Jamie Freveletti

“Be confident that you have what it takes to make it in the world. Follow what your heart tells you and once you’ve analyzed the situation and looked at all the angles, you should go for it!”- Jamie Freveletti

Jamie Freveletti was a thrill seeker from the time she was a little girl. “I was a big reader and I was always drawn to the thrillers.”

She loved writing, and when she was twelve she had a poem published. “My family used to watch the Carol Burnett show every Saturday and she’d read kids poems. They decided to publish an anthology of these poems and asked for contributions. I sent in a poem and they picked it to be included in the book.”

Jamie’s love for writing lay dormant as she grew, attending law school and building her law career.

She became a partner in her law firm, was married and raising two children before her childhood dream resurfaced.

“I was looking for a way to decompress from the demands of practicing law. I decided to take a night class in writing at the University of Chicago.”

The class inspired Jamie to write her first book Running from the Devil, which was published by HarperCollins in 2009.

“My journey was very unusual for a first time novelist. It just so happened that the big publishing houses sent out a blast saying they were looking for female thriller writers and my novel fit it perfectly. In a span of only sixteen months I had finished my novel, revised it and sold it. That’s an incredibly short time when it’s your first book.”

Though some have called her lucky, Jamie doesn’t believe in luck. “Women attribute a lot of things to luck, and they probably shouldn’t. There’s a lot of hard work involved. I think if you prepare yourself then there’s a better chance of someone coming along who’s looking for your preparation. Timing is probably a better word.”

Though it looked like life was supporting her choice to write, Jamie didn’t want to give up practicing law until she felt that her writing career was up and running. “After my second book Running Dark, was published in 2010, the estate of Robert Ludlum contracted me to write a book. Between that and another two book deal, I felt I could finally let go of being a lawyer and dedicate myself to writing full time.”

In January of 2011 Jamie allowed her law license to expire in order to dedicate herself to writing.

Leaving her life as a lawyer wasn’t easy for her. “It was hard to leave the intellectual stimulation in the world of law. Writing is creatively stimulating, but it doesn’t have the same intellectual impact that the research and study of law brings.”

Aside from this minor difficulty in adjusting, Jamie finds herself waking each morning eager to begin writing.

“When something really clicks and you’re so excited to learn every aspect of it and build something, you know you’re headed in the right direction.”

To find out more about Jamie, her books and speaking events go to jamiefreveletti.com