This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Actress Sarah Gadon (11.22.63, Alias Grace) performs Sarah Richards’s suspense-driven mystery, Smash Hit, which follows aspiring author Rhonda as she goes to the limits to make her dreams a reality. After Rhonda takes on what she thinks will be the ghostwriting job of a lifetime, she becomes entangled in a murder that could turn her entire life upside down. Exploring the desire for fame and the dangerous paths it can lead to, Smash Hit is a gripping mystery, completely enthralling until the very end.
Nicole Ransome: Smash Hit follows protagonist Rhonda in her attempts to become an acclaimed author, leading her down a dangerous rabbit hole of secrets and murder. As a bestselling author yourself, what was your inspiration behind writing a story about an author’s dream turned nightmare?
Sarah Richards: It can take years of training and discipline to write a book, but I think the secret ingredient is perseverance. The trick is knowing when to let go. I’ve had book projects fizzle, so I can relate to the gut-wrenching disappointment when you realize that a book you love is not going to get published. That’s why I was interested in exploring Rhonda, a character who refuses to accept failure and stops at nothing to get published. She thinks she sees a clear path to realizing her dream when a book deal lands in her lap, but the road is suddenly blocked—by a murder no less!—and instead of accepting defeat, she doubles down. Confronting the very real risks to her personal safety in the pursuit of her dream makes for a propulsive plot, but her obsession also triggers an emotional transformation that I found strangely cathartic.
Smash Hit is narrated by award-winning actress Sarah Gadon. What did you enjoy the most about working with Sarah? How do you feel her extensive acting experience lent itself to the final audio experience?
Sarah Gadon is such a pro! This was my first time visiting the studio to see how a recording comes together, and when I watched Sarah, I was struck by her care. She doesn’t move on until she gets the line perfect, and I think that investment in the success of the final product is a sign of her passion for acting. She has a talent for altering her voice to bring each character to life and knowing how to strike the right tone to spur a reaction from the listener—a laugh, an eye roll, or maybe even a tear. Sarah and the directors familiarized themselves with the plot, so they could tease out critical beats—the clues, the red herrings, the cliffhangers—and this really elevates the listening experience.
Rhonda is a relatable character when it comes to her aspirations of being a bestselling author, especially as so many people have aspirations to become viral or famous today. What was your favorite part about writing from Rhonda’s perspective?
Our current cultural fixation with fame fascinates me, especially in the realm of influencers. There is a real danger in believing that notoriety is the only way to bring something special and unique to the world. Rhonda’s husband reminds her of the opportunity she has as a high-school teacher to make a difference in ways that are smaller in scale but still significant, but she only sees her day job as a barrier to her own success as a writer. That kind of tension really excites me in fiction, especially when the reader is a witness to the folly of the protagonist’s ways. I hope readers can relate to Rhonda enough to root for her.
Following The Worst of You, how did you want to set apart Smash Hit from your other bestsellers? What has been your favorite part of being a writer?
Instead of exploring several different POVs, I wanted to develop one character more deeply this time, following Rhonda’s obsession all the way to the bitter end. My favorite part about being a thriller writer is getting to create and embody characters who land themselves in huge messes. Humans are flawed, and so are my protagonists, and many of them screw up—a lot. It’s satisfying to live vicariously through these characters, who are beleaguered by obstacles and pushed to the brink, only to end up (usually) prevailing. I love experiencing high-stakes drama through characters who are not as risk-averse as me, who end up taking huge gambles and pursuing solutions that I never would. This is the freedom and fun of writing fiction.
