How difficult is it being a writer firstly, a crime writer secondly? Do you find Canadian writers have difficulties in breaking the US and UK markets?

It’s not difficult to be a writer if you have a love of writing. Which is not to say it isn’t hard work. It is. What is difficult is trying to make a decent living by the written word – ‘…Ay, there’s the rub…’ All I know is that if you want to write, you’ll write. I also think that just because you’re writing about crime doesn’t mean it can’t be a major work. John D. McDonald is one example of a wonderful writer who wrote about crime. His The End of the Night, is a small masterpiece.

Marketing is another story and as big houses merge there are fewer and fewer places to submit your work. Again, though, driven writers will ultimately find a way to get their work to readers.

US publishers have recently turned down the possibility to print a paperback of Kate Charles because she is considered "too British". What do you think about this issue and why do you think that some US publishers have this attitude towards British mysteries?

I don’t know why this attitude exists with U.S. publishers. I love British authors and American authors alike. If you write well you write well, and it doesn’t matter where you come from. For example, I enjoy both Ruth Rendell’s and Patricia Highsmith’s work very much. You’ll see some of Ruth Rendell’s books brought to life on Mystery Theatre. Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, became a Hitchcock film and The Talented Mr. Ripley is playing at the movies even as I write this.

Many younger/first time writers, as well as yourself, have started publishing their material through ebooks (basically because its the only way for some to find somebody who will publish their work). Do you think this is a good thing for literature and/or perhaps is it negative for the business?

Actually, both my books Listen to The Shadows and Nowhere to Hide were in print first, published by Zebra Books New York. When they went out of print I began to consider e-books to bring them back to readers. Like a lot of people, I was skeptical about electronic publishing, mainly because I knew so little about it. But it’s been a very pleasant experience so far, and it’s wonderful to have my books available to readers again.

As more and more writers are turning to ebook publishers, publishers will have more authors to choose from and it will all even out in the end. It’s interesting to note how many of the print publishers are planning to get into the electronic publishing side – Kensington and Dorchester, for example. Author friends tell me print publishers are now including electronic rights in their contracts.

What is your favorite book?

I always have a new favorite book. Loved Stephen King’s ‘The Green Mile’. Great story. My latest rave is Angela’s Ashes by Frank Mccourt, and it’s not even a novel, although it reads like one. Wonderfully written. Plenty of suspense, as all good books must have.

Which is the first mystery book do you think someone should read?

This is a tough one. And subjective. Although there is a strong element of mystery in my books, I really consider myself a suspense writer. I’m more concerned with ‘why he/she dunnit’ then ‘who dunnit’. I want to know ‘what happens next. Which is why we call them ‘page turners’. There is also an element of horror in my stories – no surprise then that I am a fan of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker…Shirley Jackson…Francis Fyfield…

I’m not a reader of Agatha Christie books, for example. Although I can certainly appreciate her talent.

If I’m to choose one, A Kiss Before Dying’ by Ira Levin is a fine example of a well crafted mystery/suspense novel. That wouldn’t be a bad one to start with. But if you want to write in the genre, I suggest to go to the library and take out half a dozen. When you finish those check out some more. For more traditional mysteries, you can’t do better than Lawrence Block, John D. MacDonald and Robert Parker. Your librarian can suggest others. A good librarian can be the aspiring writer’s best friend.

Which book has surprised you more either positively or negatively?

Gee, another tough one. I was really effected by the ending of ‘Cujo– I was devastated when Tad died. I think they let him live in the film, but I’m not sure. Positively? Hmmm. That would have to be Huckleberry Finn by Mr. Mark Twain.

What five books would you take with you to a desert island?

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte…Different Seasons…Stephen King… The complete works of Edgar Allan Poe …Great Expectations…Charles Dickens…The Grapes of Wrath…John Steinbeck (And then I’d be annoyed that I hadn’t bought others instead because there really are so many wonderful books out there.)

What countries/cultures fascinate you more?

Greece, Italy… England – all steeped in history. And Mystery. A writers’ dream to go to any of those places and wallow in the imagined sounds and smells of a time long past. And so much of this exciting history has found its way into literature.

Please forgive the classic "What do you think of the Bastulli Mystery Library?" question at the end.

I think Bastulli Mystery Library, so newly born, is growing into a wonderful resource for writers and readers alike. And the pages are so creative. I love the page Bastulli Mystery Library made for me. I hope everyone will take advantage of all that this great site has to offer.

Thank you very much.

© Copyright Bastulli Mystery Library 1999