Top Ten FAQ
Is there anything about the UK that you miss?
I miss the countryside. I love the serenity and green colors of the English countryside and the ability to walk in such surroundings. I miss the sharp, cold weather too although I admit living in it all the time isn't so much fun. I miss the humility of the people. And the sight and experience of the historical buildings.
How do you pick the narrators for audio books?
Selecting a narrator is similar to holding auditions for a play or other acting work. Some narrators prefer to be known as voice actors.
There are a few databases of narrators and I either post a request to audition on those, or do some research and invite a few to audition that I am particularly interested in.
From there, I make my choice of narrator, negotiate terms, and provide the book manuscript so they can do the work.
They have all the gear to do the job and will typically send in the work in chunks for review.
I, or someone I nominate, will listen to the recording, give feedback if any is necessary, and the recording is returned to the narrator for edits.
I then submit the audio file to Audible who will pass it through quality checks. If it is accepted they will put it up for sale.
Do you ever get writer's block? If so, what do you do to get back in sync?
Yes, I experience writer's block. Writer's block is about fear and stepping outside of one's comfort zone. The way I overcome it is to write every single day during a period of writing, come rain or shine. I might only write one word but I work on my work-in-progress daily – including weekends, birthdays, holidays. My goal is progress, nothing else.
When you start writing a new book, do you know the whole plot before you start? Or is it mostly made up as you go along?
It is a little bit of both and varies from book to book.
I am not a huge planner. I have a rough idea of where I'm going usually, but I have the best ideas as I am writing. It's like one idea sparks another, sparks another.
I usually start with a feeling that I want the reader to end with and might have a murderer in mind.
Other times I change the murderer when I get to the end.
With the final Annabelle book, Witches at the Wedding, I did a lot of research into witch hunts and created a
family tree going back generations for the character who I had in mind for the murderer.
Ultimately, most of that doesn't make it into the book, but it can be essential, sparking ideas and giving me a starting point.
Once I have that, I begin writing and everything falls into place as I go back and forth, revising many times, building out characters and plotlines, red herrings, and such.
How did you first start writing? How do you organize your thoughts for a book?
I was good at writing at school. I wrote for a living for a while when my kids were little – newsletters, blogs, and such – for myself and other people, non-fiction. Then the young me ganged up with the old me and I just had a thought to try my hand at fiction.
I am not very organized at all. I usually have a beginning and end in mind, then I fill in the middle. I either spot a theme that has appeared organically during the story or I tease one out from what I've written, perhaps developing it. Occasionally, I'll have one before I start.
I revise and revise and revise, running the scenes through different tools that I use to ensure I have the components in place, but most of it is intuitive. If I like my story and it entertains me, I'm good.
I don't normally have the bones of a story in place until the 5th or 6th revision. Then, I develop the story, stress test it to make sure it holds together - lots of questioning the premise - and the last few read-throughs are for editing. I will typically do anywhere from 8 to 12 revisions, although I have done as many as 14.
Do you ever just not feel like writing and what do you do to get motivated again?
Often! Writing is hard on the brain. Combine that with the idea of a book being a big project, a writer with a tendency toward perfectionism, and the loneliness of the profession, and it is very easy to procrastinate.
To deal with it, I don't do what many writers do and set myself a word count goal, I do the opposite: I set myself a goal that I can achieve effortlessly. My goal is always to write just one word. That's it. I tell myself first thing in the morning to write just one word and once I've got the first one down, many more follow.
Once momentum is built, it all comes a lot easier. I stop when the words stop and move to another task, coming back to writing again after that task is completed using the “one word” mantra. This morning before I wrote this email, before I had a cup of tea, but after I'd put on a load of laundry and set the kettle to boil, I told myself to write just one word and ended up writing a paragraph.
As I go through the day, I naturally build up the number of words I write in a burst, but I never force it and I always start with the “one word” concept. It is a useful procrastination buster for any project.
Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. Observing people and their interactions with each other and individual behavior. The news. Activities that I do or come across. Sometimes I have conversations with my characters and see in which direction they’d like to go. Everything I experience in life is grist for the mill and can generate an idea.
Are you going to continue writing Inspector Graham books, hopefully indefinitely?
Well, perhaps not indefinitely 😀, but I have no concrete plans to stop.
I have a “sort of” plan to write for another ten years. I have plenty of books in draft that will keep me going for all that time, including a few Inspector Grahams. I also have a brand new series, a trilogy, and the remaining books in the Roxy and Diana series to write.
I think I have several more Inspector Grahams in me, but I won't keep going forever. Quality is the most important thing. I never want readers to say that the series has diminished or is tired. That's not fair to my characters.
As with Annabelle, I will stop when the time is right. The Inspector Graham series won't be a 26-book series, for sure. But it might top out at fifteen.
I'm going to miss Reverend Annabelle. It has to be hard to say goodbye and end a series. How do you determine when to close a series when you love the characters as much as we do?
I want the series to go out on a high. Quality is the highest value for me.
I don't want the series to fade or get stale and for readers to say that it is past its best. For me, that would be like sending out invitations to my child's birthday party and no one coming. So I want the series to end before we get to that point.
The other criteria is at the end of a natural story arc – especially the character's personal story arc.
Annabelle was originally penciled in as a six-book series and I extended it to eight because she was so beloved. Maybe we'll visit her again as a one-off, short story, something like that, in the future.
All of your series have been co-written with different authors. Can you tell us about your experiences working with your co-writers? Did you literally write together? Correspond? Meet at set times? Make continual phone calls? Tackle different elements?
Gosh, that is a difficult question to answer concisely.
Things vary from book to book, writer to writer, but always we work together on the first draft. Everything is done via email. I don’t like the telephone and avoid it wherever possible.
We constantly send the manuscript back and forth via email with new sections written and many comments in the margins. Once the first draft is done, I take it from there. I also write books by myself if the writer isn’t available.
We might write the parts that depend on our individual specialist knowledge like geography or historical facts. I often write the children. Every book partnership is different. However we get to the end of the early draft, I always take over and see it through to the end.
I add pacing, color, description, details. I will reorganize scenes, add red herrings, and clues. I’ll amend and develop the plot, even change the murderer if I think the story isn’t working. I write whatever is necessary to bring the story to a point that satisfies me, often doubling the length of the first draft.
My standards are very high. I write numerous drafts of every book, more as the series develops and the books get more complicated. I'll write continuously for four to seven months on every book once the first draft is written and will return to a draft sometimes years later to work on it.
I enjoy working with other writers. We put our egos aside and learn a lot from each other. I am very grateful to them. I am a better writer because of them.
About Alison...
Is Alison Golden your real name?
It is my real name by marriage and it is a great name so I adopted it immediately! Back in the day, we lived on a street called Treasure Island Drive and I can't tell you how many people - mailpeople, delivery and cab drivers - told us that we were meant for great things.
Do you still have an English accent?
I do still have an English accent and I'll make it very pronounced if I ever need to complain about anything. Works every time!
I didn't move to the US until I was an adult. When I was out in the world more when my children were younger, my accent would take on an American hue. But now the people I interact with the most are the characters in my head and as a result, my English accent has fully re-asserted itself. Even British people can't tell I've spent nearly thirty years in the US. I'm pure RP (received pronunciation - old BBC English) with a hint of North London.
What did you think was strange when you first moved to the US but now really like?
Hugging! Everyone hugged me when I arrived. Everyone. People I'd just met, people in the street, it was relentless. We are more liberal with our hugs in the UK now, but back in 1996, the only people you hugged were family. LOL. I didn't know what to make of it. I remember thinking after I'd been here a couple of months that while I didn't have any friends yet, I had hugged a lot of people! Yes, definitely hugging. Now, of course, I hug everyone. 🙂
Does your cat try to steal treats when you bake them just like Biscuit did in Murder at the Mansion?
Star is not interested in anything remotely baked. She is strictly a carnivore. In fact, I had to check with some kitty friends that this was cat behavior. A friend assured me her cat ate pastries, in fact, this cat would eat anything, and had to be put on a diet.
What is your favorite tea to drink while writing and do you have a favorite go-to tea for relaxing?
As an English person, of course I love black tea with milk. Nothing fancy, just a good strong mass market brand like Yorkshire Tea or Typhoo. When I'm in the US, it doesn't taste quite the same as in England, so I usually drink hot water with lemon in the morning and peppermint or green tea during the day. Sometimes, I will start my day with a cup of PG Tips, though. I drink it while reviewing my numbers for the previous day, catching up with the news, and writing a few emails.
Was it hard to adjust to being in the States?
Hmm, yes and no. At the time, it didn’t seem so difficult. I was in my thirties and had traveled a lot. I’m also an introvert, so being on my own a lot, without friends and family, wasn’t too difficult for me. What I did find difficult was being catapulted back into the life stage of a young adult.
In the UK, I had a mortgage, career, car, finances of my own, and I gave all that up when I moved to the US to be with my husband. I had to open a bank account, get a social security number, go through a residency process, learn how to drive on the right. It felt strange.
I went to university to study because for a while I couldn’t work, but it was when my sons were born, three and half years after I arrived, that I really settled. With their birth, I was once again catapulted into yet another world—that of a mother of twins, and preemies at that—and there I found lots of other women like me grappling with the challenges and joys of multiple babies.
What kind of cancer did you have and how long has it been gone? Were you a health nut before or after the cancer and is that what has helped you heal through it all?
I had Stage 2 breast cancer. I was diagnosed in May 2017 via a routine mammogram. I ended treatment in December 2017. The experience is pretty much in the rear-view mirror, except when I have mammograms or MRIs or if I get a symptom I can't place.
I have had absolutely fantastic treatment, and my doctors are simply the best. They still come out for me if I get anxious, happy to talk to me, or send me for a test.
I have always been interested in health and fitness and wrote for a health-related blog prior to writing fiction. I even published a book on how to eat healthy when those around you don’t. Being strong and healthy before the cancer (and relatively young!) meant that I was able to withstand the rigors of chemotherapy and radiation pretty well with no significant long-term side-effects, but I don’t find writing very conducive to a healthy life—too much sitting staring at a screen while indoors.
I have made moving outside in all weathers a priority. I go to the gym daily, first thing in the morning before I get down to writing, as I found that doing it the other way around doesn’t work. I eat super healthy but let it all hang out on holidays and my birthday.
What favorite places have you visited? Where do you want to visit and haven’t yet?
Ooh, let's see. I love Australia. The outback is such a huge, desolate place. Raw nature. I love England - the villages, the green fields, the pubs, the lovely hikes you can go on, walking from B&B to B&B. Scotland is amazing too. Again wild, raw nature. Also, Sweden, Finland, Norway. I used to work there. The people are lovely and there is something about cold outside, warm inside, and the Nordic hospitality, that resonated with me. It is surprising I've ended up living in Silicon Valley, but I guess I like my urban/suburban living too.
Do you garden?
I would love to garden. Right now, I have to outsource it to a gardener, but when I do it myself it is so much prettier and I am so proud of my plant children. During the summer that I had cancer treatment, our deck looked lovely because I spent so much time out there poking around with the flowers. One day I'll get to it. My book children take all my time right now.
Which country do you find to be a slower pace? Which country do you find to be easier to be comfortable in?
Ooooh, tricky. Some things are easier in the US, some in the UK. I am lucky to be able to pick and choose what I get from where. I love the British countryside and to me, being there is like sinking into a comfy sofa.
But I love the convenience of things in the US. I prefer the weather in California, but the green fields (that only come about because of rain) in the UK. I am fortunate to spend several months a year in both countries, so I get the best of both worlds, but the UK will always be home.
Please tell our readers about your life in America with your husband and children.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve lived in the US for 28 years. My husband is American while my sons, who were born in the US, and I have dual US/UK citizenship. I work at home. I visit the UK at least once a year and spend several months there now that my children are on their own. As a family, we go out to eat, to the movies, escape rooms. Like most mums, whatever my boys like to do, I’ll follow along for as long as they’ll let me, all while carrying the coats. 
Do you have any hobbies?
Hah! I try. I’m something of a workaholic, although I’m getting better. The closest thing to a hobby for me is doing jigsaw puzzles and exercise. I spend a couple of hours exercising most days - walking, weights, classes. And perhaps an hour a day doing a jigsaw puzzle. I have a special table. An absolute treat is for me to spend four hours at the table - a real good session.
If you had a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would buy?
A home in the British countryside which is my favorite place on earth. I would also fly first class all the time.
When you walk into a book store, where do you head first?
The tables in the middle of the store.
Where’s your favorite place to read?
My bed or the sofa or the lounger on my deck. Sunshine makes everything better.
If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would it be?
Man walking on the moon.
If you could be any age again for a week, which would you choose and why?
My late thirties because I had little ones and I loved the life. I found it so exciting to see what they would do and say everyday. And I was so proud to be their mum. (Still am!)
What’s your favourite rainy day movie?
Anything my sons will watch with me. We’ve watched all the Harry Potter movies, Hidden Figures, The Full Monty, Secrets and Lies, The Orient Express, Black Panther, Eurovision. We love Wallace and Gromit and Shaun The Sheep. We also like to try out "cozy mystery" movies like Knives Out, and. a recent one, See How They Run.
What’s the best vacation you ever had?
Probably the most recent one I took with my family to Seattle. We had such fun and found a great balance making our activities meet everyone’s disparate preferences, not always easy with four adults. Back in the day, I also loved taking my then 6-year-old sons to the UK for the first time, and for their first British Christmas.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I hang out with my friends, usually meeting for lunch or going on hikes. I go to the movies and have dinner with my husband. We also like to watch British TV dramas. I watch HGTV and comedies and go to escape rooms with my sons. I’m a bit of a neat freak and can’t concentrate if I have a messy house, so I tidy up a lot. I visit the UK a fair amount and travel more now that the boys are grown.
What character would you most like to be stuck in an elevator with?
Sherlock Holmes. I think he would be interesting and quite ingenious in terms of helping me escape. I would hate to be stuck in an elevator. One of my worst nightmares.
Which of your characters do you identify most closely with?
I think I am a mixture of Annabelle and Diana. I can be klutzy, forgetful, a little ditzy, and funny. But ultimately, I am organized, fair, and honest. I like to think that I can get people on my side.
I can also be stubborn and act against my best interests at times, like Diana. I can be a perfectionist and argumentative. My kids might tell you I nag, although I prefer to call it “coaching.” 🙂
I can get caught up in pursuing my goals and sometimes need to be reminded to stop and take a breath. I try to do a jigsaw for an hour in the middle of each day to slow myself down. Thinking about it, Diana should try that.
Have you always been generous? Who role-modeled this wonderful spirit for you?
Aw, that's so sweet of you to say so. I'm not sure where I got it from.
I do remember my kids were very ill in the PICU for separate reasons, three months apart, when they were three years old. The preschool we attended organized a wonderful rota of meals. Everyone was so lovely, checking in and showing concern, and it made me feel so cared for and not alone in a country where I was still very new and where I had no family to lean on.
Since that time, I have learned that being generous makes me feel on top of the world and I always get back way more than I give. Generosity is one of my three core values, the other two being the freedom to spend my time as I wish, and quality in everything, including books, friendships, and purchases!
As an introvert, how did you handle moving to the US? And how difficult was it for you when you had twins?
I think being an introvert was a huge advantage when I moved to the US. I am happy spending large amounts of time on my own, which was just as well as I had no family, friends, or work when I first moved here.
Evenings and weekends, of course, my husband was at home, but the weekdays were my own to explore and crucially learn to drive on the right. After a while, I signed up for university classes and I was soon very busy with that, but being an introvert helped the transition.
When I had twins though, it was different. I didn't like spending all day at home with them at all. We would all go stir-crazy and get very unhappy with one another. So I joined the local twins club and that became my family until the boys started school. I went to all the events and ran the walking club - we were quite a sight on our local trail - and eventually I sat on the board. Later, I became involved in the boys' schools.
Having twins really brought me out of myself. I have made lifelong friendships through being their mum and getting involved.
How has being a cancer survivor affected your writing? Has being a cancer survivor affected your outlook and/or writing process? Some cancer survivors I know want to talk about it and others don’t ever want it mentioned.
I think I fall into the middle of the two camps you mention. I don't mind talking about my cancer experience, but it doesn't jump to my mind much. It's been seven years and my life continues now pretty much as it did before my diagnosis.
I don't think my cancer affects what I write about. I don't find myself thinking about it when I write my characters unlike some other experiences in my life that do inform my stories. I definitely don't have the urge to write cancer into my books.
But I'm happy to share my experience when people, usually those just diagnosed, seek me out. I always make time for them. It was my promise when I finished treatment.
I think where having cancer has made a difference is my awareness of the fragility of life, of appreciating simply waking to the possibilities of a new day. This is not new to me, I've always been pretty grateful, but it is more intensified. Going through cancer changed me. I am so thankful for my good fortune.
And so my writing has been affected in that I revel more in being able to do it, and in the response of people to it. It is quite amazing to me. And precious.
I spend a lot of time and energy protecting my brain and body so that I can write for many years to come. I exercise, eat well, try to keep the pounds from piling on, I take breaks.
And I try to get less stressed about writing and what people will think of me and it. And about the normal challenges of life.
I want to be a good example for people who have cancer. Each experience is different but I like to show that my life isn't over, I still do all the things, I am still optimistic, and believe I have a long and lovely life ahead of me.
Thanks again for your question. I like being able to explain.
Do you have any tips on how to begin a puzzle?
I start with the edges, then pick out something discernible or bold to work on - like pieces with red in them, or faces. Once I've got as far as I can, I pick out pieces with another color. I also sort my pieces by type - like innies and outies, odd shapes, that kind of thing.
I do the sky or grass - difficult pieces - last. I also have a special jigsaw table that I can close up if I wish so I can take my time (no clearing away for dinner or to make room.)
The key thing when doing jigsaws (or anything) is to keep at it, taking breaks as necessary.
Do you eat oysters?
No, but my husband loves them.
What does a basic lunch look like for Alison?
Chicken with spinach sauteed in butter. A banana or raspberries. I love raspberries.
Do you like jelly beans?
Not much. I don't eat much sugar.
How do you take your coffee?
I have one coffee a day, first thing in the morning. Reduced fat (skimmed) milk, around 8-10 ounces. I look forward to it.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, an orange (ginger) tabby named Star. Unlike most ginger tabbies, she's a girl, and she's very persistent and nuts. She's a senior cat now, fifteen years old, but according to the vet, very, very healthy. So we hope to have her for a while yet.
What car do you drive?
This made me think. I mean, I know what car I drive now, but could I remember all the cars I've ever had? Hmm, a challenge.
Here's what I can remember starting with my first car and ending with my current - with some appreciation to Wikipedia.
Mini (red)
Ford Orion (red)
BMW (black)
BMW (black again)
A souped up little white thing, a Japanese make, that was lightweight with way too much horsepower for its frame and body. I used to think parts would fly off it as I drove down the motorways at speed. I forget the model and the make.
Subaru station wagon (white)
Minivan (white)
A second minivan (also white)
Mercedes (white)
My husband insists on white cars because they don't get as hot in the sun!
I remember buying my first Mini like it was yesterday. So exciting! I was twenty and had just got a new job that earned me enough money to afford the loan. I still remember the thrill/terror of driving it to work for the first time and parking it at the farthest point of the car park, unsure if I was dreaming. I was literally unsteady on my feet as I walked into the office building I was so giddy.
Can you remember your first car?
What are the three best places to visit in the UK as a day trip from London?
I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks. Of course, it depends on circumstances - whether you have children, what age, if you're older, interests, etc. But these are places I've enjoyed over the years. Couldn't keep to just three.
Warner Brothers Studios -The Making of Harry Potter
I have taken my family here three times and loved it more than they did. And I am not a particular fan of the books or the movies. This is a behind the scenes look at the making of the films. Not just for children by any means.
The Cotswolds
Some American friends of mine visited the UK with their adult children and took a day trip to the Cotswolds. I was horrified. There is no way to do justice to such a beautiful part of the country in a few hours. My husband and I took two weeks walking through the area for our honeymoon. But my friends loved the day trip and scoped it out as a place to visit more thoroughly on another occasion.
There are so many castles in the UK that you're spoiled for choice but this was great for kids especially at the weekend when they have the trebuchet.
Fabulous if you are interested in World War II and codebreaking.
Beautiful stately home with living history characters (check the schedule.) You also find Mrs Crocombe, the Audley End cook, on Youtube showing you how to cook the Victorian way. She was charming to us when we visited. And if you can't make it to Audley End, anywhere English Heritage manages will be delightful. It is part of my plan to go to all of them one day.
Cambridge and Bath
Both places are rich with history and lovely to walk around. I personally would nudge Cambridge slightly over Oxford but I might be biased as my family comes from there. You could even walk the Cotswold Way and tour Bath because that's where it ends.
How do you...
How do you choose names for your characters? Are there any names you would never use?
Good question. As I write, sometimes names pop into my head as being perfect for the person. Those ones come out of nowhere.
If that doesn't happen, I'll look around me for something that fits. Maybe a name in my email inbox, books on my shelf. I'll look for names on Facebook. Know that I'm mixing first names and last names. I would never lift an entire name. I also have a list of location-specific names: names that are common in New Orleans/Roxy, or old English names for Cornwall/Annabelle. Also, especially in England, there is a sort of “code” around names. Janice, Jim, Barnwell, David for instance, are names all chosen to depict certain characteristics.
I have a spreadsheet with all the names, first and last, in all my books. I try to not duplicate any names, certainly across a certain series, although I once made a big mistake that I'm having to live with., but I'm not saying what it is! Names are a specialist topic!
After finishing a book, how do you determine which book/series to tackle next?
In the past, the answer to this question would have been that I base my decision on a combination of the following:
• what my readers tell me they want me to write based on what they buy or requests via email
• my feelings about what I would like to write next
• which series haven't I added to in a while
That has resulted in a hodge-podge of erratic decisions and, occasionally, periods between books that are too long in some series.
Starting next year, 2025, I will be employing a different approach. This is what I expect to happen going forward:
- There will be one Inspector Graham per year. This will be my priority. Inspector Graham is my best-selling series and releasing a book a year will meet the wishes of the largest number of readers.
- I will endeavour to publish a book in one other series per year. Next year, that will be the final Diana as I promised when I released the last book, Broken.
Life may get in the way, of course. My life outside writing ebbs and flows as everyone's does. A spanner may enter the works, but the above is my plan.
I will start writing January 1. I will follow that with the final Diana in late 2025.
In 2026, I expect to write a new Graham and a Roxy. What can I say? I'm a long-range thinker and happen to have the next ten year's publishing schedule planned. (It's written on a Post-it and stuck on my office wall.) We'll see how it goes. 😏
How to make a good authentic Yorkshire pud?
You want Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey's Yorkshire Pudding recipe. You can find them online. The secret is to have a very hot oven, 425 degrees or thereabouts. And the fat must be very hot before you pour the batter in. That's essential.
How do you research before you decide to include a particular area in one of your books?
If I don't have direct experience (I usually do), I use the internet. I watch videos, read online, especially travel blogs.
It is amazing what you can find online. I wanted to use Vancouver's Skytrain in Exposed and the character was coming from a particular part of Vancouver (rundown area to match the character) to a sports stadium. I found a video someone had taken while sitting in the back seat of the train between the stations I was using in my book. I watched it for an hour so I could write the scene where my character is making the same journey in the story.
Do you try to keep a schedule for when you are writing or just when inspiration hits?
I didn't keep a schedule in the beginning, but I would take a long time to get a book out and I didn't enjoy the process. I find it is much easier to show up at the keyboard every day and sit there writing anything and everything until the ideas come together. I now have refined my process and know roughly how long it will take to get a book in a certain series done.
When I start, I work on it every day, even if I write just a few words, until it is ready for public consumption. I take very few breaks during the process, especially at the end, where I am rewriting and developing furiously.
The first drafts take a long time, revisions five, six, and seven, especially. By the end of revision seven, I ususally have a basic story. I then work to develop it into something that will grab a reader and keep them reading. The twists and turns often come late in the process and I'm usually still changing things right up to the last revision.
I get quicker and my writing sessions get longer as it all comes together. I become hyperfocused and a bit scary (or so my kids tell me) as I get closer to finishing.
To use a sports analogy: there's the pre-season training (the early light work), the season (pulling it all together, writing lots of words, hard graft,) the playoffs (finalizing it all and publishing, intense,) and the off-season (the time I take off before I start again where I don't do any writing at all.)
Are your characters completely imaginary, or are they based on real people in your life?
Annabelle is a composite of a vicar I know, and a couple of other people, including me. Diana is my younger self, in part. Really though, I typically come up with a type of character that I want for the story – quiet, loud, obnoxious, suspicious, for example – and the character flows from there. I have people-watched my entire life and know how certain personality types react in certain situations, so it is second nature to devise characters that act true to life without having a particular person in mind. It's one of the easiest parts of the process for me and my favorite. 🙂
When you begin writing your story, do you consider other stories that you've read, and what you liked, didn't like, what worked or didn't work for you? Or, do you just start writing?
I am something of a pantser, or what I prefer to call “a discovery writer.” That's someone who simply sits down and sees where the characters want to go. I usually have a beginning in my head before I start, and an approximate point of where I want to end up in the character's story arcs, but often not the details and the story in between. The twists in my plots and the whodunit come to me as I write and I often don't know who the murderer is until the end. I am as much in the dark as the reader!
I don't consider other books I've read at all, although I do know people who reverse engineer books they've liked and then write according to that structure. I usually give myself a point of craft to practice with each book. I tend to write a first or second draft as I describe above and then run it through a series of story structure questions to make sure it is sound, perhaps add anything in that is necessary, but mostly I am an intuitive writer and make it up as I go along, doing a lot of reorganizing along the way,
Once the story is complete in my head, it is done, and nothing will shake me from that belief. Once it is good, I make only very minor changes in response to feedback from my editor or something that my beta readers catch. I also tend to forget a lot of the story as soon as it is published.
I hope that helps you understand my process. It is a bit messy, honestly. I wish it were different, but there it is. 🙂
When you write a book do you decide the length the book will be beforehand, or do you just let it flow to whatever length it comes to when you have finished writing it? Also, do you purposely write some short books and some longer books in order to appeal to different readers?
I like the first draft to be 40-45,000 words. After that, I write until I’m done, adding in details and finessing the plot. Despite just letting things flow, the books are getting longer, although I will never write as long as JK Rowling. I wrote shorter books at the beginning of the series to allow readers to experience the characters quickly, easily, and relatively inexpensively (completely free even, if you are a subscriber to my list.)
When out, do you take note of things you see or hear that would be interesting tid-bits to include in a book? Do you find yourself weaving such things into the story lines?
Yes, I am always alert to my surroundings. I’ll make note of news stories that spark my interest, relationships, even sayings that people use. I keep this information in a file and peruse the file from time to time to refresh my memory.
I rarely deliberately design a story around this information, though. I just let these points of interest settle into my subconscious and they will come out in some form as I am writing almost by accident. I write very intuitively, sometimes even closing my eyes and assuming a character as I place my fingers on the keyboard. I do this especially when I’m stuck. I also journal by hand if I find myself unsure as to a certain scene, plot twist, or character interaction.
What is the most useful tool you use as a writer?
I write in Word and use Notes to get down my ideas. I also use followup.cc to help manage my life. I like the Beat The Cat story structure. Google and ChatGPT are essential for research.
How has your writing career changed since you started?
I started out with the idea of publishing books that were not graphic. Those are not the kind of books I want to read and I figured that there must be other readers like me. I decided to write cozy mysteries as I enjoyed mysteries and had read a lot of them.
However, I have found that moniker to be too limiting and not representative of all the series that I write. I consider that I write in cozy mystery, traditional British detective, and finally crime thriller genres. I don’t expect the policy of writing clean books to change.
I've had to focus on marketing more than I ever thought possible. And there's been an evolution in advertising since I started that has been a steep hill to climb. It isn't possible to sell books in quantity without advertising these days. That wasn't the case when I started.
How do you develop your writing ideas?
I write. That's the only way. That's how they come to me. I simply keep writing, researching, and revising accordingly. I will write a shortish first draft by myself or with my co-author, then I keep going over the draft from start to finish, developing and rewriting as I go. When I get to the end of a draft, I save it as a new file and start again at the beginning. Rinse and repeat. I keep doing that until I'm happy with it.
How much influence do you have on the production of the cover and do you have the final say?
I have almost complete influence over the production of covers and the work doesn't stop until I am happy. I use two cover designers plus illustrators who produce the artwork for the Inspector Graham and Annabelle covers.
I work with Barney, my project manager, who will come up with concepts and ideas. He will seek out an illustrator if necessary and manage the project for me. I offer a lot of input and my word is final.
I am not particularly gifted in design, but I know what I like when I see it. Consequently, Barney will keep offering me cover ideas until it all comes together and I find something I like. We go back and forth, building on ideas, or in my case sometimes backtracking, and eventually, we get to the point where, bingo, it works.
How many books do you write at once?
I used to have two or three on the go at once, but I've slowed down and now focus on one. That doesn't mean I only have one unfinished book, though. Currently, I have fourteen in various stages of development.
Inspiration
What is your inspiration for writing?
Welp, let's see. I usually start with a small idea. Or an emotion I want my readers to feel at the end of a book. Sometimes there is a news story, current or from the past, that sparks my interest. Or an experience I have had that I want to explore.
I go about my day and usually something pops out that I want to develop and, like a puzzle, the feeling comes together with a plot idea and the character's developing story.
I don't outline except in the very broadest sense – the outcome I have in mind, death or other conflict, maybe a second death.
Sometimes when I'm really stuck, I'll close my eyes and touch-type until something pops out. I also journal to see what comes up out of my subconscious. I find repeatedly revising my basic drafts is the best inspiration for stubborn issues. The best ideas come to me that way and it is so exciting when that happens!
I've learned to sit down and revise my WIP on a daily basis, even if I have a problem with the story that doesn't have a solution yet. No waiting for the muse to strike! With persistence, the solution makes itself known, eventually. I go over my work many times, each time making my scenes stronger. And I have done this enough now to know that it always comes together if I keep at it. Writing is mostly hard graft.
Where do you get ideas for your characters and their names?
Annabelle came to me one Christmas after a church service as I stayed on a farm in a village close to my parents.
I wanted to write something on Jersey, a detective, and the character just came to me, his backstory and the other characters, as I wrote. I wanted Graham to be a sympathetic character because he could easily have been cold and unlikeable. I wanted to show a growth story arc.
That is often how my ideas come – as I write, ideas pop into my head. It's a mix of planning and spontaneity.
I wanted Diana to be very different, more like the heroine I imagined myself to be as a young girl, saving the world kind of thing. As a child, I was an insomniac and as I lay awake, I would re-imagine the day's news stories but with me in them rescuing everyone.
And I wanted Roxy to be as different as could be from my other characters. I wanted to explore some alternative themes like social media, music, and food and appeal to a younger reader.
They just all popped into my head from nowhere. Or rather, I had probably unconsciously held some idea in my head for a long time and they jumped out when given the chance.
All my characters are parts of me, and some of them are quite similar. I think Mike, Peter, and Graham are similar characters, for example, as are Diana, Annabelle, and Roxy. At least they seem so to me, anyway.
Often, I simply put pen to paper and see what comes out. I work out what I was trying to say later when I edit.
As for names, they either pop into my head unbidden and they are exactly right, or I really struggle. For place names, I look up ancient names and sometimes combine the first part of a name with the second of another. I do that with last names too, sometimes.
I try not to repeat a name across my books, and definitely not in a series, but I've had a few duplicates here and there.
What writers inspire you?
J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith; Agatha Christie; Enid Blyton; Kate Atkinson.
Where do you find inspiration for your characters?
In everyday people, their behavior, their trials and tribulations. Since I was a child, I have been acutely sensitive to how humans interact, and the characters just pop out from decades of observation.
Origin Story
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer/author?
I wanted to be a writer when I was around 12. I was motivated by what I was reading in my mother's weekly magazines and felt I could do better.
Of course, I forgot all about that during high school, but did start writing again (non-fiction) after reading a “My Turn” piece in my twin mother's club newsletter. I felt I had a lot of tales to tell.
After a spell writing as a school volunteer about fundraising activities, I began writing for myself and other people, editing books, and writing copy for others. I had a successful health blog that built a huge readership.
After a few years, I got the fiction bug after reading a successful author and wondering if I could do as well as she had. By then, I was confident of my writing abilities and curious to see if I could make a living at it, so in I plunged just to see where it might take me.
I am very proud of my books, increasingly so. They are like children to me. I am very happy when they are complete. Writing is like being pregnant - long and arduous. But when the book is complete and published, it is like having another child in which I am so very proud.
Which books did you read as a kid that most influenced your writing today?
I very quickly devoured the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton as a child. I was an insatiable reader and from there bounced through the Secret Seven and Malory Towers series, also by Blyton. I moved on to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series, then after a chance find at a jumble sale, started to plough through Agatha Christie books. I liked her Miss Marple the best, but also enjoyed Poirot and the others.
As an adult, I have continued to enjoy mystery genre the most. I'm sure it is a personality type/brain thing. I liked the ensemble pieces of Famous Five and Secret Seven which I think you can see play out in the Inspector Graham series. There is perhaps a little Poirot in the Graham character. Nancy Drew and Miss Marple inform Annabelle and Diana; characters with a depth that you wouldn't, at first glance, expect.
Unlike many mystery readers, I don't like to guess the murderer and enjoy letting a book unfold, but reading Dickens and Austen in high school gave me an appreciation for literature, and I like to include some literary twists in my books where I can.
How did your education affect your career? Did any of your teachers encourage you to become a writer? Were you a good reader/writer in school?
I was good at English at school. I could just do it. It seemed to come easy, and I didn't have any anxieties about it. In middle school, my teachers left me alone because I didn't need support, and that, and my good scores, helped me pick up on the fact that this was my best subject. It was just effortless.
I had ideas of being a writer. I read furiously and although my parents didn't read fiction themselves, nor did they read to me when I was a preschooler, they did take me to the library when I could read by myself.
I loved getting new books. I was a real daydreamer, and read way beyond the class books that we were given in primary and middle school. Some of the stories I write now are based on the ones I dreamed up in my head fifty years ago.
I wasn't encouraged to be a writer. I had one English teacher in middle school who told me I was good at it, but that was it. Writing wasn't considered a sensible option as a career; it wasn't going to lead to anything. I didn't consider it beyond a class at school I had to attend.
I won a scholarship to an English private high school for academically gifted girls, but there was no creative writing, and English classes revolved around assigned texts set in accordance with the high school curriculum at the time. The first books I was assigned were Hard Times, Julius Caesar, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, and 1984. I was 13. What a list of dreary books!
Unfortunately, not having autonomy over my choice of texts killed my love of reading and writing. I didn't read a book for fun again until I was 25. I didn't write creatively at all. When I took my English Literature “A” Level (similar to AP in US,) I hadn't even read most of the books in their entirety. Goodness knows how I passed. I didn't go to university, instead, I went to work which I found suited me. I enjoyed the independence, earning money, praise for my work, and opportunities to advance.
I spent my 20s establishing a career in the computer industry. I was hardworking and understood people. I managed major accounts for a computer company selling huge contracts – organizing, liaising, identifying needs, and finding experts to meet them. I wrote a good letter. Co-workers would ask me to read and edit their proposals. Later on, fed up with corporate life, I backpacked my way around the globe solo for a year.
I moved to the US in my 30s , got married, and went to university. I did a degree in Organizational Behavior. I enjoyed it and graduated valedictorian. No interest in English Literature, still.
Fast forward to being a mom. I would tell stories about life with twin boys and people would tell me to write a book. I wasn't interested.But I did write a piece about my boys in my twins club newsletter. It was so much fun to write and wow, people loved it.
I wrote a blog about volunteering for a school rummage sale because I wanted people to know how hard and dirty the job was. It went viral, and we raised over $35,000 for the school in two days. Perhaps my blog had a little something to do with that. And again, wow, people who had never noticed me knew who I was. I started to write for money.
I found my way back to the path that perhaps I was meant to take, but boy, it took a long time and a lot of traveling down different paths. I didn't start writing fiction until I was 50.
But you know, there wasn't the opportunity back in the day to publish like there is now. And perhaps I needed to learn business skills because I certainly need them now and I see writers struggling financially because they don't understand marketing or even the importance of it. And perhaps I needed time to really observe and experience people so I could write about them. Perhaps all the delay was necessary, if a long and winding road.
Were you an English major in college, or did you take writing classes to prepare you for a writing career?
I went to university part-time as a mature student in my thirties. I did a degree in Organizational Behavior. I did not take writing classes when I started, but I do now. It would seem I do things back-to-front.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was about thirteen. I would read short stories in my mother’s magazines and thought, “I can do better than that.” I forgot all about it until I turned fifty and suddenly the idea came into my head to write fiction after years of writing non-fiction.
Which one of your books is your favourite
Oh man, this is so difficult. Always, always, my most recent book is my favorite because I strive to make each book better than the last and don't stop until I've achieved that. But the following books have a special place in my heart:
- The Case of the Broken Doll because I felt my writing game shift (upwards).
- The Case of the Missing Letter because of the fictional, detailed, historical backstory we created for the backdrop to the crime.
- The Case of Sampson's Leap because it was a tricky crime to write about.
- The Case of the Uncommon Witness and The Case of the Body in the Block because I packed so much into them, without sacrificing (I hope!) clarity and interest.
- Horror in the Highlands, Fireworks in France, Witches at the Wedding because I loved the secondary characters and storylines.
- Cajun Catastrophe because of the setup of competitive TV and the subplots that are building…
- Exposed and Broken because they took me to a new level in writing about harder-boiled themes.
Is it more emotionally draining to write a Diana book than it is for the other main characters whose stories seem more uplifting?
The Diana Hunter series does tackle some serious themes. But in fact, I don't find them emotionally draining. I am challenged by the differences in writing a hard-hitting book and look forward to that.
Writing books that are more suspenseful and action-oriented offers me an opportunity to exercise different creative skills, and as I am always on the side of the heroes, the villains are vanquished, so it doesn't bother me too much. And I still adhere to my basics: nothing graphic and quality in everything.
I always do a lot of research, and it is fun to learn new things with this series. I sometimes watch TV shows and films that are different from my usual fare to get in the mood. I get to use a wider vocabulary and create different, heightened emotions in the reader. The faster pace demands a certain writing style.
Writing in different genres is a bit like being a runner, then switching things up by playing tennis for a bit before returning to running again. And as they say, a change is as good as a rest. 😀
Roxy is such a different character from your others. The setting, too. How did Roxy come to you as a new main character with her own stories to tell?
Many authors prefer to write for the same target reader with each of their series. That makes a lot of sense, but I wanted to write for a different type of reader. I knew this would stretch me creatively as a writer, which is what I find most satisfying.
I had already written two series set in the UK, and one in Canada when I decided to write a fourth series. I wanted to situate my new series in the US to be different. And I wanted to write a younger protagonist.
The character journey was fairly simple from that point. Roxy, at age 23, is someone who starts timid and naive, and who goes on a journey of growth and confidence. It's something of a coming-of-age and over-adversity story.
So I thought of the most extreme opposite location in the US that would provide a contrast with the UK. I came up with New Orleans. I thought the New Orleans history and culture would give me plenty to work with. As a writer, writing the series stretches me creatively and is super fun.
I wanted the New Orleans characters to be irreverent and quirky while my heroine is a little “vanilla” when she arrives, growing in character and personality as she mingles into the world of New Orleans. The characters popped up unbidden out of my brain as I started drafting.
Can you download the starter library to your Kindle?
Yes.
Are any of your books appropriate for girls aged 12-14? I'm looking for a new author/series for my granddaughter.
When I'm asked this question, I usually suggest Annabelle, but with the proviso that the book be reviewed by a related adult first. This is because people have different criteria for acceptable reading material and I don't have insight into that.
So that would be my suggestion. Annabelle is the lightest, least controversial of my series. (I don't think any of them are edgy in the least, but YMMV.) There's still murder in the books, of course. 🙂
Plenty of early teen girls do read my books. And kids today read YA books that seem frightful to me, so there's no telling. I hope that helps!
Do you have any books or short stories from when you first started writing that have never been published? Do you think you may publish them at some point?
I don't have anything that I have abandoned, but I have plenty of drafts of stories that will see the light of day when I have developed and polished them. It is my intention, before I hang up my keyboard, that every story I have drafted will be worked on and published.
Why a cat not a dog in Murder at the Mansion? I’m just curious why a person picks one animal over another, especially in a story.
I chose a cat because churches in England traditionally have cats as mousers. I also know about cats as I have had several. Later in the Annabelle series, dogs are featured. And Diana in the Diana Hunter series has a dog that she adores. I also feature chickens and cows. So I think I spread it around a bit. 😉
What prompted you to choose three entirely varied characters? Delightful sweets-loving Annabelle caring for her flock; don’t-mess-with-me bad-ass Diana, and mild, patient Inspector Graham. All three are just wonderful.
Aw, thank you. I wrote the series (and now Roxy, too) to be very different from one another on purpose. I wanted the challenge but also I was new at fiction and I wasn’t too sure what type of character would most resonate with readers.
I expected that two of the first three series would probably die quick deaths and one would stand out. I thought I would quietly drop the unsuccessful series and just pursue the one that did the best. To my surprise, that didn’t happen and all three, now four, main characters have rabid fans and I find myself writing books in all the series.
It wasn’t at all what I expected, but was a delightful gift. Now I want to know what happens to the characters as much as anyone!
Are you writing another Diana Hunter book?
I have one Diana book written in draft sitting on the hard drive of my computer waiting for me. So yes, there will be more Diana. The final book in the series should be out late 2025. It will answer all the questions.
How do you come up with ideas for new characters and make them so engaging? When you wrote the first Annabelle book, did you know that in the future she would have a love interest or did you decide this later on?
The characters pop out of my head and onto the page.
I find people fascinating. We are all so different and difficult to fathom, doing seemingly totally illogical things at times. I love crafting the characters from birth, imagining their lives before they are lived out in the books, and they are like real people to me. Seeing where they go, how they develop, and overcome their difficulties or demons is so exciting, I can barely stand it.
As I am writing, I get inside their heads and think about how they would react to any given situation. This must be based on experiences I’ve had personally or observed in others, but it isn’t a conscious process. I don’t think, “X responded to this situation in a Y manner.” I simply know how X would react.
Honestly, when I first wrote Annabelle, I had no idea what I was doing or how things would develop. I just wanted to write a story about her and see if anyone would read it. I wanted readers to like her, empathize with her, and see little bits of themselves in her. The whole love interest thing took on a life of its own as the series progressed.
The Diana Hunter series has lead you away from cozies deeper into suspense. Is this where your work is headed, or do you foresee doing more cozies?
No, and yes. I like branching out beyond the confines of the cozy mystery genre; it is a change of pace for me. But I am known for cozies and that is where I expect to focus. I can’t imagine writing anything too gritty, anyhow. I have the Diana series to complete with one more book and then more cozies coming, including a new series.
Annabelle’s life-long best friend is a Catholic nun. Are you religious? How have you gained information on the duties of the two women?
I was christened and confirmed into the Church of England. I also went to school at a time when we sung hymns and said prayers at morning assembly. Those experiences gave me an understanding of the way the Anglican Church works.
I still attend church sometimes when I’m home in England. I don’t have much experience of Catholicism but I have friends who do. (I often tap my friends for information.) And of course, there is always Google.
Detective Inspector Graham is a man in his 30s, Diana Hunter is a young woman, and the Rev. Annabelle Dixon is a vicar. Are any part of them from your conscious personality?
No doubt, although I didn’t consciously write them that way. I write largely what I know.
Like Annabelle, I can be a bit scatterbrained but with thought and effort can work my way out of most muddled situations to a successful conclusion. When I was Diana’s age, I was very much like her, although I think my British manners made me a little less smart-mouthed and I'm definitely not as brave. Also, like Diana, I am very driven and I have to consciously force myself to slow down. I’m introverted and hyper-focused like she is. Graham is more like someone I know.
Tell us about the main character from one of your books.
Meet Reverend Annabelle Dixon… Annabelle is not your typical vicar. Charming, slightly gauche, very tall, this thirty-something vicar has been appointed to St. Mary’s Church, in the picturesque village of Upton St. Mary, Cornwall, England.
Annabelle is beloved by her parishioners for dispensing holy wisdom with humour and charm. Her passion and dedication to her calling are matched only by her weakness for cakes. She spends her days zipping around the country lanes in her Mini Cooper, often seeking out new cafes and bakeries, while attempting to win the finicky affection of her church cat, Biscuit. She dispenses pastoral wisdom, gives rousing and relatable sermons, and solves the occasional murder.
Describe one of your books in 140 characters or less.
A charming bed and breakfast. A diabolical murder. A guest with a secret to hide… A secret that just might be worth killing for. ~The Case of the Screaming Beauty
How strange does your search engine history look when doing research for a book?
Omgosh, horrendous. If the FBI came for me, I'd be arrested. Making bombs, methods of killing, poisonous plants, and on. Sometimes I think about sharing my history with readers just for interest, but then I would give my plots away.
Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone to put forth a story?
Many times. Writing fiction after non-fiction was a huge leap. Adding the Roxy series was particularly challenging, wondering whether my existing readership would take to it. Other stretches include writing about terrorism and waterboarding in Exposed, seeing if I could write about a missing child sensitively (Broken Doll), writing about forensics in a coherent fashion – latter Grahams, could I make readers laugh (or at least smile). In fact, every new book requires me to step out of my comfort zone somehow.
I always want to grow as a writer. With every new book, I want to write the best book I've ever written and I want my readers to like my latest books as much as previous ones. All this requires me to step out of my comfort zone.
It can be frightening to be a writer. I've had to push myself, especially at the beginning.
Since this pandemic is all over the world, do you think you will write stories with your characters wearing masks and doing social distancing?
I made the decision right at the beginning of the pandemic that I would ignore it in my books. I try to make my stories as timeless as possible so they don't date, and mostly avoid using details that will tie them to a certain point in time. And I'm sure people who read my kind of books don't, and won't, want to be reminded of the pandemic any more than they already are.
Do you read other author's books in your spare time? If so, is it while you're in the writing process for a new book–or just in between books?
I read them fiction when I'm taking a break or towards the end of the editing process of my own books – when the creative part of my brain isn't so in demand. I love it when I find a book that totally absorbs me and I have to read it before I do anything else. I nearly always read mysteries. That is where my heart is.
What, if any, effect has the environment or culture of the US had on your writing–themes, settings, characters, plots and/or your writing life itself–that you think might be different if you had taken up the craft while living in Great Britain?
Hmm, good question.
I think there is a fundamental point that if I hadn't lived in the US, I may never have picked up writing at all. I live in Silicon Valley and have a techie husband. Without him and the tech influences, I don't know that I would have ever considered the idea of writing as an income-generating activity, had the tech support to do it, or even been aware of the possibilities.
I would also say that living in the US has helped me understand the fondness for, and interest in British culture and consequently the choice to set two of my series there.
However, I also wanted to try my hand at a series based in the US (I have lived here for nearly thirty years!) and that desire turned into the Roxy Reinhardt series. I'm sure I would never have attempted that had I not lived in the US. I wouldn't have had the experience to draw upon.
Have you ever written under a pseudonym? Why or why not?
No, I've never written under a pseudonym. There is nothing in my books that prompts me to separate who I am from my books. I also pride myself on the relationship I have with my readers and using a pseudonym would put up a barrier. Lastly, because my name is on the front cover, I make sure the books are as good as I can make them. Quality is one of my fundamental values.
I have dreamed of being a writer forever! I am so afraid to try. How did you get started and what is your advice for me?
I just started. I had been writing newsletters, then blog posts, then I tried a non-fiction book based on my blog posts. And then I decided to write fiction.
I was terrified, literally shaking for days when I published my first few books, but I simply kept putting one foot in front of the other. So I think the first thing to understand is that publishing *is* terrifying. I don't think there's any way around that. That's why so few people write and publish books and why authors are admired. Writing books is hard.
I would also suggest you protect yourself against the naysayers. They may be legion or just one person, but you will likely have at least one in your life, and if you publish your work, you will have more. I like to remember some advice I got decades ago: the people who criticize you are those who would never take such a risk in the first place.
You might like to read the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. And you could listen to The Worried Writer podcast by Sarah Painter. I found both of them helpful.
My other advice is to write what you want and not listen to anyone else. There are a lot of people who say to write every day or write 'x' many thousands of words a day or give some other prescription. I think that is rubbish. You do you, however, you show up.
If you need craft advice, there is a lot available online for free.
I hope that will get you started. It all starts with one word and sometimes when I'm not feeling it, that is my day’s goal. Just write one word and go from there.
Two of your series are based in England, although neither are based in your hometown; another series is based in Vancouver, although you live in San Francisco. Can you tell us why you chose these locales and how you did your research on them?
The Annabelle series is set in Cornwall, England. I spent idyllic farm holidays there as a child, the kind where you bring the cows in for milking and drink the milk while it's still warm. We rode tractors, and visited the cat’s new kittens. I wanted a serene, beautiful setting for the series, and Cornwall was the place that jumped into my mind.
The Inspector Graham series is set on Jersey, an island off the coast of Britain. I wanted another small-town setting for the series, but it needed to be a small-town environment quite different from the Annabelle series so I chose an island. I also am interested in military history and Jersey has the unusual distinction of being a British territory occupied by the Germans in WWII, a backstory I thought I could incorporate in the stories.
The Diana Hunter series is set in Canada because I wanted to distinguish it from other thrillers that typically use CIA/MI5-centric stories.
I've explained above that for the Roxy series, I wanted some place completely different from all of those settings, somewhere as far different as you could possibly imagine while still being in the US. I settled on New Orleans.
What are your writing goals for the next year?
Two books: an Inspector Graham and the final Diana.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I used to have a terrible habit of having my characters nod a lot. I would have to search for the word “nod” in my early drafts and delete most of the references. I also don’t have daily word count goals like many writers. My mantra and daily goal is, “just one word.” This means I’ve hit my goal by the time the kettle has boiled in the morning and that gets me moving. Then I write as much as I can each day.
What makes you unique as a writer?
Hmm, I would say my characters and their authenticity. They are not caricatures and I strive for them to be layered, flawed, and human. My goal is for my readers to identify with them, like them, and understand them.
Have you ever taken a gun course so to be better able to understand how your characters would react?
I have shot a gun many times. When I lived in England, for several years I would drag myself out of bed every Sunday morning during the winter and shoot clays on farmland near my home. I was terrible at it and would end up with a bruised shoulder, oftentimes. I've had much better luck with smaller guns.
After I moved to the US, but before I decided to write fiction, I learned how to use a handgun. I grew up in the Charlie's Angels era — the first incarnation, the one on TV — and the idea of women and guns has always fascinated me.
So I already knew how to handle a gun when I started writing. I also like archery and each time we go back to England, my family visit a range to shoot arrows or clays. I might incorporate archery into a story one day.
Where is your favorite place to write?
At my desk at home. Sometimes I move to the sofa for a change. For final drafts, I read my books out loud as I walk around my bedroom or, if the weather is warm, outside on the deck.
What are your criteria for a co-author – what skills must they have and how much of the work do they do?
They must be pleasant to work with, willing to take a lot of direction, and be prepared to leave their ego at the door. They must have good ideas, work collaboratively, be interested in developing as a writer. We typically work on the outline and first draft together and then they leave the project while I take over sole responsibility for developing it into the finished product.
