Interview with Matt Ferraz

Interview with Matt Ferraz

What genre do you write and why?

I’ve written in a variety of genres, but I’ve always considered myself a crime writer. This has been my favourite genre ever since I was a little boy. My first literary crush was Agatha Christie. When I was nine, I read Death on the Nile, and things were never the same again.

However, I don’t plan to stick to that genre in every single book of my career. I have a masters in biography, and have a deep passion for life writing. There are so many things that fascinate me in world History, and sometimes I just want to write a bit about everything.

My two most recent books are The Convenient Cadaver, a cosy mystery story about an old lady who solves crimes, and Know Thy Enemy, a sci-fi novel that I’ve co-written with an awesome author named Dawn Chapman. Sequels for both books are on the works.

Interview with Matt Ferraz
http://amzn.to/2tDQhrq
How was this book published? (traditional, small press, self pub, etc...)  Why did you choose that particular publishing route?

Killing Dr. Watson was released by an amazing publishing house in the UK called MX Publishing. They are a unique company, that only deals with Sherlock Holmes related material. Most of their books feature Holmes and Watson as characters, but they were very receptive to the plot of my novel. Killing Dr. Watson is about a guy named Jerry, who has spent all his life watching re-runs of a TV show called The Baker Street Sleuth. His greatest idol is Bartholomew Neville, the actor who played Sherlock Holmes in the show. A strange series of incidents puts Jerry in the way of a killer who wants to murder actors who played the role of Dr. Watson in the different seasons of the show.

MX Publishing has a set of amazing writers who know everything about the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They live and breathe Sherlock Holmes, and have created some amazing books. I’m very honoured to be featured amongst them.

Who are your favourite authors?

If you told me to pick five, I’d say: Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Liev Tolstoi, Dashiell Hammett and Conan Doyle, of course. I love the classics, but try to stay tuned to new stuff as well. And there are authors I don’t know that well but love the little I’ve read from them. 

What advice do you have for other writers?

Get to know the publishing market. Spend money with books and courses about how it works. Find out everything you can before picking self or traditional publishing, and even then, never stop learning. There’s no use in releasing a book no one will read, and it can be really frustrating when only others are making money with your work.

Who is you favourite character in your book and why?

Bartholomew Neville was a joy to write. I wanted to make him as pompous as humanly possible, someone who’s always trying to look dignifying while fighting for attention. Jerry was more challenging. In my first draft, I tried to make him stoic and classy, but the editor and I agreed that wasn’t working. So, I made him something in between: not the smartest guy one Earth, but someone whose spirit is beaten to a pulp and tries to do the right thing.

Do you believe in writers block?

I believe in mental block, which is when you can’t put your mind to anything. It happens to people in all areas, writing included. As for writer’s block, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it. Things come and go in waves; there are days when I feel like reading for hours, and others when I can’t read a page. The same goes for writing. When that happens, the best thing is to try to relax and do something else. The muse will eventually return.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Nobody is going to read your work if you don’t promote it. Also, you’ll not going to become instantly famous just because you managed to finish your first book.

What is your work in progress? Tell us about it.

My next book will be a romanticized account of a real life silent film star who had a tragic death. This will be different from what I’ve done before, for it will all be based in real events. It requires a lot of research, but I’m loving the process.

Interview with Matt Ferraz
Does your family support you in your writing career? How?

I have an amazing family who’ve always supported my writing. My mother has always believed in me, but also made sure that I went to college so I had other career options. My grandmother always puts my books in her prayers, which I find the most endearing thing in the world.

What are you currently reading?

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. I’m still at the first chapters, but I can tell it’s an exceptional book.

What are some of your all time favourite books?

My favourite book of all time is Liev Tolstoi’s Anna Karenina. It’s so much more than a just love story! My list of favourites also includes Stephen King’s It, Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn, Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, Robert Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and many, many others.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?

I have a lifelong relationship with King. I’ve read him throughout my teenage years, and his books taught me so much about writing and about being a good human being. It would be terrific to be compared to him some day.



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