A Man For All Seasons

            

A warm welcome to Howard Shrier as our latest victim to Jamie Tremain’s blog. This award winning author leaves no stone unturned. He has done it all, from journalism, many kinds of media, theatre and television, sketch comedy and improv. Teaching creative writing at the University of Toronto and the author of the Jonah Geller suspense novels.

“ A winning combination for any mystery lover.” The Globe and Mail

“Shrier is my top find of the year...His excellent PI series deserves much wider attention.” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

“ Howard Shrier has quickly cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s most gifted thriller writers.” Now (Toronto)

Jamie:

Thanks for being here Howard. No doubt you’ve heard this before, but you have an amazing website and appear to have answered most of the questions we had on our list. However here’s the one questions always asked; Would you ever consider collaborating as Jamie Tremain does?

Howard:

Not on a book. I did work with another writer years ago on a script for CBC’s hit show Seeing Things, and collaboration seems to suit TV writing well. But books to me are a solitary pursuit.

Jamie:

Pam is a fan of Jonah Geller and is now anxiously waiting for him to appear in a series on television. How close are you to seeing that realized?

Howard:

Buffalo Jump was optioned for television shortly after publication in 2008. For the past six years, it has slogged through what is commonly known as development hell. At one point, CTV seemed poised to greenlight a pilot, then it was bought by Bell Globe Media, decision makers changed and everything ground to a halt. Right now, Pam’s guess is as good as mine as to when a show might actually happen.

Jamie:

Do you have a particular actor in mind to portray him?

Howard:

Besides me? (That’s me laughing.) I always liked Zach Braff, the star of Scrubs, for the light in his eyes. If he were a little more fit, he’d be great. Same is true of Seth Rogen (though he’d have to get a lot more fit). He has the humour – and some of the anger – that Jonah carries.

Jamie:

How close is your portrayal of Jonah like you? Are you into martial arts?Did you do a stint in the Israeli army?

Howard:

Jonah is very much like me in terms of the way he sees the world, his humour, what he considers to be unjust, but the rest? Not even close. I studied martial arts when I was a teenager but haven’t been in a fist fight in over 40 years. I visited Israel in 1970, when I was a lad but have never had any military experience of any kind. I’ve researched both aspects extensively –YouTube, for example, is fantastic for watching martial artists at work.

Jamie:

Buffalo Jump and High Chicago both won awards. Do you find winning awards gives you more street cred? What did the recognition do for your writing career?

Howard:

Winning two Arthur Ellis awards definitely gave me more cred in the crime writing community. And beyond: the Canadian Who’s Who, for example, included me in the past few editions because of those awards. Unfortunately, as I noted on my website, they didn’t seem to do much for sales. I think the Crime Writers of Canada have done a great job of promoting the Arthurs, but they are still not widely known outside certain circles.

Jamie:

What, if any, are your frustrations - or praises -  with being a successful author in Canada?

Howard:

I love public speaking and my theatre background has equipped me to do it fairly well, so I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to present my work to book groups, libraries, writers’ conferences and other audiences. Frustrations? Chiefly that publishers don’t do as much as they used to, to promote the work of their authors and have downloaded most of it onto us. As I sometimes tell readers, if I had wanted to be a salesman, I’d have gone into a family business.

Jamie:

You have a background in comedy and improv. Comedy is scattered throughout your writing and it enriches the character of Jonah. How important is the element of comedy to your writing?

Howard:

It’s very important to me – and to my characters, I think. People like Jonah, Jenn Raudsepp and Dante Ryan do hard, dangerous work, and like many people in that element, a little black humour goes a long way. My own taste as a fan also runs in that direction. When characters become overly sour and self-important – think Kay Scarpetta – I get turned off.

Jamie:

You are a family man with two teenagers. Do you find it hard to find a balance between your writing life and being a good parent? Do your children read your books?

Howard:
My sons read all my books once they were old enough. My youngest, who is now 15, used Buffalo Jump as the basis for a school project this year, which I found pretty cool. It has been hard at times to balance work and family. I wrote most of Buffalo Jump between five and seven in the mornings because I still had a full-time corporate writing job and it was the only free time I could find. That meant I was often too tired to do some of the things I’d have liked to do with the boys and my wife. Happily, since I left corporate life ten years ago to write full time, I’ve been able to spend more time with everyone.

Jamie:
Your work in progress is set in Montreal in 1950-51. So, something new. Can you tell us something about it?

Howard:

Montreal was an amazing place in those years. Teeming with vice and scandal, even as young reformers like Jean Drapeau were gathering in the wings. Also, the financial heart of Canada, where fewer than 200 families controlled most of the country’s wealth from their mansions in a small enclave known as The Square Mile. The book I’ve been working on the past two years follows a homicide investigation that takes Sergeant Max Handler from the gritty underworld and glittering casinos to top of The Square Mile.

Jamie:

You teach writing at the University of Toronto. What would be the single most important lesson you would share with new writers?

Howard:

Probably to read voraciously in their field. I’m surprised, frankly, at how many people who take my course don’t really read crime fiction all that widely. I had probably read close to 3,000 before I wrote one. The other – which I’ll toss in gratis – is to forget what is hot in the market and find your own voice and setting, because what’s is hot now probably won’t be by the time your book is ready to come out.

Jamie:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the writing life. Looking forward to your next book and seeing Jonah come to life on television.

Thanks for asking!

Links: To contact Howard

http://www.howardshrier.com/   

http://learn.utoronto.ca/interactive-course-search#/profile/1828  [Summer Institute]

http://learn.utoronto.ca/interactive-course-search#/profile/1714        [Fall 2015]

http://learn.utoronto.ca/interactive-course-search#/profile/2698
[Jan 2016 online]

Howard Shrier was born and raised in Montreal, where he earned an Honours Degree in journalism and creative writing at Concordia University. He has worked as a writer for more than thirty years in a wide variety of media, including print, magazine and radio journalism, theatre and television, sketch comedy and improv, and high-level corporate and government communications. His critically acclaimed first novel,Buffalo Jump, which introduces Toronto investigator Jonah Geller, won the Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The sequel, High Chicago, won the Arthur Ellis for Best Novel of 2009, making Howard the first author in the history of the awards to win both back to back. Boston Cream was published to rave reviews in 2013, including starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal. Miss Montreal, the fourth Geller book, is due out May 14, 2013. All the Geller books are published by Random House Canada and have been optioned for television by Toronto-based Media Headquarters.  Howard is also the author of one standalone thriller, Lostport (2011). He now lives in Toronto with his wife and sons and is working on a new novel set in Montreal in 1950-51. He also teaches writing at University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. He plans to write a longer bio when he needs to procrastinate a bit more.

Check back next month for an interview with Jill Downie, the author of the

Moretti and Falla Mysteries and more.

Talk soon,

Slainte,

Jamie

I'm not a cat lady!

I am not a cat lady but who can resist them. And she is such a pretty girl is our Siggi. We were informed at the Humane society when we bought her that Calicos are not always the friendliest and never come when you call. She has proved them wrong.

She is very nosy and inquisitive and often perches on my desk reading  emails. Today she enjoyed a yutube video of horses line dancing. It's true. If you want to see it I'll send you the link.
I complained to my husband that he could be doing something other than watching golf on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. His answer, "Did you not tell me that you had just watched horses line dancing?' Case closed.

 

I'm not, I'm not a cat lady. Yes, I protest too much.

It's been a busy month since we signed with Black Opal Books and wait on our first edits. Income tax, book panel discussions at the library, book club get together's and reading the latest for our next victims interview on this blog. There is a theme going on here.

Howard Shrier will be in the hot seat April 27th. Be sure to check back then and I'll tell you more about our resident feline who has taken over our lives.

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam

Stone Cottages and a Good Manicure

Award-winning author Elizabeth J. Duncan will launch Slated for Death, the sixth book in the Penny Brannigan series set in North Wales, on April 14.These novels feature local artist and manicurist Penny as an amateur sleuth who in the tradition of cosy mysteries, solves the murders in an idyllic village setting amid interesting characters.

“Readers who enjoy classic English mysteries will find lots to love… Duncan excels at bringing her characters to life.”   Mystery Scene Magazine

Jamie:

Welcome Elizabeth, to Jamie Tremain’s blog.

Thank you, Jamie.

You started your career as a journalist. The switch to writing cosy mysteries and fiction was a jump. Was this a burning desire and are you glad you made the transition?

 Elizabeth:

 I had never had any desire to write fiction until one day an idea occurred to me and I started writing The Cold Light of Mourning, the first book in the Penny Brannigan series. I’m very glad I made the transition. Journalism was right for me at an earlier time and being an author is perfect for me at this stage of my life. And journalism is the perfect start to whatever kind of a writing life you choose.

 Jamie:

Your books are set in North Wales. What is your connection to this beautiful part of the world? Is this your birth country or do you just like the milder winters and less snow?

 Elizabeth:

I have no family connection to Wales, but I do love it. The scenery is stunning and it lends itself beautifully to my novels. By a strange series of fortuitous events I found myself in a Welsh market town in 2005 and thought if I ever write a mystery, which I’m not going to, this would be the perfect town to set it in. And eighteen months later, I was back in that town, with the first book well underway. I now spend four months a year in Llandudno, and yes, winters are much milder. I didn’t see any snow this year except at a distance on the tops of the mountains.

Jamie:

Your books have interesting covers and I especially like the one on Slated for Death. Who does your cover art? ?

Elizabeth:

Toronto artist Doug Martin. He held an exhibition in 2014 and I was able to buy the original paintings for every book cover. I love them as art and because they represent something wonderful in my life.

 Jamie:

Slated for Death will be released in April. What can you tell us about it?

Elizabeth:

Slated for Death is set against the backdrop of the once-great Welsh slate mining industry. A painful family secret, with its long simmering resentments, leads to two murders and a climax at a St. David’s Day concert being held down a slate mine.

Jamie:

Will we see more of Penny Brannigan mysteries or do you have something else in the works?

Elizabeth:

 I’m writing the seventh book now. In this one, Antiques Roadshow comes to town. Someone discovers that some sketches from her days at the old Liverpool Regional School of Art are worth a small fortune and someone else discovers a body.

I also have a second series which will launch in November, 2015. This one features Charlotte Fairfax, costume designer with the Catskills Shakespeare Theater Company and is set in upstate New York.  

 Jamie:

If Penny Brannigan were to be brought to life for TV or film, who would you like to see portray her and why?

Elizabeth:

I’ll leave the casting to the experts, but I’d like her to be an age appropriate Canadian actress.

Jamie:

What do you find challenging in the writing process?

Elizabeth:

Getting started. I am a terrible procrastinator. 

Jamie:

Which writer has been the biggest influence and inspired you most in your own writing?

Elizabeth:

I can’t really narrow it down to one. I’ve been a great reader all my life and I’m sure every author has influenced me in some way or another.

Jamie:

 Are you a plotter or do you write by the seat of your pants?

Elizabeth:

Both, really. I start out knowing what the story is about, who did it and why, and then I let events unfold as one thing leads to an another. So in the end, I suppose I write like a reader, looking for twists and surprises.

 Jamie:

You have won awards for your writing and been nominated many times. How important is this to an author?

Elizabeth:

Winning an award got me published. In 2008 I won the Malice Domestic St Martin’s unpublished first novel award that included a publishing contract with a major American publisher. That was the beginning. In May, 2013 I won the Bony Blithe award. I had been thinking about packing in the day job so this award confirmed this was the right time to do that. Winning an award validates an author’s work. It says people who know about this kind of writing believe in you and your work – you are on the right track … keep going. It sets you apart.

Jamie:

Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing your writing life with us. We wish you much success with your new book Slated for Death and your work in progress.

Thank you, Jamie and congratulations on your publishing contract!

 You can contact Elizabeth at her website and click the links below to find her books.

http://elizabethjduncan.com/

Elizabeth J. Duncan is the author of the Penny Brannigan mystery series set in North Wales.Elizabeth’s first novel, The Cold Light of Mourning, won the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic 2006 Grant for Unpublished Writers and the 2008 St. Martin’s/Malice Domestic Award for best first traditional mystery and was nominated for an Arthur Ellis award in Canada and an Agatha Award in the United States.

Her fourth novel, A Small Hill to Die On won the 2013 Bloody Words best light mystery (Bony Blithe) and the fifth book in the series, Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By, was nominated for the same award in 2014.

The sixth book in the series, Slated for Death, will be available in Spring 2015.

After graduating from Carleton University, Ottawa, with a BA in English, Elizabeth worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada’s largest newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen and Hamilton Spectator. She lived and worked in London, England for five years as a freelance writer and broadcaster. She has also worked in public relations and is currently a faculty member of the Humber School for Writers.

Elizabeth lives in Toronto and spends several months each year in North Wales.

Follow her on Twitter @elizabethduncan or like her Facebook page Elizabeth J Duncan

Thanks for joining us with Elizabeth Duncan. Next month's author to be announced shortly.

Talk soon,

Slainte,

Jamie

MARCHING AHEAD

March  - what a month this has been! Several family, and friends’, birthdays scattered from one end to the other. An engagement party for my daughter and her fiancé turned into a surprise birthday party held in my honour for one of those silly milestone ages. All involved with the planning did a fantastic job of keeping quiet, even to the point of having me pick up buns for the meal!   

       Jamie Tremain - One-half Celebrating a Birthday

Pam Trying to Talk Horse Sense?

                                                                                                  Killer Authors

                                                                               Donna Warner, Gloria Ferris, Donna Houghton and

                                                                                                              Jamie Tremain

                                                                         

And as if the surprise party wasn’t exciting and memorable enough, Jamie Tremain signed, sealed and delivered (to Canada Post) a contract with Black Opal Books to publish one of our books!!  The Silk Shroud (formerly Body Perfect) is the second of three completed stories Pam and I have worked on over the past eight years and we are tickled to death (hmmm, now there’s an interesting thought) to say we are now under contract with Black Opal Books. It’s been a long journey and we are excited to be taking these next steps, even though there will surely be more work ahead of us.

Naturally in the midst of all this my computer decided it was time to go all blue screen on me. So off to purchase a laptop and begin the task of moving files and backing up favourites. A further upgrade to Office 2013 completed the new set up and I think today has seen me finally comfortable with all things new.

Both Pam and I are truly grateful for all the support and encouragement we’ve received over the years with our writing. Not to mention the invaluable advice, suggestions and critiques offered to us by members of this wonderful writing community to which we belong.

A website is in the works as well - stay tuned for more details.

As well, Jamie Tremain will continue with our monthly interviews – later this month will be a visit with Elizabeth Duncan, author of the Penny Brannigan series.

And now if only Spring would really arrive, March would be almost perfect.

Cheers!

Liz

Love a man in uniform.

 February, the Month of Love and Romance. 

Two years ago this month, Jamie Tremain added author interviews to the blog. Our first victim was Alison Bruce. We learned of a busy life juggling her writing, editing, and her work as a graphic artist and a demanding role as the administrator of the Arthur Ellis Awards. Oh, she also manages to make it to the corner for her stint as a crossing guard, even inthis sub-zero weather. Add two teenagers to the pot and you get the drift. Oops, I nearly forgot her job as Publication Manager for CWC. Crime Writers of Canada http://crimewriterscanada.com/

Jamie:

Welcome back Alison.

It goes without saying, you are one busy lady.  Your books have featured westerns, civil war angst, romance, and modern day cops. Now you’re taking on the spy game. Is there one setting for a story you prefer over others?  

Alison:

I enjoy starting with a safe and familiar setting then upsetting it somehow. Home is safe or should be. Finding a dead body in your living room would definitely upset that.

Hitchcock was a master of making the familiar frightening. For instance, to this day I can’t see birds perched on a wire without thinking about Hitchcock’s The Birds.

Jamie:

There is a very important young man in your life who participates in Sea Cadets - another man in uniform! Any connection to your latest book?

Alison:

That’s a harder question to answer than you might think. In some ways, I encouraged both my children to join cadets partly because of my fascination with the military and especially because it had worked out so well for my cousins’ sons. (My second cousin, Clayton Van Welter, went from Sea Cadet to the Merchant Marine and is now Captain of one of the world’s largest luxury cruisers.)

Because my son joined Sea Cadets, I decided to have my heroine’s children join cadets.

Jamie:

You use humour in your writing and blogs. How important is humour to you?

Alison:

Humour is essential. Some days, I think it’s the only thing that keeps me from taking a long walk off a short pier. Or, as Mel Brooks put it: “Humor is just another defence against the universe.”

What is the best medicine? Laughter.

What is the best way to criticize the powers that be? Comedy. (Just ask a court jester or a modern equivalent, the political cartoonist.)

How do you keep up the spirits of your terminally ill sister and aging father? How do you make the embarrassing things you have to do for them less awkward? Make ‘em laugh. I figure if I can find the humour in those situations, Pru Hartley can find the humour in having her life invaded by spies and spy-catchers.

Jamie:

Do you have a preference? Writing in a woman's voice/point of view or a man's?

Alison:

Given my track record, I’d have to say my preference is for a woman’s point of view. My first person narrators are generally a woman. In third person, I don’t mind writing in a male voice. I know how men act and speak. However, it feels a bit presumptuous to describe how they think or feel, not being a man myself. I feel the same way about writing about characters of different cultures. I can research history and customs, but I wouldn’t presume to know what it feels like to be an Amerindian, Muslim, Buddhist or Chinese woman, let alone a man.

Jamie:

Do you outline and plot your story, or write by the seat of your pants?

Alison:

Both.

I usually start out seat of the pants. That’s how I get acquainted with my characters and setting. It breaks the ice. Then I start plotting. This is where my business writing comes in handy.

I see my characters as stakeholders in the story. Each of them has goals they wish to achieve. Some of those goals are in line with those of the hero some aren’t. Some of the goals are crucial to the character, some aren’t. Each one will try to get what they want – everything they want if possible.

I know the beginning and the end of the story (most of the time) so I know who is going to achieve what goals and what consequences are necessary. I can see what conflict is naturally occurring and look for places to enhance it.

Then I go back to the seat of the pants writing. I know what route I’m taking, but I’m not sure what detours or shortcuts I might use.

Jamie:

Romantic Suspense. Are you a romantic?

Alison:

Depends on who you ask. My ex might have a different answer than my readers.

Romance is secondary to me… like spice is secondary to a dish. The meat (or meat equivalent) and vegetables are the most important part of the dish, but spices bring out the flavour of the ingredients as well as adding their own. That’s what romance – and humour for that matter – do in my books. They enhance the suspense, mystery or historical dish. How I had them is what sets my stories apart from other authors, and vice versa.

Jamie:

It's a snow day - you've nowhere to go, publishing deadlines have been met, housework is all caught up (yes, this is all hypothetical) - which means you can finally curl up with a coffee and start to read that one book you've been wanting to delve into - what is it?

Alison:

One book? You’ve got to be crazy!

Often I have a book waiting for me to have time to enjoy it, or at I’ve been meaning to read. I also have a couple of books I’d love to delve into except, they aren’t available at the library and they cost over a hundred dollars to buy. If you add that budget is no issue to this hypothetical question, I’d be curling up with Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques.

Jamie:

Since we last spoke we've seen many changes in the publishing world. More online/self-publishing makes it harder to source an agent and be published the traditional way. 

What is your take on this and how has this affected how you go about having your books published?

Alison:

I have a great deal of respect for the people who go about self-publishing in a professional manner. By this, I mean that they take on the tasks the publisher usually takes care of like hiring a good editor, producing a professional looking cover, and making sure the book is laid out properly for print and eBook. Not everyone who self-publishes does that.

I’ve been a publisher (briefly, back before eBooks). I’d rather have a traditional publisher. In fact, I really rather have a publisher who did all the advertising, set up promotions and made sure my books were displayed prominently in bookstores. Those days are past unless you’re Linwood Barclay, Louise Penny, or a handful of other Canadian crime writers. I’m not sure even they get away without spending time on self-promotion.

Jamie: You collaborated with Kat Flannery in your novel Hazardous Unions. Did you enjoy that experience and will you try it again?

Alison:

I really enjoyed working with Kat. I would collaborate again. Melodie Campbell, author of The Goddaughter series and Lands End Trilogy, and I often talk about it.

Jamie:

You have two anthologies under your belt. 

 Do you find your books sell better when you combine your offering with other authors? 

Alison:

I don’t know. One of the downsides to being with a traditional publisher is that you don’t always know what’s working until the next quarter. You don’t get sales figures directly from Amazon. Deadly Dozen has done well. Sweet & Sensual I’ll find out about later.

These aren’t my only anthologies, however. I have pieces in Canadian Voices Volumes 1 and 2 and a western historical romance short in Rawhide ‘n’ Roses.


Jamie:

The possibilities are endless with men in uniforms, especially with a great character such as Pru. Will she feature in all the books and when will the next one be available?

Alison:

Pru won’t be featured, but she may make an appearance in future books. She knows the men in uniform who may be finding their own women in need… or maybe the women they need.

Alison Bruce has had many careers and writing has always been one of them. Copywriter, editor and graphic designer since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher, webmaster and arithmetically challenged bookkeeper. She is the author of mystery, romantic suspense and historical western novels

.

www.alisonbruce.ca

alison bruce, have laptop - will travel

www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books

@alisonebruce

A Bodyguard to Remember

“...a plot worthy of a seasoned crime writer” Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Review

“This is a fun read and Bruce is a talented storyteller” Melodie Campbell, author of The Goddaughter series

"Alison Bruce is back again with another delightful read" Rosemary McCracken, author of the Pat Tierny mysteries

Prudence Hartley has the same problems of every other single mom: getting her kids to school on time; juggling a gazillion errands while trying to get a full day's work done; oh, don't forget about dinner. But everything is about to change for Pru when she finds a dead man in her house. Or a dead spy to be exact.

Suddenly Pru's problems become a tad more complicated and a lot more dangerous. When a federal agent named David Merrick shows up and whisks her and her kids into protective custody, Pru has so many questions running through her brain she doesn't know where to begin.

How is she going to keep her kids safe? What was the dead spy looking for in her house? Why are they after her now? Oh and there's one more question . . . just a pesky, minor thing. Why does Merrick have to be so damn sexy and protective?

Available at:

·         Amazon CA http://www.amazon.ca/Bodyguard-Remember-Book-Men-Uniform-ebook/dp/B00RWGVF7C

·         Amazon US  http://www.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Remember-Book-Men-Uniform-ebook/dp/B00RWGVF7C

·         Lachesis Publishing Inc http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=a-bodyguard-to-remember-by-alison-bruce

·         Chapters/Indigo Online

·         www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a-bodyguard-to-remember-book/9990049761950-item.html

·         Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/a-bodyguard-to-remember-book-1-men-in-uniform-series

We hope you've enjoyed Alison's interview. Check back next month to read about Elizabeth Duncans latest book in the Penny Brannigan series.


Slainte,
Jamie










lastest in the Penny brannigan series.

The Hat Lady Strikes Again

Today we are delighted to welcome a new author called Eva Gates. New but old….No we don’t mean old. We’d better be careful here. Many of you know her as Vicki Delany, and her remarkable career as an author has us in awe.  Police procedural, Gothic suspense, Rapid Reads. Pam’s personal favourite is The Klondike Series. Liz’s preference runs to the stand-alone successes – especially Burden of Memory.  Different hats every time. We have seen Vicki in fascinators and gorgeous hats from the late 1800’s that the women wore in her Klondike books. We’re wondering if Vicki, or rather Eva, has picked out a hat for her Lighthouse Library series.

JT:

Welcome back, Vicki, to Jamie Tremain’s blog. When we last spoke you were about to launch another Constable Molly Smith book and since then you’ve published a couple of Rapid Read books and it goes on. Tell us about Eva Gates and why you made the name change and for your readers, a different kind of book than what we are used to.

Eva:
The Lighthouse Library series, of which By Book or By Crook is the first, is a work-for-hire. Which means that the concept, the rough character outline and beginnings of the first plot were given to me by the publishers, via my agent.  From that point on, writing the series is like any other, and my contract is exactly the same in terms of royalties and advances as any other, except that I don’t own the characters.  So, because I don’t own the characters the publisher can, theoretically, hire someone else to continue the series after my contract ends. Thus the pen name, so that other theoretical person can take over.

It is, as you mention, a very different type of book than the others I write. The Klondike books have a touch of the cozy to them and I wrote those books to be light and funny and not too serious, but they do have a gritty, not-entirely-ethical protagonist. So this true cozy series isn’t that much of a stretch for me.  As to why? Because a major publisher asked me to. I have to say I am having a lot of fun with it.

 JT:

You picked a beautiful setting for this new series. The Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Did you enjoy your time there researching or do you have another special connection to the area?

Eva:
The Outer Banks is the setting I was given.  I’d never even been there.  But, because I believe in “Write what you want to know” not “write what you know” I said, “sure!” and set about learning about it.  I have been down twice now and really enjoyed getting to know it. The Bodie Island Lighthouse is a real place, except that it is not a library and it’s not big enough to house one, but it is an important part of the book, an example of setting-as-character.  I’ve lived in lots of place in my life, but never on the ocean, but I’ve now fallen in love with lighthouses. They are very special things.

JT:

Your publisher for this series is Penguin Obsidian. Are you very disciplined or do you have an assistant to keep you organized to keep track of the different series and publishers?

Eva:
An assistant! Ha! I am organized. I have to be organized and disciplined because (here comes my dirty secret) I don’t actually like writing all that much, at least not on first draft when things are not going well. So if I wasn’t disciplined, nothing would get done.

JT:

Speaking of being organized, how do you manage to fit in your duties as President of the CWC? Has this role provided you with any insights to changes in the publishing industry?

Eva:
I am lucky that I inherited the Presidency from the very capable hands of Robin Harlick so there haven’t been all that many problems arising. I am also lucky to have highly efficient staffers in Melodie Campbell and Alison Bruce, to make the day-to-day run smoothly.  About the only insight I’ve gotten to the publishing world is the absolute disgrace in the way that Canadian crime novels are ignored by not only the literary establishment but also the Canadian media. Hard to imagine that a major newspaper can feature articles or reviews of crime novels and scarcely mention a Canadian book or author, but there you are. Happens all the time. So it’s not a surprise that publishers aren’t interested in Canadian settings, if even Canadian media aren’t.  In my time as president I’m going to try to bring attention to the way we’re received, as much as I can.

JT:

Creating characters for a new book is my favourite part of starting the writing process. The following review talks of a colourful cast of characters in By Book or by Crook. Is there a fictional character you wish you’d created?

A starred review in Library Journal for By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates! "This charming, entertaining, and smart series launch by Gates, who also writes under the Vicki Delany pen name, features an unusual (and real) setting and colorful cast of characters that set it apart from other bookish cozies"

Eva:

Good question. Georgie in the Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen is a fabulous and highly original character.  I would like to have come up with that idea!

JT:

This book has a library setting. And a lighthouse. How important are libraries to an author?

Eva: 
We love libraries.  And not only because libraries buy books and we get PLR payments if our books are in those libraries. Libraries are important to everyone (or they should be) because they are the centre of the community. I’ve tried to show that in the Lighthouse Library books. In my real life I spoke to the town council against an attempt to close several of our rural county libraries. I am now jokingly called the Margaret Atwood of Prince Edward County, in reference to the time Margaret Atwood spoke up against the infamous Ford brothers declaration that Toronto didn’t need libraries.

 JT:

Your books are set all over Canada. The Yukon, Northern Ontario and British Columbia. You are now venturing into the States. What did you need to watch out for? Apart from the spelling of different words, is your audience very different?

Eva:
The audience is different, but not because these books are set in the US verses Canada, but because they are true cozies. There will be no tragedy or human angst in these books. They are meant to be light and fun. No deep messages or ruminations on the meaning of life. Just entertainment.

JT:

Having one series set in the late 1890’s caused us to wonder -  if you could have been born in another place and time when and where would that have been and why?

Eva:
As I am fond of central heating, antibiotics, pain killers, human rights, and 911 if needed, I wouldn’t want to live at any other time. And, really, although sometimes it might be nice to live in Tahiti, I don’t think you can beat Canada in the 21^st century.

  

JT:

         

                                     By Book or by Crook can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

This series is to be released for sale and launches Feb 3^rd/2015. Your many fans are eagerly awaiting this series. What are your plans for promotion and where can we get our hands on it? Jamie Tremain likes a party! Are you going on tour?

Eva:
You can get your hands on the book just about anywhere books are sold, online or in bookstores.  As much as I enjoy partying with Jamie Tremain I’m not doing much in the GTA this time around.  I’ll be launching the book at the Picton Public Library on Feb 10^th, and all are invited although that might be too far away for people in the GTA.  I have a big US book tour to Arizona, North Carolina and Florida in February. Then to Oregon, Pennsylvania and Michigan in March. As I am sure Jamie Tremain has readers far and wide, all the details of times and places and who I’ll be appearing with are at www.vickidelany.blogspot.com

JT:

 What’s next for Eva and Vicki?

Eva:
The second Lighthouse Library book is titled Booked for Trouble and will be out in September.  Under my own name, Vicki Delany, I am writing the Christmas Town series for Berkley Prime Crime. The first in that series, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, will be out in November, just in time for Christmas. AND, I have Rapid Reads book scheduled for the fall: Haitian Graves.

JT:

Thanks Eva for sharing your time with us. Much success on the launch of your new series.

Eva:
Thank you for inviting me.

Eva Gates is the author of the Lighthouse Library cozy series from Penguin Obsidian, set in a historic lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, featuring Boston-transplant librarian, and highly reluctant sleuth, Lucy Richardson. The first in the series, By Book or By Crook, will be released in February 2015. Eva is the pen name of best-selling author Vicki Delany, one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers.

Visit Eva at http://www.lighthouselibrarymystreies.com and Vicki at www.vickidelany.com.

Facebook: evagatesautor and Vicki.delany

Twitter: @evagatesauthor @vickidelany


Check back in February for hi-jinks  with  Guelph author Alison Bruce. Romance and cowboys are usually on her mind but now she has turned her sights to 'men in uniform'. Yes, I thought that might get your attention.

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Jamie