Author Interview: Award Winning Belinda Missen

Welcome to Belinda Missen, this week's feature author.

Belinda Missen began her writing career following a decade in retail and a further five years in the transport industry, Like most of us, she realised where her heart belonged and she decided to take a break and return to her first love, writing.

After her works were read by approximately fifty thousand online readers, she finally decided to put the figurative pen to paper and write her first novel. While she enjoys writing contemporary romance fiction, she can also be found freelancing for websites, and twisting dark, psychological thrillers together.

In April, 2016, Belinda won the Inspire 26+ Category in the Australia-wide JOLT Courthouse Youth Arts Awards for her short piece "Obsessions".

She's currently working on novels four, five and six. So, if you're looking for her, she's likely buried under a pile of paper somewhere. Belinda lives near Geelong, Australia, and is an active member of the arts community.

Thank you Belinda for stopping by today.

Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? 
Writing is always something I've done. It started as a young child writing Jurassic Park fanfic, before I even knew what fanfic was. I stopped writing for a few years, and did the whole 'busy being an adult' business. I worked in retail for ten years, and transport for a further five. After leaving transport, I kind of floated a bit for twelve months, and the writing bug got me again when a character turned up and introduced himself. It's been non-stop ever since. To this day, I still write fanfic (though I'd never tell anyone how to find it), because I love how much of an audience gauge it is. You can see what does and doesn't work simply by their reaction.

What are the hardest part of being an author? 
Hmmm there's a bit of a list there. There's being your own boss, which is awesome. But, at the same time, it means you're the one responsible for getting yourself into gear each morning. For the most part, I love this, just not when I'm lacking inspiration. What do you enjoy most about being an author? The freedom, the creativity, the friends and connections I've made, and getting to write my own story. What authors/books have had an influence on your writing? There are heaps of authors that I love, that have had an influence on me. As a child, I loved Roald Dahl. As an adult I still do, but I also enjoy Mhairi McFarlane, Lindsey Kelk, Cecilia Ahern and David Nicholls.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing? I think there is a bit of a writer's block thing. 
When I went to London last year, I was there for six weeks. The entire time I didn't even want to write, though I forced myself to keep a blog. When I got back, though, the words poured out.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write? 
Depends on how I'm feeling. Most of my writing happens after ten p.m. I work into the wee hours of the morning, but I don't mind a rainy day, in the car, by the beach. Recently, I've become a fan of sitting down at the You Yangs and bashing out some words. Last time I was there, I wrote a short story that became a screenplay that weekend.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write? 
After ten p.m. when the world is quiet. How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) Social media is good, but can be tricky. It's really hard to gauge an audience. I do giveaways, they vary in their effectiveness. I've done one book signing in a wine bar that ended with me converting profits into espresso martinis. That was an amazing night.

Can you tell us about your latest book?
I write romance, which I'm always a bit remiss to announce. People seem to think romance = Fifty
Shades of Grey. I don't do that. It's not my thing. I really do just like good things happening to good people, so all of my books are light, fluffy romance. My latest one is a bit of a play on the old Captain von Trapp and Maria situation, a grieving widower meets young upstart, sparks fly, and things get crazy. It is third in a series of books that I called BookEnds. I think I chose that at the time because I was going to bookend the series with a book about a character I wrote called Red.

How long did it take you to write the book? 
This one has taken a while. I wrote the first draft about two years ago, and it's undergone numerous rewrites since. I've recently ordered a proof copy and, the next morning, decided I still wasn't happy with it. So, back to the drawing board again. This new rewrite is packing the punch it needs to.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? 
Red seems to be a fan favourite. He was my first book, and he's resonated with a lot of people, which I love. What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow?

Do you write in chronological order?
No plots. Not even always chronological order, but it helps. I generally get an idea for two characters, they're what turn up first. Then their settings and situation, and I go to work from there.

Do you have plans for further instalments? 
I'm trying to get some more Red together, but I don't want to force it. So, there are plans. How soon they'll eventuate is anyone's guess.

Do you have a plan for your next book? 
I've just worked out the next four, despite the fact I've got another ten or so books in various stages on the computer. I had an idea for a set of four books during the week. I'll run with that for now.

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? 
I do prefer paperback, I don't think there's much better in this world than paperback books. However, if I think I may not like a book, or it's outside my regular genre, I'll get the eBook first. If I love it, I'll go out and get a paperback.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?
Honestly, I'd love to be traditionally published. I think there's a bit of... pride (if that's the right word?) in being able to say you're tied to, say, Penguin, or Random House, etc. On the other hand, I love the freedom of creation that I get through self-publishing. I am my own boss, and everything happens how I want it to.

 And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing and keep reading. That's the only way you're going to get better. I went on a reading binge in early 2016, and stepped away from the books for a bit. I read about twenty novels in six weeks. When I came back, I could see the difference in my writing. Also, surround yourself with the right people. You need the right advice, the right support, and the right family and friends. If they're not into what you're doing, it'll just make life hard, really..  


Thank you so much for that Belinda. I found it really interesting and I hope our readers did too.

If you'd like to know more about Belinda and her writing, please look her up on the various social media platforms listed below:
Website: www.belindamissen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BelindaMissen 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BelindaMissen
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/BelindaMissen/e/B00UWR51MS
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/bmissen

Again, thank you so much for stopping by. If you are interested in being interviewed for this blog, please drop me a comment. Also please don't forget to subscribe to ensure you see each week's interview.

Author Interview: Crime Fiction author JM Peace

This week, I am interviewing author J.M. Peace.

J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be an author. She writes her police procedurals with the voice of authority. Her first novel 'A Time To Run' was released in July 2015, with the sequel 'The Twisted Knot' released this year.

Thank you for joining me this week for an interview J.M.

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

I’m a police officer who would rather be an author. I’ve been a copper for sixteen years, so crime was the logical choice when I sat down to write a book. Having a book published was the realisation of a lifelong dream, and I’m working towards giving up my ‘day job’. I’ve had two novels released by Pan Macmillan. They are both police procedurals, making the most of my ‘voice of authority’.

What are the hardest part of being an author? 

For me at the moment it is finding the time to write. I have two young children and find that juggling family responsibilities and work with writing is a big challenge. I still treat it as a hobby and it tends to get jammed into the cracks of my life.  And then when I do find time, the second hardest part is not getting distracted…

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

I most love it when the characters take on a life of their own and the story seems to unfold of its own accord. It is this creative process that I most enjoy about being a writer.

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

Although the volume I write fluctuates dramatically depending on what else I have going on, I don’t really get Writer’s Block. I let myself take breaks when my head is not in the right place for constructing the story. My favourite writing saying is “you can’t edit a blank page”. I will often just write anything in order to get words on the page and start the flow. Once I get writing, it normally triggers ideas and I can keep going.

How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc)

I’m a little hamstrung by identity problems. I write pretty much anonymously under a fake name because I am still a police officer and need to keep that job in order to pay the bills. There is a potential conflict of interest with me writing crime. Although my stories are fictitious, I have knowledge of the inner workings of policing. Before I signed the contract with the publisher for the first book, I attempted to clarify my position with my bosses and the union, but no one seemed entirely certain on whether there would be a problem. So I just attempted to bypass it all by pretending not to be me. It’s a bit odd, and keeps me away from public appearances.

Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)

My latest book is a police procedural called ‘The Twisted Knot’. It is the second in the series, following loosely on from my debut ‘A Time To Run’. The lead character is Constable Sammi Willis who polices in a small (fictitious) town in Queensland. In ‘The Twisted Knot’, she gets caught up in the suicide of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young girls, and has to sort out the facts from the rumours to unravel what really happened.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I worked on this book under a tough deadline from the publisher whilst editing my first novel. The initial draft I submitted was rushed and confused. I had to rip 30,000 words out of it and re-write them. So the editing process probably took even longer than writing the initial draft.

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

I find it intriguing writing from the offender’s point of view in each story. It’s interesting to try to understand what motivates people to commit a particular crime and how they justify it to themselves.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow?  Do you write in chronological order?

 I have been making a conscious effort to try to plan, but my mind just doesn’t seem to work like that. I start with the crime or conflicts in the story, then build the characters and sub-plots around that. I write segments as they occur to me, which is rarely in chronological order.

Do you have plans for further installments?

I’m currently writing the third book in the series. It begins with a death in custody and the resulting fallout at both the police station and within the small town community.

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

Physical books always. Although I have an ebook reader, I don’t often use it. I’m not very good with technology and my kids aren’t quite old enough to sort things out for me. Also there is nothing quite like holding a paperback in your hands. Especially with your name embossed on the cover – even if it is a fake name…

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

I have only been published by a traditional publisher but I have to say that it is not really what I expected. Sometimes the level of control you would have when self-publishing seems attractive to me. I think self-publishing has become a lot more accessible to writers and acceptable to readers.

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

I have had an easy run getting published and I think one of the reasons was my ‘backstory’ as a police officer. My advice is to find the story that you are the best person to tell. 

Thank you so much for visiting today J.M. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little intrigued. I used to work in the Police Service myself and I wonder if I might know you.

Anyway, whilst I go to do some detective work myself, I want to thank J.M. for dropping by. 

If you're interested in checking out her books, you can find her here....  

Website: www.jmpeace.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmpeaceauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmpeaceauthor

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Peace/e/B010NLO31C/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830099.J_M_Peace

Thank you again everyone for dropping by. If you'd like to be interviewed on this blog, please drop me a line.  Please don't forget to subscribe for further interviews. 

The Light At the End of the Tunnel

The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, but the completion of my very first novel. I just typed the last line of my book. Of course, until I am happy I will continue to tweak and twiddle away, but in essense it is done.

I am so happy. I sat here with my laptop beside me and cried. I have never felt that before. It was an amazing sense of achievement. Yes I know I have written six other books, but they were all true crime, the information was already there. I just had to interpret it and get it down on paper.

This time, it was from my own head, my own story, my own characters, my own novel. I did it.

Jayant Patel - A Man Freed or A Man Gone?

What is it with judges? Do they not have any idea about the real world?

It has taken authorities several years to bring suspected killer Jayant back to the Australia to prosecute him for crimes committed here against patients under his care. It has probably cost tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to finance the search and capture of the now infamous fugitive, after he fled the country the first time.

Finally, we watch news footage of him arriving back in the country and what does the first judge do?

Release him back into society, and how long will it take him to flee the country this time? No doubt he has probably already fled, heading to some backwater country that has no extradition treaty with Australia.

I ask you, who in their right mind, would grant a suspected killer and proven flight risk bail?

I am flabbergasted by it all. The police and investigators do everything they can and then judges go and screw with everyone's plans. It is nonsense.

I shall continue to scratch my head over this one.