My recent adventure in blog-hopping introduced me to an eclectic group of writers, each with their own view of the creative process. If you’d like to backtrack through the hop, you can meet C.A. Newsome, Anna J. McIntyre, Susan Haught, Eden Baylee, Corrie Fischer, and Christy English.
Continuing in the spirit of the hop, I’m inviting authors to share a bit about their writing lives here. You may already know some of these authors, while others might be new to you. And, like the blog hop, you’ll see a mix of writing styles and themes in the “Get to Know…” conversations. My first guest is the author Mike Faricy, who writes crime fiction. Let’s get to know him!
How did you come to the writing life?
From the time I was a little boy I’ve written stories. I was on the school paper and yearbook staff as a kid. When my children were young I’d write the first chapter of some future work of genius then put it aside for a while, write another first chapter, put it aside. After doing this for twenty-plus years I finally decided to either get serious or stop wasting paper.
A friend set up a lunch for me with William Kent Krueger, a local highly successful author. I knew without a doubt this was my ticket to the big leagues and showed him my manuscript. He laughed and told me that every writer has at least one project they keep hidden in a box under their bed. An inauspicious beginning if ever there was one! But he did encourage me to continue writing and make the next work better than the one I’d just completed. Probably some of the best advice I’ve gotten.
Some reviewers suggest your work is reminiscent of pulp fiction detectives. Another described your main character as “a ne’er-do-well detective.” What sort of character is he?
Dev Haskell is the sort of guy (or gal) we all knew in high school, he’s a little different. You wonder whatever became of him, but you also have enough sense to keep him at a distance. He’s not fighting terrorists or solving some major banking conspiracy. He’s not stopping some government coup. Instead, Dev deals with the social pool that lingers somewhere below polite society. The trouble these people find themselves in is due to their own bad decisions. But then, bad decisions make for interesting tales.
In addition to the Dev Haskell series, you have several stand-alone novels published. Of all your books, which is your favorite, and why?
My favorite is whichever book I’m working on. I just become totally absorbed. The relationships, clues, plot lines, character details. Does the person walk with a limp, or have a dog? All those intricacies take over completely. Once that book is finished, published, I’m onto the next project. If my manuscript is finished on Friday, Monday morning I’m writing page one of whatever the next work is.
What’s next for your readers?
Dev Haskell is back in Ting-A-Ling, due out later this month. You can keep up with Dev online at , and find news about all my work at Mike Faricy Books.
My thanks to Mike for giving us a chance to get to know him. Next week, I’ll interview Rae Davies, a fellow dog lover who writes mystery fiction. Please drop by and get to know this author!