Author Interview – Madeleine McLaughlin

One food you would never eat Octopus.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. It’s original and chilling, nice for a couple of hours of horror.
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? I actually have at least six novellas in the works. Three short stories and on full-length novel. My immediate future goal is to get back to a writing schedule. My father died in 2010 and two months later, my first book, The Mountain City Bronzes, was accepted by MuseItUp Publishing. I don’t like to make excuses but I was really not able to function well after he died. I gave up my walking group and my swimming. Then six months later, my step-mom developed two different types of cancer. So it was a whole year before I could concentrate on my writing again. For the further future, I would like to write at least one thing that ‘catches on’ and makes people happy to read and unable to put down. Dream on, I guess.
What inspired you to become a writer? For many years before I became a writer, I knew I wanted to be heard and wanted to amuse or in some way share with people. Conversation didn’t satisfy me all the way, although I like to talk to people, so I thought I’d like to create something that people would like. I did painting and sculpture for a while but those art forms are mostly for people with money because once you get successful, your work costs a lot. Books are for the people and that’s what I like about them.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. There are so many rewarding experiences connected with being published. I think if I could pick one, it’s the ability to see clearly what kind of writing you should be pursuing. It’s not easy to flounder around, trying to assess what works when no one but you and your critique partners are reading it. 
What’s one piece of advise you would give aspiring authors? Just keep going. Keep working, don’t lose heart. If you see a good story, someone else will, never say quit.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Finland because I like it when it’s cool.
How did you know you should become an author? I once read something, ‘if writers don’t like you, you’re really a failure’, and so because I don’t like to judge people, I thought these are the type of people I wanted to be around.
Who are your favourite authors of all time? Emily Bronte and Harry Thompson.
Can you see yourself in any of your characters? All of my characters have some similarities with myself.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had? I once tried some experimental writing where I used only dialog. No descriptions, just dialog. “You think you look good in that red dress. Sheila outshines you in those green pants she has on.” And so on so you could get what the characters look like, etc, from dialog.
How do you react to a bad review? I feel hurt and upset but I also feel that I’ll get over it as soon as I’ve talked about it with my room mate. If you want to keep writing you have to go on, so get a good method to deal with rejection.
What do you do in your free time? Reading, Watching television. Walking and doing research.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? Why Not Try Once Again
Who or what inspired you to become an author? When I had to stay home instead of work for a living, I found I was bored most of the time, and thought the best way to deal with it was to have a job that I could do at home, at any time I wanted.
How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? I just whooped it up around my apartment, my room mate joined me. It’s the same thing I did when my manuscript was accepted.
What is your guilty pleasure? True crime books and television shows.
What is one book everyone should read? The Bible. Even if it’s just to understand the basis of our civilization.
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? One of my hobbies is genealogy and I have become fascinated by some of the ancestors I read about. My favorite is Minnie Jane Fletcher who worked as a maid for the manageress of the Strand Theatre in London, England circa 1881. In fact, I’ve started a novella based on my imaginings of what it would be like to work for such a scandalous person as an actress would have been in the Victorian age. The is also  William Griffiths Lawson or Old Griff who borrowed money from a firm for his oyster boat, then decided not to pay it back. I know you asked for one but I couldn’t decide.
What is your favorite Quote? To thine own self be true. -  Shakespeare (in case you didn’t know)
What the best advice anyone has ever given you? I think all writers have had serious psychological problems at one time or another, when I had them, I thought the way to solve them was to emigrate to another country. A woman I knew slightly, from Russia, told me “if you think you’ll escape your problems by moving, you’ll only take them with you.” That was good advice that I’ve heeded since then.

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Genre – Horror

Rating – PG

More details about the book

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