thank you, Heather! Better to Trust is out NOW.
Better to Trust
When trust is violated, can it ever be recovered?
Alison Jacobs needs brain surgery and places ultimate trust in her sister’s husband, Grant Kaplan, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and expert in treating her condition. But Grant is hiding a dark secret which threatens the outcome: an addiction to prescription pills. As Alison struggles to rebuild her life, Grant’s daughter, Sadie, spends more time with a new friend. Frustrated that her parents exclude her from the conversations about her beloved aunt, Sadie makes increasingly risky choices which could endanger not only her, but her entire family.
Alison is also harboring her own secret-an extramarital affair with a woman. Her close call with mortality spurs her to take a closer look at her marriage, explore her newfound sexuality and figure out what she wants for her future. How will she rebuild her life and move forward? Can she find a way to repair her broken relationship with her only sister?
Secrets swirling around drug use and sexual identity must be dealt with in order for the family to learn to trust each other again.
Author bio:
Heather Frimmer is a radiologist specializing in breast and emergency room imaging. Her first novel, Bedside Manners, was published in 2018 and has received several awards including National Indie Excellence, Readers’ Favorite and Independent Press awards. She completed her medical training at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian-Cornell and Yale New Haven Hospital. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Connecticut. Her second novel, Better to Trust, releases in September 2021.