As a doctor, I have seen a lot of good in the medical world, but I have also seen my fair share of the “bad.” There are doctors out there (not many, thank goodness!), that do have corrupt practices, or that cheat their patients. It’s really sad, and even though it doesn’t happen everyday, it happens more than it should.
M. Maitland DeLand, M.D. – 5 July 2015
The Back Flap
When a promising country music singer on the verge of stardom mysteriously dies after undergoing a routine medical procedure, Kate Katelinson, an investigative reporter for the Courier-Journal, becomes personally tied to the case. After sources connected to the reporter’s investigation start dying, Kate finds herself thrust into a twisted labyrinth of betrayal, corruption, and murder. Armed with only her investigative instincts and an unlikely alliance of friends, the reporter enters a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse with a mastermind more powerful than she could have ever anticipated. To complicate matters, Kate finds herself torn between her brilliant ex fiancé, and a charismatic hospital executive who both may be after more than her heart. In her debut novel, Dr. M. Maitland DeLand takes readers through a rollercoaster ride of suspense while touching upon some of the most pressing social and healthcare issues of the 21st century.
About the Book
What is the book about?
It follows newspaper reporter, Kate Katelinson, as she discovers a massive cover-up taking place at a hospital in the heart of Nashville. She decides to investigate and finds herself thrust into a labyrinth of betrayal, corruption, and murder. Kate must use her intelligence, strength, and instincts to solve the case and find the guilty parties before they find her.
When did you start writing the book?
January of 2014.
How long did it take you to write it?
The writing process took about six months.
Where did you get the idea from?
As a doctor, I have seen a lot of good in the medical world, but I have also seen my fair share of the “bad.” There are doctors out there (not many, thank goodness!), that do have corrupt practices, or that cheat their patients. It’s really sad, and even though it doesn’t happen everyday, it happens more than it should. I wanted to use my book as a way to get into that topic, without turning it into a heavy medical, research textbook, with stats and figures, etc. I wanted my book to just be a way to tell the story of what some of that corruptness looks like, to not only inform readers, but to also attract the readers who are just interested in some good old fashioned murder mystery!!
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The middle is always the most difficult part of a book to write. I knew how I wanted the book to begin and how I wanted it to end. It was a matter of getting ‘from here to there,’ and finding a journey that was both entertaining and suspenseful, while also allowing Kate to grow as a character.
What came easily?
The character voices were a fairly intuitive part of the writing process. They just showed up, which made writing them easier.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
They’re primarily fictitious. At times, I incorporate personality quirks from people in my life into my characters, intentionally and unintentionally. There have been times when I’ll be reading a few pages and think, wow, he sounds like my attorney—or, my sister does that.
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?
Tennessee Williams. Daphne du Maurier. Scott Turow. Jane Austen. Thomas Hardy, dark, but classic.
Do you have a target reader?
I really think young women, and readers interested in the murder mystery genre. I think a lot of women can probably identify with the main character, Kate, though, because she is loveable and tenacious, determined. But…she is human, and she makes mistakes. She falls in love. She is real.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Yes. I outline the plot and create backstories for all of my important characters before writing the actual narrative.
When I sit down to write, my first goal is to just get material onto the page without judging it. This nonjudgmental approach helps me get my creative juices flowing. Then I go back with a critical eye and edit. I may write thirty pages initially, but then end up with only fifteen or twenty pages after the editing process is complete. It’s a matter of putting material on the page, so I have something with which to work. Then I can go back and sculpt the story I truly want to tell.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do outline.
My outlines consist of chapter titles and the action beats/character development points that need to be realized in each chapter. I find this style of outlining to be very effective because it reminds me of what external plot developments and internal character developments need to happen, while still giving me the creative freedom to realize these goals in a fluid manner that works with the narrative as its developing—there’s nothing worse than a forced story.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Both. I edit twenty to forty pages at a time directly after writing them. After the entire manuscript is finished, I tend to go back to incorporate some final edits as well.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, of course. I think that there is a real benefit to hiring an editor. It’s so important because they can see things that you as the writer miss! They are your first outside reader, so they can really help you discern the reader’s perspective.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No, I don’t listen to music, because I will start singing then and get distracted! I do put a TV show on that I’ve seen a million times.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, I wasn’t as concerned with publishing through agents. I knew I wanted to self publish, because I had done it before with my children’s books. The publishing world today is really different, and I was fine publishing myself, because the important thing for me was really just to get my story out there!
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I am familiar and comfortable with the process, and it allowed me to get the story told, in my voice, and get it out in the timeline I wanted.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I had help with it. I think this was one of the most fun parts of my project. I had a picture in my mind of what Kate looked like, and what the cover might look like, but it’s really fun to see where the creative process led me.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I definitely have a marketing plan. I have a fabulous marketing team and I think that it’s so important to enlist in a team like the one I have. If you’re able to put the time into working with a marketing team, I think it can make a world of difference! They know what works out there, what doesn’t, and they know how to guide you through each step of the way like interviews, radio shows, fiction contents, etc.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Just do it!! Don’t live one more minute without getting your book out there. If you have a story, it needs to be told. I think that the opportunities that writers now have, to publish their own works, on sites like CreateSpace, IngramSpark, or even just to get it up on Amazon, is really quite amazing. I also thinks it tells us something about the publishing world – maybe it’s not that everybody wants to be an author, but maybe it’s that everybody is demanding better stories be published. And so many people are taking it upon themselves to put their stories and their books out there. To answer that demand. But that’s just one thought I have!
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Florida and Baltimore.
Where do you live now?
I’m in Lousiana, but I bounce around between my hometown in Louisiana, New Orleans, Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York.
What would you like readers to know about you?
As a physician, I am a patient advocate. As a writer, I like to think that everybody’s life is like their own book. Good chapters, bad chapters, short chapters, long chapters…
What are you working on now?
I’m writing the book’s sequel, Nashville Rap, which is set in the heart of Nashville’s music scene.
It’s about a famous music producer, who suddenly dies in what appears to be an accident, but Kate’s instincts tell her there’s more to the story. She embarks on a personal investigation and quickly finds herself surrounded by colorful suspects and odd clues that must be pieced together before the killer discovers her true agenda.
The writing process has been a lot of fun so far!
End of Interview:
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