Author Interview ~ Twist Phelan

TWIST PHELAN received her undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford University. A former trial lawyer, she enjoys world travel and endurance athletics. Her research for her latest Pinnacle Peak mystery, False Fortune, included outrigger racing in Australia and surf ski paddling in Hawaii. Find out more about Twist and her books at http://www.twistphelan.com/.

What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

False Fortune is the fourth title in my legal-themed Pinnacle Peak series. Each book features a different sport; False Fortune highlights paddling.

Attorney/athlete Hannah is settling back into her law practice at the family firm, trying not to think too much about Cooper Smith, the boyfriend she's dumped for the second time. Hard to do when half-sister Shelby, fresh from rehab, is deeply in love, or at least lust, with a local firefighter.

A trip to an abandoned uranium mine turns into the daring lake rescue of a mysterious woman. Then the sisters' already-rocky relationship becomes bumpier when Hannah is appointed lead counsel in Shelby's toxic tort case on behalf of the local Indian tribe—a case, Hannah discovers, that some people will do anything to keep out of the courtroom. The arrival of a recently-discovered family member on Hannah's doorstep further jeopardizes her relationship with Shelby.

Hannah's new friend, Jerry Dan Kovacs, only makes things more complicated. From the moment he jumps into the lake with Hannah to prevent a drowning to his discovery of a hidden map to his bungled attempt at corporate espionage, Jerry Dan entangles Hannah in a whirlwind of events, eventually pulling her into a treasure hunt that may be tied to a complex fraud. Assault and murder ratchet up the ante, and soon Hannah is in such deep water, not even her trusty kayak can keep her afloat. With careers and lives on the line, Hannah must unravel the schemes before it is too late.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

Boredom and Playboy magazine are the reasons I became a writer. While I was in Finland at a month-long ski-training camp, someone stole the bag of books I had brought to read. The only English-language material available was a stack of well-thumbed Playboy magazines. I read them all—the articles really are good—then decided if there weren't any books to read, I'd write one. So I skied during the days (which were only a few hours long at that latitude) and typed when it was dark. Four weeks later I had a draft of Heir Apparent, the first Pinnacle Peak mystery. It sold, so I wrote Family Claims. That book won a writing contest, which opened several doors.

Do you experience self-doubts regarding your work?

I don’t think I ever experienced self-doubt. (I have a big ego.) It is more about the struggle to get the book in my head onto the page. I keep expecting it to get easier. It doesn’t.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I wish I had known about/attended one or more of the mystery/crime conferences before I was published. They offer a wealth of information and contacts; the crime-writing community is very supportive of each other.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

It came from my cycling coach, but it applies to writing, too: “Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast.” To put it another way, don’t start writing too soon.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

“Write what you know.” Write what you want to read, what you can imagine.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

How to type. Still don’t know how. (I dictate; software translates words to text.)

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

None yet, knock wood.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

I read extensively in the crime/mystery/thriller genre. So many writers have become friends, that when I read their books, it’s like spending some time with them.

I also enjoy history, science, economics, biography/memoir, and poetry.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

In terms of recent work? “A Trader’s Lot,” my short story in the Wall Street Noir anthology, because it reflects a new direction in my writing (corporate crime). And the upcoming Pinnacle Peak book, False Fortune for the same reason—I did something a little different (amped up the pace). In both cases, the reviews were very good, which is always nice.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Not really; I’m still happy (and slightly amazed) to have been invited to the party.

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

I outline, so I always know how the story is going to end (I know where the protagonist will end up—emotionally and in fact), and generally the path that I am going to take to get there. I start with a three-act structure, then expand it until I have a fairly comprehensive chapter-by-chapter outline that is essentially a very short (15K-20K word) first draft. Of course, the finished book is never exactly like the one outlined, or the one in my head for that matter, either. No matter how carefully I plan, detours or unexpected events always crop up along the way.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I love to tell stories and to entertain. I want to take readers away from their lives and bring them into a different world, meet characters they can identify with or find appealing, as well as ones who frighten or repel. There are deeper messages in the books, but I don’t want to preach. If a reader learns something new (such as a sport), sees something familiar (like family) in a new way, or takes a moment to consider a larger social issue, that’s a bonus.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

No. It would be like giving up breathing.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

I really enjoy coming up with the initial idea, expanding it to the long outline. And there are few feelings that compare to typing “The End” at the end of a first draft, or hitting the “Send” key to dispatch a completed book or story to an editor.

Least favorite? Does not having enough time count? An extra twenty-four hours in every day would give me a chance to achieve all that I want to accomplish.

How much marketing/publicity do you do? Any advice in this area?

Quite a bit. Hand-selling by booksellers and word-of-mouth are extraordinarily effective.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

A reader in Wisconsin told me she missed her cow calving (she was sitting on a hay bale outside the stall door) because she was engrossed in Family Claims.

Parting words?

Writing: do it every day, if only for fifteen minutes.