This work is by far the most complex I’ve ever done. It spans four or five states, as many police jurisdictions and crime scenes, and there’s a whole raft of secondary characters. Simply keeping everything straight was a chore …
Kevin R. Doyle – 10 November 2020
The Back Flap
A disgraced ex-cop is hired by a convicted serial killer to dig up information not to absolve him of his crimes but to in fact prove that he committed more murders than the authorities know of. He is attempting to bargain for a reduced sentence by providing information of his previous killings, but in another state another man, who the original killer has never met, is taking credit for his crimes.
About the book
What is the book about?
It’s the third in a loosely-connected series concerning an out-of-work police detective who’s hired to do some investigative work for a convicted serial killer. Essentially, he wants her to prove his guilt in other crimes that the authorities haven’t yet connected to him.
When did you start writing the book?
Somewhere around the latter part of 2018.
How long did it take you to write it?
All told, all three drafts took almost a year and a half.
Where did you get the idea from?
I was looking at the conclusion of the second book, When You Have to Go There, and tried to imagine where the character’s story would go. The first two books dealt with serial killing, and while the topic is a little trite right now, I wanted to do one more spin on it. The first book concerns a series of murders that goes undetected for some time, and the second involves a killer targeting the police, so I wanted some new direction to go in, and eventually the idea began to sort itself out.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Oh, Lord, yes. This work is by far the most complex I’ve ever done. It spans four or five states, as many police jurisdictions and crime scenes, and there’s a whole raft of secondary characters. Simply keeping everything straight was a chore, and by the time I was finished I had six or seven different files of information just for this book, not to mention the bible for the entire series. I was on pins and needles while it was going through the editing process, almost positive that there was some huge, gaping plot hole I overlooked. If there is, neither the publisher nor I have come across it yet.
What came easily?
The personality of the main character. This is the third novel she’s appeared in. She was a secondary character in The Group and one of two primaries in When You Have to Go There. This time it’s all hers, more or less, but by this point writing her personality flowed pretty darned smoothly.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
To the best of my knowledge, they’re entirely fictious, though I do have a tendency to take their names from various street names around my area.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
The two main influences, as far as I can tell, would be Arthur C. Clarke and Lawrence Block. Clarke doesn’t quite sound right, as I’ve only written a few science fiction stories. But I was impressed, even around the age of ten or so, by how elegantly he turns a short story. Back in the days when I was writing mainly short stories. I kept hoping to reach his level, but to my mind never even came close. The man is simply a master.
When it comes to mystery, which is lately the main genre I’m writing in (though I didn’t set out intending to do so), there’s really not much you can say about Block that isn’t already obvious. Eight Million Ways to Die and When the Sacred Ginmill Closes are two of the best darned books, not mystery books but books in general, that I’ve ever read.
Do you have a target reader?
I would say forties and up in terms of age and primarily female. However, the only reason I say that is because the more I got into writing mysteries the more I realized that’s the main demographic for that genre.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
A first draft is almost entirely seat of pants style. I start with a basic idea and just kind of go. Somewhere around a hundred pages in or so I begin working on a general outline and continue to flesh it out as I continue drafting. Then, when that first draft is complete and I see how things end up, I complete the outline.
Second draft is where it gets kind of intense. As I rewrite (usually where I ended up is not what I had in mind when I began) I also compose small, bite-sized chapter outlines. It’s also during the second draft that I produce sketches of the characters (all of them, not just the main ones); a timeline; a list of things to check, include or fix; and any other things I need to do.
Third draft is most often polishing the actual prose and getting things as tight as possible, along with making sure all the times, places, etc. match up, before sending off to the publisher. Occasionally, I have to rewrite chunks a fourth time to get them just right.
All in all, it’s a fairly intricate process.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
The overall outline is in paragraph form, basically covering the plot from beginning to end. It’s usually around eight hundred words long for an 80,000 word book. The individual chapter outlines tend to be short paragraphs, quick snapshots of the action in each chapter.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
First draft I try my best to turn the internal editor off so I can get the story out. Editing comes in usually by the third draft.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I don’t usually listen to music, though I often have the TV going in the background.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Some years back I had a book I’d written (my fourth attempt at one) that I sent off to various agents. Based on the initial query, two asked for full manuscript, and both ended up rejecting it. One wrote back, “I hate to say this, but I had to force myself to keep reading.” I was kind of ticked at that, but a few years later when I went back and reread the manuscript, I saw his point. The prose was really, really amateurish. To date, that was my first and only experience with submitting to agents. However, I’m currently ready to begin the third draft of a novel, and I’ve intended from day one that this one is going to go the agent submission route first. I feel kind of strongly about it, and it isn’t a part of either of my series.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
When I was writing short stories years ago, I kind of naturally submitted them to small press magazines. Good thing, too, as I had a lot to learn and small-press editors usually took the time to help me. When I first started producing longer works, I knew the odds of either getting an agent or landing with a major publisher were astronomical, so I kept with what had worked for me on short stories and focused on small presses.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The publishers take care of the covers. They usually solicit my opinion, but in the end it’s their decision.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have more of a plan now than I had the first few times. This is my sixth book to be released, and while I have a long way to go in terms of learning marketing, I’m doing a little better at it than when I began.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Understand that even small publishers receive hundreds of submissions a month, so don’t expect that you’re going to automatically stand out to them. This will sound trite and cliched, but have that manuscript as tight and polished as possible before even thinking of sending it out. Most of all, don’t assume that the world owes you a living because of your literary genius. Like most authors, I’ve been at this for years, and I still need to hold down my dayjob.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Southern Kansas.
Where do you live now?
Central Missouri
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m extremely non-technical. In fact, I’ve never owned a cell phone.
What are you working on now?
There are a couple of things going on now. Camel Press is working on getting Heel Turn, the second Sam Quinton book, ready for release. I’m also about to begin writing Sam Quinton #3, as yet untitled, and I need to do at least one more draft of the standalone that I’m planning on submitting to agents.
Oh yeah, and I’m currently teaching high school full time, so things are kind of busy.
End of Interview:
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Get your copy of And the Devil Walks Away from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
