Barry Metcalf's Blog, page 2
July 20, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART VI
“So this bath house dates back to Victorian times,” I said, “but why did you think it would make a good setting for my next novel?”
“I noticed,” said the cabbie, “that in your earlier novels you chose buildings with special significance as backdrops to your story. For example, Old Parliament House in Canberra where SOC headquarters are located and the Seashells Resort from BROOMETIME SERENADE.”
“And how do you suppose I might use this building?”
“Well, perhaps you could have someone drowned in the Turkish Baths, but they’re drained for routine maintenance.”
“I see. But why would the authorities bring Martin and Claire in to investigate the mysterious death?”
“Because the victim is an Aussie.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”
“It’s an interesting thought.” I tugged on my ear as I pondered the possibilities. “Why don’t you go back to the car and read INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT while I check this out further? What chapter are you up to, by the way?”
“I’ve just finished Chapter 12, the one where Robert Herrick recalls how he....”
I held up my hand for him to stop. “I know how it goes. You get back to your reading, while I check out this site.
Want to find out more? You can here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
“I noticed,” said the cabbie, “that in your earlier novels you chose buildings with special significance as backdrops to your story. For example, Old Parliament House in Canberra where SOC headquarters are located and the Seashells Resort from BROOMETIME SERENADE.”
“And how do you suppose I might use this building?”
“Well, perhaps you could have someone drowned in the Turkish Baths, but they’re drained for routine maintenance.”
“I see. But why would the authorities bring Martin and Claire in to investigate the mysterious death?”
“Because the victim is an Aussie.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”
“It’s an interesting thought.” I tugged on my ear as I pondered the possibilities. “Why don’t you go back to the car and read INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT while I check this out further? What chapter are you up to, by the way?”
“I’ve just finished Chapter 12, the one where Robert Herrick recalls how he....”
I held up my hand for him to stop. “I know how it goes. You get back to your reading, while I check out this site.
Want to find out more? You can here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
July 19, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART V
“So, this is Bolton Castle?” I studied the imposing stone structure looming before us. “What’s so special about this place?”
“Mary Queen of Scots was held captive here prior to her incarceration at Tutbury, where she spent the next eighteen years,” said the cabbie proudly.
“That’s fascinating historical data, but not quite what I had in mind for my next novel.”
“Ah,” the cabbie smiled, “but there’s more.”
“Pleased to hear it. Go ahead, enlighten me.”
“Well, I remember how you used the bizarre discovery of a skeleton in BROOMETIME SERENADE, so I thought....” He paused for dramatic effect.
“Go on.”
“Well, the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots is said to haunt this very castle.”
“Have you seen this ghost?”
“No, but the lady in the dark cloak--as the ghost is known--has apparently been seen by numerous others, including the current owner.”
“Interesting.” I scratched my chin. “Maybe I could have Martin and Claire visit here and investigate this strange phenomenon.”
“Great idea. Now, you go off and explore.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going back to my cab and read another chapter of INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT.”
Looking for the book? You'll find it here:
The Oz Files: Broometime Serenade
“Mary Queen of Scots was held captive here prior to her incarceration at Tutbury, where she spent the next eighteen years,” said the cabbie proudly.
“That’s fascinating historical data, but not quite what I had in mind for my next novel.”
“Ah,” the cabbie smiled, “but there’s more.”
“Pleased to hear it. Go ahead, enlighten me.”
“Well, I remember how you used the bizarre discovery of a skeleton in BROOMETIME SERENADE, so I thought....” He paused for dramatic effect.
“Go on.”
“Well, the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots is said to haunt this very castle.”
“Have you seen this ghost?”
“No, but the lady in the dark cloak--as the ghost is known--has apparently been seen by numerous others, including the current owner.”
“Interesting.” I scratched my chin. “Maybe I could have Martin and Claire visit here and investigate this strange phenomenon.”
“Great idea. Now, you go off and explore.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going back to my cab and read another chapter of INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT.”
Looking for the book? You'll find it here:
The Oz Files: Broometime Serenade
July 18, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART IV
“Why did you bring me to the railway station? I don’t need to catch a train.” I looked around. The platform was deserted other than the cabbie, myself and a woman with her hair in a ponytail sitting on one of the bench seats. The tracks were deserted.
The cabbie smiled. “I was thinking that if you brought Martin and Claire to Harrogate, you might have them come from London by train.”
“But why would they come here?” I glanced up at the sky. It was blue with intermittent patches of cloud. “I can see they might stay at the Old Swan because of the Agatha Christie connection, but what would they do while they’re here?”
“I haven’t quite worked that part out yet, but I will.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “I recall that in BROOMETIME SERENADE they were lured to Broome by Wanda Jean and in INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT they were searching for the murderer of that CIA agent, so maybe they’d come here to follow up on one of those cases.”
I shook my head. “Both those cases are pretty much closed, but there are a couple of loose ends I could tie up from one of their other cases.”
“Then why don’t you do that then?”
“Because I need to find something different, something strange, something unusual about the places I send my agents.”
“So that you can include some weird angle, like you did with the disappearance of the hitchhikers in the Alice Springs area?”
It was my turn to smile. “Something like that.”
His featured brightened, and he tapped me on the shoulder. “Get back in the cab. I think I’ve figured out just what you need.”
“Lead on. I’m open to suggestions.”
Want to find out more. You can here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
The cabbie smiled. “I was thinking that if you brought Martin and Claire to Harrogate, you might have them come from London by train.”
“But why would they come here?” I glanced up at the sky. It was blue with intermittent patches of cloud. “I can see they might stay at the Old Swan because of the Agatha Christie connection, but what would they do while they’re here?”
“I haven’t quite worked that part out yet, but I will.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “I recall that in BROOMETIME SERENADE they were lured to Broome by Wanda Jean and in INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT they were searching for the murderer of that CIA agent, so maybe they’d come here to follow up on one of those cases.”
I shook my head. “Both those cases are pretty much closed, but there are a couple of loose ends I could tie up from one of their other cases.”
“Then why don’t you do that then?”
“Because I need to find something different, something strange, something unusual about the places I send my agents.”
“So that you can include some weird angle, like you did with the disappearance of the hitchhikers in the Alice Springs area?”
It was my turn to smile. “Something like that.”
His featured brightened, and he tapped me on the shoulder. “Get back in the cab. I think I’ve figured out just what you need.”
“Lead on. I’m open to suggestions.”
Want to find out more. You can here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
July 17, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART III
“Where are you staying?” asked the cabbie as we left Whitby and headed back across the Yorkshire Dales.
“The Old Swan in Harrogate.”
He glanced into his rear view mirror and caught my eye. “Did you know that Agatha Christie stayed there?”
“I discovered that only this morning.”
“You could have Claire and Martin stay there.”
“I could, but what would they investigate? Any suggestions.”
“Beats me, mate. You’re the writer.”
I sighed. “I don’t feel like a writer right now. I need to find a mystery for my characters to solve. All I’ve got at the moment are a few vague ideas.”
“Want me to pick you up again tomorrow so that you can explore a few of the local tourist spots?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I started your latest book while you were off exploring on foot.”
“INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT?”
“Yep. I’m intrigued by the CIA agent who was killed in the first chapter.”
I chuckled. “Keep reading. It gets even more intriguing the further you get into it.”
Broometime Serenade
“The Old Swan in Harrogate.”
He glanced into his rear view mirror and caught my eye. “Did you know that Agatha Christie stayed there?”
“I discovered that only this morning.”
“You could have Claire and Martin stay there.”
“I could, but what would they investigate? Any suggestions.”
“Beats me, mate. You’re the writer.”
I sighed. “I don’t feel like a writer right now. I need to find a mystery for my characters to solve. All I’ve got at the moment are a few vague ideas.”
“Want me to pick you up again tomorrow so that you can explore a few of the local tourist spots?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I started your latest book while you were off exploring on foot.”
“INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT?”
“Yep. I’m intrigued by the CIA agent who was killed in the first chapter.”
I chuckled. “Keep reading. It gets even more intriguing the further you get into it.”
Broometime Serenade
July 16, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART II
“Did you know that parts of Dracula were set in Whitby?” the cabbie said as we drove past the waterfront and headed into town.
“I did.” I studied the colourful boats idly tugging at their moorings. “There’s a bench not far from that ruined church on the hilltop where the count met Mina Harker at night and sucked her blood.”
“That’s the one.” He paused as we drove past the Endeavour hotel. “So, are you hoping to find inspiration in this place?”
I chuckled. “No, I’m doing research... trying to find locations to use as a setting for my next novel.”
“You’re bringing Martin and Claire to England?” He sounded pleasantly surprised.
“That’s the plan.”
“But they’ll have no official status.... They’ll have to investigate as private individuals?”
“That’s the general idea.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to read it.”
“I haven’t even started it yet.”
“Then I’ll just have to make do with INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT until it comes out.”
“I guess you will.”
Get your copy here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
“I did.” I studied the colourful boats idly tugging at their moorings. “There’s a bench not far from that ruined church on the hilltop where the count met Mina Harker at night and sucked her blood.”
“That’s the one.” He paused as we drove past the Endeavour hotel. “So, are you hoping to find inspiration in this place?”
I chuckled. “No, I’m doing research... trying to find locations to use as a setting for my next novel.”
“You’re bringing Martin and Claire to England?” He sounded pleasantly surprised.
“That’s the plan.”
“But they’ll have no official status.... They’ll have to investigate as private individuals?”
“That’s the general idea.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to read it.”
“I haven’t even started it yet.”
“Then I’ll just have to make do with INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT until it comes out.”
“I guess you will.”
Get your copy here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
July 15, 2015
CONVERSATION WITH A CABBIE, PART I
“So you've come to England to write a novel?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Yes.” I glanced out of the window and studied the desolate landscape stretching as far as the eye could see.
“What kind of novel?”
“Oh, a mystery/thriller.”
“Is that why you've come to the Yorkshire Dales? You're researching Ian Brady and Myra Hindley?”
“No. I write fiction.”
“Ah! Anything I might have heard about?”
“INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT is my latest.”
His face creased in a grin. “Is that the sequel to BROOMETIME SERENADE?”
“Yes. Have you read it?”
“Too bloody right, mate! Can I get the new one online?”
“It's listed on Amazon.”
“Fan-bloody-tastic! I'll download it onto my phone as soon as we stop.”
Find out more here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
“Yes.” I glanced out of the window and studied the desolate landscape stretching as far as the eye could see.
“What kind of novel?”
“Oh, a mystery/thriller.”
“Is that why you've come to the Yorkshire Dales? You're researching Ian Brady and Myra Hindley?”
“No. I write fiction.”
“Ah! Anything I might have heard about?”
“INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT is my latest.”
His face creased in a grin. “Is that the sequel to BROOMETIME SERENADE?”
“Yes. Have you read it?”
“Too bloody right, mate! Can I get the new one online?”
“It's listed on Amazon.”
“Fan-bloody-tastic! I'll download it onto my phone as soon as we stop.”
Find out more here:
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
July 1, 2015
THE EVOLUTION OF WANDA JEAN, PART II
By the time BROOMETIME SERENADE--the second novel in the Oz Files series--was completed, Wanda Jean had grown in power and significance. I gave her a central role in the narrative, her sole aim to take the lives of the two meddling agents. More importantly, she was even more popular among my smattering of readers.
My original plan was to have Martin & Claire despatch Wanda Jean once and for all, to remove her from my novels--I’d come to terms with the idea of creating a series at this point--and to concentrate on other villains. Writing was already under way for the next addition to the series. I was, however, to revise this view and so I created a means by which she survived. Around this time, I remembered something about all the good books I’d read and enjoyed over the years. They all had a ‘super’ villain--a mastermind--one that continually cropped up to antagonise and confound the ‘hero’. Sherlock Holmes had Professor Moriarty, James Bond had Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Superman had Lex Luthor and Denis Leyland Smith had Dr. Fu-Manchu.
I had begun to view Wanda Jean in a new light.
The first thing I had to do was to create a back story, a childhood that would help explain both her powers and her preference for evil. I knew next to nothing about the Wiccan world, so I began researching the history of witches and witchcraft. I purchased a few books on potions and spells and tried to work out how I could include these in my books. The good thing was I could take my time and make sure I constructed my evil character correctly. The third novel in the series, INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT was about completed by this time, but Wanda Jean didn’t feature as a main character. She remained in the background, harassing Martin & Claire whenever she could.
I was still, however, worried about one aspect of the direction my novels were taking. How would the public react to a series of novels featuring witchcraft? As often happens, events outside my sphere of influence was to answer my question. At around this time, I read my first Harry Potter book. Because of the popularity of this series, I realised that my witch character was more likely to be received than I’d otherwise expected. What I needed to be careful of was not to make Wanda Jean’s magic seem a copy of Harry’s.
In the next novel, SPIRIT OF WARRNAMBOOL, I would begin the task of tackling the origins of a truly evil character.
Want to meet Wanda Jean in the flesh. You may do so here:
The Oz Files: Broometime Serenade
My original plan was to have Martin & Claire despatch Wanda Jean once and for all, to remove her from my novels--I’d come to terms with the idea of creating a series at this point--and to concentrate on other villains. Writing was already under way for the next addition to the series. I was, however, to revise this view and so I created a means by which she survived. Around this time, I remembered something about all the good books I’d read and enjoyed over the years. They all had a ‘super’ villain--a mastermind--one that continually cropped up to antagonise and confound the ‘hero’. Sherlock Holmes had Professor Moriarty, James Bond had Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Superman had Lex Luthor and Denis Leyland Smith had Dr. Fu-Manchu.
I had begun to view Wanda Jean in a new light.
The first thing I had to do was to create a back story, a childhood that would help explain both her powers and her preference for evil. I knew next to nothing about the Wiccan world, so I began researching the history of witches and witchcraft. I purchased a few books on potions and spells and tried to work out how I could include these in my books. The good thing was I could take my time and make sure I constructed my evil character correctly. The third novel in the series, INTRIGUE AT SANDY POINT was about completed by this time, but Wanda Jean didn’t feature as a main character. She remained in the background, harassing Martin & Claire whenever she could.
I was still, however, worried about one aspect of the direction my novels were taking. How would the public react to a series of novels featuring witchcraft? As often happens, events outside my sphere of influence was to answer my question. At around this time, I read my first Harry Potter book. Because of the popularity of this series, I realised that my witch character was more likely to be received than I’d otherwise expected. What I needed to be careful of was not to make Wanda Jean’s magic seem a copy of Harry’s.
In the next novel, SPIRIT OF WARRNAMBOOL, I would begin the task of tackling the origins of a truly evil character.
Want to meet Wanda Jean in the flesh. You may do so here:
The Oz Files: Broometime Serenade
June 23, 2015
WHY I WRITE THRILLERS, PART II
In 1966, I began life as a secondary school teacher. In my spare time I continued to churn out Sci-fi stories, each one an extension of the one before, each one a little more imaginative. At this point, I began to fantasise about becoming a published author, so I sent several of my tales to publishers here in Australia. The replies were usually the same: the writing was good, but alas there was no demand for that kind of writing. I hid my disappointment and lost myself in my teaching--using my imagination to invent new and interesting ways to present subject matter--all the while creating new stories whenever time permitted.
For thirty years, I continued in this manner. More and more, my time was devoted to teaching and raising a family. I spent less and less time penning stories. It seemed I had lost the desire both to write and be published. Then, in 1996, my entire life dramatically changed. I began a new relationship, I quit my job and began searching for something new to occupy my interest. Naturally enough, I turned to my old love--writing.
Almost immediately, I began working on a novel, but instead of Sci-fi, I decided to write a murder mystery/thriller. And I guess I have TV to blame for that. From 1957 on, I began to spend as much time watching TV as I did reading. There weren’t a lot of Sci-fi shows on TV at that time, but there was an abundance of westerns and a plethora of ‘cop’ shows. By the time I retired, I’d become an avid fan of American crime shows, ranging from DRAGNET to STARSKY & HUTCH through to MAGNUM PI. This diet was later augmented by an awesome parade of British shows, such as INSPECTOR MORSE, TAGGART and MIDSOMMER MURDERS. Day by day I was becoming a murder/mystery/thriller fan.
I set my first thriller in Alice Springs because this was, and still is in many ways, a remote and--to outsiders--mysterious place and one I’d wanted to visit for many years. I began doing research on the Outback township and soon discovered that numbers of hitchhikers had disappeared while travelling in the region. I was quick to weave this into my novel and suggest a possible explanation for these disappearances.
The other thing I wanted was for my two detectives to be in a relationship, aside from their roles as partners. My aim was to make them more realistic than many of the duos in the TV shows where men and women kept each other at arm’s length. This was something I’d always found lacking in TV dramas, and I think I succeeded in making my characters more believable as a result.
But I hadn’t yet decided on a villain for my first thriller. I’ll endeavour to explain how that character came into being in Part III of this series.
Enjoy this? You're sure to love my new thriller.
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
For thirty years, I continued in this manner. More and more, my time was devoted to teaching and raising a family. I spent less and less time penning stories. It seemed I had lost the desire both to write and be published. Then, in 1996, my entire life dramatically changed. I began a new relationship, I quit my job and began searching for something new to occupy my interest. Naturally enough, I turned to my old love--writing.
Almost immediately, I began working on a novel, but instead of Sci-fi, I decided to write a murder mystery/thriller. And I guess I have TV to blame for that. From 1957 on, I began to spend as much time watching TV as I did reading. There weren’t a lot of Sci-fi shows on TV at that time, but there was an abundance of westerns and a plethora of ‘cop’ shows. By the time I retired, I’d become an avid fan of American crime shows, ranging from DRAGNET to STARSKY & HUTCH through to MAGNUM PI. This diet was later augmented by an awesome parade of British shows, such as INSPECTOR MORSE, TAGGART and MIDSOMMER MURDERS. Day by day I was becoming a murder/mystery/thriller fan.
I set my first thriller in Alice Springs because this was, and still is in many ways, a remote and--to outsiders--mysterious place and one I’d wanted to visit for many years. I began doing research on the Outback township and soon discovered that numbers of hitchhikers had disappeared while travelling in the region. I was quick to weave this into my novel and suggest a possible explanation for these disappearances.
The other thing I wanted was for my two detectives to be in a relationship, aside from their roles as partners. My aim was to make them more realistic than many of the duos in the TV shows where men and women kept each other at arm’s length. This was something I’d always found lacking in TV dramas, and I think I succeeded in making my characters more believable as a result.
But I hadn’t yet decided on a villain for my first thriller. I’ll endeavour to explain how that character came into being in Part III of this series.
Enjoy this? You're sure to love my new thriller.
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
June 13, 2015
WHY I WRITE THRILLERS, PART I
As far back as I can remember I’ve always been a reader. When I graduated from the FARAWAY TREE series by Enid Blyton, I began devouring her other stories, THE ADVENTUROUS FOUR soon becoming my favourite. Sadly, there were only two novels in this series, but I think I could relate to the spirit of these four youngsters more than I could to the FAMOUS FIVE. At this time, TREASURE ISLAND was also a favourite. Deep down, I guess I wanted to live an adventurous life: I wanted to explore exotic places and outsmart the baddies.
While at primary school, I began to plot scenarios for my two sisters, my brother and myself to act out in our yard. I guess you could call these early writing experiments PLAYS WITHOUT DIALOGUE. I’d write the action scenes and direct my siblings in the manner I wanted them to unfold. Each of us played multiple roles. This sort of activity would often engage us for weeks at a time, with me adding new scenes on a daily basis as my imagination raced hither and thither.
During my teenage years, I discovered science fiction, my taste gravitating towards fantastic adventures on strange, faraway worlds. Edgar Rice Burroughs quickly became my favourite author, especially his TARZAN, MARS and VENUS series. I devoured every new release (well, re-release really) I could get my hands on. I wanted to be Tarzan, John Carter and Carson Napier all rolled into one. Their exciting lives seemed, in a way, more real than my own. (They were certainly more exciting.)
Around this time, I abandoned writing for my siblings and turned my hand to penning short stories. By the time the 60s arrived, these were usually set right here on Earth, on a planet that was recovering from some sort of nuclear war, and my characters were the survivors of this holocaust. (Remember, this was a time when the threat of nuclear attack was uppermost in the minds of most of the world’s population.) Later, my characters travelled to alien worlds, using a form of teleportation that I had no idea how to explain. To this point, I was writing frequently, churning out stories at a rapid rate, but I concentrated solely on science fiction.
Why then, do I now write thrillers? I will try to answer that question in Part II of this series.
Enjoy this? You're sure to love my new novel.
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
While at primary school, I began to plot scenarios for my two sisters, my brother and myself to act out in our yard. I guess you could call these early writing experiments PLAYS WITHOUT DIALOGUE. I’d write the action scenes and direct my siblings in the manner I wanted them to unfold. Each of us played multiple roles. This sort of activity would often engage us for weeks at a time, with me adding new scenes on a daily basis as my imagination raced hither and thither.
During my teenage years, I discovered science fiction, my taste gravitating towards fantastic adventures on strange, faraway worlds. Edgar Rice Burroughs quickly became my favourite author, especially his TARZAN, MARS and VENUS series. I devoured every new release (well, re-release really) I could get my hands on. I wanted to be Tarzan, John Carter and Carson Napier all rolled into one. Their exciting lives seemed, in a way, more real than my own. (They were certainly more exciting.)
Around this time, I abandoned writing for my siblings and turned my hand to penning short stories. By the time the 60s arrived, these were usually set right here on Earth, on a planet that was recovering from some sort of nuclear war, and my characters were the survivors of this holocaust. (Remember, this was a time when the threat of nuclear attack was uppermost in the minds of most of the world’s population.) Later, my characters travelled to alien worlds, using a form of teleportation that I had no idea how to explain. To this point, I was writing frequently, churning out stories at a rapid rate, but I concentrated solely on science fiction.
Why then, do I now write thrillers? I will try to answer that question in Part II of this series.
Enjoy this? You're sure to love my new novel.
Intrigue at Sandy Point, The Oz Files, Book 2
May 25, 2015
THE EVOLUTION OF WANDA JEAN, PART I
When I began writing NIGHTMARE IN ALICE SPRINGS in 1996, I had no intention of creating a series of novels featuring the same basic characters, nor did I have any idea that I would create an evil villain who would become as popular as my two ‘heroes’.
With the first manuscript about half completed, I decided to join an American writing site to test the quality of my writing and find ways to improve. I found, once the community got used to my Aussie spellings and expressions, that the story was generally well accepted. I learned a great deal about how to improve my sentence structure and how to construct dialogue that drove the narrative forward.
What I was not prepared for was the interest generated by Wanda Jean.
In the beginning, I’d planned for Wanda Jean to be nothing more than a red herring. The children of Alice Springs believed she was a witch, and I wanted my readers to wonder how much she was involved in the strange murders Martin and Claire were sent to investigate. But, as the storyline progressed and readers became more interested in this character, I felt compelled to round her out and have her play a bigger and bigger part in the action. By the time the novel was completed, I found myself bombarded by questions as to her origins and whether she’d return in later novels.
The trouble was, I had only the vaguest of ideas concerning either question.
By this time, a second manuscript was under way, and one of my readers suggested that my stories should be sub-titled The Oz Files. Again, I concentrated on my original agents and, to capitalise on the interest generated by her, I quickly included Wanda Jean, hell bent on revenge for Martin and Claire’s interference. Although I began to offer readers little insights into her character, I still had no real idea where I was going with her.
I instinctively knew that she was beautiful, that she could transform her appearance in an instant, and that she used sex as a tool. I also hit upon the idea that she had lived longer than most mortals and that her longevity was the result of a bizarre diet--she'd steal the livers of her victims while they were still alive and make them watch as she devoured them.
You can meet Wanda Jean in my latest novel:
Broometime Serenade
With the first manuscript about half completed, I decided to join an American writing site to test the quality of my writing and find ways to improve. I found, once the community got used to my Aussie spellings and expressions, that the story was generally well accepted. I learned a great deal about how to improve my sentence structure and how to construct dialogue that drove the narrative forward.
What I was not prepared for was the interest generated by Wanda Jean.
In the beginning, I’d planned for Wanda Jean to be nothing more than a red herring. The children of Alice Springs believed she was a witch, and I wanted my readers to wonder how much she was involved in the strange murders Martin and Claire were sent to investigate. But, as the storyline progressed and readers became more interested in this character, I felt compelled to round her out and have her play a bigger and bigger part in the action. By the time the novel was completed, I found myself bombarded by questions as to her origins and whether she’d return in later novels.
The trouble was, I had only the vaguest of ideas concerning either question.
By this time, a second manuscript was under way, and one of my readers suggested that my stories should be sub-titled The Oz Files. Again, I concentrated on my original agents and, to capitalise on the interest generated by her, I quickly included Wanda Jean, hell bent on revenge for Martin and Claire’s interference. Although I began to offer readers little insights into her character, I still had no real idea where I was going with her.
I instinctively knew that she was beautiful, that she could transform her appearance in an instant, and that she used sex as a tool. I also hit upon the idea that she had lived longer than most mortals and that her longevity was the result of a bizarre diet--she'd steal the livers of her victims while they were still alive and make them watch as she devoured them.
You can meet Wanda Jean in my latest novel:
Broometime Serenade
