Author Interview ~ Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen’s mysteries have been nominated for every major award and she has won 8 of them, including both Agatha and Anthony. She currently writes two mystery series, The Molly Murphy Mysteries, featuring an Irish immigrant sleuth in turn-of the-century New York City and the Royal Spyness mysteries about a penniless minor royal in 1930’s London. The first series is dark and gritty, the second witty and funny. She also writes award-winning short stories. She is a past president of Mystery Writers of America, Norcal chapter. A transplanted Brit, she now divides her time between Northern California and Arizona.

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

The second book in my Royal Spyness series was launched July 1. This is a mystery/comedy of manners/satire once described as Bridget Jones meets Charade as told by Nancy Mitford. It features a penniless minor royal in the 1930s. Lady Georgiana is 34th in line to the throne but she is flat broke and cleaning houses incognito. This in itself is fraught with danger. But when the queen asks her to host a visiting German princess in the hopes of turning her son’s head away from “an unsuitable American woman”, poor Georgie is desperate. She has no servants, no money and certainly can’t entertain anybody. Then she meets Princess Hanni and finds she has learned her English from gangster movies, she shoplifts, flirts with anything in trousers and worse still, bodies seem to show up wherever they go. The whole thing is truly a ROYAL PAIN.
I’m currently traveling around the country speaking and promoting this book.

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.

Mine is an untypical journey with a great amount of serendipity in it. I went into BBC drama when I graduated from college, started writing my own radio and TV plays. I took my first play to the head of drama who called me in two days later and said, “Yes, we like this.” It was as simple as that. Then I moved to California and to children’s books. The first was accepted almost immediately. I acquired an agent who asked me to write a teenage novel. This proved successful. Many more followed. I tried other things until I decided to write what I like to read: mysteries. The first series was sold immediately and I’ve branched into two more series since.
I won’t say I haven’t had lean periods during my writing life but I’ve been able to provide income from writing all my life.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

I’m never sure which books are good and which are just okay, but I know that I’ve learned over the course of many years to craft a good novel.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

The main one is not to follow my heart earlier. I knew I made a solid income writing YA books so I stuck with them long after the spark had gone. I love mysteries and should have risked writing them earlier.

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

Never write something because you think it’s hot or trendy or will sell easily. You have to write where your heart is. Passionate writing shows. And besides, you can never capture a trend. By the time your book is published the trend will be over. Network. Meet other writers. Go to conferences. Be aware what is being written in your genre.

How do you craft a plot?

I start knowing very little and let my characters go ahead and interact. This may seem strange for a mystery writer but it works for me. I sometimes know who is going to be killed and why but not always. I usually know the environment. For example, in one of my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in New York in 1901, I knew Molly would go undercover in the garment industry in a case of industrial espionage, but I had no idea she’d get involved in the ladies Garment Worker’s Union or some awful strikes.

Do you begin writing with a synopsis in hand, or do you write as the ideas come to you?

See above. I sometimes have to turn in a story line so that the art director can work on a cover, but it very seldom resembles the finished book.

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

That you need to start promoting a book months before it comes out. I started to promote my first mystery the month it was published only to find that was too late. Also you need an agent who is your greatest champion. If he/she doesn’t absolutely love you, who will?

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

No, I’ve been lucky, except when my agent moved to Singapore and thought she could represent me properly from there. That was two wasted years.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

Absolutely. I don’t see how you can write if you don’t read. Particularly in your own sphere of interest. It’s important to know what direction the mystery/women’s fiction etc is taking because a publisher won’t take anything that sounds old and overdone.
And it also helps to read fine writing. One can always learn from the best.

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

I’ve had several books nominated for awards. Of those Evan’s Gate was an Edgar nominee and Murphy’s Law won the Agatha, which makes me proud of both of them. But I’m also proud of several award-winning short stories. The short story is such a demanding form and my short stories are nothing like my books. They explore areas into which I wouldn’t want to go for 400 pages and are often very dark. This is always a challenge for me.

What is your best advice on maintaining a good editor-author relationship?

Remember it’s a partnership. Hopefully you trust your editor, so be willing to mold the book between you and listen to her critiques. Don’t be too demanding, but remind her that you exist.

How many drafts to you edit before submitting to your editor?

I do one complete first draft. I give it to three people to critique, then completely revise. Then it goes to my editor.

We often hear how important it is to write a good query letter to whet the appetite of an editor. What tips can you offer to help other writers pen a good query?

It must sell the book. Too often writers just tell the story, but a prospective editor should be able to sense the excitement and pick up the tone and mood of the story. It also helps to compare it to a work with which they are familiar (If this is true. Don’t say it’s just like To Kill a Mockingbird if it isn’t.)

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

Never. I’ve been writing since I was a small child. I can’t picture a day when I don’t write.

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

Masses! Now I’ve reached the stage when my publisher promotes and tours me but until recently I toured on my own dollar, visited stores across the country, talked at libraries, did mailings, built a fan list. I have worked almost as hard at promotion as at writing.

But the one piece of advice is: keep the promotion in perspective. The most important task is to write a great book first. Then work on promoting it.

Another tip: if you’re going to tour, join with other authors. Not only do you share costs but it helps to have a support group with you.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

Many. Only last week I received a thank you letter from a woman who had been undergoing chemo-therapy and said that my books had helped her escape during these difficult months.
I’ve just been on tour and two fans drove for over 5 hours to attend my signings. That is amazing to me.

Parting words?

Write where your passion is. Network with other writers. Rejoice in small triumphs. Be realistic about your shortcomings. Not everybody will be a best seller. If only a few people read and appreciate your work, you have achieved a lot.