Author Interview

World of Writing -- Author Interview

* A shout out to publicist Leslie Barrett of PrByTheBook.com who connected us with today's guest. Today we learn from the author of 2 books, so far. Join with us to discover how he developed the story, what it was like to find a publisher, his passions, things he struggles with and more. D. Marshall Craig (M.D.) tells us that he draws heavily upon his experiences working over thirty years as a trauma and reconstructive surgeon to develop the thriller series featuring hard-working hero Dr. Kyle Chandler. He now enjoys his second career as a winemaker for a small boutique winery while continuing his passion of writing fiction novels. 

Visit today's guest via: www.dmarshallcraigbooks.com & Instagram

Q: How many books/stories have you written?

I always had a long-established passion in reading, especially suspense/thriller novels. Because of this, I knew I could write suspenseful stories that people would enjoy reading. My first novel of the Dr. Kyle Chandler thriller series, Cut to the Chase, was published in October 2020. The second in the series, Hidden Agendas, was released February 8, 2022, with the upcoming third story in the series scheduled for 2023.

Q: That is fantastic. I have a 2-book series of non-fiction books and am currently working on a trilogy celebrating Dave's late-father's written and photographic work. But I have not had the experience of publishing fiction myself just yet, although we do have a fantasy of doing so one day. I'm looking forward to learning your experiences with this trilogy, but first, would you please tell us about the journey of finding the right publisher for your thriller/mystery series?
 

For my first novel, my biggest challenge was finding a publisher who really enjoyed the fast-paced plot and snappy dialogue between characters that I always emphasize in my series of novels. I originally wrote my first novel back in the late 1990’s. I pitched it to multiple publishing houses in New York with no return interest in the story, particularly since I was not a published author and had no book agent. The story languished on the shelf for over twenty-five years. 

After retiring from medicine in 2015, I brought the story back to life in 2019, reworking the plot slightly. I promoted it to a wider variety of publishers and found White Bird Publications that loved my story. My first novel was published in October 2020. It just goes to show you that persistence eventually pays off.

Q: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I would say that it is my method of writing which has evolved from a combination of some structure and occasional randomness. I usually have some ideas about what the progression of the plot is going to be, so I start by trying to put them down in a general outline. I then figure out the beginning of the story that will hook the reader’s attention. Next, I jump forward to creating an ending that will be surprising and not at all expected. As the process of the middle of the story is formulated, I will add thoughts and different situations to the plot to grab the reader’s interest as the story’s suspense builds. There are times as I progress with the story that I will switch around the order of events to make the story more climactic.

Q: What has been the most surprising thing you learned from creating your books?

After over thirty years in a career of medicine, I was in a world where the rules of thinking were fairly rigid. I realized that thinking and expressing yourself through writing could really open up how I view the world.

Q: Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer?

If I was asked what was one of the best pieces of writing advice that I had ever received, it would be to write about what you know. Despite what some people might think, you’re not going to know about everything. So, if there’s something you don’t know, become an expert on the subject with exhaustive research. Put the effort in to make your story interesting enough to grab the attention of the reader.

Q: Do you hear from your readers? / What do they say?

I do hear from readers through social media and book reviewers. I like the positive reviews about my writing that I have gotten so far in this journey. They seem to like the fast-paced plot and bantering dialogue that makes the characters more believable.

Q: What is the most difficult aspect of your life as a writer?

Juggling a full-time job during the day with the time-consuming passion of writing at nights and on weekends. The creative process for me is very stimulating. The promotion of my work is the most difficult. For the promotion, the deck is stacked against you unless you are a celebrity or have a big-time agent.

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