Repeat Offender: F.T. Bradley

Internal Affairs has been doing some investigations and found out we have to call one of our own authors (who works for this very site!) back in for questioning. Though we usually let our suspects go with a warning, we found this author has plenty to answer for. Hopefully, we'll get some clues about how authors write more than one mystery while keeping the stories fresh and interesting.

To answer our questions, we're bringing in Repeat Offender F.T. Bradley, author of Double Vision (Harper Children's). Along with writing, F.T. Bradley works on Sleuths, Spies and Alibis. You can read more about her in our About Us section. If you'd like to be caught up on her last interrogation (or read it all over again), you can find it right here.



Before we bring her in, you can read about her new book here:

 Washington, DC. Where spies are everywhere.

Lincoln Baker is just a regular kid. Okay, so he had this one undercover mission in Paris and, sure, he might have saved the world, but that's ancient history. He's done being a junior secret agent for Pandora.

The trouble is, Pandora isn't done with him. They've received a threat on the president's life from an agent named Dagger. Now they want Linc to go to Washington, DC, to protect the first daughter, Amy. As if that's not enough, George Washington's legendary coat, rumored to make its wearer invincible, is missing. Pandora needs to find it before Dagger does. Unfortunately for Linc, his by-the-book agent nemesis, Ben Green, is already on the case.

With Amy's help, Linc will have to dig deep into the history of America's first spies to beat Ben at his own game and stop Dagger before it's too late.

Is your second mystery part of a series or is it a standalone?

Double Vision: Code Name 711 is the second book in my MG adventure series featuring Linc Baker. This book was a blast to write--largely because Linc is such a fun character, but also because it allowed me to get lost a bit in my research on Washington, D.C. and George Washington. 

In each Double Vision book, Linc has to find the double of a famous artifact, only the double has mysterious powers. This double of George Washington's coat makes its wearer invisible... Cool, right?

What did you find most challenging about writing this novel? How did you overcome this challenge?

At first, I wasn't too inspired when I started researching George Washington. No disrespect to our first president, but he looks a little serious on the dollar bill... So that was challenging.

But then I started researching Washington, and found out he was a spy in the Culper Ring, a group of deep cover spies during the Revolutionary War. George Washington was code named 711. Once I had that bit of information, I was completely inspired. The research drove the story, honestly.

What did you find easiest about writing this novel?

Linc really makes the writing a breeze--his funny voice, crazy antics, and great heart are the best part of the Double Vision series. He may be a troublemaker, but he always does the right thing. Letting him run with the story during the first draft is always the best (and easiest) part.

Did you approach this novel differently having already written and published one mystery? Or did you use more or less the same approach?

Having established my main characters made it easier. I just had to stay true to Linc, Ben, Henry and the agents of Pandora (the top-secret organization tasked with retrieving the dangerous artifacts). The most challenging part of writing a series is making sure that the second, third, etc. books also work if you haven't read the first, but not boring your devoted fans with too much explanation. 

My process otherwise was pretty similar: I start with an interesting location, historical figure and artifact, and plot an exciting thriller from there. And then I add some cool gadgets--every spy needs those...

What are you most proud of in this book?

Finding that nugget of history, that George Washington gave orders to the Culper Ring, allowed me to bring history to life. I was able to show that just like Washington, Linc has a very strong moral compass: he does what he knows is right, even when the outcome isn't certain. That takes guts and character. 

I'm most proud of making George Washington and his choices and bravery relevant today. I hope the book connects with readers, and that it might make its way into a classroom or two. George Washington is cool.

Okay, F.T. It looks like we're going to have to let you go again... but if we catch you writing another mystery novel we're going to have to haul you in for further questioning!

Want to win a fabulous DOUBLE prize? Fleur's publisher is giving away a copy of DOUBLE VISION and the sequel CODE NAME 711. Click on the Rafflecopter thingie to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interrogation Room #34: Deron Hicks

Guess who's in our Interrogation Room today?

 Oh, wait, sorry. Wrong mug shot. It's actually this guy:

That's Deron Hicks, one of the mystery writers here on this blog. But this time, we, as an organization, are guilty.

Our crime? We somehow neglected to interview Deron Hicks about his first middle grade mystery novel, SECRETS OF SHAKESPEARE'S GRAVE (Houghton Mifflin) when it came out last year! Okay, so Deron wasn't blogging with us back then. Still, it's no excuse. His wonderful Shakespeare Mysteries series was launching, and we let him slip through our hands.

Not this time. Deron's second book in the series, TOWER OF THE FIVE ORDERS, just released this week, and we've brought him in here for a long-overdue questioning!

First, here's a bit about TOWER OF THE FIVE ORDERS:

Colophon Letterford’s life changed overnight when she uncovered Shakespeare’s lost manuscripts. Now the authenticity of those manuscripts is in question . . . and the centuries-old family publishing business is in danger. In this exciting mystery, thirteen-year-old Colophon travels from Oxford’s lofty Tower of the Five Orders to the dank depths of London’s sewers in her pursuit of truth and honor. But the stakes are high. Budding cryptologists, Shakespeare fans, and mystery lovers alike will revel in the twists and turns of this fascinating middle grade sequel to Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave.

And from the Deron Hicks file:
Deron lives in Warm Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two children. He has a degree in painting from the University of Georgia and a degree in law from Mercer Law School. Deron currently serves as the Inspector General for the State of Georgia. 

And now for Deron's long-overdue questioning!

Your Shakespeare Mysteries cover a dazzling amount of time and space. What kind of research did you do for this series? Do you visit the places you are writing about?

Visits to the various locations described in my books -- Mont Saint-Michel, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Cambridge, and London -- have played an essential role in my research and perhaps, more importantly, in the inspiration for the books. There is simply no substitute for going somewhere like Oxford and experiencing it in person. On my trips to England, I would rush back to my hotel each evening after a day of traveling and try and record every detail from the day in my journal -- where I ate, how I traveled, the weather, the people I met, the places I visited . . . everything. I've also found that the staff at the various locations can be very generous with their time and knowledge. I once had a question about a painting at Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University. One of the administrators at the college offered to show me the painting in person. I spent a wonderful morning getting a behind the scenes tour of the college. It actually became a chapter in my second book -- TOWER OF THE FIVE ORDERS. Books, of course, continue to be a primary resource for research, although the Internet has proven to be a great vehicle for teaching obscure issues.

What was the original seed of this series? Do you remember where you started? 

I have a tendency to pick a topic and then read as many books as I can reasonably find about that topic. (I once spent six months reading a series of books about Einstein's Theory of Relativity. My wife thought I was crazy). For most of my life, I was not a fan of Shakespeare. However, a few years back, I ran across Bill Bryson's book on Shakespeare -- THE WORLD AS STAGE -- and decided to give it a try. I was hooked. Shakespeare came alive. I then read another book about Shakespeare, and then another and another. I was in the middle of this endeavor when I had the idea for the final chapter in SECRETS OF SHAKESPEARE'S GRAVE. It just popped in my head. I wrote the final chapter, liked it, and simply decided that I should write the rest of the book. My daughter was in middle school at the time, so I wrote the story with her in mind as the audience.

What's your favorite Shakespeare play? (Or character?)

It changes constantly, but I have always enjoyed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. It has a timeless quality to it.

What do you find to be the hardest part about writing mystery novels for a younger audience? And what's the best part?

The hardest part is trying to balance a realistic view of the world (which can sometimes be dark and violent) with age-appropriate content and language. I always have my own children in mind as I write, and I want young readers to see a world that is realistically portrayed without resorting unnecessarily to gore, violence, or other mature topics.

The best part of writing for a younger audience is, in some weird way, the same as the hardest part. I was an art major in college. Sometimes a professor would challenge us to paint with a limited color palette, which is very similar to trying to convey a realistic view of the world without bowling the reader over with some of the darker, more mature elements. I found the use of a limited color palette liberating and a stimulus for real creativity. I think the same is true in writing for younger readers. There are certainly limitations as to what may or may not be appropriate, but those limitations can serve to further the creative process, not hinder it.

Did you find writing the second mystery in the series easier or harder than writing the first? Did you change your process at all in writing the second book?

When I wrote my first book, I was not working on a deadline. I would write for a few nights and then forget about it for a week or two. There was no stress or pressure to finish. The second book was completely different. I had a specific deadline that I had to meet. To do so, I established a fairly rigid writing schedule. I had to put in at least an hour each night no matter what else was going on in my life. In many ways, this actually made the writing process a little easier. As I settled into my routine, I found that I could produce more and more every week. I didn't lose focus or drift away for a week (except, just maybe, once or twice).

What have been some of your favorite mysteries, real-life or fictional? 

Two of my favorite books are by Caleb Carr -- THE ALIENIST and THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS. Both books are set in New York City in the late 1890s, and feel as if they were written during that period. There are elements of historical fiction in my books, so I know how hard it can be to get the details right -- the dialogue, the setting, the mood, the pace, and the feel of another point in time. Carr is a master at this -- and he creates a perfect setting for his crime dramas.

Have you ever solved a "real life" mystery?

I have been an attorney for twenty years, and served as Inspector General of the State of Georgia for almost three years. In my job as Inspector General, my office investigated fraud committed against the State of Georgia. Unlike most mystery novels which compress time and events, a real "mystery" can take one or two years to solve. It's often a very slow, meticulous process. Occasionally, however, we would have our "a-ha" moment where everything would fall into place at once, which was pretty cool.

You have an interesting day job. Do you uphold justice by day and write about crime by night? How do you juggle the demands of your day job, your family life, and your writing life?

At a literary festival last year, I was grabbed by another writer and asked if we could talk for a few minutes. She had just published her first novel, as had I. We sat down at a table in the restaurant at the hotel and grabbed a cup of coffee. She asked me how I handled the demands of a day job, family, and writing. I told her that I was often stressed and simply content to make it from one day to the next. But I told her it was totally worth it. She laughed, and said she felt the same way. I think we were both happy to see that someone else was dealing with the same problems, hurdles, and struggles. But as I said, it is totally worth it.

What writing secret will you reveal only under the harsh light of this interrogation room?

I've kept a journal since I was in 5th grade. My journals are filled with decades of thoughts, impressions, ideas, drawings, and emotions. I use them to organize my research, to record story ideas, and to work through issues that I encounter as I am writing. My journals -- and the process of keeping a journal -- are essential to my writing process.

Thank you, Deron, for all your great information and insights into the mysteries of mystery writing!

For more about Deron Hicks and the Shakespeare Mysteries, here are some links to check out!
Deron's website
Also on Deron's site, a great photo gallery related to the series
Follow Deron on Twitter:  @deronhicks
Like Shakespeare Mysteries on Facebook

Repeat Offender: Jennifer Shaw Wolf, on Writing Mystery #2!

While we generally let our Interrogation Room suspects off easy, this season we're hauling a few back in to talk about the perils -- and joys -- of writing a SECOND mystery. Many authors talk about the challenge of writing novel #2 - the psychological hurdles, the new pressures of deadlines and readers' expectations. But we have a theory that mystery/thriller writers may have additional challenges writing a second book. How do they keep clues and red herrings fresh? How do they keep surprising the readers with new plot twists and reveals, without revealing all the tricks they used in book 1?

To help us answer these questions, we're bringing in writers who are publishing or writing their second novels to talk about their process and how they got through. Kicking off our "Repeat Offenders" series today is Jennifer Shaw Wolf. Jennifer is the author of the YA mystery novel Breaking Beautiful (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2012), which received high praise from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, VOYA, and others. Her new mystery, Dead Girls Don't Lie, comes out tomorrow, also from Walker. Jennifer has a degree in Broadcast Communications and lives in Washington State with her husband and four kids. You can read (or reread!) her previous Interrogation Room interview with us here.

Before we haul her in . . . here's a bit about Jennifer's new novel!

Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
 
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.
In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.



 And now . . . here's the transcript of our first Repeat Offender interrogation!




Is your second mystery part of a series or is it a standalone?
Standalone.

What compelled you to write a second mystery novel, as opposed to working in another genre?
I kind of stumbled into writing mysteries, but I’ve found that I love it. I love creating twists and turns that keep the reader guessing and I love the “who” and “whydunnitt” that you build when you write a mystery.

What did you find most challenging about writing this novel? How did you overcome this challenge?

I sold this one on proposal so I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a mystery. My biggest problem was that I doubted my ability to write another good mystery. When you write a mystery you have to work in clues and red herrings and plot twists, and all of that takes advance planning and brainpower. When I wrote BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, I pantsed the whole thing and let the story just come out (although it was heavily revised.)With a deadline, I didn’t feel like I could do that. My solution was to outline, throw out the outline, revise, outline some more, revise, revise, revise, and a VERY patient and supportive editor. It was hard, but I really like how it came out.

What did you find easiest about writing this novel?
The setting was very familiar to me. I didn’t grow up in Eastern Washington, but Lake Ridge has a lot of similarities to the place where I grew up. I felt like the characters are people I could have known when I grew up. The situations are different, but the people and places felt familiar to me, a little like being at home.

Do you think second mystery novels present unique challenges to writers? Or are the challenges the same that any second-time novelist might face?
I think second time novels are just hard no matter what they are. You have your previous story to live up to, as well as the reviewers’ and critics voices constantly in your head as you write. I think that can block even the most seasoned author. As far as writing a second mystery, I think the challenge is to not use the same clues or situations—to make it unique and keep the ending a surprise.

What are you most proud of in this book? 
That it was a struggle, but I made it work. Often this was not a joy or a labor of love, it was just a labor. There were times when I was swept up in the story and the characters and I was loving the process, but it was harder than the first book and I’m proud that I stuck it out. I really think it’s a better book because I had to push to make it work.

Do you think your third book will also be a mystery? 
 Yes. I’m completely and totally in love with the genre, the process it takes to create a puzzle, and its ability to keep a reader (especially a reluctant reader) engaged while you talk about hard situations and hard things. The two books currently in my work in progress folder are both dark mysteries.

Okay, Jennifer . . . once again we're going to clear your name and send you back into the world to write more mysteries. Hope we don't see you -- er, I mean, we HOPE to see you here again next year  . . . when you'll be a three-book, triple threat writer!

PS . . . have you entered SLEUTHAPALOOZA, our biggest giveaway yet? Help us celebrate our two-year anniversary and enter to win, or help spread the word!