My newest book, my third, is Killing in C Sharp, published by Henery Press in March 2018
How did you become interested in writing?
I’ve been interested in writing since childhood. As a kid, I made up stories in my head to entertain myself. Sometimes I wrote the stories down in books I made from notebook paper and scrap cardboard, complete with felt-tip pen illustrations.
How do you choose your location? Do you use real people and places as models for your books?
I chose Ireland because I’m a Hibernophile—I love Irish music and culture and language. I created a fictional village so that I could place buildings and roads and train stations where I needed them to be without worrying someone would correct the geography of a real place. I may base a character on a broad “type” of real person, or borrow part of a real person’s name, but I don’t base characters on specific real people.
Your character is very musical. Do you have music talent and how do you select the music
I have more talent as a music patron than as an actual musician. But, hey, someone has to buy tickets. I chose Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” as Gethsemane’s internal warning system (which she usually ignores) after listening to several tracks on Spotify until I found one that “clicked”.
What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening, etc?
I have a full-time day job, so I write whenever and where ever I can, usually by hand because a notebook and pen are easier to whip out during a down moment than a laptop. There’s no set schedule. I have to make time to write, mostly on weekends and in the evenings.
Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?
I’m a planster—I write a sketchy outline (that I may or may not stick to) to figure out things like who’s a victim and who’s the murderer and how do the murders occur, before I start writing the novel, but I figure out the dialog and other details as I go.
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite authors include Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, M.R. James, Lewis Carroll, and Edgar Allan Poe.
How do you promote your books?
I promote my books mainly on social media. Having a full-time day job means I can’t take extended periods of time off to go on book tours. I do attend as many conferences as my budget will allow. Speaking on panels is a great way to meet new readers.
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