Articles

Since breaking onto the scene with her first novel (The Hungry Mirror) in 2010, suspense author Lisa de Nikolits has turned out one compelling page turner after another, most dealing with the darker aspects of human behavior. Originally from South Africa, de Nikolits lived and worked in Australia, the UK and the United States before becoming a Canadian citizen in 2003, gaining experiences and sensibilities that have greatly influenced her work ever since. I sat down with her recently to talk about her new novel "Rotten Peaches," the use of humor in otherwise gritty stories and how she creates complex characters.

There is not much ground that prolific author, editor and teacher Neil Plakcy hasn't covered in his career. Mysteries with humans, mysteries with dogs, romance, short stories, comedy and even erotica - he's written them all. I recently sat down with the two-time Lamda Literary Award finalist to talk about the pros and cons of being a hybrid-publishing author, the challenges facing LGBTQ writers and the impact of free e-books on the literary market.

Every writer dreams of having the kind of success Ellison Cooper has had with her debut novel "Caged," a dark but fast-paced and engrossing tale of an FBI agent's frantic race against time to track down a serial killer who has a real issue with twins. The first of a three-book deal, Caged has received wide acclaim, including being named by Publishers Weekly as one of their "Best Summer Books of 2018." We sat down with Cooper recently to talk about the book, her commitment to writing strong female characters and the need to write the book you want to write.

Mystery author John Carenen knows a thing or two about...well, a lot of things, including how to craft a good story. The man behind the Thomas O'Shea mystery series, he also knows firsthand the joys and pitfalls of publishing with a small press, self-publishing and the need for writers to continually push themselves toward new work and bigger challenges. We sat down with him recently to talk about how he incorporates dark humor into his work, the struggle to find an agent and the bigger struggle to market yourself as an indie author.

Author Tracy Clark is testament not only to great writing but also the power of determination and persistence. After years of fits and starts, her novel "Broken Places" - the first in the new Chicago Mystery series - debuted this year to rave reviews. I sat down with her recently to talk about the series, the success of the new book and the challenges and opportunities for writers of color in today's publishing world.