Interview with Jean Henry Mead, author of "Diary of a Murder." Watch trailers and read excerpts from Jean's books at
Blazing Trailers.Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?I was born in Hollywood, a block and a half from Paramount Studios. Years later I interviewed screenwriters, actors, novelists and politicians. I wrote my first novel at age nine on construction paper with pencil, a chapter a day to entertain classmates. Thank heavens it was never published. My first published work was as a news reporter in high school and I later served as editor-in-chief of my college newspaper while a divorced mother of four young daughters. I sometimes took my youngest to class with me and she later became a middle school teacher.
I worked as a reporter/photographer/editor for eight years, a photojournalist--won some awards—and freelanced for the Denver Post. I also served as a magazine and small press editor and my 12 books have been published, including four novels. My magazine articles have been published domestically as well as abroad. I currently have two books under consideration and I’m working on two more novels.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author? When I was in the sixth grade and wrote my first book.
Do you have another job besides writing?My husband and I own a home-based business.
Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading? I was a voracious reader and read everything I could get my hands on, from astronomy to zoology. Mostly nonfiction although I wanted to write fiction.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.My latest book, Diary of Murder, is the second novel in my Logan & Cafferty mystery-suspense series, which features two 60-year-old widows traveling in a motorhome from California to Wyoming to visit Dana Logan’s sister, a wealthy mystery writer. Before they arrive they encounter a severe Rocky Mountain blizzard following a phone call that Dana’s sister has died. Her husband says it was suicide but Dana knows better. She and her friend Sarah Cafferty set out to prove it was murder and are nearly killed themselves in the process after encountering a vicious drug ring.
My characters inspired me to write the book. In fact, they write it for me. I just type fast enough to keep up with them.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline? I’m definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer. I usually have no idea what I’m going to write when I sit down at the computer each morning.
Did your book require a lot of research?My first novel, Escape on the Wind, required two years of microfilm research, which created vision problems later, but I have enough research notes to write ten novels. My latest novel was written from my own experience driving a motorhome around the Southwest, including during a blizzard.
Why do you write?Because it’s in me to write and spending time with my fictional characters brings me joy, especially when I’m able to rescue them from the dire circumstances that I place them in. I live with my characters 24/7 while I’m writing.
Who are your literary heros and why?Ernest Hemingway, on whose birthday I was coincidentally born. (July 21.) Agatha Christie because she introduced me to Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot. Dean Koontz, who, by rereading his books, taught me how to string my fictional words together. And too many others to name.
If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?Eating chocolate as often as I’d like, because I’m allergic to it.
What kind of promotions do you do for your books?With my first books, I did a lot of traveling and bookstore signings. Now that I live on a Wyoming mountaintop, I mainly promote my books via the Internet. I’ve done a couple of virtual blog tours, quite a few online interviews and have three blog sites as well as contributing to two more.
What is the funniest/most embarrassing/scariest story from one of your books signings or events?The most embarrassing was a bookstore signing where only two people showed up because there was a big centennial celebration going on that day a few miles from town. This was the same bookstore that held my first book signing—120 miles from home—when I sold 40 books although the newspaper ad had erroneously given me the pseudonym: Jane Mead.
Who do you think you are?Someone who would rather spend time with my fictional characters than real people. I’m not antisocial, just basically shy.
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?It certainly wouldn’t have been Cleopatra, who tested various poisons on her servants before she decided on the asp. I think it probably would have been George Washington, who was not only brilliant but a decent man. On second thought, I probably would have suffered frostbite at Valley Forge.
If you are a world builder, what is your favorite part of creating these worlds?Honesty and fairness in all dealings with others, which has traditionally been in short supply.
How do you research?I used the library to research my first few books. I now mainly use the internet and my own library of thousands of books, some of which I’ve had since I was a child. I’m a confirmed bibliophile. I also write from experience.
Who was your mentor?I was very fortunate to have had Fred Grove and Richard S. Wheeler as mentors. Both were/are bestselling novelists in the Western field who won multiple Spur Awards for their work from Western Writers of America.
What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?That the average writer earns less than $15,000 a year, that you have to love the written word and have read hundreds, preferably thousands of books, before starting one of your own. That perseverance is more important than talent and that you should write something every day, not just when the whim strikes.
What has been your experience with literary guilds or groups?I’ve gained a lot of insight into the process of writing from other writers, although in some groups one or two people tend to monopolize the meetings. When that happened, I moved on. An AOL critique group ten years ago really helped me with my first mystery novel by pointing out small inconsistencies as well as doling out praise.
Do you belong to a critique group? How has this helped or hindered your writing.I’ve been writing many years and no longer belong to a critique group. They can be very helpful or they can also become a hindrance when advice is offered from would-be-writers who really don’t have the experience to offer good advice. I remember one newbie who told me that I needed to clean up my outlaw’s grammar (dialogue).
What do you see for the future of publishing and ebooks?The ebook market will continue to grow as more ebook readers are added to the market—which need to be standardized to work with all ebook formats. Books will be around as long as there are readers and large publishers need to convert to POD publishing to lower costs and eliminate returns. They also need to stop paying nonwriters (celebrities) large advances that rarely earn back their initial outlay. I’m saddened that so many indie bookstores and newspapers are closing their doors due to the economic downturn.
If you could talk to any fictional character, who would that be and what would you say?I’d like to tell Stephanie Plum that she needs to choose between Ranger and Joe Morelli, and to wear a stun-proof suit. I wish I had Grandma Mazur in my family tree.
Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?I love my protagonists Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty, who have been known to make me laugh. At 60 years old, they prove that they’re still capable of doing anything anyone else can do--including car chases--with the possible exception of skate boarding.
Tell us five random things about yourself.1. I would rather write than eat—and I love to eat.
2. If I weren’t a writer, I’d be a photographer, artist, interior decorator or anthropologist. Or all four.
3. I miss the ocean and southern California beaches, but love the Wyoming mountains.
4. Humor is an important element in all of my books, including nonfiction.
5. I love dogs and plan to include at least one in the rest of my novels.
What other types of artistic talents do you have? I was chosen as the soprano to represent my high school in the Los Angeles All-City Choir. I play the guitar rather badly. I paint with oils and I’m a photographer. I also enjoy interior design.
What type of writer are you—the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes? I would like to think that I’m like Hemingway because I’ve had a lot of experiences in many geographical locations. On the other hand, I have a vivid imagination although I have little time to fantasize.
When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?I have no idea where my ideas come from. Sometimes I think someone up there is coaching me because muses happen quite frequently.
Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?I get along quite well with my muse and I think it’s male instead of female because I write better from the male point of view. That may be because I grew up with four brothers, no sisters, and I was the only girl in the neighborhood. As for my muse inspiring me, I don’t ask and rarely face a blank page. That may be from my years of news reporting when you can’t afford to wait for inspiration, you simply get something down that you can rush back over to edit.
From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?My first novel took nearly ten years because I spent so much time in research to ensure that it was historically accurate. Now, it usually takes six months from start to finished draft.
Describe your working environment.I work in a very crowded home office, which doubles as our business office. So phones ring all day long and it’s reminiscent of my news reporting days. Concentration is most important in my work day.
Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?In the beginning, I polished the first chapter so many times that I found it difficult to continue. I now write straight through to the end, usually editing the previous chapter for the first half an hour so that I can continue without pause into the next one.
They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?Your “fragile ego” has to toughen over the years or you’ll never survive the first negative review. You can either consider the reviewer an idiot or completely ignore their opinion of your book. The only negative review I’ve received over the years was for my centennial nonfiction book. A librarian thought I should have written about the old mansions in town instead of the rich Wyoming history. Therefore, the book was never reviewed in the Library Journal.
As a writer, what scares you the most?Like most writers, including the bestselling novelists I’ve interviewed, we fear that we’ll either be dropped by our publishers or that readers will stop buying our books.
When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?Injustice, unfairness, greed and ignorance.
Are you a disciplined writer? Yes. You can’t survive in this business without discipline.
For writer moms: How do you divide your time between taking care of a home and children, and writing? Do you plan your writing sessions in advance?I wrote with five children at home (now all on their own) early in the mornings and after they went to bed. I also held down full-time jobs.
When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?Both, but I do my best writing in the mornings.
Do you have an agent? How was your experience in searching for one?I’ve had agents but it was a frustrating experience. My last one talked me out of three publishing contracts, so I’m now on my own. I’ve found that once your name is known, publishers are more willing to look at your work, without an agent. I’ve also learned that the notices publishers post about accepting unagented work isn’t always true.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?I’ve rarely experienced writer’s block. Maybe once or twice when I wasn’t feeling well or didn’t get enough sleep. As I said previously, my journalism background gets me going. I’ll get something down, even if I have to rewrite it later.
Technically speaking, what do you struggle the most with when writing? How do you tackle it?Not being able to find the technical research when I need to shovel into my book can be frustrating but I’ve learned to call experts in the field. Most experts are only too happy to talk to a writer about their field of expertise, especially if you tell them they’ll be included in your acknowledgements.
How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?Write a great query letter, synopsis and three first chapters. Make sure they’re the very best you’re capable of writing. You can only make a first impression once.
What type of book promotion seems to work the best for you?The Internet. Other writers have said that word-of-mouth advertising is best by visiting countless bookstores. From my mountaintop, it just isn’t feasible, especially during the winter months.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?Keep writing and submitting, no matter how long it takes. Make sure it’s the best you can produce and read everything you can get your hands on. Study how well known writers string their words together.
Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?I currently have four books in the works:
~Mysterious People (interview with mystery writers, including the bestsellers).
~The Mystery of Spider Mountain (a children’s novel).
~Murder on the Interstate (3rd in my Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series).
~A Hanging in Sweetwater (based on a true story in southern Wyoming, circa 1889).
Which book do you wish you had written and why?
Gone With the Wind, not only for it’s epic proportions but because the film will live on forever.
Which book are you reading now?Ann Parker’s historical mystery series titled the Silver Rush mysteries.
Have you ever woken in the night with the need to write? If so, how do you deal with this urge?
I rarely awaken during the night with ideas that need to be written down but I have gotten out of bed and trudged to the other end of the house to either write it down in pen or on the computer. Great ideas conceived during the middle of the night rarely seem so great the next morning. On the other hand, they’re rarely remembered—if you don’t write them down—when the sun comes up next morning.
Have you ever experienced weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind?I have to eat something every couple of hours to keep my energy up—as long as it isn’t sweet to quickly tire me out. I also drink a lot tea—green or chai.
Do your pets help you with your writing? As far as research is considered, yes, but when my beautiful Australian Sheppard wants attention, she she raises my right elbow with her nose while I’m writing and a foreign language appears on the computer screen.
What’s your worst writing habit?
Letting housework go to write. Other women writers have said—and I agree—that we need a wife to do the housework, cooking and shopping so that we can write full-time.
Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?I used to dream of falling off a cliff but I no longer have those nightmares. I sometimes dream of family members who have passed on and I try to remember what they’ve said when I awaken.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?Mysterious People blogWriting Advice and Good BooksA Western HappeningMurderous Musings MakeMineMysteryWebsite: JeanHenryMead.comThanks Jean for a great interview!
