The drive home was tense. The roads
were slick with fresh snow, and the wipers worked overtime to clear the
windshield. Edward kept a firm grip on the wheel, navigating cautiously around
the bends. Elouise sat in the back, still humming the songs from the musical,
her voice soft as the snow that continued to fall heavily around them.
Suddenly, headlights pierced the
snowy darkness. From around the bend, an oncoming car swerved out of control.
Everything happened in a blur: metal scraping, tires screeching, and the world
flipping upside down. The car rolled once or twice before coming to a crushing
halt.
Sirens filled the air as firemen and
paramedics swarmed the scene, pulling them from the wreckage. Elouise lay
motionless, her eyes closed, her curls tangled and limp. The paramedics worked
frantically as they loaded her into the ambulance.
On the way to the hospital, her
heart stopped.
– Excerpted from A Glimpse Too Far by Karen Charles,
BookBaby, 2025. Reprinted with permission.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Karen Charles transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of Freeman Earns a Bike, a children’s book, and three thrillers based on true stories. Fateful Connections takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and Blazing Upheaval takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake.
A Glimpse Too Far promises all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller, also based on a true story. Karen Charles has two businesses: a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English, and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she resides with her husband.
Can you tell us about your latest book, A Glimpse Too Far?
A terrifying gift. A government cover-up. And a past that won’t stay buried.
Elouise thought she had left the past behind. After a tragic accident, she woke with a chilling ability to see glimpses of people’s pasts and futures. She’s spent years trying to live a normal life. But when a powerful senator pulls her into a high-stakes game of deception and control, she realizes her gift is no longer a secret — it’s a weapon. And he intends to use it.
She must make an impossible choice: play his deadly game or risk everything to expose the truth.
Danger closes in. Now, Elouise is running for her life, hunted by those who will do anything to silence her.
Who can she trust? The boyfriend who swore to protect her? Or the man who wants to own her gift — at any cost?
A Glimpse Too Far is a pulse-pounding thriller filled with menace, betrayal, and a race against time. Will the truth be uncovered before it’s too late?
Is A Glimpse Too Far your only book?
I wrote a children’s book, Freeman Earns a Bike, and two other thrillers based on true stories, Fateful Connections and Blazing Upheaval.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters in A Glimpse Too Far?
Elouise is the main character. Elouise thought she had left the past behind. After a tragic accident at eight years old, she woke with a chilling ability to see glimpses of people’s pasts and futures. She’s spent years trying to live a normal life. Her grandparents gave her a horse for her birthday, and this turned out to be a lifesaver, helping her with her healing and developing into a horse trainer and a horse whisperer. Her journey is terrifying as she deals with this gift, or is it a curse?
Do you see a little bit of yourself in your main character?
Yes, I identify with her ability to adapt to stressors successfully, maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adversity. She grows from difficult times.
Where is this book set, and why did you choose that location?
This book is based on a true story, so the main character, Elouise, lives in western Washington State. But the story will take you to Washington, D.C., Morocco, and Belize.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
The best advice I can give to aspiring authors is to stop waiting for permission to write. Don’t wait until you feel ready, qualified, or certain that your story is ‘good enough.’ Write anyway. Trust your voice. Write the messy first draft, let your characters surprise you, and know that rewriting is where the real magic happens. Also, remember that doubt is part of the process — it shows you care. But don’t let it silence you. Keep showing up on the page, because the only way to become a writer is to write.
Thank you so much for this interview, Karen. What’s next for you?
I am working on a thriller based on the true story of a girl who grew up in San Salvador, where once girls reached a certain age, they were obligated to become the “girlfriend” of a member of whatever gang controlled that area. The story is about her escape and harrowing trip through Guatemala and Mexico, as she desperately seeks her father in Los Angeles.
Karen Charles is the author of Freeman Earns a Bike, a children's book, and two thrillers based on true stories. Fateful Connections takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and Blazing Upheaval takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake.
She has two businesses: a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English, and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she resides with her husband.
Her
latest book is the psychological thriller, A
Glimpse Too Far.
Connect with Karen
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