Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I didn’t begin writing fiction until I retired a couple of years ago, but I’ve been writing all my life as either a journalist and freelancer or in corporate communications.
Death on a Dig is my first mystery novel. It’s set around the disappearance of a young woman from an archaeological dig in Mexico. Gwen Madden goes looking for her on behalf of the girl’s distraught mother — and discovers a kidnapping, a tale about a trove of stolen artifacts and — oh, yes — a dead body.
I’ve finished one short story — Murder in the Clubhouse, which is available for free on Smashwords.com — and I’m wrapping up another. Neither features Gwen Madden, but I have both a short story and a novella in the works with Madden as the main character. Both should be available before the end of the year.
Girls of Summer: In Their Own League is my only non-fiction book. Unlike my mystery fiction, which is self-published, Girls of Summer was published by HarperCollins. It has long been out of print, but I recently gave it new life as an ebook on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00COMHB04.
I’ve travelled in the UK, continental Europe, India, Mexico and Central America. Before apartheid was defeated in South Africa, I spent five years in Mozambique as an international volunteer, and I recently volunteered again for six months to work with a small social agency in northern India.
I retired a couple of years ago and am focusing on writing and epublishing mystery fiction.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote Death on a Dig, which is set in Mexico, because I always wanted to write a mystery. It’s by far my favourite genre. I consider that finishing the book has been a great accomplishment for me and has kept me continuing to write. Death on a Dig combines two of my favourite subjects — travel and archaeology.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m always looking for some place to write in public. I have a very comfortable office in my home, but I like the buzz of public spaces. Coffee shops are my favourite and there are a bunch of them in my neighbourhood. Unfortunately, finding a place that other people aren’t trying to turn into their own private phone booth is getting more and more difficult, so I’m having to try to make writing at home a habit.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the classics. I grew up on Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes (one of the few fictional detectives who is actually better known than his creator), Dorothy Sayers, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Raymond Chandler and Ngaio Marsh. I discovered Rex Stout a little later and to this day Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are my favourite detectives.
Another very good mystery writer, who I think is greatly underrated, is Georgette Heyer. She’s best known for her historical romances, but she also wrote a number of very good detective stories.
A couple of other favourite writers — neither of them writers of crime fiction — I must mention. One is P.G. Wodehouse, author of the Bertie Wooster and Jeeves stories. He is unsurpassed. He may not influence me as a mystery writer, but in terms of excellence, he has been a very important role model. The other writer is Jane Austen who is probably the first writer I read, enjoyed and appreciated for the quality of her writing.
What are you working on now?
After spending two years on a novel, I’ve decided I want to concentrate on short stories and novellas. I understand the value of delayed gratification, but full-length novels are too much.
Murder in the Clubhouse: A Diamond Girls Mystery is a short story about young girl ballplayers who solve a murder. It’s set in the same world as the pro ball players of WWII that I wrote about in Girls of Summer: In Their Own League. Murder in the Clubhouse is now available for free at Smashwords. I’m just finishing Amends for the Dead (that’s a working title), with a completely different protagonist and different ambience. Think Raymond Chandler.
I also have mapped out a short story and a novella with Gwen Madden as the main character.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think my web sites are the foundation of my promotion efforts, although I like Twitter a lot and it seems to work fairly well for me as a way of shepherding people towards my online books. When I look at where my traffic comes from, Facebook seems to play a significant role, which is a shame because I don’t much like it. However, I am trying to learn to use it more effectively and enjoy it more.
One web site is devoted to Girls of Summer (http://intheirownleague.wordpress.com). I blog items from my original research and am using it to help get the word out about Murder in the Clubhouse.
My mystery web site is http://www.loisbrowne.com. I have written blog posts about my experiences self-publishing, but I want to ensure that I write about things that interest readers too.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice parrots what every other writer says, most of them much more experienced than I am. Write every day; read every day. I would add that authors should avoid daydreaming about the three-month plan that will make them famous and develop a long-term plan that is much more likely to build a loyal readership.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t put your greatest efforts into promoting your first book. Wait until you have something more for people to go to once they’ve discovered you.
What are you reading now?
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m starting to do local promotion. I have a reading booked in the fall. I’ve joined a writer’s group. I’m trying to track down a couple of local softball stars of the 1940s who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for a couple of years and then disappeared. That’s research for one of my blogs, which I am really enjoying. I also need to do some thinking and planning around my main web site devoted to my mystery fiction.
What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s a difficult question because I reread favourite books on a regular basis. But if I had to name one, it would be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lois Browne Website
Lois Browne Amazon Profile
Lois Browne Author Profile on Smashwords
Lois Browne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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