Bestselling mystery author, Faith Martin, talks about astrophysics, Hereward the Wake, and writing success.

Faith, welcome and many thanks for joining me. Your books are enjoyed by legions of murder mystery fans, would you like to tell readers how you became a writer?

Thank you for inviting me, Harriet. I started writing when I became a carer for my parents and needed something to do to tax my mind/creativity.

Hillary Greene and Jenny Starling are both strong women but still sympathetic and engaging. How did you go about creating their characters? Is there anything of yourself in them?

I created Hillary Greene when Morse was dominating Oxford, so I wanted a strong female character who might try to compete! I've lived near the Oxford Canal all my life, so having her live on a narrow boat seemed ideal - and could give my readers a glimpse into a different kind of lifestyle. Jenny Starling is also strong, but much funnier, and she is the 'voice' for my more plot-driven whodunits. Her job is to navigate my readers around the clues and red herrings, interview the suspects and lead them to their own conclusions as to who the killer is, before the big reveal. So, the reader learns less about her private life than about Hillary's, as the police procedurals are more character-driven, whereas the murder mysteries are more about solving the puzzle. But I wanted both women to be strong, independent and a 'character' in their own - very different - right.

I wish there was something of myself in both of them. Alas, I can't cook (unless you count warming up shop-bought chicken Kiev in the oven) so Jenny Starling would be disgusted with me. And I am nowhere near as competent or brave as Hillary! If I was confronted by an armed robber I'd probably just squeak and fall over! So, ditto for Hillary. I think though that both these characters have traits which I'd like to have, and if I live vicariously through them - well, so do my readers, so I'm in good company!

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I like to write the kind of books I like to read. Don't forget, I was a reader long before I began writing. I loved the Agatha Christie books when I was in my teens, hence I've always wanted to write those kinds of books. And later, when great characters/police procedurals like Rebus and DI Banks came out, I loved those too - hence DI Hillary Greene.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

I'm a full-time writer, so I don't have much time - but I have a dog, and like walking him in the countryside. I love wildlife, nature, flora etc, and as you've probably noticed, a lot of that seeps into my novels. 

With dozens of published books to your credit and approaching a million sales for the D I Hillary Greene series alone, you must have a very strong work ethic. How do you keep going?

Yes, the D I Hillary Greene series sold over a million copies worldwide in almost 1 year exactly, and I was absolutely stunned. Never thought or imagined that could happen, and a lot of it is due to Joffe Books and their great promotions. At one point I think she was No 1 in the UK and Australia and also in the USA and Canada top 50 too! I write every day (or in between books, researching and plotting the next one.) I've always loved writing, and I suppose I would feel guilty if I wasn't working. I grew up in a working-class family and I would probably get bored if I was idle! Right now, I have deadlines to meet for Harper Collins HQ's Ryder and Loveday series. The next book is due in October - so I'm not allowed to slack! But creating so many different characters, in so many genres, and set in different times (Ryder and Loveday are set in the 1960s) is always pushing me to come up with something different. I think this helps me stay 'fresh' and so provides my readers with 'fresh' things too. (At least that's what I hope it does!) 

 What’s the most difficult part about writing to you? What do you enjoy the most?

The only difficult thing I find about writing is sometimes getting motivated - I've been writing for 30 years now and have had more than 50 books published. But once I put the computer on and look at a blank page, I can feel my characters clamouring to get out and onto the screen - so away I go. And it is very satisfying writing a funny scene for Jenny (usually with an animal antagonist) or giving Trudy Loveday an emotional moment, or a hard lesson to learn about women's roles back before the 'swinging sixties' really got going. But I think most writers will tell you how hard but also satisfying writing a book can be.

      

How important is setting in your novels?

I set my novels in the area I've always lived in - and describing the countryside as it is now is very important - because I have an awful feeling that for generations to come, they might only know about it from literature from the past.

Who would you like to sit next to on a long flight? (Up to two people, living or dead.)

I don't fly - so I wouldn't ever find myself sitting next to someone! But on a train - hmmmmm. As for my 'dead' companion, I think I would quite like to see what Hereward the Wake would have to say. He must have been a real character - and lived during a fascinating time in history. As for my live candidate - probably the astrophysicist, Dr Cox. It must be really something to know so much about the universe and how it works - and I could listen to that sort of stuff all day long! (Not necessarily understand it mind!)

What are you most proud of, specifically in relation to your writing – an award, story or plot twist?

The only award I've ever won was when I first began writing as Maxine Barry. These were modern romances, and I won the Scarlet Award. I still have the silver platter on my bookcase. Mind you, I was the ONLY one to win it, since soon after, my publisher at the time joined forces with Constable, and they stopped producing romances and concentrated on crime instead. (You have to laugh at the irony!)

I suppose the only thing you might say I had any right to be proud of (more like surprised really) was to have got published at all. At the time I started writing, there was no self-publishing industry and it took me 5 years to get my first novel published (by Orion). I was beginning to think it wouldn't happen - but I stubbornly never gave up. So my advice to anyone struggling to find writing success is always the same - don't give up!

Faith, many, many thanks for coming. It’s been such a pleasure talking with you. With all your achievements, you remain so modest and funny - a shining example to us all.