She writes wherever she is, here or across the pond, beginning at a tender age. Alice Boatwright works at her mystery novels until she gets them right. She must have gotten Under An English Heaven perfectly right because it has great ratings on Amazon, buckets of gold stars and enthusiastic reviews. Cozy Cat Press is her publisher. "I devoured this delicious mystery in one sitting; I just couldn't put it down! A
delightful treat in the Agatha Christie-Dorothy Sayers tradition, this
well-written and expertly crafted story of love and murder in an English village
is a pleasure from start to finish." by J. Wilson Now, here is Alice answering my questions:
Alice, please tell us who or what influenced your
decision to be a writer?
The two biggest influences were my father and a
librarian. When I was young, my father
was writing a textbook, and I loved going to sleep to the plink plunk of his
typewriter coming from his study down the hall.
It was such a comforting sound, like rain on the roof, and I loved
knowing he was right there. I still have
his old Underwood typewriter, which weighs a ton, and is, to me, a “real”
writer’s tool.
When the book came out, W.W. Norton gave him a
boxed copy bound in tooled leather. I still remember how it looked sitting on
the mantel above the fireplace, and that day I announced that he was not the
only Boatwright who was going to publish a book!
In the summer, my father taught at a summer school
held in a small Connecticut town. The librarian there was ever kind and patient
with us grubby kids who came in from playing outdoors to pick out books. My
curiosity pleased her . . . and she always made good suggestions, so I became a
passionate reader through her.
How long have you been writing and what is
your method or style?
I wrote my first “novel” when I was nine, and I’ve never
stopped. I’ve always done other writing-related work to earn money -- from
developing exhibits for a children’s museum to doing PR for arts, education and
public health – so making time to write
fiction has required commitment and discipline. This is the flip side of the
intense private pleasure it brings.
I am a morning writer – that way the day starts
with what is most important to me. I don’t use outlines – I like to discover
the story and the meaning as I go along. To me, writing is rewriting, so I
enjoy this process. Through the developing drafts each scene (ideally!) comes
into focus in terms of the characters’ actions and motivations, its
significance in relation to rest of the story, and every aspect of the
language.
You wrote your first novel at nine? Is your protagonist anything like you?
Ellie Kent is more adventurous and inquisitive, more of a risk taker than I am. That’s why she’s a mystery solver, and I am a mystery writer. We’re both bookish, smart, funny, and skeptical – and we have a lot of the same values. But she does many things I only wish I would do, such as go for long runs through the countryside and learn to drive on the right.
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Alice, where do you live
and why?
After 10 years of living in England and France, I
am currently based in woodsy area outside Seattle. Living in Europe was wonderful, and we still
spend time there, but being at home has advantages too. I love the Northwest. The tall trees and the
mountains that are often hidden, but always there, keeping watch.
What do you like
to do when you are not writing?
I like a quiet life, so I’d say: spend time with my
husband and two cats, stay connected to my far-flung family and friends,
explore wherever I am living, take photographs, read, walk, nap by the
fire. That said, my work has required me
to travel a great deal, and I enjoy that very much. I especially love Asia.
Please tell us what your idea
of a real vacation is?
Total freedom to spend the day anyway I like,
wherever I am.
Where can we find
your books?
Under
an English Heaven is available in paperback or as an e-book from
Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Under-English-Heaven-Ellie-Mystery/dp/193981636X
Collateral
Damage (three linked novellas about the impact of the Vietnam War) is also
available in both formats can be ordered from Small Press Distribution (www.spdbooks.org), Amazon, and
elsewhere. Learn more at www.collateraldamage.us
On Twitter: @deuxchatsnoirs
On Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/paris-writers
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