I must confess I had my nose in a book constantly as a child and teenager, although as a teen I skipped right on to adult literature to Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. (I refer to this as my English tea period…) When young, my favorites included Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, although to this day I blame that book for my ever-present sweet tooth! Later, I fell in love with Rhett Butler in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, which I read at least forty times late at night while hidden beneath my covers, a flashlight tucked firmly beneath my chin. And oh, how I loved the tragic story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which made me weep without fail. Still, my all time favorite novel was and is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Her writing is nothing short of transcendent.
Would you say your childhood and teenage reading has had a distinct influence on how you write fiction now, and why?
My early reading influenced me deeply because through novels I learned to accept imagined worlds. I believed in them as sincerely as I believed in planet Earth. At least once a week, my sister Jan (the second daughter in our family) would read to me from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and those times were simply magical. Books became personal teleports to different times and kingdoms. This has translated to me in my own writing, because with the page as my canvas, I know I can ‘paint’ whatever I imagine!
What did you do before you became a published novelist, and how did you come to write your first novel and get it published?
I was a fulltime wife and mother, and it was a both a surprise and thrilled to find my voice as a writer. Unfortunately, this answer will be a reiteration because I addressed this under the STORY and CHARACTER section, but I will repeat it here in case readers are choosing to access the author by category only. Again, I must go back to my origins in order to fully explain how I became a published author. The truth is always stranger than fiction!
When I was young, my sisters and I called ourselves the Estrogen Nation, because I was the fourth in a family of five daughters all born within six years to an aerospace engineer father and an author mother. All of my sisters went on to amazing careers (doctor, engineers, etc.) but I, sadly, never finished college. I actually learned to write in an unconventional way, which I can only describe as ‘author osmosis.’ I began to understand the intricacies of writing by critiquing my mother’s published work (I had that kind of chutzpah at the tender age of twelve, if you can believe it. To her credit, my mother actually listened to my ideas. I’m not saying she took all of my advice, but she considered my opinion, which, in retrospect, is amazing. Here’s a shout out to my still-publishing mother, author Gloria Skurzynski – she rocks!).
I also had the privilege to eavesdrop on the writers’ group held in our house. (Important writing tip: choose your parents wisely!) My mother’s published friends read aloud, and that was followed by a gentle but straightforward manuscript critiquing. Character arcs and plotlines were discussed, work was polished, and I learned the most valuable lesson about writing anyone could learn, which is to embrace the revision process. As to creating my own world, well, for me it was a bit like learning to play an instrument by ear – I’d absorbed all kinds of information, so one day I just jumped into the deep end of the pool and wrote a picture book. Luckily for me, it was sold to the first publisher I sent it to. That unexpected success was followed by an Edgar Alan Poe Award for my first novel, Show Me The Evidence, and…I’ve been writing ever since. I’ve been very, very fortunate!
How would you describe your style of fiction or your approach to writing fiction during your first few novels?
I think it’s safe to say I was more or less writing blind and my style was whatever popped out of my head onto the page. Because I’d seen my mother succeed in publishing her books, I approached writing with a naive optimism that seems almost laughable. My sister Jan always told me it’s better to be lucky than good. Looking back, I realize just how fortunate I was!
Was your first published novel standalone or part of a series, and what advantages or disadvantages did this present for you?
My first novel was a standalone. It was an advantage because I didn’t face the challenge of reintroducing the characters to my readers, although the disadvantage was that there was much less characterization of my protagonist than has been revealed about Cameryn through my Forensic Mystery Series. Plusses and minuses whichever way I go!
Did you find writing your second novel easier or more challenging than writing your first novel and why?
Can I cheat a bit here and answer ‘both’ to this question? In some ways it was much easier writing the second novel in The Forensic Mystery Series, because the characters had already been established and I knew where I was going with Cameryn’s character arc. It was less demanding because I knew her better. On the other hand, it is a huge challenge to make a sequel read as a standalone. What that means is I have to reintroduce the characters to my reader in each novel (and their back stories) without all that recycled information catching the reader’s eye – sort of like an author optical illusion. That can really give me a headache. At this point I’m writing the sixth book in that series, which means I have to reestablish Lyric with fans who already know her while being aware that it might be the first installment a new reader picks up. As an example, just yesterday I received an email from a fan who told me she’d just read The Circle of Blood (book three) and wanted to know if there were any more in the series. She had read the novel unaware of The Christopher Killer (book one) and The Angel of Death (book two), which would have made The Circle of Blood a richer experience. Yet the storyline still made sense to her even though the book itself was read out of order. It’s a very fine line to write!
One last thought that tips the scales to ‘easier’ in this equation. I’ve always likened writing to any physical activity that requires practice – the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I believe writing develops a kind of ‘muscle memory’ in the brain. Which is to say that way back when, novel number two was definitely less difficult for me to write than Show Me the Evidence. So to all aspiring writers, remember to work out those creative muscles every day!
Who is another novelist whose fiction writing you admire and why?
My favorite novelist is Jeffrey Eugenides, whom I consider the best producing author in the world. (I’m pining for Harper Lee to unveil a heretofore hidden treasure trove of novels, but after fifty years of silence my hope is beginning to falter.) Eugenides’ novel Middlesex is his masterpiece. In it, he uses a point of view that is uniquely his own (omniscient first person?) and makes me care deeply about every character stitched into his literary tapestry. His graceful turn of a phrase is unparalleled. I am in awe of him!
Pick a series of novels you have written. How would you describe what makes that a cohesive series with strong appeal for readers?
The Forensic Mystery Series has forced me to deal with the tricky element of creating cohesion between five (soon to be six) novels. When I set out to write this series, retaining some kind of continuity between the books was forefront in my mind; I knew I had to have a firm vision before I launched into such a big undertaking, especially since my original contract with Penguin called for four installments, which means a lot of material. Initially, my idea centered on the dark underworld of autopsies, and I used those forensic threads as a way to achieve a literary cohesion. In actuality, hardcore forensics is the ‘signature’ of my mysteries. Cameryn relies on her intellect as well as her powers of observation when she studies the ultimate crime scene - the naked, human body exposed in all its vulnerability. (A cadaver is the final witness to the person’s final moments, and it always has secrets to tell.)
However, once I nailed down my ‘hook’ I quickly realized that unity could not be achieved by forensics alone. Stories are ultimately about people. For Cameryn, that means bringing love into her otherwise sterile, controlled forensic world. Enter uber-hot deputy Justin Crowley! The tension between them heats up through all the books, and the supporting cast of characters was written to build emotional scaffolding for my readers. Throughout the series I have delved into Cameryn’s personal struggles as she tries to balance her status as a forensic prodigy against the yearnings of her very human, teenage heart. So whether my reader is Turkish or German, I hope they can identify with Cameryn as an evolving character whom they want to follow on her amazing, if somewhat gruesome, journey!
How would you summarise one of your novels in one paragraph?
I just had a brainwave and decided it might be a twist to reprint the publisher’s copy from the back of The Dying Breath paperback. Okay, okay, I know it’s an easy out, but Penguin did a nice job summarizing the perils Cameryn faces in the fourth installment of my mystery series. So here’s what they wrote: Once Cameryn thought she loved Kyle O’Neil. And she thought he loved her. But that was before he tried to kill her. Now he’s after her again, sending her e-mails, leaving her notes. And making it clear that he knows exactly where she is and where she’s going to be. Cameryn’s got to find a way to stop him – before he hurts her, or someone else…
Yes, I admit I’m being oh-so-sneaky by using their words instead of my own, but it’s more fun for me to read someone else’s take on my work. Kudos to Penguin!
How would you describe the appeal of this novel to readers?
I hope it reads as CSI meets Twilight – lots of forensics dipped into a batter of romance and then deep-fried in bubbling hot suspense. Wait, that last sentence was telling. When I resort to food images it means I’ve been sitting at my desk for far too a long and I’m getting hungry. Two more questions and I promise I’ll take a break and eat something healthy.
How would you summarise a chapter from this novel in one paragraph?
I’m back to being serious (it always amazes people to find that although I write dark material, I am actually quite lighthearted) so for this question I’ll turn to the first chapter of The Dying Breath. Every first chapter is the foundation stone of the novel; as in real buildings, if you get in wrong, the structure will be off kilter until to the end.
Cameryn, no longer content to have her life bubble-wrapped by her loving but overprotective town, makes a daring move when she breaks into a possible crime scene on an icy cold, Colorado day. What she discovers inside the dilapidated house is more terrifying than anything she could have imagined. The danger, she realizes, does not lie without, but within. And Cameryn is the target of a threat that could jeopardize them all.
How would you describe the contribution this chapter makes to the novel?
This chapter introduces Cameryn to the new readers while bringing her up to speed with established fans. She is thrust into immediate danger that lurks somewhere just beyond her view. I believe this chapter is the key to grabbing my readers and never letting go.
Author Website: www.alaneferguson.com
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