Writing Process Interview #5: Mystery Author Wade J. McMahan

It's time for the next installment in my 2011 interview series, "Inspiration to Publication".  We are currently working our way through the "writing process" phase of the series, and for this interview, we will be spending some time with mystery author, and fellow Untreed Reads colleague, Wade J. McMahan.  His Richard Dick mystery series has been a bestseller in both the US and the UK, and his Richard Dick mystery bundle has performed incredibly well at the Sony eBookstore.

Welcome to the table:  Wade J. McMahan!

---

The Accidental Author:  After a short hiatus, during which my wife and I welcomed our second daughter into the world, it's time to get back to finding out what makes certain authors tick.  Today, I'm asking some questions of Wade J. McMahan, author of numerous eBooks from Untreed Reads, including the Richard Dick mystery series.  Even though I will spend most of the interview asking you about the “nuts and bolts” of your writing process, tell us a little bit about Richard Dick.  Where did he come from?  Is he loosely based on someone (or multiple people) you know?

Wade J. McMahan:  Thanks for inviting me for an interview, Jesse, and congratulations on the arrival of your newest family member.

The concept behind Richard Dick actually sprang from a short-short “news release” I wrote for an e-mag.  In the story, the news reporter divulges that the Yellow Fever virus has been placed on the Endangered Species List.  That little piece got my “What if” juices flowing.  What if…instead a news reporter, the protagonist is a private detective?  And, what if…this detective uncovers similar madcap situations?

Richard Dick (please just call him Dick) is someone we all know, your “every man,” who just happens to be a private detective.  He’s the average Joe who lives next door, the guy who trudges along and attempts to cope with whatever obstacles life throws in front of him.

Dick is loosely based on famous prototypical private dicks from literature, radio and TV.  Think of Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe, Boston Blackie, and Magnum PI who are glamorous, tough, clever, and daring.  Essentially, I blended those characters into one, flipped their qualities upside down, and Dick spilled out onto the page.   

AA:  You've written three installments in the Richard Dick mysteries.  Tell us a little bit about how you make sure that the character of Dick remains consistent from one book to the next?

WJM:  I know Dick well, and what makes him tick.  I know what motivates him and how he will react in a variety of bizarre situations.  That’s not to say he doesn’t occasionally surprise me, but isn’t that true with everyone you know?   

AA:  Did you deliberately set out to write mysteries with an element of the supernatural in them (“Witches Witch?”, for example), or did that come naturally while you were writing?

WJM: Speculative fiction offers especially fertile ground when you are looking for wacky characters, adventures, and situations.  In my first Richard Dick Mystery, “Bite This!” Dick is introduced to numerous forms of shape-shifters.  If there are such things as werewolves, could there be other similar critters out there, like werepossums?  Why not? 

I wrote the second Richard Dick, “Witches Witch” as a Halloween story, and it was published by Untreed Reads just prior to the holiday.  You can’t have a true Halloween tale without witches, can you?   And, if Dick encounters a witch, naturally she’s going to turn him into a frog, isn’t she.  Naturally!

Jay Hartman, the Editor at Untreed Reads asked that I spin a Richard Dick Christmas/Hanukkah crossover yarn.  The emotional rollercoaster, “Naughty or Nice?” was the product of Jay’s challenge, where Dick assists Santa Claus, and uncovers an amazing secret at the North Pole.  The holiday season is about kids, so I wanted to write a memorable story that also included a serious life lesson (Honest!  Swear to God!). 

AA:  When writing a mystery, how do you plot out the story arc?  Do you know pretty much how it ends, and you work backwards, or do you have some vague idea as to how it ends, and you work from beginning to end?  Or do you do something entirely different?

WJM:  I begin each Richard Dick mystery by first planting my tongue firmly in my cheek.  I’m not a formulaic or outline writer—I just start writing.  While I obviously begin with a general idea of how the story will unfold, to be perfectly honest, early on that’s not all that important to me.  All that’s important is what’s actually transpiring within the story as I write it.

My loose writing method might drive some writers nuts.  Still, I prefer it because it leaves all the creative options open as the storyline develops—take it where you will!  Who cares where it goes so long as it’s good?  When I’m writing, nothing is set in concrete until the storyline is complete, especially the ending.  For me, that’s half the fun of writing.  Just like a reader, I can’t wait to see what happens next, and in the end. 

AA:  What is Dick up to these days?  Is there another caper on the horizon?

WJM:  Capers, capers, capers!  Dicks’ backlog of cases is growing!  His latest case, “The Lincoln Park Horror-A Richard Dick Mystery” is currently undergoing final edits at Untreed Reads Publishing.  Dick’s penchant for attracting screwball clients who drag him into outlandish predicaments holds true again, when he’s hired by—a ghost!  Really!  Please watch for Dick’s new novelette, because “The Lincoln Park Horror” will be hitting e-bookshelves around the globe very, very soon!

Dick is currently involved in a case he’s calling “Fanged,” and as you might suspect by the title, his client is a vampire (one had to show up sooner or later, you know).   The vampire, Count Earl Duke, is a tragic figure <sniff> who is…no, no, <sniff> I can’t go on!  It’s simply too dreadful to talk about, so you’ll just have to discover it all for yourself when “Fanged” is released this summer.     

AA:  Do you tend to flesh out the characters first, or the overall story arc?  In other words, do your characters tend to mold the plot to their will, or does the strength of the plot have power over your characters?

WJM:  Gosh.  I didn’t realize writing is so complicated!  To answer your question though, some of both…I guess…maybe.  Typically, I stage a scene, and slide the characters into it. 

Richard Dick works for me full time, and he rarely strays far from his role.  I also have a fair feel for Dick’s newest client, and allow that character to grow along with the storyline.   When I introduce a peripheral character, they are intended to be scene-driven, although I’ve occasionally had them turn rogue, “steal” the scene and turn it an altogether different direction from where I was originally headed. 

AA:  Besides a computer (or a notepad and pen if you are really old-fashioned), what absolutely MUST be near you when you are writing?

WJM:  I’m probably really old-fashioned in many ways, but I do use a computer.  Past that, my needs are simple, and I can write just about anywhere, though I much prefer my home office.  

AA:  Do you set down a concrete schedule for writing, or do you write when the mood strikes?

WJM:  I write as the opportunity strikes.  I manage my own company, so business and personal matters come first, of course.  As often as possible, I wedge writing into open gaps in my erratic schedule.  

AA:  How do you go about revising your work?  Do you tend to revise “on the fly”, or do you generally complete the first draft before going back and doing some revision?

WJM: I’m all over the place with revisions, and the “Highlight>Delete” functions are my best friends on my keyboard.

Nothing I write is held sacred simply because it hits the page.  Everything is subject to revision or total elimination.  Often, an idea, word, or phrase will pop into my mind during the day that will improve what I’ve already written.  I’ll hurry home in the evening and make changes. 

My system, if I have one, consists of moving the story forward by first focusing on writing the individual primary scenes.  Later I go back to flesh out the action, and backfill to piece everything together. 

Finally, I send out the first draft to my Beta readers, and anxiously stand by for their comments.  I remain true to my own writing instincts, but when one of the readers points to an actual flaw, I’m going to address it.  Those extra sets of eyes are invaluable. 

AA:  Do you tend to read the kind of fiction that you write?  Who/what are you reading right now?

WJM:  I’ll read anything.  Right now, I’m reading non-fiction on ancient Ireland for a novel I’m writing, and just finished a Ken Follett thriller.  Frankly though, I have little time for recreational reading.  Along those same lines though, I spend a lot of time on the road, and my Sirius radio is commonly tuned to the Radio Classics channel where I absorb detective and mystery dramas written by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and a long list of other pioneer mystery writers. 

AA:  Finally, if you had any piece of advice for the author that is trying to make the transition from “writing for fun” to “writing for fun and profit (such as it is)”, what piece of advice would you bestow upon them?

WJM: Writers make a profit?  Really?  Hmm, I need to look into that…  Ahem, now what was the question?  Oh, yes.  “Fun” is the keyword.  You must have fun writing before you can ever hope to earn an income from it.  If you aren’t having fun writing, take up golf.

Write for yourself certainly, but also write for the market.  Your heartrending literary masterpiece detailing the loss of your Aunt Pearl’s dearly departed cat might fascinate you and Aunt Pearl, but truthfully, the world doesn’t give a damn.  When writing fiction, you’ve got to shoot Black Bart in the eye, skewer a pirate, portray a great romance (preferably with a person, not a cat), or sail around the world or to Alpha Centauri. 

Writing professionally is a job, and publishing is a business.  When publishers reject your work, they are making a business decision, but please feel free to take it personally anyway.  I know I do, but after I finish with gnashing my teeth, I concentrate on becoming a better writer, and go back to work.

---

Wade J. McMahan has published four stories with Untreed Reads Publishing.  In addition to his successful Richard Dick Mystery series, Untreed Reads has published his fantasy spoof, "Flying Solo".  Furthermore, his stories have been published at such places as The Ampersand Review, Crow's Nest Magazine, and Pine Tree Mysteries.  More Richard Dick mysteries are already in the pipeline, or under construction.  Wade is currently writing a fantasy novel based upon an ancient Irish legend.  Owner of a forestry consuting firm, Wade and his wife Glenda live in Tennessee where they enjoy an active life filled with family, friends, sports, travel and three spoiled dogs.

Follow him on FaceBook or email him a wjmbooks@hotmail.com.

Inspiration Interview #6: Untreed Reads Author Justin Kramasz

Upon first meeting Justin Kramasz at a wonderful little get-together with other Untreed Reads authors in January 2011, I was taken aback.  He looks young, (probably because I keep getting older, a phenomenon for which I have yet to find the antidote).  He claims to be "uneducated", but once you spend about 30 seconds talking to him, you find that not to be the case.  In fact, he has a rare mix of innate philosophical intelligence and tremendous wit that is far beyond his years, and as you will find out in his answers to my questions below, he brings that insight to bear on his own writing.  His new eBook novel, The Lights in Vegas, is now available through Untreed Reads and all major eBook retailers.  It is a highly enjoyable novel, and I recommend it heartily!

---

The Accidental Author: For the first part of my yearlong series of interviews entitled “Inspiration to Publication”, I'm focusing heavily on Inspiration. Regarding your fantastic new novel, The Lights in Vegas, can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind your main character, Brigham Detroit?

Justin Kramasz: Brigham Detroit is partly a personification of the identity diffusion that I feel as an American adult male and the trials that led me to this point. Brig is in no way a carbon copy of me and my life, but for all intents and purposes I lived and breathed this character; I have worn his skin and sat at his table. The genesis for this character comes from a persona that I occasionally find myself taking on when I play poker. When I play in a live game with friends or whoever, real people, and my focus is great, I sometimes become this intense being who is juggling probabilities and outs and psychology behind a mask of varying shape. The thoughts that I think, the emotions I affect, the things that I say while in this state; that is Brigham Detroit. Everything is designed to gather knowledge and make judgments. You could write a master’s thesis in psychology based on one hour of observing a good poker game. So my “what if” moment was “what if someone did everything in this Zen-poker mindset?” What I did with Brigham Detroit is take this mindset, this persona, and gave it to him and let him run with it. This is all he is, his whole life down to his every last thought, Brig is working angles and running numbers. Brig is so imperfect in every other aspect of his life, but Brig is the perfect poker deviant.

AA: I'm wondering if the old cliché, “write what you know”, applies for this novel? Are you an avid Texas Holdem player?

JK: That is a complicated question. As an actor, I was once told to “always act from your own experiences, even if they’ve never happened.” I believe strongly in this advice. As writers, we act through our characters. Each character is a piece of our larger self, and as such, they share nuances of our id, ego, and superego; we are bound to play them truthfully or the story suffers. Writing what you know is great, if you can do it; far better to write what you love and let your technical advisors correct your mistakes and inconsistencies. That being said, I am not necessarily an “avid” player, but poker is something that is very close to my heart. I grew up playing poker and I have a lot of special memories attached to it. Here is a game that caters to all personality types and skill sets. A person may excel in poker because he has a special knowledge of psychology, a person may excel because he has exceptional math skills, a person may excel because he has great instincts, or some combination of the three. Poker is truly a game that imitates life, and the student is forever learning.

AA: You have a very incisive narrative, especially during the poker games. Where did you conjure up your voice for these scenes?

JK: My voice… This brings back memories of my senior year high-school English teacher, Ms. Young, who introduced her classes to various style guides; APA, MLA formats, Strunk and White, etc. as preparation for college. One of the most important things she taught her students was to develop a natural voice for their writing; she taught us that this was the way to speak through your writing as an extension of yourself rather than simply as a creative device or technical manual, as the case may be. Specifically, I try to write in a sort of semi-delirious waking-meditation. The more I can detach myself from the tangible, the brighter will be the tapestry of the world I am trying to project. For me, poetry has been an excellent tool for developing voice. I consider myself a short story writer first, each chapter in my book was written as such and it is my feeling that writing this way helps one to develop voice. Long ago I read a book called The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, and though I don’t necessarily recommend this book for anything more than an organizational tool, I took one great piece of advice from it that can help any writer who struggles with voice, and I’m paraphrasing; imagine your right hand as your creative hand and your left hand as your editing hand. One should only write with one hand at a time. I know it is sort of biblical, but the bottom line is this: Don’t edit your work as you write. The creative mind is a beastly presence that lurks in the darkness in between sanity and coherent thought. When you write, let the beast come forward.

AA: What was your major inspiration for the plotline of The Lights in Vegas?

JK: The non road-trip aspects are greatly inspired by popular fiction and my own reflections on our society, not as a whole, but on an individualistic level. I am a big fan of satire and self improvement. My greater inspiration comes from my own natural restless spirit. Consequently, most of my writing is anything but stationary. I fell in love with the great American road-trip long before I had ever touched H. S. Thompson or Steinbeck or Kerouac. Once the American spirit was of westward expansion and eminent domain, my spirit tells me to go back and rediscover. I have always gone west to east. My vision of America is shaped by this. Leaving the California desert by way of route 66 or the sprawling mountains through 80, you experience some of the same things. The country opens up and unfolds before your very eyes with fields of black volcanic rock or sprawling mesas and limitless skies. For me this has always inspired a sense of wonder and a feeling of contact with the great unknown. Naturally, my instinct is to jump in and see where it takes me. Writing a novel is like a road trip for your soul, I have always been captivated by the romance and promises therein.

AA: Besides a computer, what is necessary to have nearby when you are writing?

JK: Food, caffeine, quietude and some form of lesser inspiration. For some, this may be a physical activity, for others a painting, for others still it may be a Buddha shaped lamp in a San Francisco hotel room. Any of these lesser muses may suffice. My writing style is pretty demanding of me. I cannot simply write 1,000 words a day and be done with it. I often don’t write for a few days or weeks or more, and when I finally sit down I might be at the machine for upwards of eight hours. So I need to have something nearby to keep me flying. And I need to know I don’t have to go far for calories or a small jolt of inspiration. You shouldn’t have to leave the sanctuary of your inner psyche for something so base as chicken salad.

AA: Does it have to be silent when you are writing, or do you have music or some other background noise?

JK: Depends on how I feel that day. If I feel like listening to music as I write, the music must not have lyrics, which distract my focus and steal my attention. I choose classical music, which is believed by some to stimulate alpha brain waves, go figure. So if I simply cannot find quiet on the outside, I have to at least find quiet on the inside.

AA: What types of literature do you enjoy reading?

JK: I enjoy anything with an element of satire. I abhor romance, Emily Bronte eat your heart out. I once read a passage from one of the Twilight books, which I see as reprocessed bodice-rippers with fangs, and I’m done forever with the whole genre. To each his own, but that is not for me. Other than that genre, I run the gamut from Raymond Chandler to Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King to H. S. Thompson, Chuck Palahniuk to David Gemmell. I am also fond of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. Yeah, I may poke fun at romance readers and their “Authors” as paper recycling factories or cookie cutter novelists, but I am a sucker for Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Oh, the shame…

AA: What are you reading right now?

JK: I am almost through with Duma Key, by Stephen King. Somewhere, I am in the middle of The Rum Diary, by Hunter S. Thompson, if I can ever find it I’ll finish it. I am also reading a novel by a fellow [Untreed Reads] author, Tor Hansson.

AA: What's next from Justin Kramasz?

JK: Well I haven’t made up my mind yet. I have three different novel ideas that are rolling around in my head and I am waiting for one to come all the way forward. The one that seems to be asking to be written first is a thriller with a splash of horror about a cop who is trying to get a job in another state but during his drive for the interview, he falls asleep at the wheel and wakes up in a different world where he uncovers a secret that has him being hunted by… Well, I guess I have some writing to do, Goodbye for now, and thanks for the interview.

---

Justin Kramasz is an author, screenwriter, and poet. Justin was nearly born on the steps in front of Washington Hospital in Fremont, California when doctors turned away his uninsured parents. He was raised in various urban settings in the East-Bay Area. He won his first poker hand at the age of eight, and he finally beat his father in a heads up match when he was seventeen. After frequenting card rooms, casinos, pool halls and home games, as well as online poker games, Justin decided to write a novel that would capture the strange qualities and habits of the modern gambling mind in action. He currently makes his abode with his German Shepherd/Chow mix, Foxie-Moxie Karmalita, in the estranged Pacheco, California.

Inspiration Interview #5: Award-Winning Untreed Reads Author K. G. McAbee

Next up on the virtual interview stage is Untreed Reads Author K. G. McAbee.  K. G. has had two published short stories through Untreed Reads ("Keep Your Friends Close" and "BLZ"), and an upcoming "Steampunk" series, soon to be published in eBook form through Untreed Reads as well.  K. G. talks about her inspirations for her most recent short story "Keep Your Friends Close", and also talks about her upcoming ventures, and answers the question:  "What the heck is Steampunk, anyway?"

And, as a special treat, K. G. provides a short excerpt from her upcoming Steampunk series "Bold As Brass", titled "Lady Abigail and the Audacious Aeronaut"!

Welcome...K. G. McAbee!

---

The Accidental Author: As has been the theme throughout the first part of the year in my “Inspiration to Publication” series of interviews, this interview will focus strongly on Inspiration. After reading your short story, “Keep Your Friends Close”, I was struck by a similarity to some of H. P. Lovecraft's short stories. Who would you say are your predominant literary influences?

K. G. McAbee: I have so many! As a child, I could not wait to learn to read. I was just dazzled by the process; it seemed so magical to be able to look at lines and squiggles on a page and turn them into adventures. Then, when I learned to read, I couldn’t—and have never been able to—stop. I read Jules Verne—in the fourth grade, which startled my teacher, I can tell you. Then I stumbled upon Heinlein’s juveniles, and Andre Norton; both enormously influenced me. I like their crisp, clear style and vivid imagery; perfect for younger readers. A friend turned me onto the Doc Savage reprints, which got me interested in pulp fiction of the 20s and 30s, which lead to Robert E. Howard and our mutual friend, HPL. That whole pulp era fascinates me! I’ve written pastiches of Howard and Lovecraft, and my e-reader is full of old Astoundings, which are free at Project Gutenberg, in case my fellow geeks didn’t already know. Other influences are Asimov, Roger Zelazny, Tolkien, Patrick O’Brian’s historicals; honestly, my list is enormous! And Stan Lee and Roy Thomas; I firmly believe they are demi-gods and I worship at their feet.

AA: Is the fact that you use two initials in any way an homage to good ol' H. P. Lovecraft, or merely coincidental?

KGM: I never really thought about that, but I’m stealing your brilliant idea henceforth. ‘Yep, the K.G., it’s an homage to HPL, that’s what it is, uh huh.” Actually, the K and G are just my initials and, if anything, I stole the idea from C.L. Moore, brilliant writer of the Northwest Smith series and Jirel of Joiry—another pulp writer. I believe she decided to use just initials because she thought a woman wouldn’t be acceptable as a writer of adventure pulp. Hah, is my response; likewise bah. As if gender has anything to do with good writing.

AA: With “Keep Your Friends Close”, you present a gothic tale with a delicious twist at the end. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for this plot (without giving away the twist at the end)?

KGM: I never really know where my inspirations come from, other than the bubbling fetid swampy morass which must be my subconscious. Someone in a writing class I was teaching once asked me if he should ‘write what I know’? I told him, if that were true, then according to my last few stories, I am intimately acquainted with giant squids, werewolves, black holes, carnivorous college students, brain-eating worms and Beelzebub. Most of my stories begin with images or characters, then I toss them on the page and see what they get up to. Sometimes I have an ending in view, sometimes not. Sometimes stories sit for a while, then I get a blazing ‘ah hah!’ moment and discover what I need to finish them. Sometimes a story presents itself fully formed, like Minerva from the head of Zeus. Who can really understand the creative process? And I’m not sure I want to; I’m superstitiously afraid to enquire, to be honest.

AA: One of the things that struck me about your short story is, in the span of 12 pages, you were able to create such an interesting dynamic among the major players in the plot. What are some of the major challenges you face in creating such vivid characters and relationships?

KGM: I think every story, every novel, every movie, comic, TV show, all rest solidly on character. Plot’s nice, setting’s cool, but the people are what we love and come back to visit again and again. It’s important—no, it’s vital—for the reader to be able to see how each and every character feels about each other and how they regard themselves. But, naturally, sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily what you get. I like the phrase ‘lying for a living’ to describe a writer, but really, we all lie to a greater or lesser degree, and not just to others but, even more, to ourselves. These layers upon layers of lies, and the process of untangling them, are what drive my writing, I think. ‘I love you’ really means sometimes, ‘I love me and you make me realize that’. So what happens when this falls apart? What happens when the blinders are removed and we really see ourselves, or someone else, for the first time ever? Stories. That’s what.

AA: Another thing I found particularly fascinating about your story is that each of the four major characters spent some time wearing the “antagonist” hat. Was this planned, or did the characters take on lives of their own?

KGM: I always seem to prefer the villain to the hero, I’m afraid. And I thought it would be an interesting challenge to make it unclear who was hero, who was villain, who was good, who was bad, and keep it up throughout a story. That said, I don’t really believe in clichéd evil-with-a-capital-E-villains. I like to have ‘villains’ who do bad things for good reasons, or reasons they think are good, anyway. And I like my ‘heroes’ to be forced to make hard choices; sometimes they have to choose the lesser of two evils. But who decides which evil is lesser, and what does that decision do to the one who has to make it?

AA: I have heard it through the grapevine that you will be publishing a series of Steampunk works through Untreed Reads. For those readers that aren't aware of what Steampunk is, could you enlighten them?

KGM: Yay! Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to coerce, er, convince Jay Hartman, brilliant editor of Untreed Reads and all around gentleman full of fabulousness, to accept a series of my steampunk short stories. Steampunk as a genre has been around for a long time: think Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Luis Senarens, who was often called ‘the American Verne’. But the genre didn’t receive its present name until 1987, when J.W. Jeter, author of MORLOCK NIGHTS, coined the term ‘steampunk’ in a letter to Locus magazine. Steampunk is science fiction/fantasy/speculative fiction/alternate history set in the actual or some kind of quasi-Victorian era. Steam is the primary motive force instead of electricity, and travel, even interplanetary travel, is by airships or other lighter-than-air craft. There are a lot of interesting aspects of steampunk writing and the steampunk trend in general: clothing and jewelry and weaponry and such.

My steampunk series for Untreed Reads is called BOLD AS BRASS: The adventures of Lady Abigail Moran, thief and airship pilot, as told by her partner in crime, Simon Thorne Esquire. If you’ve ever read any of E. W. Hornung’s A.J. Raffles stories—who was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, thus proving life is always stranger than fiction—about a ‘gentleman cracksman’ or thief, then that’s the feeling I’m going for. I just really appreciate Jay Hartman’s trust in me!

Let me share another bit of exciting news. My co-writer Cynthia D. Witherspoon and I—we write as Cynthia Gael—have just signed a contract with Carina Press, an e-division of Harlequin, for—you guessed it!—a steampunk series of novellas. The first is projected to be a fall 2011 release.

AA: Can you give us a tiny taste of the first planned release?

KGM: Sure! Here’s a smidgeon of one of the early stories in my BOLD AS BRASS series from Untreed Reads, ‘Lady Abigail and the Audacious Aeronaut’:

Ah, the Ascot Races! What true Englishman can keep the thrill from his soul, the pride from his heart, the joy from the very innermost depths of his being, when he but observes the crowds of rich and well dressed beings who inhabit this most ostentatious, not to say pretentious, event each year?

Well, Lady Abigail Moran for one.

“Simon, you know quite well how much I despise going to Ascot!”

We were in the cellar of our landlady’s house in Chelsea, in a small clear spot surrounded by veritable mountains of coals. Abigail had a most fetching smudge of inky dust on her aristocratic nose and her hands were absolutely filthy. I was not in much better condition, being rather dirty about the hands, while the knees of my flannel trousers—fortunately, an ancient pair kept for this very purpose—were beyond description.

Do not think, pray, that we scrounged in piles of coal as an amusement. The horror! We did, however, utilize certain secret cubbyholes in said cellar for our own purposes; to wit, we had a hiding place for certain valuables which we had not yet had time to dispose of. Our line of business, if you will, is relief. We relieve others far richer than ourselves of certain unneeded bits and bobs, chiefly jewelry, gold watches and such. We have been known to go for bigger game, mind you. Once there was this enormous painting of a plump lady with rather less on than was suitable for one of her obvious years and position in society—but that is a story for a different time. Let us return to our dank, dark and dusty cellar.

AA: What types of things get you in the mood to be creative? Music? People around you? Peace and quiet?

KGM: No noise, please, and definitely no music! Dogs, of course, are a strict necessity, however. I live in a 200-year-old log cabin surrounded by woods, near a tiny former mill town in upstate South Carolina. So the exterior quiet is pretty much a given, barring the occasional deer munching on my tomato plants. Also, I’m pretty much a butt in chair, hands on keyboard type, meaning inspiration isn’t a prerequisite for writing. My main problem is finding enough time to lock myself away in my office. Luckily, I’m really good at sitting and staring at a monitor; it has been suggested by some that this is my major skill in life. So, total silence…then I get bored quickly and start writing in self-defense.

AA: What types of books/stories do you enjoy reading?

KGM: It often depends on what I’m writing at the time. I read a lot of history and biography; I’m into the Victorian Age, hence my love of steampunk, but I also like to read about the Elizabethans and the English Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars and—well, lots of history. I am passionate about fantasy and science fiction, and I love urban paranormals, like the Dresden Files and Mike Carey’s series about Fix Castor, who’s an English ghostbuster of sorts. And I love mysteries! The classics: Stout and Sayers and Allingham, and then Elizabeth Peters and Laurie King and P.D. James. And horror! And thrillers! And and and and…

AA: What are you reading right now?

KGM: Book three in Mike Carey’s series, DEAD MEN’S BOOTS. I’m rereading George MacDonald Fraser’s FLASHMAN series, all of which are both hilarious and full of wonderful nuggets of yummy history. And a book about the British Raj in India called SOLDIER SAHIBS, not entirely because my next book is set in India but because I’ve always been fascinated by Victorian adventurers. Sir Richard Francis Burton is one of my idols.

AA: Finally, what one piece of advice would you offer to the fledgling authors out there right now who are thinking about jumping off the ledge of “writing for fun” into the abyss of “writing for fun and profit”?

KGM: The same thing I tell my writing students, “To be a successful writer is really simple; all you need to know are four words: Read. Write. Submit. Repeat.” You cannot separate the four; you have to do them all, all the time. But just look at what’s involved in those four simple words—enough to keep you busy for a dozen lifetimes! And of course, you have to be able to accept rejection, take anything valuable from it, and move on. So. Read. Write. Submit. Repeat. Go thou and do likewise. 

---

K. G. McAbee writes steampunk, fantasy, horror, science fiction, pulp, paranormal, gothic and Young Adult Fiction, and has had more than a dozen books and nearly seventy short stories published.  Her work has won a variety of awards, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence from Reviewers International, the Independent E-Book Award for Best Reference Book, and the Dream Realm Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy.  She is also a Derringer Award finalist in mystery.

K. G. lives in upstate South Carolina in a haunted log cabin with her gorgeous husband and two black labs, all three of whom she lives to madly spoil.

For more information, please visit her website at:  http://kgmcabee.com or email here at kgmcabee@gmail.com.

You can also find her works through Untreed Reads available here.

Inspiration Interview #4: Untreed Reads Author June Whyte

Time for another interview in the 2011 interview series, "Inspiration to Publication" on The Accidental Author.  Untreed Reads author June Whyte joins us in the interview e-chair today and gives us some insight on the inspiration to her mystery novel, Chasing Can Be Murder which can be purchased directly from the Untreed Reads store, as well as all major online retailers.

---

The Accidental Author: June, since the first part of the year on my blog is devoted to “Inspiration”, I'd like to ask you who or what inspired you to create your main character, Kat McKinley, in your mystery novel Chasing Can Be Murder?

June Whyte: Kat McKinley is like a bag of licorice allsorts. A little bit of me and bits and pieces of friends I know, who, for obvious reasons, shall remain anonymous. 

When I began writing this book it was more a matter of ‘write what you know’. After having my third child I gave up my job as a school teacher and became a greyhound trainer, first as a hobby, and then professionally. Two reasons – I could work from home and I figured training animals had to be easier than training kids.

Being horse-mad, I’d always wanted to write a book about a female race-horse trainer and call it ‘Trainer in Pantyhose’. I decided I knew more about training greyhounds, so I guess that’s how Kat was born and Chasing Can Be Murder unfolded.

AA: In the blurb for the book, Kat is (presumably) sarcastically described as a “soft touch”. However, it is clear that she has a certain depth and complexity that gives her both tough and soft dimensions. How did you strike the balance between those two extremes?

JW: As you say, Kat is a ‘soft touch’, rather naïve at times and doesn’t like to hurt people’s feelings. However, by the end of this, the first in the Chasing series, she toughens up considerably. Time spent locked in a coffin with the villain contemplating pressing the button to send her off to the crematorium usually does that to a girl!

AA: Since we're on the subject of inspiration, what types of things get you in the mood for writing? Music? People-watching? Reading? What stimulates to start putting pen to paper?

JW: Routine. I don’t particularly like music or any noise while I’m writing so I try to lock myself in the bedroom with my laptop at 10 o’clock most mornings and write until 1pm. This doesn’t always work, of course, because I’m a care-giver for my 90 year old mum, I have a horse called Honey who needs to be worked, a husband who hates his own company and I work as a muscle-person, checking greyhounds after they’ve raced for other trainers.

AA: You have a new release upcoming on Untreed Reads. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

JW: Sex on Tuesdays, is a humorous murder/mystery/romance with the sleuth a wannabe sex-therapist on the lookout for her own Mr. Right.  Although Dani writes a daily sex column for the Tribute newspaper, she has no certificates or qualifications on her wall.  Instead, she gets all her facts from the internet, self-help books and her friend, Megan, a retired prostitute who’s had sex with thousands of men.  However, when Dani’s column is mysteriously sabotaged and her client’s wife turns up dead, she and her long-time friend, Simon Templar, are forced to slip into gumshoes and investigate.

AA: What inspired you to write it?

JW: I love writing about the absurd and Sex On Tuesdays is a fun read.

AA: Do you enjoy reading mysteries? Who are some of your favorite authors?

JW: I read anything, Jesse – even bus tickets. But yes, I love reading mysteries. In fact I’ve downloaded a heap of cozy mysteries onto my Kindle, like Judi McCoy’s dog walking mysteries and Lois Greiman’s laugh-out-loud psychologist mysteries. However, my favorite mystery writer has always been Dick Francis. I have every one of his books on my shelves plus the last few which his son, Felix, helped him write. Let’s hope Felix can continue where his dad left off so I can fill another shelf in my lounge room. Having said all that, my two favorite authors, Jenny Crusie and Janet Evanovich aren’t mystery writers at all – but I adore their sense of humor.

AA: What are you reading right now?

JW: Funny you should ask that. I’m reading a category romance called, The Forbidden Enchantment by Nina Bruhns. Why? Because I’ve enrolled in Nina’s online workshop: Tips on Writing Category Romance. It’s been years since I’ve read a category romance so thought I’d better do my homework before the class started. So, of course, I downloaded one of the lecturer’s romance books onto my Kindle. Wow! It’s brilliant. If this is what category romances are like now – I’m off to download more. The male character in The Forbidden Enchantment is Captain Sullivan Fouquet, a pirate who’s been reincarnated after 200 years to exact revenge on the heroine’s dying baby brother. I found the character of Fouquet so alive, so real - he leapt off the page at me.

AA: If you don't mind my asking, what are you working on right now?

JW: I’m a third of the way through the next in the Kat McKinley Chasing series and tentatively called it, Chasing Can Get Deadly. There are more adorable racing greyhounds. More laughter. Another villain. And hopefully more romance.

AA: Finally, you obviously have a love for animals that shows through in the character of Kat McKinley. Do you have any pets of your own?

JW: I love animals and I’ve always had pets. Most have just wandered into my yard, set up house, liked the food on the menu and decided to stay. Over the years there have been wild rabbits, snooping guinea pigs, a white rat, a bedraggled toothless Chihuahua and dozens of stray cats who’ve wandered in off the streets. And of course I’ve had lots of greyhounds. If they’re too slow or when they’ve finished racing, these dogs make the best pets. Honestly, if you invite a greyhound into your house you’ll have love and loyalty until the moment the dog stops breathing. Okay, he’ll probably take over the most comfortable chair in your lounge room but that’s a small price to pay for gaining a soul mate.

---

June Whyte lives in Elizabeth, South Australia with her husband, Jim, a horse named Honey and a soppy white whippet named Ralph.

June has worn many hats over the years (so many that she says she should have opened a hat store).  She's been a kindergarten, primary- and high-school teacher, and office administrative assistant, and a professional greyhound trainer where she trained a number of winners in very prestigious races.  She has published books on greyhound training with Rigby and text books on both racing greyhounds and horses for TAFE SA colleges.  In her spare time, she has competed successfully (and sometimes disastrously) in dressage, show-jumping and one-day-events.

Now, June write fiction.  After two humorous children's mysteries, Murder Sucks and Suck Eggs which were published by Zumaya, she's become an e-author in the innovative Untreed Reads stable.  With Untreed Reads, she has published Chasing Can Be Murder, the first in the Kat McKinley greyhound series (which hit online bookstores in September 2010) and Sex On Tuesdays, another humorous mystery which comes out some time in March.  In these eBooks, she straddles two genres:  mystery and chick-lit.

Inspiration Interview #3: Untreed Reads Author Herschel Cozine

Next up on our list of authors in our interview series of "Inspiration to Publication" is Herschel Cozine.  I had the pleasure of meeting Herschel and his wife at an Untreed Reads informal get-together in San Francisco, and I enjoyed hearing about his writing.  What surprised me even more was when I found out that he will be turning 80 this year (happy early birthday!), as it doesn't seem at all possible.

Herschel has two titles released on Untreed Reads, "Delinquency Report" and "The Birds".  He speaks about his inspirations for both of these stories, his philosophical meanderings on right and wrong, and where he's going from here!  Welcome to the digital podium, Herschel Cozine!

You can purchase his books HERE!

---

The Accidental Author: Herschel, you just released “The Birds”, a delightful short-story mystery that takes place in Nurseryland, populated by characters from popular nursery rhymes. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired this story idea?

Herschel Cozine: I had already had Osgood involved with Bo Peep, Goldilocks, Mother Hubbard, Cinderella and others. The outrageousness of the sixpence rhyme was perfect material. Why would anyone bake a blackbird pie? And how would they survive? The story cried out to be told.

AA: When you crafted your protagonist, Nathaniel P. Osgood, did you base him off of someone from real life or certain characters from other mysteries that you had read, or was he an entirely original creation?

HC: He is an original. It is written in the first person because he can do things that probably couldn’t be done with a third person narrative. But he isn’t really “me”. We may share some thoughts. But he can do things I would never be able to do.

AA: Since the first quarter of 2011 is devoted mainly to inspiration, what gets your creative juices flowing? Music? Reading other people's works? What helps you get in the writing mood?

HC: Usually a phrase or a thought. I often start to write without a goal in mind. I am not always sure where a story is going. That way I am as surprised as anyone whenever something happens. This may not be good writing technique, but it works for me. I have never been able to write from an outline.

AA: Speaking of Nursery Rhymes, do you think most people are aware of how truly dark they can be? I think the first time that I heard “Sing a Song of Sixpence” as an adult, I thought to myself “Well, that's awfully violent.”

HC: Many nursery rhymes and fairy tales are dark and violent. I have been told that some nursery rhymes are commentaries on people and events of the day. A sort of poetic editorial, if you will. Was Mother Hubbard an authoritative figure who squandered the taxpayers’ money and had nothing left to give them? Was Peter Pumpkineater a tyrant who suppressed his people’s freedom? And certainly “The Emperor’s New Clothes” can be a biting commentary. As for fairy tales, I always thought the Brothers Grimm were aptly named.

AA: Your previous release on Untreed Reads, “Delinquency Report” is about a particularly traumatic discovery that (hopefully) every child at some point makes: that Santa Claus is not a real person. The way it reads, it feels very authentic and sincere. Is this work at all autobiographical?

HC: In many ways, yes. I grew up in a small town on Long Island during the depression. The town in the story is modeled on the Long Island town. And I vividly remember visiting a five and dime where I wanted to buy a top. There were no clerks around to pay so I left. With the top. I was certain I would be arrested and thrown in jail. That never happened of course. And unlike the protagonist, I never stole again. And my mother had instincts like the protagonist’s. My father was clueless. It must be in the genes.

AA: “Delinquency Report” poses a very interesting and fundamental question, as the protagonist explains that he is agnostic and also no longer believes in Santa Claus. In the absence of some all-seeing, all-knowing sort of authority figure that keeps tabs on our every move, how would we react? Is there an innate sense of right and wrong that resides in our hearts and minds. Do you often ponder questions like this?

HC: Yes. And I have not resolved it in my own mind. We are taught by adults to behave in a civilized manner and obey rules. But who taught the adults? It had to start somewhere. Is it innate? I don’t know.

AA: What kinds of books do you like to read? What are you reading right now?

HC: My interests are wide ranging. Fiction, non-fiction. I love a good mystery or a good western. I enjoy history and sports. My favorite book is “To Kill A Mockingbird”, a remarkable work. I am not a big SciFi fan, but will find one occasionally that appeals to me. Right now I am between books, but have my eye on Mark Twain’s centennial biography. And David McCullough has a new book out that is sure to be a good read.

AA: What's next on the Herschel Cozine slate of releases?

HC: I have several Osgood stories that I am hoping to publish through Untreed Reads. I had so much fun writing those, and I hope the readers will enjoy them as well.

---

 Herschel Cozine has published extensively in the children’s field. His stories and poems have appeared in many of the national children’s magazines. Works by Herschel have also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazines, Wolfmont Press Toys For Tots Anthologies and Woman’s World. Additionally he has had many stories appear in Orchard Press Mysteries, Mouth full Of Bullets, Untreed Reads, Great Mystery and Suspense, Mysterical-E and others. His story, “A Private Hanging” was a finalist for the Derringer award. Retired from a career in electronics, he has resumed his writing career after an extended hiatus. Herschel lives with his wife, Sue, in Santa Rosa, California, close to his children and grandchildren.

Purchase his books from Untreed Reads HERE!

Inspiration Interview #2: Untreed Reads Author Darryl Forman

The latest in my 2011 series of "Inspiration to Publication" interviews is with Darryl Forman, author of a collection of essays entitled The Unleavened Truth that is all at once informative, hilarious, intensely personal and poignant.  Her incisive wit and frank and honest discussions of life as a Jewish woman are not to be missed.  And, for the rest of the month of February, The Unleavened Truth is available at a 25% discount in celebration of the first birthday of Untreed Reads publishing (incidentally, my works are also 25% off this month...just click HERE.

Darryl discussed her journey towards writing the essays in The Unleavened Truth and what inspires her to write!

Enjoy!

---

The Accidental Author:  Your collection of essays, The Unleavened Truth, is an amalgam of memoir-type stories from all phases of your life as a Jewish woman.  What was your main inspiration for writing these essays?

Darryl Forman:  I’ve always loved words and I’ve always been funny.  As an adult, in spite of myself and my B.A. in Psychology, I ended up as a financial services writer (not a lot of jokes in stocks and bonds). To keep the creative juices flowing, I wrote lots of fun things – poems that rhyme and tell a story, ironic twisty lyrics, and terrible terrible puns. I enjoyed the process, so I kept writing. I write about me because it’s what I know, although the parts I share are universal. It doesn’t matter what your background is – things that go on within families, for example, are crazy. My job is to turn crazy into funny.

AA:  You write about some very memorable characters from your life.  Which of the family members that you write about do you look on most fondly?

DF:  It’s hard to get away from families as a theme or in person, but I tried. (There’s a reason I live 3,000 miles from where I grew up.) The essays in The Unleavened Truth span 16 years of writing, and I didn’t take on Ma and Pa in the early years. I waited to write about them until they were well dead. They would have disowned me if they’d read their stories. I talk about my mother’s shoplifting, something never discussed while she was doing it. My father’s story was cathartic for me, and he would have loved the epilogue, if he didn’t explode from an aneurysm while reading what I really thought about him. Given that my brother is the only one alive, I should name him; however, the unleavened truth is that my mother is the one I think of most fondly. She adored me when no one else did. Unfortunately, she died the year my marriage fell apart. Fortunately, she never knew that her little girl had been wronged. This was the beginning of my 15-year bad decade.

AA:  Are there any portions of the essays that are fictionalized?  If so, what was your motivation for the embellishment?

DF:  The short answers are: yes and why not. I write in the first-person and base all the characters on me, people I know, family, imaginary friends, bus drivers and any other humans or situations I observe, so readers think it all happened to me. To protect my privacy, I created a literary genre called “notaubiography.” It wavers between truth and untruth, with no special ratio of one to the other – a kind of cross between Anais Nin and, say, James Frey. Many events did happen to me, but they could have happened to you, too, or to someone else. So I call the essays memoirs, you-moirs or someone else-moirs.

I embellish or exaggerate for fun, puns, or just to keep the flow of the story’s unraveling.  Plus, I like drama that I can control.

AA:  Many people have many different types of muses, be it music, quiet meditation, people-watching, or what have you.  What “gets you in the mood” for writing?

DF:  Not that I’m a great writer, but all great ones and many of us wanna-bes indulge in reality-muting tricks to escape the “censors” that reside in our heads. That said, I have been known to inhale intoxicating herbs now and then (and maybe later, too.). Out of habit (and because my editor is likely to spike it), I play this down even though it’s legal where I live. What also gets me in the mood is a good tale to tell. I like to give myself deadlines, which can be a great motivator.

AA:  Having met you in person, I can easily say that you are just as witty face-to-face as you are in your writing.  Sometimes it is very difficult to translate this kind of in-your-face humor to the page.  What is your greatest challenge when writing humorous essays?

DF:  In your face … really?  [Accidental Author Note:  Probably a more appropriate term would be “unapologetic”] A dear friend said to me that he use to think that I was “on” for other people, but he’s come to see that I can’t help myself and this is how I think. Having such content in my head is one thing, having the discipline to record it is quite another. Another challenge is remembering funny lines I’ve spewed or heard. I always think I’ll remember them but, unless I write them down as I hear them, I have problems recalling the phrase. In terms of writing, it’s important to get the humor across without it sounding too contrived or forced. I sit in front of my iMac and speak the words aloud, which is when the muse visits with all her puns and wordplay. I call it punching up the story. If the story’s the skeleton, than the jokes are the muscles. Good bones never hurt, though.

AA:  Do you also enjoy creative writing, or do you derive most of your inspiration from real-life encounters and events?

DF:  To me, all writing is creative. Do I base my tales on real incidents? Yes. Do I rely on existing personalities to inflate my characters? You betcha. But it’s me who personally interprets the situations and creatively reports them. I believe that almost all stories have been told before. (How do you write about hell or the devil without relying on Dante, for example?) What I bring to the table is the way in which the story’s told. My style is more about the telling than the tale, but it doesn’t mean there’s no tale.

I admire writers who write well and create unique situations and characters. John Irving falls into this category, although he could use a little more editing. At the same time, few writers tell a better story than Herman Wouk. I can exaggerate, satirize and "sarcasticize" with the best, but I can’t create something from nothing … or I haven’t yet.

AA:  Obviously, this collection of essays is a mere smattering of your experiences as a Jewish woman.  How do you choose what events to write about?

DF:  I don’t always choose them; some of the stories just about write themselves. I try to write stories that will be of interest to others because they can relate to them. The Smooth Sailing quartet is about falling in love  - who can’t relate to the tummy full of butterflies and the giggle in one’s throat? Toss in the luxurious ship and the romantic Caribbean and you’ve got a million women’s fantasy.

I need a “hook” in a story to make me want to write it. For instance, I was lucky enough to be invited to go with my dear friend and her friends to Jerusalem for her son’s Bar Mitzvah. Most people can’t relate to such extraordinary generosity, so I wasn’t sure how to present the fabulous journey. Then a dark moment occurred in an otherwise perfect vacation, and I got the hook for my story. It’s in my next book. All I can ask is how many people do you know who walked into a Tel Aviv hotel lobby bleeding from her head?

AA:  Did you ever start writing something and stop because you felt something was TOO personal?

DF:  Writing about personal matters and relationships helps me to understand them better. Do I mute some of the rough edges? Of course, it was bad enough that I had to go through the emotional upheaval, why should people kind enough to read my stories have to also? Better I should see the funny in it and write it in that context. As to inappropriate places to be funny, I told a joke at my mother’s funeral. It was a “wicked pissah” hot and humid Boston summer and the rabbi decided to truncate the service. The problem was that you can’t start the service until the body is covered, so he put a piece of astro-turf over the casket before it was lowered into the ground. I whispered to my sister, “Look, Ma’s at Riverfront Stadium.”

I don’t think anything is too personal to write about … as long as you make it funny. But I have an advantage because I can always hide behind “notaubiography.”

AA:  What types of books do you like to read?  What are you reading right now?

DF:  After (un)signing with Untreed Reads Publishing, I stopped reading so much and started writing more. Prior to that, I had recently left the world of fiction in favor of non-fiction. Granted, the non-fiction was so engagingly written that it could have been fiction. The (unleavened) truth is that I’m a bit of a news junky, much to my blood pressure’s dismay, so I’m scavenging news stories and magazines from across the world wide web. The next thing I’m going to read is your blog and your story. I was afraid they might influence my answers if I’d read them before I finished this e-terview.

AA:  How did you come to publish your work as an eBook with Untreed Reads?

DF:  After 15 years of writing essays and showing them only to family and some colleagues, all of whom forecast I would be the next straight Jewish David Sedaris. I was flattered, but I hate rejection so much that I didn’t try to shop the stories around as a collection. Then a friend invited me to join her at a party at her friend’s who had recently started up an e-book publishing company. I met K.D. Sullivan and Jay Hartman, publisher and editor, respectively, of Untreed Reads. I sent them some stories and was thrilled when they wanted to publish them. This was a life-changer for me. I feel like I didn’t touch the ground again until The Unleavened Truth fell off of Amazon’s top-selling list in its categories.

AA:  If you don’t mind my asking, what are you working on now?

DF:  I’m writing more essays for the next book. As I mentioned, I wrote one about my Israel trip, or Shalomerama, as I like to call it. I’m not sure what else I’ll include, but I guarantee it will make you smile or wince, depending upon your pun threshold.

---

Darryl Forman is a story-teller who takes you to her amusement park of words while unraveling her tales in The Unleavened Truth. Whether about growing up, family, health or aging, her essays are full of wordplay and puns, but also are pithy, poignant, and reveal angst-filled lessons about life that you can relate to and make you laugh.

Darryl grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and went to Syracuse University. She discovered northern California and, except for a brief interlude on a hippie farm in upstate New York, has lived in San Francisco for the past 40 years.