1) So, who are you & what have you written?
Michael J. Malone – I am a sometime poet and full-time author. A Suitable Lie is my seventh novel to be published since 2012 and details of my other books can be found on my website, or on my Amazon page.
2) Why do you write crime fiction?
I kinda fell into it by accident. It was only when I came out of the fog of writing my first published book, Blood Tears, that it occurred to me I’d written a crime novel. I just wanted to write a good book. Perhaps it was inevitable given that most of my influences were in the crime/ thriller genre.
Possibly a better question might be; why do I keep writing crime fiction? The answer is, because it’s such a fantastic literary sphere to be working in. The people are just amazing; readers, bloggers and other crime writers. And you get to do “physical” harm to people. What more could you want?
3) What informs your crime writing?
People. I think we are all inveterate people-watchers, aren’t we? (Apart from the sociopaths in the room.) And if I can get you to connect with the people in my fictive dream, I’ve done my job. Of course there’s the puzzle/mystery and the darkest of deeds, but I’m much more interested in the whydunnit. And while I explore that, I do my best to play with your emotions.
Books that make me laugh AND cry – surprised and thrilled, are the ones that I remember; those are the ones that hang in memory – and with each book I write, that effect is what I’m trying to achieve.
4) What’s your usual writing routine?
Get up. Have a good scratch. Stretch, sorry, stretch. Brew a fresh coffee. Then it’s Facebook/ twitter/ emails.
Then I review what I wrote the day before. I only correct the most obvious mistakes as I’m really doing this to get me back into the zone. Then I go back to Facebook/ twitter/ emails.
Then I write.
Depending on what part of the book I’m on – the start and end are the most exciting parts for me –and when at those parts I can write upwards of 2000 words a day. The middle section of the book is often the most exacting. And when I’m there it can often be like wading through mental treacle. If I achieve 500 words on those days, I’m doing well. And deserving of my next Facebook/ twitter/ email session.
5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. It’s an astonishing piece of work. I believe it took him ten years to research and write this book and the depth of his knowledge and experience shows. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
