Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This month, my fourth book is coming out. I have written two in French, and two in English. I’m a Canadian snowbird, so when in Canada I write for that market. When in South Florida, I have a different persona. The books are not translations, they are all originals. Since I was raised in a bilingual environment, that’s the way I write also.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called BEHIND THE MASK. It’s the continuing life of my protagonist, Jason Tanner, a private investigator living on his small but comfortable yacht on the Intracoastal waterway.
The inspiration came from the last US election, during and after, where so many lies were told by politicians. It’s somewhat of a struggle between an honest county administration employee and a crooked politician.
Jason Tanner is dragged into the political world where he must discover the truth.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It may not be unusual for writers, but I write every day between 9 am and noon. I’ll walk around the neighborhood in the afternoon. I’ll do a bit of editing between 5 and 6 pm with a cocktail. It doesn’t sound unusual to me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a youngster, I read a lot of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot stories. I’m pretty certain I read ALL of the Poirot stories. I still watch some stories on TV. Later in life, I liked the books of Louise Penny and her Inspector Gamache protagonist. You can probably see a theme now. I like smart people who often win over the crooks.
More recently, while a take my daily walks, I’ve fallen in love with Audiobooks and my favorite authors are Michael Connelly and John Grisham. I don’t mind listening to a story today that I may have read ten or twenty years ago.
What are you working on now?
I’ll be writing the third novel of inspector Vaillancourt in Montreal. This time, we’ll see him at the beginning of his detective career in the early 1980s. It will be a new challenge for me as I normally write in the present. Going back some forty years, I’ll have to make certain the names of streets, of buildings, are correct. Today, I detective opens his flip phone and speed dials his superior. Back then, he’ll have to stop the car, find a phone booth and dial the office. It will be fun.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve used Facebook, Bookbub, Amazon, and my own website to promote my books with varying success. Friends, family, former colleagues are quite supportive of my writing. It’s amazing how a free ebook can entice someone to get it, but not at $0.99
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve worked in Information Technology most of my life so I appreciate the support writing applications can provide. I would recommend using a writing application instead of the more popular Word program. The writing app will allow new authors to centralize their material, document the characters and places found in the manuscript, and make automatic backups. You don’t want to write 1,000 words only to discover it disappeared.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You are never too old to learn something new.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, a true story still in the news. I’ve started the latest book by Louise Penny. And I’m listening to a Michael Connelly story.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m just starting in this career, so there are lots of things I don’t know. But I want to learn, and I attend some presentations on tools and techniques of the craft. I need to get better at timing, building up the story to a satisfying climax.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The large ones. Stephen King, Dan Brown, James Patterson, that kind of authors.
Author Websites and Profiles
RC Cameron Website
RC Cameron’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile