Author - Handwriting Expert Sheila Lowe ~ Interviewed

Like Claudia Rose, Sheila Lowe is a court-qualified handwriting expert who testifies in forensic cases. She has more than thirty years experience in the field of handwriting analysis and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. The author of Handwriting of the Famous & Infamous, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis, her analyses of celebrity handwritings have appeared in Time, Teen People, and Mademoiselle. Her articles on Personality Profiling and Handwriting Analysis for the Attorney have been published in several bar association magazines.

Sheila's clientele includes a wide spectrum of corporate clients, mental health professionals, attorneys, private investigators and staffing agencies, among others. Her award-winning Handwriting Analyzer software is used around the world and her profiles help uncover important information in background checks and pre-employment screening. She enjoys analyzing handwriting for individuals, too, helping them understand themselves and others better.

What is your current project? Tell us about it.

I’m madly working on the third book in the Forensic Handwriting Mystery series featuring Claudia Rose (December 1 deadline—yikes). In Dead Write, Claudia goes to New York at the request of eccentric Russian matchmaker, “baroness” Grusha Olinetsky, to help her uncover why the members of her club are dying at an alarming rate.



Share a bit of your unique writing journey.

I started writing as a kid, and wanted to write mystery since I was about 14. However, life intervened and while I was getting married, having babies, then divorcing and trying to get through life as a single mom of three, most of the writing I did for the next thirty years had to do with my career as a handwriting analyst. I wrote two books and many monographs and articles on handwriting before finally returning to my original goal. The strange story of a woman I knew who had apparently committed suicide gave me the kernel of an idea, and Poison Pen was the result. The second book in the series, Written in Blood, came out in September 2008. I’m not sure when I decided to write a series, but once I got to know my protagonist, Claudia Rose and her friends, I guess I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.



What has been your biggest writing challenge and how have you overcome it?

Email. Seriously. I’m addicted to reading and immediately responding to email. Consequently, I spend at least half my day on it. It’s something I’m still struggling to overcome. Okay, the truth is, I’m not really struggling, nor even trying a little bit. I know it’s a matter of self-discipline, of closing Outlook so I won’t know when a new message has come in, but it’s rare that I actually do it.



Share a bit about your other hat. How does a handwriting analyst end up a crime story novelist?

As I said above, I’ve always wanted to write mystery, so it’s really the other way around. I got interested in handwriting analysis in high school and found it gave me a certain cachet in my social circle. Later, I got serious about it and became certified as a graphologist and then qualified in court as a handwriting expert. Along the way, I’ve learned the truth in the maxims: behind every handwriting is an individual and every individual has a story. I probably will always have a handwriting analysis practice (writing doesn’t pay all the bills yet!), but it’s fun to be able to combine the two careers.



Do you have any advice on how to turn a career into a character?

Legitimacy is important. There are dozens of cozies starring people who somehow fall into improbable situations time and time again where they have to help solve crimes. Some call it the “Jessica Fletcher Syndrome” after the beloved protagonist of the Murder She Wrote TV series (who would want to live in Cabot Cove at the rate the population there was murdered?!) Bottom line, though, if you’re going to turn a career into a character, especially if it’s an amateur sleuth, make sure there’s a good reason for him or her to be involved in criminal investigations. My character, Claudia Rose, works with attorneys, the police, and individuals, so there are plenty of opportunities for her to come into contact with crime.



With the clarity of experience what advice would you offer to the wet-behind-the-ears you if beginning this writing journey today?

It may seem like a no-brainer, but the first thing is to learn the craft. There are seemingly small but important things a writer needs to attend to, such as “leave out most of the adverbs,” it will make your writing stronger. Also, read critically the authors you like, to see what they do right. Be realistic about the market and don’t expect a six-figure advance. If you’re lucky enough to find a publisher, understand that if you want the word to get out about your books, unless you do get a big advance, you will need to invest time and money creating and implementing a publicity plan because most publishers today don’t spend a lot of money on promoting new authors.



What event/person has most changed you as a writer? How?

There are a couple of people who have changed me as a writer. My friend, Bob Joseph had numerous novels published by Random House in the 1980s—one of his books sold a half-million copies—and he’s always my first editor. Back when I discovered that writing mystery was a very different proposition from the non-fiction books I had written, Bob taught me a lot. Another invaluable resource was the mystery critique group I helped form—we keep each other honest. Then there’s writers I most admire in the genre: John Sandford, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Connelly, Jonathan Kellerman, Deborah Crombie, Tami Hoag, Patricia Cornwell. They’ve all had a strong influence on the way I write. Yet, it was Ellen Larson, an independent editor, who was finally able to show me why my book wasn’t selling (it took seven years to get it published). Ellen doesn’t pull punches, and she gets to the bottom line in a hurry. I can’t say I agree with her 100% of the time, but probably about 98%.



You wear different hats, novelist, lecturer, expert, non-fiction author, which is your favorite and why? Or which is your most uncomfortable one and why?

My favorite thing is to sit right here at my computer and write. I think that most writers, me included, are introverts, which means we are happiest when we’re or our own in our heads. But to become successful in this field, it’s vital to get out and schmooze, both with fellow writers and with readers. We love those readers! When I speak to groups, I usually talk about handwriting analysis, and show in practical ways, using handwritings of famous people, what Claudia Rose does. So it’s easy for me to to combine writing and handwriting, and wear multiple hats at one time.



Have you discovered any surefire marketing ideas that you'd like to share with us? Or have you encountered any that our readers should avoid?

If only I did have some surefire marketing ideas! Anything Internet seems to big these days, especially blogging. Because I already spend so much time at the computer and am emailing so much of the day, writing a blog daily, or even weekly, feels like a burden. However, guest-blogging, as I’m doing now, is much easier. My web master tells me that the more places you get your name, the better Google’s search engines like it, so I appreciate this opportunity.



Parting words...anything you wish I'd asked because you have the perfect answer?

I think you asked some great questions that required me to actually think : ). One thing I’d like to add is that my Forensic Mystery Series is not about handwriting analysis—after all, I wrote the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Handwriting Analysis for anyone who wants to learn what it’s all about. But at the same time, handwriting plays an important role in my stories because it allows Claudia to really understand the people she’s dealing with—especially the bad ones!