Ed Lynskey is an American poet, critic, and novelist, writing mostly crime fiction. He was born in Washington, D.C. where he still lives and works. His creative work has been widely reviewed and compared with that of James Lee Burke, Daniel Woodrell, and Robert Crais. Ed took the time to answer some questions recently, and talks here about books and writing.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest crime noir Ask The Dice (Crossroad Press) is about a hit man named Tommy Mack Zane. It takes place in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Tommy Mack at middle-age is contemplating his retirement and getting out of the bloody business. His organized crime boss then, it appears, frames him for a murder, and bad things unravel from that point. Tommy Mack calls on the help of a few friends. I prefer for my protagonists to have loyal friends and/or family because I don't like the lone wolf seen going at it.
What was your motivation for writing it?
It was pretty straightforward. I wanted to take the hit man trope and put my own spin on it. The story had to remain plausible while it was unpredictable. The heavy use of back story plays a big part in the character development to show why Tommy Mack is what he is.
What are you currently working on?
I'm doing the final edits to a small town cozy mystery series. The title is Bermuda Canard and it features my two late aunties, Isabel and Alma Trumbo, as a pair of senior amateur sleuths. The first title, Quiet Anchorage, was popular enough to be my third bestselling title. That and the variety they provide in my writing schedule were enough to motivate me to extend the characters and their capers into a series. I hope readers will continue to enjoy the cozies. I'm grateful to the readers for taking a chance on Quiet Anchorage since my previously published novels were all noir and hardboiled. The reviews and reader comments were generally positive ones. I'd had some writing experience by selling multiple stories to the Dorchester Media True magazines, so my writing the cozies wasn't that much of a leap for me.
How important is a good title?
I probably attach too much significance to the book title, but I like to pick an original one. Ask The Dice is an excerpt from a conversation between Marilyn Monroe and John Huston at the Reno craps table during the filming of her last motion picture, The Misfits (1960). I like the association since both individuals were prominent in the film noir heydey. Marilyn plays the radiant girlfriend (uncredited, I believe) in The Asphalt Jungle. Anyway, that's how I came up with Ask The Dice title.
How important is a good cover?
Since I possess no artistic talent whatsoever, I depend on the cover designers to come up with the eye-catching artwork. So far, I've liked all but one of my front covers.
The design on that cover is misleading to readers, I believe. I just tell the artist my ideas, and they go off and do their thing, and it usually works out just grand.
My latest crime noir Ask The Dice (Crossroad Press) is about a hit man named Tommy Mack Zane. It takes place in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Tommy Mack at middle-age is contemplating his retirement and getting out of the bloody business. His organized crime boss then, it appears, frames him for a murder, and bad things unravel from that point. Tommy Mack calls on the help of a few friends. I prefer for my protagonists to have loyal friends and/or family because I don't like the lone wolf seen going at it.
What was your motivation for writing it?
It was pretty straightforward. I wanted to take the hit man trope and put my own spin on it. The story had to remain plausible while it was unpredictable. The heavy use of back story plays a big part in the character development to show why Tommy Mack is what he is.
What are you currently working on?
I'm doing the final edits to a small town cozy mystery series. The title is Bermuda Canard and it features my two late aunties, Isabel and Alma Trumbo, as a pair of senior amateur sleuths. The first title, Quiet Anchorage, was popular enough to be my third bestselling title. That and the variety they provide in my writing schedule were enough to motivate me to extend the characters and their capers into a series. I hope readers will continue to enjoy the cozies. I'm grateful to the readers for taking a chance on Quiet Anchorage since my previously published novels were all noir and hardboiled. The reviews and reader comments were generally positive ones. I'd had some writing experience by selling multiple stories to the Dorchester Media True magazines, so my writing the cozies wasn't that much of a leap for me.
How important is a good title?
I probably attach too much significance to the book title, but I like to pick an original one. Ask The Dice is an excerpt from a conversation between Marilyn Monroe and John Huston at the Reno craps table during the filming of her last motion picture, The Misfits (1960). I like the association since both individuals were prominent in the film noir heydey. Marilyn plays the radiant girlfriend (uncredited, I believe) in The Asphalt Jungle. Anyway, that's how I came up with Ask The Dice title.
How important is a good cover?
Since I possess no artistic talent whatsoever, I depend on the cover designers to come up with the eye-catching artwork. So far, I've liked all but one of my front covers.
The design on that cover is misleading to readers, I believe. I just tell the artist my ideas, and they go off and do their thing, and it usually works out just grand.
What's your favourite part of the creative process?
Doing the spadework (outline, character names, plot twists, etc.) and then writing the first draft are what I groove on the best. The revision cycles are a grind to me until I get nearer the end point where I feel lots of relief to be finished with it all.
What are your views on e-book pricing?
Since all my books have been brought out by publishers I have no connection with other than as the author, I don't control or influence the pricing. Ninety-nine cents to $4.99 seems to be a good range. This lean economy makes any book priced higher just wishful thinking, at least as far as my book sales are concerned.
What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?
I like meeting my different readers online and in person. I'm not sure what really works in selling books, but I have found making the promotional effort takes up scads of my time if I let it. Twitter and blogging are the two newer venues I've taken up. My twitter ID is @edlynskey. My Cracked Rearview Mirror blog is on Good Reads.
Thank you, Julie, for inviting me to participate in your ‘Q&A Feature’ on your website. It's been fun.
Doing the spadework (outline, character names, plot twists, etc.) and then writing the first draft are what I groove on the best. The revision cycles are a grind to me until I get nearer the end point where I feel lots of relief to be finished with it all.
What are your views on e-book pricing?
Since all my books have been brought out by publishers I have no connection with other than as the author, I don't control or influence the pricing. Ninety-nine cents to $4.99 seems to be a good range. This lean economy makes any book priced higher just wishful thinking, at least as far as my book sales are concerned.
What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?
I like meeting my different readers online and in person. I'm not sure what really works in selling books, but I have found making the promotional effort takes up scads of my time if I let it. Twitter and blogging are the two newer venues I've taken up. My twitter ID is @edlynskey. My Cracked Rearview Mirror blog is on Good Reads.
Thank you, Julie, for inviting me to participate in your ‘Q&A Feature’ on your website. It's been fun.
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