1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms? Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?
I started off this life as a mystery reader. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were my companions. When I grew up it would be natural that I would be a mystery writer. Deep down and to my core that's what I am. Mysteries are still my reading of choice. I tried, briefly, to write romance, since it's so popular, but my poor romances kept being populated by dead bodies. Of course, that's not to say my books don't have romance. They most certainly do! I have a weird theory about romance: I think that every book - even literary and poetic - must include an element of romance. Night Watch, my full length mystery novel—Book One of a new series—is out now, and this past spring I released a book of short stories. I love this new Indie publishing revolution, because I can experiment with lengths - full length, novellas and short stories. I love reading short mysteries and enjoy writing them.
What wouldn't I attempt? I'm not really sure. I think it's important for writers to write what they like to read. The idea of fantasy frightens me, but I do have a ghost story that I wrote for a past NaNoWriMo that I want to bring out and have another look at.
2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does one of these come easy and why?
I think most authors find villains the easiest to write. I don't know what that says about us as writers, but it's something that seems to be true across the board. Maybe we can work out all of our pent up emotions when we get into the head of a villain! It's quite fun, actually to come up with villains and crimes.
3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?
I usually start a story with either a bit of a plot idea, setting or character. But no matter where I start, the characters are the most important part of the story. I don't know where the actual people come from - parts of people that I know or have met, pictures that I see, and my imagination. Mostly my imagination. I'm not one of those writers who finds online pictures of people and copies them onto a desk top for reference. I just don't do that. I guess my characters are mostly composites.
4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?
I love boats and sailing and have long wanted to write about a strong female character who has her boat delivery captain's license. Her name is Em Ridge and her job is mainly delivering boats from Point A to Point B - but of course mystery ensues, along with romance. Poor Em is kind of an alter ego for me. I love sailing, but I'm not very brave. Em, on the other hand is brave and capable and strong.
5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human?
When writing a villain it's important to understand that we are not machines. Every villain came from a mother. Every villain has his or her own story and the reasons why she is the way she is. I think it's important to get those stories out there, too. A long time ago I read that every villain needs a soft spot. So, in my first book I gave the bad guy a pet hamster. It can be as simple as that.
6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain?
Night Watch is my newest release and is Book One in the new Em Ridge mystery series that I'm quite excited to write! Recently widowed Em Ridge has just been given her first ever captaining job and she wants desperately to succeed. She and her crew are to deliver a billionaire's luxury yacht from Canada to Bermuda and then on down to the Bahamas. But there is one catch, the billionaire's rather unruly 21 year old daughter is to come along. Her father rules his family like he rules his corporations and feels his daughter needs a bit of an "outward bound" experience.
As for who is the hero and villain, well, you'll have to read the book to find out! No spoilers here.
7. What are you working on now?
Right now I'm working on writing down the bones, the skeleton, if you will, of
The Bitter End, Book Two in my series. In November I'll be writing that book as part of NaNoWriMo
No comments:
Post a Comment