#WednesdayGuest: Interview with Mike Martin, Author of A Tangled Web @mike54martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home.

A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

Life is good for Sgt. Wind­flower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the

Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing, including a little girl and supplies from the new factory. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web of murder, deceit and an accidental kidnapping that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town and destroy those closest to him. But there’s always good food, good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better in the end.

A TANGLED WEB is available at Amazon.

What’s inside the mind of a mystery author?

Suspense? Like most writers there is a whole jumbo of ideas and thoughts and projects. If I’m writing a book, then I also have all of the characters talking to me at once. I have to sort them out and see who gets to talk next in the book.

What is so great about being an author?

I love the act of writing, of creating something, of telling a story. The best thing ever is when someone tells you that they like your story.

When do you hate it?

I hate editing and revising and constant self-promotion. If I’m sick of it, imagine how everybody else feels.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I write first thing in the morning. If I’m writing a book then I have a word count I have to hit for the day. I write as much as I can early and then try and get outside. I can come back later to finish up, but I find that writing in short, intense bursts works best for me.

How do you handle negative reviews?

I try and ignore negative reviews. Other people have a right to their opinion.

How do you handle positive reviews?

I try and celebrate positive reviews, especially if someone says that they enjoyed the book.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

I’ve got a great idea for a book. You should write it.

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I write everyday, even when I don’t feel like. To write a book takes imagination and perseverance. I might take a short break to go outside, but I always come back and finish what I have to do for the day.

Any writing quirks?

Not really. I love writing so much that I’m sure I have them. But I don’t pay attention to them. All I need is calm and quiet to write. No coffee shops for me.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

Sometimes that happens, but that’s their opinion. I don’t take it on. I know who I am and what I do. They are not my judges.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Only from the perspective that I know they have to write or they’ll go crazy. I would, for sure,

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No. Money is a great resource, but you cannot write just for money. It would never inspire you enough to put so much of yourself into creating a book or a story. That has to come from inside of you.

What has writing taught you?

Patience. Perseverance. “To thine own self be true” I have to be the writer I am today and try and be a better writer tomorrow.

Leave us with some words of wisdom.

I sometimes wonder whether what I am doing as a writer makes any difference in the world. Then I get word from a reader who tells me that reading A Tangled Web is helping her get through the recent loss of her husband. Or someone else writes to say that they have a friend who’s getting chemotherapy treatments. They are often very nervous before they go. So, my other friend reads them a couple of chapters from one of my books and they relax enough to go through with the treatment. We never know when one of our small actions can have a positive impact that we never dreamed of. So keep doing what you are doing even when you have doubts. You may already be helping somebody else.