NORWAY – Best-selling author Tess Gerritsen’s mother claimed to have seen ghosts during World War II, prompting her to join a parapsychology society.

She shared her experiences concerning extraordinary phenomena with Gerritsen – and, perhaps, influenced the renowned author of medical thrillers to take a walk on the dark side.

Gerritsen, who has made her home in Camden for the past 17 years, shared this glimpse into her life with fans of her books at a fireside chat Feb. 2 at the Norway Memorial Library.

Standing in front of a candle-lit fireplace, Gerritsen – who, incidentally, looks younger in person than in her publicity photos – said she began writing as a child. “My first book was titled, ‘My Dead Cat,'” she recalled.

Later, she found some inspiration in Harlequin novels. Looking to get rid of her supply of romance novels, a friend gave Gerritsen a bagful. Gerritsen ended up reading every single one. She found the easy plots somewhat comforting and a welcome reprieve from the stress of medical school. (A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Gerritsen went on to medical school at the University of California, earning her M.D in 1979. She worked as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii.)

In 1987, Gerritsen wrote her first romantic thriller, “Call After Midnight,” followed by eight other romantic suspense novels and then the medical thrillers for which she is so well-known.

It seems Gerritsen may have always had an interest in the macabre. She shared a story about the time her son and his college roommate asked her for ideas for a gruesome prank they wanted to pull. She suggested getting some animal guts at a butcher shop, spreading a blanket on a prone person, and placing the guts on top. “The roommate informed her son his mother had a sick imagination,” she told people attending the fireside chat.

“Harvest,” Gerritsen’s first medical thriller, released in 1996, deals with the human organ market and put her on the New York Times best-seller list for the first time.

Gerritsen also recalled a time when she attended an autopsy and instead of feeling detached, she was reminded of her son – because of the young age of the person on the examination table. This lead her to wonder how one might feel performing an autopsy on an acquaintance or even oneself. That train of thought resulted in “Body Double,” in which a female detective discovers a victim with an identical likeness, and learns of a previously unknown extended family.

Gerritsen wrote “Gravity” after watching a movie about astronauts trapped in orbit, she said. Their air supply was running out, but they could still communicate with the command center on Earth. Out of this evolved the book’s theme – how do you say goodbye to a loved one when you know you will die.

She identifies emotionally with her victims, Gerritsen said, and that is what she passes on to her readers.

And, no doubt, her readers hope there are many more emotional attachments to come.

Edward M. Turner is a freelance writer living in Biddeford. He has written book reviews for the Sun Journal, including one of “The Mephisto Club,” which he rated 4 out of 4 stars.
A fire side chat

Tess Gerritsen, now retired from the medical field, writes full time. She said her contract states she must produce one book a year.

How long does it take her to write a book?

A year.

How many pages does she write a day?

Four and she revises the manuscript at least three times. It’s one-fourth research and three-fourths writing, she said.

Why did she settle in Maine?

“I fell in love with the state on a visit.”

Some of Gerritsen’s books

Romance novels:

“Call After Midnight”

“Presumed Guilty”

“Thief of Hearts”

“Keeper of the Bride”

Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles series:

“The Surgeon”

“The Apprentice”

“The Sinner”

“Body Double”

“Vanish”

“The Mephisto Club”

Medical thrillers:

“Gravity”

“Bloodstream”

“Life Support”

“Harvest”