What first inspired you and Karl Bort to create Detective Nicholas Silvano and his world of crime thrillers?
With a career in both law enforcement and nursing, Karl had a variety of experiences and many stories. Stories that he wanted to tell about the people and situations he dealt with every day. I love reading crime thrillers and have always wanted to writea book. When Karl and I were introduced, we found a way to tell his stories and work together as co-authors.
How do you and Karl collaborate during the writing process—do you split scenes, alternate chapters, or brainstorm together?
It was a round robin of idea exchanges. Typically, Karl would start something and write until he ran out of steam. Then it was my turn. I’d read what he wrote and play off of that. We would also have conference calls to brainstorm where the plot needed to go and how best to get it there through characters and action.
The Bad JuJu novels mix crime investigation with a touch of the supernatural. What draws you to blending realism with mystical elements?
In part, reality! JuJu was a real person that Karl dealt with who fancied himself a voodoo man. And who’s to say there aren’t other forces at work in the world? Call it intuition, premonition, or déjà vu; most people have experienced unexplainable feelings that caused them to either do something or not do something that inevitably made the difference between life and death.
Which of your three novels—Bad JuJu in Cleveland, Angry Nurse, or Bad JuJu and the Eye of Oya—was the most challenging to write, and why?
I’d say our third novel, Bad JuJu and the Eye of Oya. We had to keepevents and the sequenceof the characters from Bad JuJu in Cleveland in mind when writing the sequel.
How do you balance authentic police procedural details (thanks to Karl’s background) with the storytelling and pacing of a gripping thriller?
By making sure that everything keeps moving the story forward. You can have the best sequence or scene you’ve ever written but if it doesn’t enhance the story and move the plot forward, it doesn’t belong. You have to keep the reader turning the page.
You’ve worn manyprofessional hats—business analyst, technical writer, magazine editor. How have those experiences shaped your fiction writing?
I write “tighter”. Your words must also move the story forward. Extra words bog down the story.
What’s your process for creatingcomplex, believable characters, especially those with moral gray areas?
We draw from our own experiences and people we’ve met. People are complex; everyone has shades of gray. You need to know your character well enough to predict how they’ll react in a given situation.
How do you approach writing dialogue in crime fiction to make it feel authentic yet engaging?
By writing dialogue as someone would speak it. Also, to read what you’ve written out loud. By doing that, any gaps or dialogue that doesn’t sound like real people talkingquickly becomes apparent.
What advice would you give to aspiring co-authors who are trying to build a cohesive writing partnership?
Establish guidelines/expectations for the partnership and work effort up front. Allocate work based on skills; one of you may be better at plotting or research. Create a deliverable schedule to stay on track and be accountable to each other. Be sure you feel comfortable with your co-author. Karl and I worked by phone, Zoom and email and didn’t actually meet in person until after Bad JuJu in Cleveland was published and we were working on our second book, Angry Nurse. And don’t forget to have fun!
Do you outline your novels in detail before writing, or do you prefer to let the story evolve as you go?
We usually had a general idea of where the story should go but were open to changes in direction.
Your short stories have appeared in two Sisters in Crime anthologies. How does writing short fiction differ from your approach to full-length novels?
It’s harder! You have to tell a whole story in a limited amount of words.
Can you share the inspiration behind A Cozy Deception and what readers can expect from it in It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Doncha Know?
A Cozy Deception was a different kind of story for me. Not so serious. It’s a humorous, cozy mysteryabout two co-authors who had their book idea stolen and published by another author.Hopefully, it doesn’t mirror real life!
Living on a sesquicentennialfamily farm in Wisconsin sounds idyllic—does your environment influence your writing in any way?
I have beautiful scenery to stare at when I’m trying to come up with an idea.
What’s next for you and Detective Silvano—are there more cases, or perhaps a new series, on the horizon?
I’m working on a new novel.
Would you recommend AllAuthor to fellow authors, and if so, what services or tools on the platform have you found most useful in growing your business?
Yes! I appreciate the promotions and really like having the variety of banners AllAuthor creates.
