SWIPE
R.G. Belsky and Bonnie Traymore
Independently Published (2025)
R.G. Belsky is an award-winning author of crime fiction and a journalist in New York City. Belsky has published more than 20 novels—most of them set in the New York City media world where he has had a long career as a top editor at the New York Post, New York Daily News, Star magazine, and NBC News. He also writes thrillers under the name Dana Perry. And he is a contributing writer for The Big Thrill magazine as well as BookTrib.
Bonnie Traymore is the Amazon charts bestselling author of eight domestic/psychological thrillers. Her thrillers feature strong but relatable female protagonists who peel back the layers of suburban American life and give readers a peek inside. The plots explore difficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impact of psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance and humor to lighten the mood from time to time.
Bonnie loves Hitchcock movies, psychological thriller novels, coffee, and dark chocolate, not necessarily in that order and sometimes simultaneously. She has a doctorate in United States history and resides in Honolulu with her family. She’s an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
Hi RG and Bonnie – welcome to Reader Views! What is SWIPE about, and what was the inspiration behind the story?
The book focuses on Sonya, who goes on one too many bad dates and starts to exact her revenge—but she never meant to kill anyone. Reporter Jake Parker’s career has seen better days. A former Pulitzer nominee, he now works for a click-bait site and his boss gives him an assignment to go undercover and write a story about online dating. He starts to suspect that a woman is up to something on the app, and it takes off from there.
Bonnie: It was my idea, and it came after a friend unloaded her latest bad date on me over coffee. She suggested that I write a funny collection of stories, but I write thrillers, so of course I thought, what if the woman was out for revenge? So, that’s how it started, and then I convinced R.G. to try to co-write it with me.
Online dating can be a wild ride, and SWIPE takes it to the extreme. How did you research the realities of dating apps and the dangers that come with them?
Bonnie: I had some experience with it, but it was 15 years ago, so I interviewed my friends who are still on the more recent apps, and my daughter and son-in-law, who met on a dating app.
R.G.: I had no experience whatsoever on dating apps, but I talked to friends and other people who did. Amazingly, most of the stuff that I originally just made up in my head about online dating – some of which I thought might be too unrealistic and unbelievable – turned out to have happened to a lot of these people in real life!
The novel presents a chilling look at deception in the modern dating world. Beyond the thriller elements, were you exploring a larger message about trust, safety, or human nature?
Bonnie: In today’s world, scams and dangers are everywhere, especially online, and that is reflected in popular culture. Every era has its cautionary tales. When I was growing up, people hitchhiked, which seems crazy now. So there have always been dangers, they just change with the times.
R.G.: Me, I wasn’t thinking too much about larger messages in SWIPE. I just wanted to tell a good story.
Sonya’s actions blur the line between justice and personal vengeance. Did you intend for her to be a vigilante, or does her role raise deeper ethical questions about accountability?
Bonnie: I started out with an idea of a woman taking revenge on the guys she met online, so yes, that was the idea. Her character then evolved with the story, but I can’t give too much away without it being a spoiler.
Jake Parker’s story resonates with anyone frustrated by modern media trends. Was his struggle based on real experiences, and did either of you draw from personal knowledge of the journalism world?
R.G.: Oh yes, as someone who has spent most of my life in the New York City media world as a journalist, I drew heavily on my own experiences for the Jake Parker character. Both to describe the way journalism used to be and what it is like today with all the changes in the way the public gets their news. Jake was definitely an interesting character for me to write.
SWIPE is packed with deception and secrets, both in relationships and in media. How do these themes connect, and what do you think they reveal about modern society?
Bonnie: I think the book is a reflection of real life. What’s happened with journalism. The realities of using apps to connect for all kinds of reasons: dating, job searches, friendships, etc.
R.G. I love books filled with deception and secrets. Most of mine are that way. The same with Bonnie’s. Filled with twists and turns and hopefully big surprises.
Balancing psychological intensity with a fast-paced thriller can be tricky. How did you approach maintaining the tension without losing the emotional weight of the story?
Bonnie: Co-writing helped keep the pace brisk, because we would respond to each other’s chapters. Then we worked separately on the character development, with me working on Sonya and R.G. working on Jake.
R.G.: Yes, the co-writing really helped. With Jake, his priority had to be the investigation into the murders and I always tried to keep that moving along. But I also wanted the reader to find out more about him as a person. It’s a tricky balance sometimes, but one I try to maintain in every character I write.
Technology plays a huge role in SWIPE, particularly in how people manipulate their identities online. Did you intend the book to be a commentary on the dangers of digital deception?
Bonnie: The idea was more about dating and bad dates in general, not specifically digital ones, but then I got the idea to put it on a dating app. Some of the stories I heard were also from set-ups or meet-cutes, that didn’t end up to be so adorable. No, I didn’t really intend for it to be a cautionary tale about digital dating, because scary dates can happen from any meet-up.
The tension in SWIPE is amplified by its dual POV format. Did you always plan to tell the story this way, and how did you ensure each perspective added to the suspense?
Bonnie: Yes, I had the idea about a reporter going undercover to catch Sonya, so I approached R.G, figuring that with his background, he’d be great at it. I tried writing it myself and thought he’d do a better job. And he did!
R.G.: I wasn’t sure the idea was going to work when Bonnie asked me about doing it. I’ve published a lot of books, but I’ve never co-written with another author. So I decided I’d do a couple of sample chapters and see what happened. It turned out pretty good, so we just kept going. Writing each of our characters in separate POV chapters – and then, of course, getting Sonya and Jake together as the story progressed.
The supporting cast plays a big role in adding layers to the mystery. Did any of the side characters surprise you as the story unfolded? Or any of the characters for that matter!
Bonnie: All of the side characters happened organically. The biggest surprises were the characters he invented, and that was the fun part of co-writing.
R.G.: No plan there. I find side characters work better when they develop naturally throughout the story. That’s pretty much what happened here.
Sonya and Jake each have their flaws, but they also have traits that make them easy to root for. Did you ever struggle with finding the right balance between making them flawed yet relatable?
Bonnie: I did struggle, and R.G. helped me, letting me know when I needed more backstory or depth and what was working or not. Again, a nice feature of co-writing is the instant feedback, because you both have skin in the game.
R.G.: I love flawed characters. As an author, I want the reader to root for my characters while at the same time getting frustrated or even angry for some of the decisions they make. And yes, it is a struggle sometimes finding that right balance. Hopefully, we found it in Jake and Sonya.
Did either of you start with a clear vision of Sonya and Jake, or did they evolve as the story unfolded?
Bonnie: With Sonya, I struggled and she developed over time.
R.G.: I had a pretty good idea of Jake when I started because I’ve known so many people in the media like him. But he surprised me as the book went on, and I think he grew more than I had even anticipated.
What was the most exciting or rewarding scene (for each of you) to write? Were there any moments that were particularly challenging?
Bonnie: My favorite scene was the climax, when Sonya faces off against the antagonist. That was also the most challenging. I also loved the epilogue, so make sure to read all the way through!
R.G. My favorite scenes were the ones about all of Jake’s adventures on the dating apps with the women he met and the bizarre experiences he had in getting background for his story. Especially when he gets invited back to one of his dates’ home for a …well, bizarre….threesome opportunity. But you have to read the book to learn more about that.
The novel has strong cinematic qualities—the tension, the pacing, the twists. Do you see SWIPE as a potential film or series? And if so, how do you think it would translate to the screen?
Bonnie: Funny you should ask. I just adapted another manuscript for the screen, and R.G. has done some screenwriting. Maybe?
R.G.: I’ll accept any screen offers for SWIPE, and I’m pretty sure Bonnie will too.
Collaborating on a novel requires a strong creative partnership. How did you divide the writing responsibilities in SWIPE? Did each of you take on specific characters or themes?
Bonnie: It was pretty easy to divide in the beginning because I wrote Sonya’s POV and R.G. wrote Jake’s POV. But over time, I’d have scenes with Jake or other characters that he created, and vice versa. That was more of a challenge, making sure I was true to his vision.
R.G. I think Bonnie summed it up pretty well. Yes, because this was a dual POV between Sonya and Jake, it was pretty straightforward to split the workload. We wanted the two voices to be different, but to compliment each other at the same time.
How did you navigate any moments of creative disagreement? If there were any!
Bonnie: I don’t remember too many moments of disagreement. It was more like constructive criticism, where one of us would tell the other how it felt as a reader, more at the line level. As far as the plot, we were pretty much on the same page, from what I recall.
R.G.: I just did everything the way Bonnie wanted, it seemed easier that way! Actually, like she said, we were pretty much in agreement on most things the whole time. No big arguments, no clashes of two huge egos or anything like that. I think it helped that we had both read – and were fans – of each other’s work before we started.
What would you say is the biggest advantage of co-authoring a thriller like SWIPE compared to writing solo?
Bonnie: It was very exciting to see where he took the next chapters. For example, I had no idea how Jake was going to start suspecting that someone was up to something on the app, so I read it like a reader, which was fun. Also, the immediate feedback was great.
R.G.: Well, for one thing I only had to write half a book, instead of the whole thing. But more seriously, it also helps to have someone else to bounce ideas off of and get inspiration from. Bonnie and I live halfway around the world from each other – her in Hawaii, me in New York City – but we talked constantly to produce this book. That was a different and interesting writing experience.
Many co-authors say they learn something new about their own writing process through collaboration. Did this experience change how you approach storytelling?
Bonnie: I learned that I often don’t spend enough time really getting to know my character before I start writing. Now, I’m trying to flesh that out more before I dive in.
R.G.: I’ve never written a domestic psychological thriller like this. Most of my stuff has been more journalistic or police procedural. I hope to use some of the things I learned writing SWIPE in my own future books.
What do you hope readers take away from SWIPE beyond the suspense and mystery?
Bonnie: I hope that readers realize the dangers of the modern dating world, but also that they don’t give up hope. It’s part of the human condition, the drive to find that one person who gets you and enriches your life. Just be careful, whichever method you choose.
R.G.: Like I said earlier, I just hope people enjoy the story, the characters, and the writing in SWIPE. That’s really all I’m looking for.
What’s next for each of you? Are you working on solo projects, or is another collaboration on the horizon?
Bonnie: I’ve got an audio edition of The Unforgetting coming out with Podium Entertainment, sometime in summer, another domestic thriller completed and out for submission, and I just started on a high-concept thriller, plus I’m shopping my spec script around.
R.G.: The paperback version of Broadcast Blues, the most recent book in my Clare Carlson mystery series for Oceanview – about a TV newswoman in New York – was published last month. I have a new standalone thriller called The Mogul that I just sold to Level Best Books and will be out next for me. And I recently finished another thriller called PrimeTimeCrime.
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHORS!
R.G. BELSKY
Website: https://www.rgbelsky.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RGBelsky
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BONNIE TRAYMORE:
Website: www.bonnietraymore.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonnietraymore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnietraymore
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbonnietraymore