What
genre do you write and why?
I write mysteries, mostly
historical. I've been obsessed with mysteries since my Hardy Boys days. And
I've always been a history buff.
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| http://amzn.to/2FsKI4t |
Tell us about your
latest book.
"Alice and the Assassin" imagines
Alice Roosevelt, the eldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, as an amateur
detective around the turn of the century. In real life, she had an outsized
personality, with a biting wit, and she behaved outrageously: smoking in
public, visiting bookies, jumping into a swimming pool fully clothed.
In my book, I partner her with a fictional
Secret Service agent, a former Rough Rider named Joseph St. Clair, and together
they investigate secrets surrounding President McKinley's assassination. These
two very different people gradually form a bond as they make their way through
Gilded Age New York. St. Clair, who comes from a hard and violent background,
has to figure out the next stage of his life, and Alice, only age 17, has to
figure out what her life is going to be.
What marketing methods
are you using to promote your book?
I'm spending time on social media and going on
a virtual book tour.
What formats is the
book available in?
Hardcover, paperback, and electronic.
Who are your favourite
authors?
Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Georges Simenon,
Isaac Asimov
What advice do you
have for other writers?
Yes, you do have to consider market forces: for
example, it's going to be very hard to sell a first novel of 120,000 words. But
whatever you do, you have to be excited, even passionate, about your book. It
is impossible to write a good book if you're not excited about it.
What's your favourite
quote about writing/for writers?
"Nobody reads a mystery to get to the
middle. They read it to get to the end. If it's a letdown, they won't buy
anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book."
–Mickey Spillane
What's the best thing
about being a writer?
You're the boss. Whatever happens to your
characters—you're in complete charge!
Where can people find
out more about you and your writing?
Go to my website: www.alicemysteries.com .
Who
is you favorite character in your book and why?
The protagonist is Alice
Roosevelt, and as I much as I like her, my particular favorite is my fictional
creation, Joseph St. Clair, Alice's Secret Service bodyguard. A native of
Wyoming, he left school at 15 and has had a hard life as a ranch hand, lawman
and soldier with the Rough Riders. But he's shrewd and introspective, and I had
a great deal of fun seeing New York through his eyes, from Chinatown to Little
Italy to the parlors of wealthy and powerful. The dry humor he uses when
managing Alice, and the way he reluctantly approaches her madcap ventures, give
the book its humor and flavor.
Why
do you think readers are going to enjoy your book?
One of the most fascinating things I've
discovered in publishing books is that people read them for different reasons.
With my books, some come to them for the puzzle of the mystery. Others like to
be immersed in another time and place. But I think the single biggest reason is
the characters and their relationships with each other. I can hardly remember
the plots of the many Nero Wolfe mysteries (as excellent as they were!), but
the sharply drawn relationship between Archie Goodwin and his boss stays with
me forever. Indeed, one mystery writer I know said that readers come for the
story but stay for the characters.
How long did it take
you to write your book?
I've got it down now! I can write a
book—working part-time, in 3-4 months. When I've spent an entire day writing, I
can get 4,000 words down on paper. Georges Simenon wrote each Inspector Maigret
novel in 3-4 weeks, I've heard.
Who designed
the cover?
Craig Polizzotto. It came out of
discussion with my publisher. I love the silhouette of Alice in her elegant
dress and hat—but there's a touch of menace with the daggers in the margins.
And see how the revolver that Mr. St. Clair carries is woven into her name.
Did you learn
anything from writing your book that was unexpected?
I learn something from all my books!
This was especially true with this one. I learned something about the way
people, sometimes very different people, relate to each other. St. Clair comes
from a poor and rough background. Alice is a daughter of wealth and privilege,
forced to accept St. Clair as her bodyguard. Thinking of how this would play
out, how they could find common ground and make sense of each other, gave me a
lot of insight into our prejudices—and what it might take to overcome them.
Where
can a reader purchase your book?
It can be found in major online outlets
and in many bookstores. My website connects readers with leading online
vendors.
What are you
doing to market the book?
If I was more extroverted I'd be doing
more, but then again, if I was more extroverted I'd be out there doing things
instead of writing novels. I market myself online, and I have a newsletter I
send out every week or two. You can sign up on my website. It talks about my
books and gives tidbits about history. (Who was the most beautiful woman in
Edwardian England? Why are English constables called "bobbies"?)
Who inspires
you?
That's a funny thing, actually. I have
writers I admire: Agatha Christie for plotting, Rex Stout for dialog, Georges
Simenon for setting. In fact, the last time I had trouble with plotting, I
paused and re-read a Hercule Poirot mystery. That got me back on track!
But some of the greatest inspirations
have been from BAD books—those with poorly developed characters and
unbelievable plots. I think, "Heck, that got published—and I can do better
than that."
How do you
research your books?
Researching facts are easy: what kinds
of hats did women wear in 1906? What did motorcars look like in 1902? What guns
did soldiers use in the Boer War? But attitudes are harder to grasp: how did
different classes look at each other more than a century ago? Alice Roosevelt
meets with Italian and Chinese immigrants—what would a young lady from a
wealthy and socially prominent family think about them? I read contemporary
literature and accounts to get a sense of what my characters' contemporaries
thought and said.
What is your
work in progress? Tell us about it.
Something I'm really excited about: In 1888,
young Police Constable Alan Heath, in rural England, comes across the murdered
body of Patience Ashleigh, daughter of the Earl of Westmere. A man is convicted
and hanged, even though Heath and most of the town think him the innocent
victim of an Ashleigh conspiracy.
In 1923, Detective-Superintendent Alan Heath
of Scotland Yard returns to Westmere to solve the case. In the intervening 35
years, Heath's patient investigations take him from Westmere to London to India
to the battlefields of World War I. His life is bound closely to the Ashleighs,
and Patience's death affects the Ashleighs in ways they couldn't imagine,
almost destroying them. Meanwhile, England goes through its own changes,
including the slow decline of its ruling class.
In the end, Heath solves the crime, and
although it is too late for justice, he sees how he can give the surviving
Ashleighs one last chance to redeem themselves.
I think of it as a "Police Saga."
What are your
thoughts on self-publishing verses traditional publishing?
I'm traditionally published, but I have
a lot of admiration for people who do it themselves. That's a lot of work,
promoting and selling a book on their own. I don't think I'd be able to do
that.
Who or what inspired
you to become a writer?
I've enjoyed writing as long as I can
remember. "Creative Writing" was my favorite activity going back to
elementary school. As I grew, I realized I was a much better communicator in
writing than in person. When I was in college (long before social media and
email) I once spent a summer writing actual letters to a classmate I had grown
fond of—amusing anecdotes about my summer jobs and so forth. When we met again
in September, she said, "I loved your letters! They were so funny and
clever. I read them aloud to my family over dinner." And then came the
kicker: "I couldn't believe they came from you." I realized then I'd
join the large group of introvert writers, better on paper than in person.
Does your
family support you in your writing career? How?
Very much so! My wife and daughters
have been understanding about my writing time. In addition, my wife, who's an
English teacher, is my first reader and gives me wonderful feedback. It was her
idea to focus on the Edwardian time period.
What are you
currently reading?
Catching up on back issues of my Ellery
Queen and Alfred Hitchcock magazines. Great short fiction!
What books or
authors have most influenced your life?
There are some books that just made me
think after I finished the last page: How did that author do that!?
John le Carre: the George Smiley books.
The astonishing way he explored his characters' deep and conflicted feelings of
loyalty to their friends, colleagues and nation.
Isaac Asimov: The Foundation Series. The
books' portrayal of a future society that is both completely alien and yet
totally believable.
Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. The
rich intellectual games woven into a historical mystery make this a one-of-a-kind
thriller.
When
you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
With family. My wife and I like taking our Yellow Lab on long walks in
a nearby state park, for example.
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1 Comments
As a reader, I love the quote he mentions.
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