Mike Martin's Blog, page 26
January 4, 2014
Thank you very much….75 Books Sold in December
Thank you very much. We sold 75 Windflower books in December as part of the Annual Windflower Holiday Sale. That means that I will be donating $375.00 to the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre. You can still make a donation of your own right here>
http://www.ottawainuitchildrens.com/
The OICC is a multi-service Inuit organization that provides cultural, educational, recreational and social support services to children, youth and families of Ottawa’s growing Inuit community. The centre serves as a major hub of early years and youth services for Inuit families in Ottawa.
Thank you so much for your on-going support!!!
Windflower books are available all across Canada at Chapters/Indigo and many fine independent book stores. Or online from Chapter and Amazon
Chapters.ca
Amazon.com
The Body on the T (Winston Windflower)
December 16, 2013
December 5, 2013
December 2, 2013
November 29, 2013
November 28, 2013
November 15, 2013
Author Interview: Indie Books r Us
Today I am being interviewed on the great of late Indie Books R Us blog and website. Check it out at :
http://indiebooksrus.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/author-interview-mike-martin/
Today I have Mike Martin in the IBRU hot seat, spilling the dirt on his upcoming books.
Mike, thank you for stopping by to chat with us. Could you please tell the folks at home a little bit about yourself?
Hi there. I’m a long-time freelance writer, now turned mystery writer. I am Canadian and live in Ottawa. I’ve been writing fiction for the last five years and have two books published in the Sgt. Windflower series, with another coming out next year. The Walker on the Cape is my first fiction book.
We get to follow Windflower through the Elias Martin case from start to finish. What did you have to keep in mind as you were constructing it?
I am a ‘pantser’ which means that I don’t really know what is going to happen next. The Characters talk and I listen and write it down. I just have to make sure that I let the story lead and not try and predict what is going to happen. It’s fun, but kinda like a roller coaster ride. I scream a lot!!
Obviously, you are quite familiar with RCMP protocol. How difficult was it to research what the RCMP does through murder investigations?
There is a lot of research required to make sure that you get it right. Luckily I have a few ‘experts’ as part of my reading and editing team who point out mistakes before I get too far. A lot of this stuff is actually common sense, and it is one of the areas where it’s much better to be simple and stick to the facts. Creativity here could get you into a lot of trouble.
Getting glimpses of Windflower’s personal life–his native heritage and his relationship with Sheila, for example–help to round out his character. Will we be seeing more of those aspects in future novels?
Absolutely. The second book in the series, The Body on the T, focuses much more on character development so readers will find out a lot more about Windflower. His character and mettle are tested personally and professionally and he has to rely on his culture and traditions to find strength and support.
What’s next for Windflower and, of course, you?
Book #2 in the series, The Body on the T. is just out in e-book form on Amazon.com and Chapters.ca so that means a lot of online visiting and blog tours etc. And I am working on the next book in the series. Book # 3 will have a special focus on Windflower’s native background including a visit from his uncle who helps him interpret some of his dreams.
That sounds fabulous!
The Walker on the Cape is available at:
November 13, 2013
New Review of The Walker on the Cape: Indie Book R’Us
http://indiebooksrus.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/review-the-walker-on-the-cape-cates-take/
Genre: Mystery
Rating: Maybe
When the body of Elias Martin is found on the Cape overlooking Grand Bank, Newfoundland, RMCP officer Sgt. Winston Windflower embarks on an investigation that threatens to shake the foundations of the small coastal town. I have to say, I did enjoy this book, though it reads more like a police procedural than an actual mystery. We follow Windflower’s every move from the beginning of the case to its surprising end, and at points, the story is bogged down in technical detail. Where I thought Windflower might offer some kind of insight, he doesn’t, and I was a little disappointed in that aspect. I would have liked more from the protagonist.
What Martin does give us is a by-the-books (mostly, because what’s the appeal of a guy who does it by the books all the time?) murder investigation. We get to play along with Windflower and his side-kick Eddie Tizzard as they work the case, interrogate suspects, and put the pieces together. We also get glimpses into Windflower’s personal life through a friend who has connections to the pretty owner of the café he frequents, but the focus is on the murder of an old man with few friends.
All in all, this was a good story, but l really wanted more from the narrative. I felt too much like an outsider looking in on the book, and it was difficult for me to get into Windflower’s mind.
The Walker on the Cape is available at:
November 11, 2013
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