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Q and A With Teddie McKay

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Sometimes, the bits that don’t go into the final edits of a book are some of the best parts. This is something that secretly infuriates most writers at some point. It is the essence of killing your darlings. If it doesn’t further the plot, it doesn’t go in, no matter how much you love it.

The same can be said for some of the pre-writing and planning stages. It’s always useful to get into the minds of your characters by doing something different with them. So here is a little piece which is a lot of fun, but obviously would never make it into the book. It starts with a simple premise:

What would it be like if the tables were turned on Detective Teddie McKay..?

CKM: Thanks for joining me here today. I’ve just got a few questions for you, then you can go.

TM: Hey, I’m the one who asks the questions around here.

CKM: Not tonight you don’t. Tonight you’re going to sit there and answer a couple of simple questions. Nothing too dangerous. I’m not placing you under arrest here.

TM: Like you could. Go on, ask whatever you want. Don’t be too hurt if I plead the Fifth.

CKM: I’m hoping that you won’t have to do that. There is nothing too damaging in here.

TM: Okay, okay. Just get on with it will you? I have places to be.

CKM: Places to be? As in a date?

TM: Was that one of the questions? You’re using up your time here lady.

CKM: It wasn’t going to be one of the questions, but it is now. I can tell when you’re stalling.

TM: You don’t know me.

CKM: Yes I do. Better than you think. So spill. Do you have a date? Is that why you’re in such a rush to get out of here?

TM: That’s two questions. Which do you want me to answer?

CKM: Both. quit stalling.

TM: I might be meeting someone. An old friend.

CKM: With you, that’s the safe word for romantic. Who is she?

TM: Hey, I never said it was romantic. Your words, not mine. This would never hold up in court.

CKM: We’re not in court. Nor are we likely to be. So either answer the question or I’ll get some of the other characters in here as well. They’ll make you talk. I’ve never seen you get away with not answering a question when it’s coming from Kathryn Greene.

TM: That’s a low blow there, author lady. Alright, I’ll answer your damn questions. Yes, it used to be romantic. If you count more than a couple of dates as romantic. But it’s not any more. We’re just friends.

CKM: With benefits?

TM: Maybe a handful of occasional benefits.

CKM: Is that because you don’t like to commit?

TM: Everyone make it sound like some huge thing. I’m not scared to commit. I just have chosen not to so far, that’s all. No one should have to commit until they’re at least forty.

CKM: Why do I get the feeling that when you get to forty, you’ll decide to up that to fifty to be on the safe side?

TM: Is that another question? You’re running out of time now. It’s like three wishes. You gotta choose wisely.

CKM: I never specified how many questions.

TM: And I never specified how long I’d stick around for. And don’t even think about bringing Kat into this again. Now she’s the one who you should be asking about dates. Underneath that prim and proper skirt, I reckon she’s all kinds of interesting.

CKM: Do you often think about what is under Kat’s skirt?

TM: You’re sick, you know that? That’s my friend you’re talking about.

CKM: Calm down. I’m just messing with you, that’s all. We can make that a question. No attraction at all between you and Kat? You just see yourself as friends?

TM: No attraction at all. I mean, she’s got a pretty face and her IQ is probably off the charts, but she’s never really done it for me, you know? But there’s something about her… me and her we just clicked. Right from the day I met her. I thought she was going to bust my ass when they brought her in to help out on The Crochet Killer case. That was what we were calling him back then. Seems crazy to think of him like that now. Now that… But yeah, anyway, she’s one of my closest friends. You want commitment? I’d walk to the ends of the earth for that woman. Just because I don’t want to live with someone doesn’t mean I have commitment problems.

CKM: Speaking of The Crochet Killer, do you still have nightmares about him?

TM: We don’t need to go there.

CKM: We do. Enquiring minds need to know.

TM: I don’t have any choice in this, do I? In that case, yes. Sometimes, I still have nightmares about him. Jolanta says it’s completely normal to still get freaked out sometimes. It doesn’t mean I need therapy or anything. He’s just there sometimes. Hell, for all I know, he’ll be haunting my dreams for the rest of my goddamn life. Too many women died on my watch. I should have got to him sooner. If the only price I have to pay is a few bad dreams, then I’ll take it.

CKM: That case made the news. What was your toughest case before that?

TM: Man, that’s a tough one. There’s no such thing as an easy case when you work Robbery-Homicide. Even when catching the perp is a slam dunk, then you’ve still got to deal with a victim. But if I had to pick just one, I’d go with my a homicide in my first year. I was pretty fresh back then and I didn’t catch break. It was a kid. Turned out his step-father had been beating him for awhile. Mother to drunk and beaten down herself to do anything other than throw back another fifth of Wild Turkey and look the other way. That was the first autopsy that made me want to cry and walk out the room. I’ve toughened up a lot since then. But cases with kids? They never get any easier.

CKM: Okay, let’s move onto something a bit easier. Doughnuts.

TM: Now those are my kind of questions.

CKM: People want to know, do you really eat doughnuts all the time? Or is that just a police stereotype?

TM: That’s a brush we’ve been tarnished with for a long time. Doughnut Friday, that was a thing for a while. Day to day cases, they don’t really need a doughnut quota. Now a big case, that’ll have Gary reaching straight for a party box, you know what I mean? And I care about the man. He’s my partner. It would be dereliction of duty if I let him do that to his heart. I need to take a bear claw for the team every now and again, right?

CKM: I suppose that makes sense. In a weird calorie-justifying kind of way. Okay, so flipping that over into fitness, how do you keep in shape for when you have to chase down bad guys?

TM: Contrary to popular belief, I don’t get to do much chasing these days. But I’m a swimmer. Not much else really. Most people already know that about me.

CKM: I didn’t know if you were also a secret gym bunny or anything like that.

TM: *snort*

CKM: I’ll take that as a no then. So, if we’re being open about your swimming, it’s no secret either that you nearly drowned when you were longer. So how many metres can you swim underwater these days?

TM: Never nearly as many as I’d need to feel safe. I can do about twenty metres. Enough to get me out of a tight spot, but nothing crazy. If I had to do more than that, I probably could. I just never want to find out. I love to swim, but I hate to swim. That’s never gonna change.

CKM: Okay, final question, then you can go on your not-a-date date.

TM: About time. Go on. Hit me.

CKM: Shake Shack or In-n-Out burger?

TM: Are you kidding me? How is that even a question? Shake Shack all the way baby, all the way…

You can buy the first instalment of the Teddie McKay series The Crochet Killer on Amazon, currently on offer at $3.69 (was $4.99). This is because the second book in the series A Taste To Die For will be available for download from August 27th.

Crochet Killer Cover

Back from my mini-sabbatical

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So I did the unthinkable (in blogging terms) and took a mini-sabbatical. Anyone who has read the ever-expanding number of books on platform and being an author/entrepreneur in the current world will gasp in horror that I just stopped blogging for a while. But I had a couple of reasons which made sense to me.

Firstly, I had more important stuff to do. Like finishing the actual book, looking after my health, supporting my family through a difficult and intense period. All of which came above trying to spend a couple of hours on a blog about 15 ways to groom your cat or whatever. Or how to use your cat as part of your marketing strategy. Damn, that might have been a good one. I might change the title and see how many more click throughs that gets…

Secondly, in a similar vein to the above, I didn’t actually have massive amounts of stuff to share. I like doing the practical ‘how to’ style posts on writing, but there are plenty of people out there who are already doing those. They’re making a living from it in fact (or they’re pretending they are) and that’s not what I want to compete with. I don’t want to only talk to other writers, or those with writerly aspirations. I write fiction. I want to connect with readers. They tend to care less about using your cat for marketing. They just want to know your cat’s name and if he’s going to appear in your next book.

However, I am at that point now where I do (yay) finally have some things to share. The publish date for the next Teddie McKay novel has been set for August 27th, so things can finally begin ramping up here again. I’m also going to run a couple of promos for the other books, so look out for those too. The follow up to The Crochet Killer is a little more lighthearted, so has been a lot of fun to write.

I hope you’ll find it as much fun to read.

 

Do the KDP structure changes make Amazon the enemy?

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I have seen much outrage (and confusion) since Amazon announced it was to make changes to the payment structure for books. In case you haven’t heard about it, the Publishers Weekly article goes into detail about it here.

A lot of the criticism seems to come from an initial bout of ‘you’ll only get paid if someone finishes the book’. In fact the statement is as follows:

Under this new model, the amount an author earns will be determined by their share of total pages read rather than their share of total qualified borrows.

At the moment, this also only applies to books that are in the kdp select programme, which pays out a percentage based on those borrows as part of Kindle Unlimited or the Kindle Owners Lending Library. I’m processing how I feel about this, but two obvious things spring to mind.

Firstly, this is potentially the tip of the iceberg that becomes the standard model for all books, irrespective of whether they were purchased outright rather than borrowed. While I know most people who aren’t in the game will assume that this kind of change will only have any real impact on self-published authors, I know there are a lot of books out there that have hit the best seller charts and yet nobody ever actually gets round to finishing or reading.

Secondly, how much data is Amazon actually collecting on people? Number of page reads and the amount of time spent on each one in order for it to actually qualify as being ‘read’ seems like getting down to a level of granularity that is quite off-putting. No lingering or re-reading that favourite sex scene over and over. Big brother is watching you (and now really knows what you like).

As with all change, there are pros and cons. I can see the value of someone who has produced a good, 200 page book being paid more than someone who has churned out a 20 page quickie. However, that does set a dangerous assumption that quality is the same as length, which we all know isn’t true. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m still talking about books here.

The reality is that Amazon can do largely what it wants, as it is by far the largest retailer of ebooks. Nothing else really comes close. However, that is reliant on people using the kindle as the ereader of choice, and on authors being willing to upload their words. Being the market dominator can change quickly when your customers decide to take a look at those alternatives after all.

Just ask Blackberry.

Writing and motivation: keeping the momentum going

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I find the long weekend has been perfect for a little bit of extra introspection time.

I’ve spent the past few months building up to publishing Blood Inheritance, with the crazy planning and scheduling that goes with such a big endeavour. I say that because we should not belittle our achievements. I am terrible at taking time out to celebrate when I hit my goals. I’ve been talking about getting this book out there for the best part of two years, so I’m allowed to high five myself for being brave and letting one of my babies fly the nest.

The downside in achieving something that has taken up so much of your time and attention for months is that after the excitement fades, then there is a moment when you realise the enormity of the void it has left behind. Instead of breathing a sigh of relief that you have now got so many hours of your life back each week, you sense the loss. There is only one thing to do.

You have to keep going.

There will always be another book brewing on the horizon. There will always be an idea to be captured and the seed of the idea planted so it can grow. Writing tasks will never disappear completely, but neither will the joy of those first moments of creation. So when the sigh of relief wears off and I begin to think about that sudden free time, it’s always good to know that I have several projects I can dip into.

It is good to take a break. It is good to allow yourself to recharge. It is not good to allow that to turn into sloppiness and complacency. So how do you avoid it? It’s quite simple really.

fieldnotes1. Keep a notebook. Capture your ideas somewhere safe so you don’t have to keep them in your head. Then they’ll always be there waiting for you when you need them.

2. Plan your next project before you finish your current one. In those quiet times, those moments when you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, think about what you want your next project to be and outline what next actions you’ll be taking on it. That removes the panic of having to come up with something spur of the moment.

3. Be realistic with your scheduling. Each project will be different, but each one will also take a lot of hard work. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself adequate time when planning your project. Don’t be too generous though. You want to have enough tension there to motivate you to do something, rather than having the psychological freedom to continually defer it until next week. Be sensible, but also give yourself a deadline. Even self-imposed ones carry a punch when you keep a reminder of them where you can see them.

So that’s what I’ll be doing. The first draft of the next Teddie McKay novel is nearly complete and I’m going to be working through that for the next few months. My goal is to publish it in September, so that is the deadline keeping me on track. Whilst Blood Inheritance may be published, everyone knows that is not the point at which marketing and reader engagement stops. Of course, I’ve already got the next book I’m editing decided and set up to make it easy to start.

So the void of time was relatively short; I’m back to writing again.

Blood Inheritance – Finally Published!

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This is a very exciting day for me – Blood Inheritance is finally published! Pretend you can hear me squee.

Blood Inheritance C K Martin

The first ever book I published, Rebirth, was more a way to prove to myself that I could do it. The Crochet Killer was fun to write and I enjoy the characters, but it wasn’t like publishing this book. This book has been like sending my baby out into the big wide world. It’s exciting, but it’s also terrifying. I want it to do well, but I also want to hug it close to my chest and never let it go.

This post should probably be some savvy piece of marketing, but instead I’m going to just talk honestly. I have invested in these characters far more than any others I have ever created. Elizabeth, to a degree, will struggle with something that I have spent the past decade and a half trying to deal with. It might only be in that one way I can relate, but it is fairly significant.

Urban fantasy is always about hot chicks in leather kicking ass. Kicking ass and then becoming soft as a kitten because some broad shouldered hunk renders them senseless for some reason. That’s not something I can relate to. And my friends, many of whom kick ass on a daily basis (albeit of a non-supernatural nature), don’t behave that way either. They are strong and independent.

Besides, if there is to be romance – and I’m not saying that there will be – then I’m more of a fan of the slow burn. There is something delicious in the smouldering stages of a relationship, in that confusing attraction that defies what you have always believed in. And it can change you, but it shouldn’t define you. That is the difference I wanted to see in the urban fantasy books that I read and when I couldn’t find it, I decided to write it for myself.

So, please, head over to amazon and download yourself a free sample. Obviously, I’d prefer it if you just bought the book straight away, but I’m prepared to let you have a little taste for free.

Because if there is any other theme going on in Blood Inheritance, it’s that the first taste is what gets you hooked.

Introducing Garth

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As part of my series of character introductions for Blood Inheritance, it would be remiss of me to ignore Garth. He’s not one of the main characters, but he does hold a very special place in my heart: he was the first character who made their appearance in my head.

I began writing the book that would become Blood Inheritance at the start of a 48 hour train journey. I had just left Adelaide, Australia, and was heading over to Perth. It was going to be a long journey and I had purchased a new notebook knowing that if nothing else, I would have plenty of time to write. Even though it is no longer the opening scene in the book, the chapter when we first meet Garth is largely unchanged from that first handwritten account.

For much of my writing, I don’t focus on physical appearance unless it is fundamental to the plot. Other than a few key features, I love it when I read books where I can picture the characters myself, so that’s the way I tend to write. Sometimes, I don’t even have an image of my own characters clearly defined in my head when I’m putting them onto paper. Personal feelings and journeys are more important to me than giving someone’s cup size. But everything about Garth was there in my head; his clothing, his hair, the way he moved his body. It was so detailed, I ended up putting more into his description than probably anyone else.

He was so vivid to me straight away, that man-boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And although he falls into the category of supporting character, his own story arc is one of my favourites planned across the entire seven books.

So there needs to be a thank you to the man-boy on that train journey with me, who walked past and reminded me of an old friend from home, causing the two images to collide and spark that first ever scene from the book that was originally titled The Hunter. Without Garth, the entire book would have been entirely different.

You can pre-order Blood Inheritance now (or if you’re reading this at some time in the future, download a copy straight away!)

Character Introduction: Monica Carletto

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As a way of introducing Blood Inheritance I thought it would be fun to do a few character background pieces. There shouldn’t be any spoilers in here though, so you should be safe if you haven’t yet read the book.

Monica Carletto really deserves to be more than a secondary character. Without her, there would be no book, no tension, no story. Her role in the entire Lazarus Hunter series is central; her journey is inextricably bound with Elizabeth’s.

Throughout Blood Inheritance, she has plenty of scenes told from her point of view. I went with a third person multiple perspective for the series because I wanted characters who were rich enough to have a viewpoint that serves their own story, rather than just providing a counterpoint to the main character. Besides which, in the era of TV, I think people have become more comfortable with reading multiple points of view, as long as it doesn’t switch mid chapter.

In the ten years or so it has taken for me to shape this story into what I wanted it to be (then build up the necessary courage to share it with the world), Monica has changed very little. Her story arc was relatively clear to me from the start, perhaps even more so than Elizabeth’s. I wanted a woman who was strong-willed and capable, both in their professional and personal lives. With gender inequality still rife in even the most civilised nations, I wanted a woman who wouldn’t be out of place in the boardroom. But I also wanted her to be a ball-buster without being a bitch, and certainly without feeling like she needed to compromise on her femininity.

I’d love to give you more, but everything else would probably ruin a couple of surprises in the book!

Blood Inheritance

Character Introduction: Elizabeth Hastings

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As a way of introducing Blood Inheritance I thought it would be fun to do a few character background pieces. There shouldn’t be any spoilers in here though, so you should be safe if you haven’t yet read the book.

Elizabeth Hastings is technically the main character of The Lazarus Hunter series. I say technically because I’ve always felt Monica Carletto has been a main character in her own right. There will be more about her in later post.

I love Elizabeth as a main character. She is smart, funny and capable. More importantly, she has a whole history to live up to and still always insists on doing things her way. I always admire (in both fiction and real life) people who can take the cards life deals them, no matter how bad the hand, and use it to work in their favour. The ones who get back up, no matter how hard they’ve been knocked down. For me, Elizabeth is the very embodiment of that quality. She’s not Buffy, but I wanted someone who at least didn’t undo all the amazing things that Joss Whedon did for female empowerment when he put the fate of the world in the hands of a girl.

Non-spoilery character background:

She’s British (and as she’s the main character, that is why the spelling in the book is British English, rather than using Americanised spelling). Her age is never actually mentioned in Blood Inheritance, although an interesting age conversation actually happens in book four (yes, I am that far along in writing the series).

She has some interesting scars, but none where you can see them.

She once ran a marathon in 3:02:59, but practices sprints more these days. After all, no one has ever had to outrun a vampire for 26.2 miles…

Blood Inheritance is available on kindle now.

Blood Inheritance

New Novel: The Crochet Killer

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I’m delighted to be able to introduce my new novel, The Crochet Killer, which has been released today.

Crochet Killer Cover

The Crochet Killer at Amazon.co.uk

The Crochet Killer at Amazon.com

I’ve had a lot of fun writing this, even if it is a book with some dark moments. I absolutely love the characters and have had a great time making them do what I wanted them to do (and sometimes vice versa).

This is the first book in the series which introduces Detective Teddie McKay, getting ahead in Robbery-Homicide in a city that has infinitely more of the former than the latter. In over her head, with a serial killer on the loose, she has no choice but to rely on other people instead of her gut instinct. Nicknamed The Crochet Killer by the media, the man certainly has a gift for needlework. It’s just a shame that his canvases of choice are the faces of the women he hunts and kills.

Of course, as the body count rises, people are bound to question if she is up to the task. In her darkest moments alone, beer in hand, she’s having doubts herself. The Chief is under pressure and he’s more than happy to pass some of that along. He’s even made sure that one of the best forensic investigators in the country, Kathryn Greene, joins the team to make sure they’re not missing anything.

There is no escape from her lack of success. The case is on rolling rotation on the TV news, where the face of her ex-girlfriend Tammy Johnson is a constant reminder of the other failures in her life too. When Tammy reappears in her life, Teddie finds it hard to believe that she’s not there just for the story. Is she willing to risk letting her back in if it means she will lose this case for good if anyone finds out?

And what else is she prepared to risk to finally bring The Crochet Killer to justice?

Crochet Killer Cover