Guest Post Author Michael J. McCann

How/why did you start to write?

I've always been a daydreamer and a book reader. As a kid I haunted the public library and read almost everything in the Young Moderns room: science fiction, historical fiction, you name it. I always wanted to write the same kinds of stories, but it took me a very long time to figure out how. In the meantime, I became a student of literature and fed my love of storytelling that way.

How did you become an author?

After finishing graduate school I wrote literary fiction, mostly short stories, and published a few with literary journals, but it became obvious very quickly that there wasn't much of a future for me in that direction. When my son was born I re-entered the workforce to help pay the bills, but the urge to write was never far behind. When my career was finished I was able to return to writing full time as a serious author.

What was your first published piece?

My first published piece -- for which I was actually paid -- was a short story entitled "Sandra." It appeared in the Fall 1987 issue of Event, the Douglas College Review. It was literary fiction, as I mentioned, about a woman trying to piece her life back together after being released from psychiatric care. My first published novel was The Ghost Man, a supernatural thriller, which came out in 2009.

What are you writing now?

After publishing The Ghost Man I turned to crime fiction, and I'm now the author of the Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series, which currently stands at three novels: Blood Passage, Marcie's Murder, and The Fregoli Delusion. The stories are police procedurals set in the fictitious city of Glendale, Maryland. The stories focus on the homicide investigative process and the lives of the men and women who devote their careers to their work. I'm currently working on the fourth novel in the series, The Rainy Day Killer, which will be published this summer.

I've also re-acquired the rights to The Ghost Man, and I'm preparing a new edition that will be published this winter under the Plaid Raccoon Press imprint. Like many of my favorite authors from the past -- Fredric Brown and Anthony Boucher come to mind -- I enjoy writing in more than one genre, and I'm also working on a second supernatural fiction novel which I'm planning to publish next Hallowe'en. Stay tuned!

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing? How?

Before devoting my time to novel writing I spent fifteen years with the Canada Border Services Agency as a support clerk, training specialist, project officer and national program manager. My career in Customs kept me in constant contact with law enforcement professionals who were very generous in passing on to me a wealth of experience and knowledge. I kept my mouth shut (for the most part) and my ears open and soaked it all in, and as a result I have a good understanding of the fundamentals of interviewing techniques, body language, computer systems, arrest procedures and how a law enforcement administration works (or doesn't work, when the budget goes south!). I'm now able to apply this great experience to my stories and give them a reasonably realistic atmosphere.

What inspires you?

People. As a writer I'm an inveterate people-watcher. I'm inspired by the guy sitting at the table next to me drinking his cup of coffee, teenagers in the mall, someone walking their dog in the park. How they look, something they say or the way they move their hands when they talk will trigger something in my head, and suddenly I'll have a character or a situation that will fit into the story I'm writing.

Please share one of your successful author platform building techniques.

As an independent author and micropublisher I've had to make the commitment to put in long hours marketing my books. I wish I had Amanda Hocking's genius for Facebook, but I don't. I'm trying, though! Where I've had the most success so far is through Twitter, which I find is a great medium to reach my target audience. I've put a lot of work into building relationships with followers, which is the key to Twitter. I'm not shy to retweet others, because it's a very reciprocal community and we do a lot to support each other.

How would you like readers to view your work?

First and foremost, I'd like readers to understand that I'm a professional author. I'm working very hard to bring them stories that are entertaining, well-written, error-free and reasonably realistic. Being an independent I'm very aware of the stereotype of the self-published vanity author churning out poorly-edited books with half-baked stories, but I want readers who buy my books to be pleasantly surprised by the high level of quality they find in them. As a former academic with an M.A. in English, a former editor with a legal publishing company, and a former manager with a law enforcement agency, I'm staking my reputation on it!

Thanks so much for having me, Leanne! It's been a pleasure.

 (Thank you, Michael. I wish you continued success.)

The Fregoli Delusion

The third Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel. When billionaire H.J. Jarrett is shot to death on a bike path in prestigious Granger Park, the killer is seen running away by a man who is apparently in the right place at the right time. However, Lieutenant Hank Donaghue and Detective Karen Stainer discover to their dismay that their only eyewitness suffers from a rare psychotic disorder that makes his testimony useless.

As Donaghue’s investigation focuses on the top one percent of Glendale’s social stratum, including close friends of his own mother, Stainer finds

herself alone when her gut instinct tells her that their eyewitness is right after all!

The heat hit them in a wave as they left the front lobby and walked down the sidewalk to the Crown Vic. When they got in, Karen started the engine and cranked up the air conditioning.

“As far as I’m concerned,” she said, “Holland’s alibi was bought and paid for, and he’s a lying son of a bitch.”

Hank buckled up.

“Come on, Lou. My gut’s telling me Brett Parris was right on the money.”

“We’re going to need a hell of a lot more than a gut feeling.”

“Understood. I’m not a rookie.” She threw the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. She drove in silence for a block before looking over at him.

“You just watch me,” she said. “I’m going to peel that bastard Holland like an onion.”

Links:

Author website: http://www.mjmccann.com

Blog: The Overnight Bestseller: http://www.michaeljmccannsblog.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-J-McCann/130617140389341

Twitter: @MichaelJMcCann1

Buy Links:

Blood Passage: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Passage-Michael-J-McCann/dp/0987708708/

Marcie's Murder: http://www.amazon.com/Marcies-Murder-Michael-J-McCann/dp/0987708724/

The Fregoli Delusion: http://www.amazon.com/Fregoli-Delusion-Michael-J-McCann/dp/0987708740/

eBook versions also available from Smashwords. See my profile at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mjmccann

Guest Post Author Clive Eaton

How/why did you start to write?

Many years ago, and I really mean many, I saw a black and white movie based around the Pyramids in Egypt. It had an Indiana Jones feel to it with doors inside The Great Pyramid crashing shut, and trapping people inside. From that day forward I always held a fascination for the pyramids. Several decades later a German robotics engineer, together with a team of Egyptologists tried to ‘peek’ behind one of the doors at the end of a long shaft, which allegedly was protecting a secret chamber. All they eventually found was another door behind the first. I felt this had to be the start of a great adventure, so I wrote an outline, which eventually became The Pyramid Legacy

How did you choose your genre?

Once I had the germ of an idea it became quite a logical process. I wanted to write something which wasn’t easily pigeon-holed into one clear genre, but at its heart was thriller. Any sort of ‘rules’, in my mind, stifle creativity. I wanted a thriller, which also had an element of suspense, and I didn’t want to be restricted to the present day, or the past. So The Pyramid Legacy weaves its way through many different genres. It is sci-fi, it is a thriller, it has suspense, and it even has a romantic theme threading its way through the story. I also wanted the characters to be different from many other novels. My ‘hero’, Ben Anderson, wasn’t going to be the all-action, ex-special forces archetypal super-hero you read about in many thrillers. He was going to be the complete opposite. Ben is a totally reluctant hero, who is risk averse, and who has to really push himself outside of his comfort zone; a comfort zone which doesn’t extend very far. I also wanted my characters to occasionally enjoy some banter during the less serious elements of the story – something I feel is missing from many thrillers.

Where was it published?

The Pyramid Legacy is self-published, and is available both in paperback form and Kindle, via Amazon UK and US, and all other Amazon platforms across the globe.

How long ago?

It was launched in the middle of 2012.

What’s next?

I am already a long way into the sequel, which I’ve titled Operation Stonehenge.

Why a sequel?

During the extensive research I did for The Pyramid Legacy I came across some extremely interesting facts, which link The Great Pyramid to Stonehenge. Having been born only a few miles from Stonehenge it too has always held a special place in my heart. It was the perfect opportunity to create a novel around the relationship between these two iconic structures.

Please share one of your successful author marketing techniques

In my “day job” I deliver training courses in the area of business improvement, and one of the subjects covered, among many others, is marketing. So I have applied many of the concepts I teach in developing a marketing approach for my writing. My website has a blog which I have called ‘Marketing Tips for Authors’, where I share my thoughts and ideas with fellow authors.

Parting words – can you give us one example of what you mean?

OK, let me give just one simple example – setting up a Twitter account. If an author intends to write more than one book, don’t use the title of your first book as your Twitter handle. If you build a following of several thousand people, what are you going to do when the second book is ready to promote? Set up another Twitter account? That would be pointless. Choose carefully, and why shy away from using your own name. Use the characters Twitter allow to produce your bio wisely, and always put the word ‘author’ in in it. People use terms to link up with people. I get many new followers each day who clearly have similar interests to me. Avoid book covers as your Twitter image. What you need to do is build a brand . . . and that brand is you. When your favourite author publishes their next book the chances are you’ll buy it regardless of its title etc. The author is the brand. Choose a photograph of yourself you are happy with, and stick with it. I hate having my picture taken, so I use one my youngest daughter took of me in a restaurant whilst in Liechtenstein. It’s OK, and saves me having to sit in front of a camera. I use the same photograph on everything related to my writing. My website, Twitter, Facebook, this blog etc. Your photo is your logo. Use it to help build your own brand.

Links:

Website – http://www.cliveeaton.com

Blog – http://www.cliveeaton.com/blog.html

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/OFtEpn

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/OTy5fN

Twitter - http://bit.ly/NjebaO

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/RnbpZ6

The Pyramid Legacy

A sci-fi plot twisting the fibres of history together with those of the future . . .

For over four millennia the Great Pyramid of Giza has guarded a secret image; until NOW!

The Great Pyramid of Giza, unlike most ancient Egyptian monuments, lacks one conspicuous feature: hieroglyphs. So when, for the first time in over four thousand years, a prominent young Egyptologist discovers the first engraving inside the Great Pyramid, why is he murdered by a senior colleague? The authorities are keen to cover it up, but they know they can’t achieve total closure whilst English robotics engineer, Ben Anderson, remains in possession of a powerful image. An image, which suggests the Great Pyramid at Giza was not built by ancient Egyptians.

Operation Stonehenge

The evidence is unquestionable. The architects of The Great Pyramid and Stonehenge were related!

So what does a ring of standing stones in Wiltshire, England, a pyramid in Egypt, a painting in a church located in a small village in France, and a remote location in Nevada have in common? The answer is simple, but the reason, well, that’s a totally different story.

Robotics engineer, Ben Anderson, is once again plunged into the deep end of a mystery which involves murder, cryptic puzzles and a frantic race against an ever faster ticking clock.

He needs to carefully thread the links together to enable him to find the missing elements of a long lost artefact. Failure is not an option, but success seems totally impossible. In this final throw of the dice, can the deadline be met? If it isn’t, the consequences are unthinkable.

Author Bio

Clive Eaton initially trained as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Air Force and worked on Vulcan bombers for a number of years.

He now works as a freelance international trainer in the area of business improvement, and his work has taken him to over 30 countries around the globe.

The Pyramid Legacy is his debut novel and the inspiration came when Egyptian authorities discovered a secret door inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. Although nothing was actually found on that occasion it triggered a 'what if?' question, and from there the story developed. Clive is now writing the sequel, which will be titled "Operation Stonehenge".

The Pyramid Legacy was initially published as an e-book, but now is available as a paperback.

Clive lives in a very peaceful setting, with his wife Judy, in the heart of rural Norfolk, England, which he believes is an amazing place for getting in the right mood for writing.

Guest Post: Author Elizabeth Ruth

How/why did you start to write?

When I was in grade 4 there was a writing contest at my public school. It was open to any student in grades 4, 5 or 6. As soon as I heard about this opportunity I knew I would submit a story. Horse back riding was my passion at the time and decided to write about Jim Elder, who then led Canada’s equestrian team. I conducted much research, with my mother helping me find the courage to look up his phone number and call him to ask for an interview. We were probably only on the phone for 5 minutes but I can still feel my heart pounding with nervous excitement. I worked on my non-fiction story for hours, and handed it in certain I would place in the competition. On the day the announcement of the winners was to be made, students were assembled in the gymnasium. When the teacher in charge called out the name of the 3^rd place winner and it wasn’t me, I was gleeful. Aha, I thought, I knew it. I’m so going to win this competition! So, when the second place story was named and its author brought up on stage, I could barely contain my exuberance. It was going to be me, after all, I thought! When the first place winning entry was announced, and it wasn’t my story, I was stunned. Shocked. Indignant. There must be a mistake, I thought. I’m a writer! From that moment on I was determined to keep writing until my work drew the attention of careful readers. I had written poetry and little stories since the age of 5 or 6 but it was that moment that solidified my resolve.

How did you become an author?

With much hard work and probably even more luck.

I had been working full time for 11 years, in front line mental health. I had trained at the graduate level in counselling psychology. I loved my work. But all the while I was trying to write a story, which kept unfolding and ultimately became my first novel, Ten Good Seconds of Silence. At the same time, a writer I greatly admired, the late Timothy Findley, was coming to Toronto where I lived to teach in the Humber School for Writer’s summer workshop. I applied in order to talk with him about writing. To my delight, I was admitted to the workshop. In a pivotal conversation with Tiff he told me I must finish my book. I left Humber thinking that if a writer I so admired has told me to finish and I don’t, I would have no one but myself to blame. I took a year’s leave of absence from my job and wrote night and day. When I was done I had to find a publisher by submitting to the slush pile. One editor loved the story and called me. Six months later, in 2001, I had a published book in my hand. As it turned out, Ten Good Seconds of Silence was very popular with readers and critics so I was encouraged to write my second novel, Smoke. That book was published in 2005. Now, here I am, 13 years after attending that workshop, launching my third novel, Matadora, and I still haven’t returned to the day job. Every writer becomes a writer in a different way, along a different path. The only thing that’s important to know if you’re trying to become anything is to keep on trying. Break to isolation of writing and dissipate feelings of inadequacy and doubt by trying to connect with another writer, who is farther along the path.

What was your first published piece?

A story told entirely in the second person point of view entitled, Away for A While. It was only four pages in length and was about a woman (and a mother of a small child) forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution. I wanted to show her experience directly, and also give her agency to assert what little power she had.

Where was it published?

It was published in two literary journals within the same year – CV2 and Room of One’s Own.

How long ago?

I can’t remember. Probably 15 years. After that story I published a string of stories within a short period of time. I found publication addictive.

What inspires you?

I suppose I would answer that question differently for each of my three novels. But for the new one, Matadora, I have to say it was one day when I was listening to the national news on the radio. I heard of a 16 year old girl fighting bulls in Mexico. I literally stopped what I was doing (frying eggs) and sat down on the kitchen floor. Why would a girl do this? Why would anyone do something so violent and dangerous? That was the spark of inspiration, a couple of questions. But when I think about it, the more profound inspiration for Matadora began long before that day in my kitchen. It began when I was 7, 8, years old, living in South America, becoming fluent in Spanish and most importantly witnessing levels of poverty I had never seen before. Having conversations with my mother about why some people didn’t have food or a place to live or why some people couldn’t get medical care. The seeds of a social justice analysis were planted in me back then, and Matadora is a book that looks at class issues, class oppression, leading up to, as it does, the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Fascism in Spain. It’s not an historical novel, but the political divisions within the Left, and the rise of the Right, at that time in history, provided me, in some respects, with a wonderful mirror for our times. So, what began in me as a child has had several decades to germinate. I have to think that this book was inspired, in stages as I developed my own political beliefs, my own notions of personal freedom and of social responsibility. I don’t believe Matadora could have been written before now, and I don’t believe Matadora could have been written by anyone else.

Matadora is a novel that centres on a female bullfighter, set in 1930’s Spain and Mexico. But like all good books about bullfighting, it’s really not about bullfighting at all. This book is about ambition, passion, art and politics. At its heart it asks the question: if you had to choose between your greatest passion – the thing that makes you who you are – and the person you love most in this world, what would you choose?

Please share one of your successful author platform building techniques

I don’t think in terms of building platforms although publishers and industry folks certainly do. I think in terms of building community. That is why, to whatever degree I have it, I have been successful in getting my books into the hands of readers. Build community with other artists, share ideas and be generous in promoting others. Also, don’t expect anyone – not your publisher, if you have one, not your agent, if you are so lucky, not your mother – to care as much about your work as you do. Therefore, you must have your hands in many pots – writing, editing, and all the business side of things such as creating book club brochures and updating your website. It takes a lot more than being a good writer to be a successful writer.

Parting words

It is extremely and increasingly difficult for aspiring writers to get published or make careers for themselves. Don’t waste time despairing this reality. Write and rewrite and when you’ve got something polished try your best to find a home for it. Don’t feel that there is something wrong with you if that journey takes longer than you’d hoped, or takes some ugly twists and turns. You must determine to write regardless of what external forces work against your, or in your favour. You must just write. If you write enough, and you write well, you will write your own way forward.

If you read Matadora and want to discuss it feel free to contact me via www.elizabethruth.com 

Matadora Book Trailer

Guest Post: Author Joan Boswell

Creative writing began for me when I volunteered to keep organizational minutes and discovered that I had to creatively fill in the gaps when my attention left the room for long periods. A friend, a member of a mystery writers’ critiquing group, suggested I should join them and also become a member of Capital Crime Writers. I can’t emphasize how important the critiquing group was to me. Without their carefully considered comments and encouragement I would not have grown as a writer.

The critiquing group morphed into the Ladies’ Killing Circle, six women eventually responsible for editing seven collections of Canadian women’s mystery short stories.

This past summer at Scene of the Crime on Wolfe Island, the Ladies’ Killing Circle received the Derrick Murdock award honouring their contribution to Canadian women’s mystery writing. My first published story, ‘One Cold Cookie’, appeared in 1995 in the first volume, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.

Later I co-edited the last four anthologies. Reading submissions provided excellent training in recognizing good writing and pin pointing why some stories didn’t make the cut. Applying this to my own writing was very helpful. I also had short stories published in each anthology and in many other magazines and anthologies. In 2000 I won the $10,000 Toronto Star Short Story prize. This story in on my web site Joanboswell.ca

As our group matured as writers some of us tried our hand at novels. My first, Cut Off His Tale, was published in 2005 by Napoleon RendezVous as were the next two, Cut to the Quick and Cut tothe Chase. The fourth book in the series, Cut to the Bone, is published by Dundurn.

I spent many years in university earning a BA, MA and PhD before returning and completing the course work for a Fine Arts Degree. I have had more than 10 solo shows and continue to paint and to work with textiles although for the last few years writing has taken more of my time.

For a few years I worked for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs as a researcher but once I returned to university to study fine arts I focussed on being creative.

I am a very visually oriented person and I see the scenes in my stories and books before I write them. In each of my books I deal with different social issues. In the most recent book the plight of Aboriginal women and their marginalization concerns me. Mysteries give me the opportunity to deal with social issues while always trying to entertain.

Cut to the Bone

It’s happened again! Hollis Grant, who has fashioned a new life for herself with a foster child, a puppy and a job as resident super of an eight story apartment building finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when a fifth floor tenant, a woman working for an escort agency is murdered.  The detective in charge is Rhona Simpson a police officer with whom Hollis has crossed swords in the past. Hollis’s life is further complicated by the disappearance of an Aboriginal tenant who leaves her young niece behind and a message asking Hollis to care for her. Her search for the woman places her in grave danger. Meanwhile a woman’s body dumped in Lake Ontario leads back to the apartment building. Hollis narrowly escapes being the third victim and her quick thinking leads to a surprising solution to the case.