Author Spotlight no.20 – Richard Godwin

To complement my daily blog interviews I recently started a series of weekly Author Spotlights and today’s, the twentieth, is of the multi-talented (I’m not jealous at all… oh no, not one little bit ) Richard Godwin.

Richard Godwin is a crime and horror author as well as a produced playwright and poet. He has been widely published in magazines and anthologies, including recently Pulp Ink and the Pulp Metal Magazine Anthology Laughing At The Death Grin.

Apostle Rising is his first published novel. Detective Chief Inspector Frank Castle never caught the Woodlands Killer and it almost destroyed him. Now many years later and still suffering from nightmares, he is faced with a copycat killer with detailed inside knowledge of the original case. Someone is crucifying politicians, and Castle and his partner DI Jacki Stone enter a labyrinth. At its centre is the man Castle suspected was guilty of the original Woodland Killings, the psychopath Karl Black, who is now running a sinister cult, The Last Brotherhood, and playing mind games with the police. And the ritualistic killer keeps raising the stakes and slipping through their hands. The body count is rising. Castle employs a brilliant psychologist to help him solve the case, and he begins to dig into the killer’s psyche. But some psychopaths are cleverer than others.

And now from the author himself:

Why do I do it?

I write because good writing asks questions and sometimes finds answers. I write because I am interested in people, all sorts of people and always have been.

As Elmore Leonard said, you don’t pen a million words in order to find your own voice just for the money. Novelists, poets, playwrights are engaged in the active exploration of what makes men and women behave. I am best known for my crime and horror writing and these genres allow for the dramatisation of extreme human acts, the kinds of acts we read about in the papers or gasp at on TV and distance ourselves from, maintaining a necessary cushion of comfort.

But killers do not wear horns and often resemble the guy next door, the one you had a cup of tea with this morning. My detectives are not necessarily good men, they are men and women struggling to maintain law and order in the presence of evil. They try to do the right thing and get it wrong, and as with Frank Castle in Apostle Rising, often walk close to the edge of the law itself.

Reviewers have commented that much of the novel is about the effect of evil on the lives of police officers.  It is also about the pernicious nature of fanaticism, as illustrated by the Karl Black and his cult.  In writing crime fiction I am interested in the forces that motivate men to break the law. That may be the desperation to please a wife leading a man to commit fraud, that may be extreme beliefs engendering psychosis that lead a man to kill.

As the author of Apostle Rising I think that its strength lies in the fact that it does not offer easy pat moral answers to complicated issues, and in the revelation that occurs towards the end. The case changes Castle and Stone. It was intended to.

I also write horror, and many reviewers have said that the novel slips into horror. This has been favourably received since the crimes are of a dark nature with politicians literally being crucified.

It is structured in such a way that readers have said they find it easy to read. The chapters contain short sections, so the novel is one you can dip in and out of.

I would like to add that I also write poetry, which is very different from my crime and horror writing.

Apostle Rising is still selling well, six months after its release, with several foreign rights offers on the table, and has received extremely good reviews, which can be accessed on the Media Page on my website (links below).

Mike Stafford writes in the magazine BookGeeks: ‘Apostle Rising is a fine contribution to the genre. Rare for a crime novel, it has a lyrical, almost poetic style, beautifully written and well constructed. On the strength of this offering, Godwin is a welcome addition to the world of the full-length novel.’

Leslie Wright writes in Seattle PI: ‘The suspense and mystery are superb; you never understand the emotional depravity until the end. It is an end you never see coming. Castle is a charismatic and likable character. Jacki is tough and yet she too is a figure that draws your sympathy. I would recommend this novel for those who love thrillers. The tension keeps the read going, and leads you in an unexpected direction. Godwin has created a great whodunit. This book stays with you long after the final page.’

To find more about Richard and his writing…

Richard’s website is http://www.richardgodwin.net, where you can view a video trailer for Apostle Rising, and links to his poetry and other fiction can be found on the Magazines page.

He conducts popular and searching interviews with writers at his blog.

Apostle Rising can be purchased at all major retailers as well as online at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, The Book Depository and direct through the publisher Black Jackal Books.  His next novel is due to be released shortly.

Thank you very much Richard… and I thought I was a busy person!

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with mystery / humour author Marja McGraw* – the one hundred and fifty-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. *You can read Marja’s interview of me here. A list of all my interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; so do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can also read / download my eBooks here.

 

Blog interview no.154 with writer Sally Clements

Welcome to the one hundred and fifty-fourth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with romance and hopefully-soon-to-be crime writer Sally Clements. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello Sally. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Sally: I live in Ireland, and have always written, although it was only about five years ago that I decided to do so full time, and really apply myself!

Morgen: Yay! Well done. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Sally: I write romance, and also crime, although I haven’t had any crime published (yet!)

Morgen: ‘Yet’ absolutely – let me know when you do and I’ll put an update in here. What have you had published to-date? If applicable, can you remember where you saw your first books on the shelves?

Sally: My first book, Catch Me A Catch, was published on 27 July 2010, and since then I’ve published Bound to Love, Marrying Cade, and a book of short stories, New Beginnings.

Morgen: Ah, short stories – my first love. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Sally: I’m published mostly in ebook format, so I’d have to say I do most of the marketing myself!

Morgen: A lot of authors do these days, including myself. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?

Sally: I was a finalist in this year’s Joan Hessayon Award from the RNA for Catch Me A Catch, which hasn’t impacted at all on sales, but has done wonders to raise my profile as a working writer.

Morgen: It’s all going in the right direction and RNA is very well-known, although I’m assuming you mean The Romantic Novelists’ Association rather than The Royal Naval Association (next to each other on a Google search). You mentioned eBooks, are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?

Sally: My books are all available as eBooks, I think it’s a growing market, and I’m thrilled to be part of it. I have a kindle, and it’s stuffed!

Morgen: I’m hoping to be a part of it in the next few weeks. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?

Sally: My first acceptance was for a short story that I had published with New Love Stories Magazine in New York. I’m always on cloud nine to receive an acceptance!

Morgen: Me too. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Sally: I’ve had a lot of rejections. I find it easier to deal with them now, but I think it’s important to realise that every writer gets them. I usually mourn for a couple of days and overindulge on chocolate, then read the rejection again and see what I can learn from it. It isn’t always that the writing needs work, but perhaps I’ve submitted something to the wrong person – something that doesn’t suit their requirements.

Morgen: chocolate? Banoffee Pie in my case (well, it would probably have to be chocolate as I don’t keep Banoffee Pie in the house because I’d eat it regardless of what the postman brought ). What are you working on at the moment / next?

Sally: Currently I’m finishing edits (and waiting for a cover) for my new release by The Wild Rose Press, which is a novella entitled ‘Love On The Vine’ which should be out in the next month or so. I’m also writing a new one.

Morgen: Great! Do let me know when it’s out and I can put an update in here – ooh I could put them on my Books/other-people’s page. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?

Sally: I try to write every day, but often don’t manage to! When I’m not writing, I at least try to think about my story, tease out the next bit before writing it. I think the largest bit I’ve written was 11,000 in three days…I was under a tight schedule!

Morgen: Sounds like a NaNoWriMo schedule, which I’ll be doing (fourth time) in… um, in 19 days. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?

Sally: I often think what I’ve written isn’t good enough. But I just keep on writing. I believe that the first draft can be difficult to write, but if you have words on the page you can rewrite them, and make them right.

Morgen: Exactly. A fellow Script Frenzy (April 2010) writer said that you couldn’t edit a blank page and it’s so true. Nothing’s wasted if it can be crafted. A question some authors dread, where do you get your inspiration from?

Sally: Like most authors, I have a notebook and write down anything and everything that gives me an itch. Often looking back through my notebooks sparks a story into life. Newspapers, StumbleUpon, and magazines can be great.

Morgen: I’ve heard StumbleUpon mentioned a few times, I really must take a proper look. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Sally: A bit of both I’m a natural pantster, so I tend to start writing, then plot loosely, and continue writing.

Morgen: I’ve heard ‘pantster’ a few times in these interviews, it’s fast becoming my favourite of the moment. Do you write on paper or do you prefer a computer?

Sally: I always write on computer – although I might sketch ideas out in a notebook.

Morgen: Yeah, I’m pretty much the same. Some writers like quiet, others the noise of a coffee shop etc. Do you listen to music or have noise around you when you write or do you need silence?

Sally: I listen to a writing playlist that I design for each book. I wear earphones and type away!

Morgen: Ditto – so it doesn’t wake the dog, although if it’s classical I play through the laptop… he loves it. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

Sally: I write in third person.

Morgen: Sensible, the most popular genre (I’m weird, I love second ). Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Sally: Plenty! Some of my earlier work, although much loved by me, is too amateur to see the light of day.

Morgen: See earlier reference to ‘crafted’. If anything, what has been your biggest surprise about writing?

Sally: The amount of marketing and non-writing related work that you have to do. I’d love to just write, but unfortunately you have to sell stories too!

Morgen: Yep, I know that feeling… and I think most writers reading this will empathise with you. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Sally: Keep writing. Don’t give up. You’ll get better as time goes on. Also be careful who you ask for advice – friends and family might not be the best readers!

Morgen: Absolutely (non-writing friends: “this is great” / family (mother): “this is dreadful”… or words to that effect). Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful and would recommend?

Sally: The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman is a fantastic resource, full of great advice.

Hooked by Les Edgerton which deals with making your story irresistible from the get go.

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

All great books. There is a wealth of fabulous writing websites out there too: www.writing.ie and http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com are both great ones to check out.

Morgen: Brilliant, thank you. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Sally: My blog, www.sallyclements.blogspot.com, and I’m also on twitter, @sallywriter, and have a bio on my author page at Amazon.com.

Morgen: What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Sally: I think the future for a writer is very bright. It’s easier than ever to get noticed, with the opportunities available now, and good writing, professional editing, and a great cover will do much to get you noticed as a writer.

Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Sally: I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank you, Morgen, for inviting me onto your blog. I really appreciate it!

Morgen: You’re so welcome Sally. It’s been great getting to know a little about you and your writing methods. Given that the majority of these interviews use the same questions, it amazes me how different they can be.

I then invited Sally to include an excerpt of her writing and this is from ‘Marrying Cade’.

She straightened. Long chestnut hair shot with caramel lights was piled up on top of her head. A couple of tendrils had escaped to dust against the smooth, tanned skin of her cheek. Large sunglasses covered her eyes, and her full mouth formed a perfect bow. She locked the car and sashayed into the hotel, hips swaying in the tight blue cotton sheath. Cade breathed out the breath he’d been holding, shaken by the surge of arousal the mere sight of the woman had awoken. It had been too long since he’d had a female in his arms. It must be, if the mere look of a gorgeous woman had him this hot and bothered.

She must be meeting her lover. Women didn’t dress like that unless they were meeting a man. Cade glanced at his watch, wondering if he’d have to rescue Adam from the hotel’s owner, just as Adam arrived with plateful of antipasti. He wasn’t alone. The bombshell with the killer curves walked next to him, right up to the table. Cade pushed back the chair, and stood up.

“Hey, Cade. Our ride is here. I’ve persuaded her to join us for a drink and a snack before we go back to the house.” Adam eyed him carefully. “You remember Melo?”

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays.