I’ve had many people ask me about where I got the inspiration for TO THE BONE. A couple of years ago, I was at a writers’ retreat/book signing in Paris and our organizer set up a tour of the Ossuary (the sanctioned section) of the catacombs under Paris. It was an incredible experience that I absolutely loved. There are bones of over 6 million people in the catacombs. In the Ossuary they are arranged in intricate ways that are both eerie and beautiful. It is unlike any other place I’ve ever been in every way. Sound doesn’t move the same way. The air is still and heavy and it’s incredible. Being a thriller writer, I couldn’t imagine not writing a books set there.
After doing extensive research and getting a first draft put together. My good friend, Amy Plum, set up a tour of the off-limits section with the foremost expert on the catacombs, Gilles Thomas. He took me and two friends down there and we saw some of the area that is not part of the organized tour. I fell even more in love with it and was able to use that visit to really flesh out and inform the details of the story. There are a few liberties I took, but overall, this book should give the feel of actually being there that I was lucky enough to experience myself.
I hope everyone feels the thrill, the fascination and the chilling nature of the catacombs through my book, TO THE BONE.
J.R. (Jenn) Johansson
To The Bone by J.R. Johansson
Publication date: August 25th 2020
Genres: New Adult, Thriller, Young Adult
J.R. JOHANSSON is the author of the Night Walkers Series (INSOMNIA, PARANOIA and MANIA) as well as standalone novels, CUT ME FREE and THE ROW. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and more than twenty countries worldwide. She is the creator and host of the Riveting Reads podcast and the AuthorGamerGirl channel on Twitch. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. She lives in a valley where the sun shines 300+ days per year with her hot tub named Valentino. Visit her online at www.jrjohansson.com.
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