My writing friends have all been much busier than I have recently, which is why, yet again, I’m asking one of them to tell me about his latest novel. This time it’s Michael J Malone, who’s just published a second novel – A Taste For Malice –  featuring his detective, D.I. Ray McBain. The first was Blood Tears and it had everything you’d want of a crime novel set in Scotland – a plot full of twists, issues triggered by human relationships, plenty of darkness and plenty of laughs, too. Everyone says the second novel’s harder to write than the first so when I chatted with Michael, that was what prompted my questions.

OK Michael. You know I enjoyed Blood Tears so you won’t be surprised to hear that I’m  looking forward to A Taste For Malice. First, can you tell us about the thought process that went into writing it?
Yes.

I see. OK, let me rephrase that. Tell us about the thought process that went into writing it.
With pleasure. I was driving along the A78 in Ayrshire, passing the Paper Mill when I was struck by a series of “What ifs?”. The first one fired up in my mind from witnessing a near miss on the opposite carriageway. One car narrowly missed another coming off the roundabout and it set me off. What if there was a car crash? What if it was a young woman, on her own, on her way home from work to her son – and she was seriously injured – in a coma for months as a result? What if she was recently divorced? What if, when the wife came out of hospital she had severe memory loss? What if the husband moved back into the marital home as if they had never split up? What if a strange woman appeared pretending to be a friend of the wife’s? The husband can’t tell on her – because she will then tell on him. And what if the family began to trust this woman had only positive intentions? And what if they were soon to find out that she was wrong in every way possible?

The A78’s obviously an inspirational place. But you haven’t mentioned Ray McBain. How did you fit him in with all these what ifs?
After writing Blood Tears, I didn’t really think about writing another crime novel – it was only when I was 80,000 words into this novel that I realised that it was missing something. There was tension from the worry about what this strange woman was up to, but I needed to crank it up. So, I deleted 40,000 words and set McBain on her. He’s back in a job (just) after the events of the previous novel. He’s on forced desk duty and bored out of his skull. He comes across a cold case where a vulnerable family complained about a woman who wormed her way into a position of trust, before mentally and physically abusing the kids and then vanishing.

Sounds intriguing. Maybe that explains some of the things I’ve heard about the book from people who’ve already read it. They say that you’ve come up with an interesting structure – switching the viewpoint back and forward between the investigation and the life of the unsuspecting victim. We also get more detail about potential victims than usual.
Most crime novels concern themselves with the aftermath of a crime. I thought it would be interesting to give the “victim” more of a presence. I wanted this novel to be about the anticipation of a crime and the tension to come from the investigation finding the perpetrator before the crime was actually committed.

I also wanted to see if I could write a crime novel without killing someone. You’ll just need to read the book to see if I was successful in that regard.

I will, I will (and I bet lots of others will too). So, first Blood Tears 12 months ago, now A Taste For Malice. D’you think you’ve learned any new things about the world of writing over that period?
Definitely. As an aspiring author all you think about is getting that publishing deal and when it happens you think all your dreams have come true. But that’s only the first step. You have to get that book into the hands of readers or else it’s only so much paper. Selling books is what it’s all about and that is all about visibility. You need to get your book spotted among the multitudes.  When I master the trick of that, I’ll be keeping to myself, so don’t even think of asking. (Cue pantomime laugh.)

(Waits patiently for the echoes of the – it has to be admitted – hammy laugh to die before speaking.) I understand completely but I should tell you that, when faced with such a challenge, I usually find the most effective response is blackmail. But that’ll just be between us. Now, anything else about this writing business?
Aye, learn to live with bad reviews. This is one area in life where you don’t have a right of reply. The vast majority of reviews have been favourable, thankfully, but there has been the odd one that has had me flummoxed. You read them over and over trying to see if there’s anything positive to be taken from them. And usually, there’s not because its more about the reviewer than it is about your book. And as I said, in most other areas of life you do have a right of reply, but in this one you need to step back from the computer. If you do respond, YOU end up looking like a dick. Not the dick who got their jollies from trashing your hard work.  Best not to read any reviews. Probably. But then, how do you resist?

Yep. Good advice, but hard to follow. I’m sorry this has been such a short look at what’s behind  A Taste of Malice, but it’s certainly made me keen to read it. Thanks for your time, Michael, and lots of luck with the book.
Thank you, Bill.

You’ll find more details about Michael on his Amazon page and then there’s his always entertaining blog. 

Surprisingly, the book’s cheaper at Foyles which, as Michael points out, is an actual bookshop, so worth supporting. Alternatively, there’s the ever-reliable Book Depository for overseas readers because they don’t charge for delivery. 

This week’s guest is another friend, Gwen Kirkwood. Whenever I come across a list of her novels, I immediately get a feeling of inadequacy. Gwen is possibly the most prolific writer I know and her vivid imaginings of lives and circumstances in various historical periods are so insistent that she stays with her characters through several books to follow their lives, loves and adventures. And yet, despite these achievements, she’s modest, unassuming and always more ready to praise the efforts of others.

Her latest novel, Darkest Before the Dawn, is published today and the blurb describes it thus:

 Joe Lennox becomes bitter and deranged and blames Billy Caraford when his son is killed in a car accident, but Billy has lost his best friend and is badly injured himself. Despite the misgivings of his parents he is still determined to be a farmer. He summons his courage to go to university but he knows he can never be the active and admired young sportsman he was. He is convinced no woman could love him or want to be his wife.

 Kimberley Wilshaw is orphaned when her father dies. She moves to Scotland with her aunt but she is nervous about changing schools until Billy helps her find new friends. Both Kim and her aunt become involved in the affairs of the Caraford family and as Kim grows into a lovely young woman she finds the strength of character to confront problems and fight for the life and the love she craves.

So Gwen, tell us a bit more about the novel and what’s behind the writing of it?
It’s the last in a series of 5 beginning with Dreams of Home when a young soldier returns from the war and struggles to get a start in farming. Each book follows the progress of the Caraford family. Darkest Before the Dawn brings the series up to the present day with the third generation of Carafords. Two of the characters are preparing for university with problems belonging to their generation so it could almost be a young adult novel, although I didn’t set out to make it that way. But it also brings farming up to date with robots for milking cows, arguments between the generations about changes, as well as an unexpected, and rather satisfying love affair for two of the mature characters.

I think I’m right in saying that most, or maybe even all your family sagas are based in rural Scotland. When and where did your love affair with the country and its history begin?
I have three Scottish grandparents so I had a yearning to see Scotland for myself. I came to Dumfriesshire to work as a milk officer, inspecting dairy farms. The work wasn’t as I’d expected but the people were very friendly and I loved the warmth of the red sandstone buildings and the beautiful landscapes with fresh green hills and glens and lots of trees. I’ve never had any regrets about settling here, especially after I met and married my husband, a Scottish dairy farmer.

Ah, so in Darkest Before the Dawn, you’re on familiar territory. Does that mean that some of the characters are based on real people or are they all imagined?
They’re all fictional but I believe writers must be influenced by people they’ve met, even if it’s only subconsciously. I had a wonderful mother-in-law so a few of my older characters may have some of her kindness and wisdom. I do have some nasty characters too to add tension or excitement, but we can read about such people every day in the newspapers.

I have three adult children who keep me up to date with the opinions of their generation. My grandchildren are of varying ages and my novels often include different generations.  Writers keep on learning and developing and so do the characters but I’ve never written about a real person.

With your long experience in the business, you must have plenty of advice to offer new writers trying to get published in today’s market place. What would be your top tips?
Persevere. Try to write a little every day, even if it’s only a couple of sentences. Keep a notepad handy. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your characters or improve your plot while you’re travelling, ironing, peeling the vegetables, whatever. Thinking time is important too. Listen to the advice of agents and editors, not friends. If you do self-publish, pay a reputable copy editor to check your work first.

That’s a pretty comprehensive list for a top tip. Thank you, Gwen. And while you’re being expansive, let me ask you about the industry itself. You’ve seen plenty of changes over the years, what d’you think of the new emphasis on social networking and maintaining an Internet presence?
Honestly? I hate it – well some of the time! I want to be left in peace to write, BUT writing used to be an isolated occupation so I’m pleased we now have opportunities for keeping in touch with other writers, getting and giving help, as well as marketing. Networking has become essential so I do my best, but it can take up a lot of time.

Just as I’m doing with these questions. OK then, the last one: now that you’ve finished with the Carafords, what’s next?
Well, I thought Darkest Before the Dawn would be my last book because it’s the first time I’ve brought a series right up to the present day. But I do enjoy writing – in fact, I suspect I’m addicted to it because I’ve just finished a new novel. I haven’t yet decided on a title but I’ve gone back to the 1800’s. It’s still set in Scotland but this time there’s not much farming detail. Eventually I’ll write a blog about the research I did on early banking, poverty, communication difficulties and transport – but as ever with me the heart of the story depends on the characters rather than plot.

I know that your readers will be very glad to hear you’re still an addict, Gwen. Thanks so much for taking the time out to chat with me.
Thank you, Bill. It’s been a pleasure.

You can read more about Gwen at her website  www.gwenkirkwood.co.uk, on her blog at http://www.gwenkirkwood.blogspot.co.uk and you can follow her on Twitter @GwenKnovels.

 

People complain about spending too much time online but one of the distinct advantages is that it does put you in touch with others who become genuine (i.e. not just virtual) friends. My guest this week, Mary Smith, is one such person. We met in a Scottish writers’ group which gets together occasionally for entertaining lunches, usually in Edinburgh or Glasgow. The subject matter of Mary’s writing has, at least thus far, singled her out as being a little different. But I’ll let her explain.

 First of all, Mary, it’s your connection with Afghanistan that’s intriguing. Tell us a bit about how you came to be working there.
I was working for the Pakistan leprosy programme in Karachi (how that came about is too long a story for this blog but it involved a spur of the moment decision and a certain amount of whisky). While there, I met lots of young Afghans, some of whom were studying to become paramedics before returning to their country to run health clinics. They talked endlessly – and very emotionally – about their country and by the time my three-year contract ended it was almost inevitable I signed up for another three across the border. I helped set up the clinics and later established a mother and child care project training village women to become health volunteers.

And what made you decide to write a book about it all?
Not many have the opportunity to live in Afghanistan for such an extended period of time. I still feel incredibly privileged to have had those years there and I wanted to share my experiences with others. I wanted to introduce people to my Afghan friends, even if only through the pages of a book. I particularly wanted to provide a different perspective from the one the media presents which tends to portray Afghanistan and her people negatively; to show it isn’t all fighting and the repression of women.

Well, as you know better than I do, there are plenty of books on Afghanistan already. Is yours different?
I think so, yes. I’ve read and enjoyed dozens of excellent books about Afghanistan but what makes mine different is the women and the insight into their lives. Of course, Western men are unlikely to be able to mix freely with Afghan women so I was in a privileged position.

Life is tough, especially for women living in remote rural areas. Most of the ones I met had had a miscarriage or lost an infant. But they don’t go around feeling sorry for themselves; they work hard but they find time to gossip with friends, to make jokes, to laugh, to fall in love. These women deserve more than to be consigned to a few brief mentions or, worse, portrayed as hapless victims.

It sounds as if you felt sort of compelled to write about them. Had you written much before you went to Afghanistan?
I wasn’t a published writer but I always wrote. I used to write stories when I was growing up – heavily plagiarising Enid Blyton. I’ve kept a diary since I was in my teens and wrote quite a lot for my work with Oxfam and, of course, report writing for donors. While I was in Afghanistan I began writing articles which were published in The Herald and in The Guardian Weekly and it sort of grew from there.

So the time you spent there must have influenced your writing quite a lot?
Oh yes, it’s had a huge influence. As well as articles, I’ve written a novel, No More Mulberries, set in Afghanistan and my poetry collection, Thousands Pass Here Every Day, contains a section of poems about Afghanistan. I think it’s time to move on, though, and my next project will be another non-fiction work but about a woman car manufacturer.

That’s certainly a change of pace or direction but it’s for the future. I’m interested in hearing a bit more about the fact that your book, Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni is a finalist for The People’s Book Prize. That’s some achievement. How does it feel?
Very exciting. When it was first nominated and I looked on the website my heart sank when I saw it was up against books by Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace, Roger Moore and others brought out by the big publishers. When I was told I was through to the finals I was over the moon and feel very happy for Indigo Dreams, which is a small independent publisher. There’s no panel of judges; the winner’s chosen by public vote using an online voting system so the awards are very much about what the public wants to read rather than what publishers decide they should read.

Ah, in that case, you give me and my blog a chance to get involved. How can we vote for the book?
From the home page you choose finalists from the menu along the top and choose the Non-Fiction category or you can go straight to this link http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/finalist.php#nonfictionFinalists_829 which goes directly to the book.

I’m afraid then it becomes more complicated and apologise (but I didn’t make the system). To vote click on the box on the right and then click on word “Vote” beneath it and you will be taken to the form to complete your vote.

If you were one of those who kindly voted in a previous round you just need to enter the letters shown on the coloured background, your email address (twice!) and the password you used when you voted before. If you can’t remember the password, guess it and if you’re wrong it’ll give you the option of having it emailed to you.

If you didn’t vote before click on the word “register” and you’ll find a short form to fill in after which they’ll immediately send you a password and then you can vote as in the paragraph above.

Simple really!

Mary, I suspect your final words are a barely veiled allusion to my own incompetence in matters technological, but I’ll shoot across to the site and cast my vote right away. Many thanks for that chat and good luck with the award.
Thank you, Bill. It’s been a pleasure.

Please read Mary’s book and vote. You can read more about her on her website at www.marysmith.co.uk.