AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR M.E. PROCTOR

Today we sit down for a chat with crime, detective, and mystery author M.E. Proctor whose also dipped her pen in short fiction and a 4-book dystopian science fiction series. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

There was no lightning strike! I slid into it …

 

I’ve been writing all my life—advertising, corporate communications, freelance journalism. I wrote short stories on the weekends, to relax. I didn’t think I had the stamina or the time for a book-length project. Then, I took an intensive writing class (5 days a week for a year) to get professional feedback on my work. The Monday evening session was focused on novel writing. A few months later, I had a short crime novel, and I thought, okay, I can do long form after all. 

 

Soon after, a friend suggested we write a science fiction book together. He never followed up on the idea, but I had caught the bug and did it on my own. It led to the 4-book Savage Crown series. At that point I had completely given up on short stories. Ten years ago, with the science fiction saga concluded and out of my head, I went back to writing crime, both books and short stories. There’s spillover, characters from the crime stories find their way into the books.  

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

That’s a hard question because it depends on how you look at the timeline. 

 

I started the science fiction series thirty years ago. I don’t think that counts. My querying efforts were non-existent. I lived in Europe at the time and sending stuff via snail mail with prepaid international vouchers was like climbing Mt Everest. The eBook of Elymore, the first episode in the SF series, came out thirteen years ago when Kindle publishing became an option.

 

I believe what happened with Love You Till Tuesday is more representative of what authors looking at publication face today. I imagined the main character, Houston PI Declan Shaw, in 2014. I wrote three books with him in the starring role before this one. I started working on LYTT in 2020 and found a publisher in 2021. It languished in limbo for two years and the publishing contract expired. Shotgun Honey took the book on board last year. It released in August. I’ve been living with Declan Shaw for ten years. I know him very well by now.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Hybrid. Family and Other Ailments and Love You Till Tuesday are traditionally published. The Savage Crown series was independently published.

 

Where do you write?

I don’t have an office or designated writing spot. I live on a lake in Texas, and the view is stunning. I either use a corner of our big dining room table, sit on the back porch, or nestle in a big chair in the sitting room. And my laptop goes with me everywhere. 

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I’ve never been able to work in complete silence. The hush of a library stresses me. I’m used to having people around me, chatting, TV sounds. I often have music on when I write, movie soundtracks and jazz mostly. Moody songs too, nothing that hops or makes me want to sing along.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

I often use snippets of memories in short stories. They help me create a mood or set a scene. Riding my bike by the railroad track, the sound of roller skates on uneven concrete, sugary doughnuts … that kind of thing. The shred of memory is never the entire story, just a touch of color. In Love You Till Tuesday, the inciting event comes straight from a news headline. I will not reveal what it is because the reader will not find out about it for a while. I’ve also given my main protagonist some of my own personality traits, his impatience in particular, and taste in films, food, and music. We have a lot in common, good and not so good. 

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

I avoid character names that end in S or Z because possessives are clunky: Zeiss’s, Parsons’s, Miles’s. It gets annoying. For the rest, I have few rules. I prefer plain first names: Frank, Kate, Jack, Annie, Steve. No names that sound the same, no Lenny and Benny, Carol and Clare. I will borrow the last names of people I know, if they sound right for the character’s personality. The “harmony” is important. How does the name ring when said aloud, is it smooth or does it rankle? My main character’s name, Declan Shaw, felt right, balanced, from the start. I didn’t spend more than five minutes on it. 

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

Real settings, or close to real. Love You Till Tuesday takes place in Houston where I lived for twenty years. The plot moves through several neighborhoods. The next book in the series is set in a fictional town with features similar to a couple of real ones.

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

Declan is a Texas PI who hates guns (for good reasons) which strikes people as odd. On the other hand, he keeps a hunting knife in his cowboy boots, so he’s not completely toothless.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

You should ask my husband. I’m sure he can come up with a few. I’m blissfully blind to my own quirkiness.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Hard choice. I am head over heels in love with Tana French’s Faithful Place. She wraps a murder investigation around rich and complex family relationships and every character is wonderfully multi-dimensional. There’s so much heart in that book, and yet it’s never over-sentimental. The writing is so crisp and sharp. I’m in awe. 

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

I wish I’d started writing crime stories sooner. As a reader, it’s my favorite genre and I grew up surrounded by classic noir novels. Maybe that’s the problem, maybe I was intimidated.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Not being able to watch classic French movies on cable. Tomorrow, I might give you another answer.

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Beyond the indispensables, like food, water, and shelter? I’ll need my reading glasses and a couple of good books. Lord of the Rings and Seven Pillars of Wisdom. That should keep me going until a cruise ship shows up on the horizon.  

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

A six-month stint at an ad agency where I fought with my sabotaging boss every single day. I slammed the door very hard on my way out.

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why?

Arsène Lupin, the original character written by Maurice Leblanc. He’s perfect. A smart thief, an occasional detective, fun, romantic with a wink, a bad boy with a sense of humor. I read the books as a kid, I reread them often as a grown up and I have just as much fun on my multiple visits. Now that I think about it, Declan owes a lot to Lupin. I definitely have a type!  

 

Ocean or mountains?

Ocean, no contest. I never get bored looking at water.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

City girl, but I hate traffic and crowds and standing in line for everything and public transport, and it’s so nice by the lakeside, so …..

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

More in the Declan Shaw series. Catch Me on a Blue Day is slated for a 2025 release. Hopefully we’ll keep going after that. Then there’s a retro-noir novella written in collaboration that will come out in September next year, Bop City Swing. I’m looking forward to that. And I’m considering another short story collection geared towards horror and speculative fiction.  

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

I love burying myself in writing a book. There’s a moment in a first draft, about one third down, when the characters and the plot gather speed. It’s a great feeling. Then, after the first draft is done, comes a lull. Some kind of intermission. I go back to writing short stories, to clear my head. I take a break from my main character. I’m unfaithful for a while. Eventually, I go back to him, and we fall in step again. I like that dance.

 

Love You Till Tuesday

A Declan Shaw Mystery, Book 

The murder of jazz singer April Easton makes no sense, and yet she appears to have been targeted. Steve Robledo, the Houston cop in charge of the investigation, has nothing to work with. Local PI Declan Shaw who spent the night with April has little to contribute. He’d just met her and she was asleep when he left. The case seems doomed to remain unsolved, forever open, and quickly erased from the headlines. And it would be if Declan’s accidental connection with the murder didn’t have unexpected consequences. The men responsible for April’s death are worried. Declan is known to be stubborn and nosy. There is no telling what he’ll find if he starts digging. He must be watched. He might have to be stopped. He’s a risk the killers cannot afford. The stakes are high: a major trial with the death penalty written all over it.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH HARRY BRONSON FROM L.C. HAYDEN'S HARRY BRONSON THRILLER SERIES

Today we sit down for a chat with Harry Bronson from the Harry Bronson Thriller Series by author L. C. Hayden.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

I was a homicide detective in the Dallas Police Department. I loved my job, but not my supervisors. They were too political for my taste. If the bad guy was the President of the U. S., I’d still go after him. The heck with politics. But no, my boss would say, “Leave it alone. Stand down.” I hate that phrase: stand down. So I’d ignore it. I’d get the bad guy, but at the same time, I’d be in deep guacamole.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

The fact that I don’t discriminate. If you’re the bad seed, I’ll go after you with all I’ve got. Folks tell me I’m stubborn in that way. Bein’ stubborn isn’t a good thing, you know? But for me, it’s the best. That’s how I get them all the time. Stubbornness and the use of my brains. Perfect combination.

What do you like least about yourself?

Havin’ to lie to the love of my life, my wife Carol. But sometimes, you know, the job requires those little white lies. I tell her I’m in no danger when in reality, I’m in a hole so deep, I’m not sure I can get out. But she stands by me. She’s the best. And between you and me, I’m pretty sure she knows the truth. I can tell that by the number of gray hairs she carries on that pretty head of hers.

  

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

My author, this L. C. Hayden—she’s always puttin’ me in a pickle. Each book challenges me further and further, and I face some really tough situations. For instance, in my latest adventure called When Memory Fails, I’m tryin’ to help my nephew and his fiancé locate a hidden ledger that will reveal all of the transactions done in the past. People were killed. Money was stolen. Land was confiscated. If this information is revealed, the powerful Lazzarones will be ruined. But the fiancé, you know, she wants to right the wrongs. So I’m helpin’ them locate this ledger. 

The search leads us to a ghost town where we meet The Hermit, the keeper of the ghost town. Then bang! The house I go in to save The Hermit explodes and I’m thrown out. When I land, I hit my head very hard. When I regain consciousness, I find myself in this ghost town. I don’t know how I got there, where I am, or even why. But worse, I don’t remember who I am. Can you imagine how horrible that felt? Not knowin’ who you are—that’s somethin’ I don’t wish on anyone, even my enemies.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

I’m not sure you’d call it arguin’, but we do have a lot of discussions. L. C. is pretty good when it comes to that. She lets me have my way. She knows I’m the trained detective so I know what I’m doin’. In fact, I’d say, often she sits to write and has no idea where she’s goin’. So she says, “I’m listening, Bronson.” And I take her where the story should go.

What is your greatest fear?

I’m always scared that someone will try to harm my family just to get to me. It has happened before, and I’m afraid it can happen again. I’m fiercely protective of my family: that’s my wife and our two married girls and their families.

I’ve got some really good friends who are more like family to me. So I’m very protective of them, too. Anybody crosses that line, man-oh-man, you better watch out!

What makes you happy?

I remember takin’ my little girls to see those Walt Disney movies. You know the ones: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty—all those. In the end, they all lived Happily Ever After. It made them giggle.

That’s the way I feel when a case is solved and the bad guys are in jail or permanently disposed of. Everythin’ has been restored to its proper place. You know, Happily Ever After.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

There’s a hole in my heart that will never be healed. In one of my recent adventures, When the Past Haunts You, I reconnect with my long-lost sister. Of course, I never told anyone about her—not even Carol. Then, after all these years, Lorraine reaches out to me. Naturally, I refuse. What she did was unforgiveable. 

She begged for my help, but I was too stubborn to bend. Too late I realized I never stopped lovin’ her. I’ll always be her Big Bro. But by then—well, you’ll just have to read that adventure to get the full story. It pains me too much to even think about it.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

That would have been a super easy question to answer if I was still workin’ for the Dallas police department. The chief there was such a political figure. Didn’t matter if the bad guys got away so long as we didn’t step on any important toes.

But now that I’m retired, that’s a really hard question. I guess you would say the characters who bug me the most are the ones I’m pursuing at the moment. I zoom in on them and won’t let go. No matter what.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

That would be Carol. She’s wise beyond her years. She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it. Me? I have to dig and search. Not Carol. She’s a great wife and mother. 

In fact, and this is just between you and me, she’s the only one who can get the better of me. If I don’t want to do somethin’ that needs to be done, she finds a way for me to do it and makes me think I came up with the idea. One of these days, I’m goin’ to have to reverse that role, but I just don’t know how.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

That would be the award-winning and bestselling L. C. Hayden. We are so close that sometimes I actually think she’s real. Crazy, huh? Besides writing the Harry Bronson Thriller Series, she also writes the Aimee Brent Mystery Series, and the Connie Weaver Thriller Series, and she also writes nonfiction, an inspirational series about miracles and angels, children’s books, and a whole bunch of other books in various genres. She’s got a great website where you see all her books and find her social media links.   

What’s next for you?

Remember how a little while ago you asked me what I’m afraid of? I told you I fear for my friends. That’s where I am now. Mike, my ex-partner who is like a brother to me, is deep in trouble. Looks like he’s gone bad, but this is Mike we’re talkin’ about. That’s just not possible. But all the evidence points to him. I’m not quite sure how to help him. My author is only done about one-third of the adventure and neither she nor I know where it’s goin’ to end. Frankly, I’m worried.

When Memory Fails

A Harry Bronson Thriller

When Sandra Sechrest discovers the terrible secret about her family’s ancestors, she’s determined to right the wrongs. She seeks the help of retired cop Bronson. Along with Bronson’s nephew, they travel to a ghost town in Colorado to unearth the secrets buried there. But Sandra’s family, led by the evil Bobbi Lazzarone, will do anything to guarantee that Sandra fails—anything, including murder.

Suddenly Sandra, Daniel, and Bronson are thrown into a world filled with deception and danger. Bronson swears to protect the young couple at all costs, but when the house he’s at explodes, Bronson is left for dead, and Daniel and Sandra are forced to fend for themselves.

When Bronson regains consciousness, he can’t remember who he is, where he’s at, and why he’s there. Will he regain his memory in time to save Daniel and Sandra? Or has he finally met his match When Memory Fails?

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR SANDRA de HELEN

Sandra de Helen is the author of mysteries, short stories, poetry, and plays and claims to have a cat who can type. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.  

I'm happy to announce the publication of The Illustrious Client, the second book in my Shirley Combs/Dr. Mary Watson mystery series. My protagonist and her narrator are female versions of A. Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. The series is set in the current day in Portland, Oregon -- where I also live. In fact, it was the similarity of Portland's weather to London’s that gave me the idea for this series. I'd been daydreaming about who my detective would be in my first mystery novel. Who but the best in the world? Only modern day and female.

The first book --The Hounding -- is descended from Doyle's The Hounding of the Baskervilles. In my book, the victim is an actual descendant of the original Baskervilles. If you're a Sherlock fan, you'll find some similarities to the original stories, but you don't have to be a Sherlock fan to enjoy my books.

The Illustrious Client is a twenty-year old French pop star smitten with an older, richer player. Her parents hire Shirley to try to pry Oceane Charles away from Zaro Sadozai because they fear she has fallen under Zaro's sway. They think Oceane's career, and maybe even her life, are at risk. Shirley and Mary fly to France to meet with the parents, then almost immediately have to fly back to Portland to meet with Oceane, who is on Zaro's super yacht at the Portland waterfront.

The books are populated with diverse characters, including gay, lesbian, and people of color. In the second book, Mary discovers her latent lesbianism. Shirley remains asexual, intellectual, and not terribly social.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--INTERVIEW WITH RETIRED L.A.P.D. OFFICER AND AUTHOR KATHY BENNETT

Award-winning author Kathy Bennett is no stranger to murder and mayhem. She served twenty-nine years with the Los Angeles Police Department - eight as a civilian employee and twenty-one years as a sworn police officer. Law enforcement personnel laud her authentic stories of crime and suspense for “getting it right.” Kathy has performed many interrogations. Today she subjects herself to one of ours. Learn more about Kathy and her books at her website and blog.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

Sometime in the early 1990's. I was in a bad marriage and began reading a lot of romance novels. Like many people, I thought to myself, I could write a book like this.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

After retiring from a career as a police officer for the LAPD, I published my first book, A Dozen Deadly Roses in June of 2011.

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

I've self-published all three of my books. With that said, I had a team of people behind me, helping me to produce the best books I could deliver.

Where do you write?

Most of the time I write in my home office. Occasionally, I'll write on my laptop while sitting in my recliner or lying in bed.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I prefer to have it quiet while I write. I have noise-cancelling headphones for when the dogs bark or a teenager in the neighborhood wants everyone to listen to the horrible music blasting from their vehicle.

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

I would say that all of my books have bits and pieces of real events and people in them. However, I take the best tidbits and patchwork them into my books, creating a literary Frankenstein. No one would ever recognize themselves in my books, and as for events, most of the time they're disguised as well.

Describe your process for naming your character?

I love naming characters. So much about a person can be visualized with the right name. There's a big mental image difference between Lance Steel and Larry Limply. I choose names very carefully, often using a computer name generator. I can go through hundreds of names to find the perfect combination.

Real settings or fictional towns?

I like writing real settings. I think readers get a kick out of 'seeing' places they know in books. I also think knowing the locations, or at least the area, can draw a reader into a book more easily.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

One of the characters who appears in several of my books, a detective named Darius Cutter, likes to woo women with music sung by Barry White.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I don't have any :-) , but my family would tell you something different. My quirkiest quirk…I often 'talk' for our animals, saying what I think they'd say in a voice that I think they'd use - if our 'four-legged kids' could talk.

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. I've read the book over twenty times. I'm sure I'm not alone in re-reading the story of Scarlett and Rhett. If their epic tale captivated me so much, I'm sure it's influenced many others as well. I'd love to have that kind of impact.

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

I was speaking in front of a group of about two hundred people – many of them my peers. I was supposed to talk about my latest book. The only problem was, I couldn't remember a thing about the book, my characters, or what the story was about. It was a true case of going brain dead. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.

Even worse, it was the first day of the event. All weekend I imagined people were pointing and whispering, "That's the poor girl who can't speak publicly and doesn't have a clue what her books are about."

I was imagining that, right?

By the way, I can speak very well in public and have done so before and since that unfortunate incident. And I do know what my books are about.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

I've mellowed over the years. Now, the thing that gets me most upset is people not taking responsibility for their actions.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Food, fresh water, and fire. I'm very good at entertaining myself.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

For a very brief period of time I was a waitress at a Bob's Big Boy restaurant. I didn't like being a server and was lousy at it. I'm sorry to those of you who had me bringing you your food. I really was doing my best.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

There are too many to select just one.

What’s your favorite movie?

It depends upon my mood. When I'm looking for a laugh, Airplane, Elf or Meet the Parents are good choices.

What’s your favorite TV show?

Hmm…right now, probably Gold Rush. I keep telling my husband, if I were younger, I'd go up to Alaska and hunt for gold. I'm rooting for Parker to hit it big.

Who’s your favorite actor?

Not sure if these folks count as my favorite, but they're the most versatile…Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.

What’s your favorite song?

Wow, my brain almost exploded trying to come up with just one. There are SO many songs I love. I can't make a choice. I can say it would probably be a soft pop star from the seventies or a true western singer from the 1950's or 1960's…or earlier.

What’s your favorite food?

I'm so tempted to say donuts because, after all, I was a cop, and I do love a good donut. However, I'd have to go with pizza – preferably plain cheese…oh, wait! Mexican food is also one of my favorites. I think it's the Margaritas that I like best!

Ocean or mountains?

Mountains all the way. Although I've always been afraid of driving my car off the side of a mountain. I suspect I saw that happen in a movie when I was a little girl and it stuck with me.

City girl or country girl?

I think I'm a mixture of both…but I probably lean more toward a country girl.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Writing more books, my husband's retirement, a new grandchild…what more could I ask for?

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

When writing my books I work very hard to keep the reader guessing. Never assume that a beloved character is automatically 'safe.' I write about the police, crime, life and death. And just like real life, the situations aren't always pretty or predictable, but my stories are authentic and, I hope, entertaining.

A Deadly Justice

A brutal murder. A rash of sophisticated burglaries. A serial rapist.

Little does veteran LAPD Detective Maddie Divine and her new partner, Jade Donovan, realize that a single thread tie the crimes together. But as their investigation digs deeper and the cases begin to unravel, they threaten to expose one of Maddie’s darkest secrets and force her to confront a truth she’s tried desperately to bury.

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