“Sensational – new, fresh, suspenseful, and lead character Margo Fletcher is to die for. I loved this book.” — Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Cover Your Tracks is exactly what a thriller should be. A fast-paced plot, great characters, and tightly-wound suspense create a story that will linger long after you turn the final page. Highly recommended.” — D.P. Lyle, award-winning author
The votes are in: Daco S. Auffenorde’s riveting thriller Cover Your Tracks (Keylight Books) will absolutely blow your mind.
Margo Fletcher, very pregnant, is traveling by train from Chicago to Spokane, her childhood home. While passing through an isolated portion of the Rockies in blizzard conditions, the train unexpectedly brakes. Up ahead, a massive avalanche plummets down the mountain. Despite the conductor’s order for the passengers to stay seated, former Army Ranger Nick Eliot insists that survival depends on moving to the back of the train. Only Margo believes him. The pair end up as the sole survivors, stranded in the snowstorm without food, water or heat. Rescuers might not arrive for days.
When the weather turns violent again, the pair must flee the shelter of the passenger car and run for their lives into the wilderness. They must fend off the deadly cold as well as predatory wild animals foraging for food. Eventually, Nick leads Margo to shelter in a watchtower atop a mountain. There, we learn that both Margo and Nick have secrets that have brought them together and threaten to destroy them.
There was so much we wanted to ask Daco and it was very hard to narrow it down our final questionnaire. In the end, however, we learned one very important thing: we’ll read anything she writes!
Q: What drew you to write psychological thrillers?
A: I was raised in Huntsville, Alabama, so I’m a southern girl — and the American South is known for its storytellers — Harper Lee, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty. For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed entertaining my friends and family with stories. I grew up to love writing fast-paced stories that keep readers guessing and glued to the seat. I love writing books with tension, conflict, and suspense — and what could create more tension and suspense than a psychological thriller, where seemingly ordinary people hide dark and often deadly secrets that threaten to overturn their happy lives. Indeed, I’ve just gone back to my very first attempt at a novel — which I wrote as commercial fiction about two strangers on vacation — and transformed the work into a tense psychological thriller. And I couldn’t have enjoyed the rewriting process more.
Q: Tell us the storyline for Cover Your Tracks.
A: Cover Your Tracks, an awarding-winning novel, is the story of Margo Fletcher, eight-and-a-half months pregnant, who survives a horrible train crash, only to be stranded in the wilderness with a former soldier, Nick Eliot, who is reluctant to divulge his past. As the pair try to survive a massive blizzard, unexpected avalanches, frigid temperatures, feral predators, and imminent starvation, we learn that the greatest dangers are the secrets that Margo and Nick keep.
Q: Where did this idea come from?
A: My inspiration for this story comes from several sources, including historical research into one of the deadliest railroad/avalanche tragedies of all time, known as the “White Death” avalanche. The disaster took place in 1910, in Stephens Pass, Washington, located in the Cascade Range. Nearly 100 railway passengers and workers lost their lives. This “White Death” avalanche provided a starting point for the novel. Then there’s my love for the movie The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford (I’m a bit young to have watched the TV show!).
The Fugitive opens with a massive train wreck at the beginning of the film and I’ve always found that scene powerful. So, I thought, what if I create a story about a massive avalanche that buries a passenger train in the middle of the remote mountains and only a woman and former army ranger live? Would they be able to survive out in the wilderness with little more than the clothes on their backs? And what if the woman was very pregnant? But simply writing a survival story wasn’t enough. I wanted my readers to understand the characters’ emotional makeups. Could the pair survive not only the elements but also each other?
Q: The book has been described as a chilling tale of love and hate. Can you explain, without giving away any spoilers?
A: Both Margo and Nick had tremendously troubled upbringings. And both have lost loved ones under unimaginable circumstances. As they try to survive in the wilderness, they’re both driven by their love for those who depend on them and hatred for the people who wronged them. And how they balance that love and hatred ultimately determines their story’s outcome.
Q: Have you ever experienced a harrowing train disaster like the one you write about?
A: No, thankfully, I have never been in a train wreck or disaster. But I’ve always had an affinity for trains. My grandfather — and my father as a very young man — worked on the railroad and would tell us stories about trains. And as a young child, I would cross the train tracks on the way to school (although I wasn’t supposed to go that way!). I would stand near the tracks in awe as a train passed — listening to the warning bells, counting cars and waiting for the caboose. Living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, at night I can hear train sounds echoing through the foothills. And given a chance, I’ll always stop to watch a train rumble by — horn blowing, wheels meeting steel. Comforting sounds. But just to be clear — there’s nothing comforting about the train in Cover Your Tracks. It’s a thriller, after all.
Q: Tell us what we need to know about your protagonist Margo. Was she modeled after anyone in particular? Who, if anyone in literature, might she remind readers of?
A: Margo sprang to life entirely from my imagination. I wanted to create a strong female lead, so I wrote Margo to have practical skills that could help Nick and her to survive. And what better background than an ER doctor? As I said before, Margo also had a tough upbringing, which made her resilient. But because of tragedy in her life, she’s also vulnerable and human.
Q: What authors do you regard as inspirations for you as a thriller writer?
A: I’m a huge fan of Lee Child, Daniel Silva, K.J. Howe, Steve Berry, Lisa Scottoline and so many more. There are just too many to list. I also read other genres. I love Ann Patchett (The Dutch House) and Jesmyn Ward (Salvage the Bones.)
Q: What would you hope readers will take away from this book?
A: Humans are capable of miraculous feats when put to the test and when they’re motivated by love.
Q: What is your next project?
A: I have several works at various stages. Two thrillers, including Dirty Martini, an espionage thriller, will release in 2022. Along with availability through traditional outlets, these titles will be featured in online apps. My superhero novel, Electromancer, is soon to be made into an interactive game available online and in apps. I have two additional thrillers ready to go, including Down She Falls, an amnesia story, which is out on submission and close to finding a home. I’m also working on a historical novel that takes place during WWII. As is the case with most authors, I’m working on several projects at various stages.
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About Daco S. Auffenorde:
Daco S. Auffenorde was born at the Naval hospital in Bethesda, Maryland and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Daco holds a B.A. and M.A.S. from The University of Alabama in Huntsville and a J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Alabama Writers’ Forum, Authors Guild, and Alabama State Bar.
