MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR SUSAN MAC NICOL

MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR SUSAN MAC NICOL

What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

I’m Susan Mac Nicol and I guess you’d say I write in the MM Romance genre. I write MF Romance too, but MM is my passion and probably where I’ll continue to expend most of my energy.

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

The book I’m interested in getting the word out about is called Not So Secret Santa. It’s being released on December 6^th and is a spin off from one of the books in my Men of London series, called Suit Yourself (book #3). It’s about sassy fashion diva Leslie Scott, who’s planning on proposing to his boyfriend of three years, Oliver Brown. Oliver is also former adult entertainment actor Nicky Starr, and he has his own website www.nickystarr.co.uk.

The proposal tends to go a little awry and Leslie had to think on his feet when everything goes off plan. I wanted Leslie and Oliver to have a real send off, as they both deserve it 😊

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

I was writing an MF detective story which involved a bisexual serial killer. I wanted to include some sexy scenes in for the killer, with a man, so needed to research how to tackle this as I truly had no idea how to write it. I started reading books by Brad Boney, Kindle Alexander and Sue Brown and became hooked on MM Romance. So I changed genre to the one I currently write it and I’ve never looked back.

Can you tell me about your Series?

It’s called the Men of London and its contemporary takes of men meeting in and around London, from different backgrounds, and working in very varied careers. The first book, Love You Senseless, was about two chefs, the second, Sight and Sinners, was about a psychic and an investigator. It’s very much about men in relationships, learning to come to terms with who they are, and the overwhelming message is about respect for each other.

Do you have a favorite book out of this series?

I do love Feat of Clay, which is a thriller/suspense story featuring one very damaged man. It’s also about a couple with an existing relationship and I enjoyed writing about two men who already knew each other and already had a bunch of neuroses, control issues, and deep love for one another.

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for your series?

I can’t take the credit for this one. My publisher, Boroughs Publishing Group, suggested writing about London, a city I love and I simply took the idea and ran with it.

What kind of research did you do for this series?

I research each and every book I write, and this series was no different. There are a lot of different aspects running through the series, from anosmia in Love You Senseless, to drug cartels in Feat of Clay and being blind in Damaged Goods. Cross to Bare was about cross dressing and Hard Climate was about ecological impacts. I research each topic exhaustively and hang around in forums and speak to people who’ve actually experienced what I’m writing about.

Was it always meant to become a series?

Yes, it was. It started out as 8 books and is now 10, and no doubt there will be more.

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

I wrote most of my books (I’ve written over 25 so far) while I was employed full time. It’s only recently I’ve reduced my day job to two days a week. My typical writing day would have been to go to work, come home, and then write until the small hours of the morning to get the words down. Weekends would have been earmarked for more intense writing. Now, I have the luxury of getting up, having breakfast, settling down at my dining room table to power up my laptop, looking out onto my lovely English country garden, and writing. I use an application called Pacemaker to measure my daily word count and I do try and stick to this.

Where do your ideas come from?

Like all writers, I think ideas come from people and events around us. A chance comment overheard in a pub, something you see on television, a news story that appeals.

Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

I have written MF, MM, paranormal, contemporary and thriller/suspense. I’m currently writing a detective series, and have plans to write a Victorian Steampunk story, with a touch of horror. So I’m constantly testing my boundaries and writing something different.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

It’s finding the motivation to write. Real Life brings with it so many challenges, so much external stimulus, that setting aside the time to put words on the screen is a constant struggle.

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I do like book trailers and I have one for each of my books. You can find them down on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW20QTDv3GopseV0mRVZcOw

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Lol, without a doubt my kids. They are quirky, incredible human beings and are certainly the most rewarding achievement.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

There are so many. It opens doors than otherwise may have remained closed; I’ve made so many friends in this business and got to do so many things I otherwise wouldn’t have. Through writing, I’ve become Editor in Chief of a magazine, got to write a screenplay with an award winning actor in Hollywood, been to LA to do a book signing in an iconic Hollywood bar, visited a lighthouse, and got an in depth tour, lived in a circus….. like I say, so much to be grateful for.

Have you always liked to write?

Yes, I’ve been writing since I was a child. I still have most of it too. One of the things I’m doing at the moment with my newsletter is giving my subscribers small glimpses into early-Susan, and showcasing some of the stuff I’ve written since I was young.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

I wanted to be an archaeologist. I have a huge respect for the past, and for the old ways.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I never respond to reviews and yes, I will read them from Amazon.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just started a new detective series, one with a difference. I can’t say too much yet, but it’s a spin-off from Feat of Clay, the fourth book in my Men of London series. It will hopefully delight, enthrall and make you think because the subject matter is definitely interesting 😊

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

From Book 1 – For Fox Sake

Min-Jun stepped forward and crouched down. He reached out a tentative hand and prodded the bedraggled paw of the animal. The whole arm flopped down off the window ledge where it had been resting. A relieved smile spread across his face.

“Ha-ha,” he chuckled as the rain pelted down on him. “It is only a costume. A silly fur costume. Who would leave such a thing here, it’s—” He broke off, staring down in puzzlement at the flashing item that had attracted his eye in the first place. Further down on the ledge, the dim street light reflected off a man’s signet ring, large, silver and with something like an opal set in the centre.

Min-Jun knee-walked over to it, ignoring the dirt and mud on his jeans. Perhaps someone had lost it and he could claim it as his own. His cousin Stanley had a pawn shop in Wandsworth. If this ring was real, it might fetch enough money for Min-Jun to buy that new art set he wanted.

It was only when he saw the ring was still attached to a severed hand that Min-Jun began to scream.

Where did your love of books come from?

From my dad. He was a voracious reader, Dickens being his favourite and he instilled in me a deep love of reading and books.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Social Media. One gets so involved in making sure we build our brand, engage an audience and make friends so we develop our author platform, and sometimes we get side tracked to the extent writing is forgotten.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I don’t write to market, and I can only write the stories I want to tell, without catering to any commercial bias, or what’s popular at the moment.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

My husband would certainly tell you the title should be ‘She did it her way -again.’