Kirsty Ferguson, Author of The Little Dead Girl Series

As promised, I have decided to turn my neglected blog into a place where authors and readers can meet. Each week I will highlight an author and discuss with them their books and their experience. 

My very first guest it Kirsty Ferguson.  

Kirsty Ferguson is a crime, mystery and horror writer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has been writing stories ever since a life-changing brush with Stephen King’s Cujo. When she’s not writing about unspeakable things, reading or cooking, she can be found spending time with her son, teaching him about the joys of reading and writing.

As you can see, Kirsty is a woman after my own heart, we both share a love of Stephen King and spend a lot of our time writing about the horrors that humans can do. 

So on to the questions:

Welcome Kirsty, 

Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?

I write crime and mystery novels that are set in rural Australia. My books always have a few twists and turns woven throughout them which will keep you guessing until the end.

What are the hardest part of being an author? 

Finding time is definitely the hardest part of being an author. You are always pulled in so many different ways with family, work or study.

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Creating a book from just a spark of an idea. I also love when people tell me they’ve read my books and enjoyed them.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?

Stephen King’ Cujo will always hold a special place in my heart as will Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind for helping me fall in love with books and the art of writing. I love reading Australian authors as well such as Helen Garner and Carly Lane.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?

Yes, there is such a thing as writer’s block, I’ve felt it before. I found that writing something completely different helps clear the block away. I also find that reading the news is helpful. That’s how I got the idea for one of my books, by googling an old crime. The book took a very different turn but it helped me write again.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write?

I made an office for myself and hung inspirational quotes on the wall. It’s my favourite place to write. I also find inspiration while walking so I use my phone to write down plot ideas.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

I find that I am quite motivated after school drop off or late at night.

How do you like to reach your readers?

I use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to reach readers. I am also in the local Collins Booksellers store and in three libraries. 

Please tell us about your latest book:

My latest book is called Little Girl Revenge and is the second book in the Little Girl Dead series (Little Girl Dead is the first book). It is a crime and mystery series that focuses around the events immediately after the death of a sixteen-year-old girl named Cassie Grace. The reader follows her mother Lila Grace as she unravels the mystery behind Cassie’s death.

How long did it take you to write the book?

It took me a month or so to write Little Girl Revenge.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?

Lila, the main character is my favourite, mainly because after a horrific incident, she takes her life in her own hands and does what needs to be done.

What was your writing process like?

I had an idea of where I wanted the book to go and I just meandered my way there. I don’t write with a plan, I just go where the story takes me. I let the characters decide what they want to say and when.

Do you have plans for further instalments?

Yes. The next book in the series is called Little Girl Silent and will be out early 2017. The final instalment is called Little Girl Lonely and is a prequel.

Do you have a plan for your next book?

My next book is called Severed Heart. It is a cozy mystery which is set on a rural farm and focuses on events surrounding a decade old death. It will be released on the 3^rd November 2016.

Just a few final questions about writing and the industry…

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?

I see the benefits of ebooks and I do read on my phone, but I am a lover of real books that I can hold and smell. (A woman after my own heart…. Amanda)

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?

I have self-published my books and will probably continue to do so as it is easier and more flexible and I can do it to my timeline. I feel that self-publishing is becoming more widely accepted. Once, it was seen as only for people that couldn’t get a traditional publishing deal but that’s not the case anymore. Anyone with a passion for writing can release books now.

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Just write. You will never finish a book if you don’t start it.

So where can readers find you?

Website: www.authorkirstyferguson.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkirstyferguson

Twitter: www.twitter.com/danesha24

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kirstyferguson

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14343302.Kirsty_Ferguson

Thank you Kirsty for being my first visiting author.   I wish you the very best of luck and I hope to see you back here in November when you release Severed Heart.

Thank again readers for visiting, please check out Kirsty’s books!

Until next time, happy reading!

Amanda

WHAT'S NEXT?

I have been extremely busy with so many different projects that I sometimes think that my head is going to spin off.

At the moment, I am preparing for a number of events and publicity interviews for my upcoming release:  Rope: A History of the Hanged The book actually moves away from the usual serial killer topics I write about and examines the interesting events related to hangings, from botched executions to daring escapes.  When I started thinking about the book, I really thought it would be dry, but it was so thoroughly interesting, and at times, though mostly tragic, it was quite funny.

I am also waiting for the final edit of my 4th in my fiction series and then that can also b

e released.  I can't wait to share more details with you on that book, but for now, I will let you know that those that have read it have called it a "real page turner" and that is something every author wants to hear.

I've also been working hard on my YouTube Channel and that has taken me in a few different directions, but I am still, after a year trying to find my feet, though with more than 2.1 million views, I must be doing something right.

As well as writing and YouTube, I am also nearing the half way point in my Masters Degree in Writing at University. I've done well so far and it is really challenging my skills as a writer, pushing me out of my comfort zone and into genres and topics I don't normally find interesting.

So with all of that on my plate, as well as working full-time and raising a fantastic family, I've decided to branch out into hosting other authors on my blog. It will be kind of a Q&A scenario, where authors will get to showcase their new books and tell us a bit about their writing processes and other interesting tidbits.  I think it will be a great experience for me as well as the other authors and of course my readers. So let's begin a new journey.

Thanks reading!
Amanda

Rope: A History of the Hanged

The rumblings before the storm - once your book is released... what happens next?

As an author, I obviously enjoy writing. Granted it is extremely lonely.  No-one else is on the journey with you except for your characters, or as in the book I am about to release, the ghosts of those I am writing about. But once that is all finished, once you have signed the final release, then the journey takes on a very different mood.

Earlier this week, I received the email from my publicist, Lucia. I have worked with her on the past three books I released. She is incredible and I enjoy working with her. Yet the email from her signals the next part of the writing journey - the publicity tour. Gone is the pyjamas-clad slob of an author who sits in her darkened room with copious amounts of coffee and wine (depending on the time of the day), madly bashing away at the keyboard. In her place is someone primed and polished, all smiles for the camera ready to be charming and witty on the publicity trail.

Even after 17 books, I forget that this part comes with the book's release. As I said at the beginning, I love to write, I write because it is part of my essence, but the publicity trail always makes me tremble with dread. I worry about the curve ball questions, the interviewer who has no interest in my book and so fumbles over questions, or worse those who love true crime just a little too much.

Over the years I have learnt to manage the publicity tour a little better. I have done many live to air radio and television interviews as well as pre-recorded segments and newspaper articles. I used to be so sick with terror and nerves, I liked the comfort of my writing room, not the bright lights of the television studio but I have learned that they come hand in hand if your work is good enough.  I know it's an absolute honour to be involved in such segments. Very few authors get to experience what I've been lucky to have experienced and so I now know to enjoy myself and have as much fun as I can - when talking about executions, murder and serial killers.

So, I wait with bated breath to see what Lucia has in store when Rope: A History of the Hanged is released in June, 2016. So far I have a few speaking engagements as well as a newspaper article to come but I know that over the next few months there will be radio and newspaper interviews and if I am very lucky a few more television spots.

Wish me luck!

Amanda

A Killer in the Family - Cover Art

After emailing the publishers today with an update on how the book was coming along and I soon got a response from them with several cover art options. It is always my favourite part of writing. That is, seeing how my work translate in someone else's imagination.

I was quite thrilled with what they had done for me and the various different ideas. It certainly gives a boost to the poor old writer sitting alone away from the world. It shows that others are working on the same project.

I can't wait to show everyone the final artwork once it's all final.

Cheers

Amanda

A Killer in the Family - My next book

It is with great excitement that I received news from a publisher, New Holland, with a commission to write a book for them regarding how killers become killers. The book will examiner what makes a killer, whether that be a sexually motivated killer, a serial killer, a bomber, or a homicidal cult leader.

So far my investigation has shown some interesting points and clues as to what makes a killer.

A Killer in the Family (working title), will be released in time for Christmas.

Signing off,

Amanda

Serial Killers - Have they lost their Fame?

I have been researching serial killers for twenty years. I have spoken to some of the most heinous humans across the world. There was a time when serial murder was a main focus of pop culture.  With killers such as Dahmer, Gacy and Bundy taking up news space, many people could not get enough of hearing the gruesome details of murder. Yet I am finding that slowly, the interest has waned. Yes there are prime television shows such as Dexter and The Following that still propagate the serial killer genre, but killers themselves have fallen from the news.

Serial killers are being recognised and/or caught often, yet the interest in such cases is no longer there. Recently the next big thing in crime circles has been the locked away woman, taken as children by their fathers or strangers they were hidden from the world and raped for decades.

Serial murder is not what it once was. Of course this is a good thing, but one has to wonder about what else is happening out there when a multiple murderer no longer shocks.