Hi all!
Please help me welcome Author Nancy Wood to my blog.
What is your name? Do you use a pen name (if so, why?)?
My name is Nancy Wood. I don’t have a pen name.
Tell me a bit about yourself:
I live in Santa Cruz, California, where I've been lucky enough to make writing my career. For many years I made my living as a technical writer, working in software documentation. About six years ago, I was laid off from my job and decided to set up my own shop. Now, I'm a writing consultant for the high tech industry and get to spend every day grappling with words and sentences. I love it!
Due Date, published by Solstice Publishing, came out at the end of May. This is my first published book. I started it about six years ago, and am now working on the second book in the Shelby McDougall series, which I hope won't take quite so long!
What type of genre do you write?
Thriller.
What genre to you personally read?
Before I started writing in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre, I read literary fiction, from Barbara Kingsolver to Zadie Smith. Now, I pretty much read only mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels! I love this genre. I find it all encompassing. The genre allows writers to place their mystery or thriller in a romantic context, or a YA context, or a literary context, or an historical one. The writing covers all types, from literary to terse.
Tell me about your latest?
My latest is my first. It’s a mystery set in Santa Cruz, California, where I live. The protagonist, Shelby McDougall, is a 22 year-old surrogate mother. Here’s the book blurb:
Surrogate mother Shelby McDougall just fell for the biggest con of all—a scam that risks her life and the lives of her unborn twins.
Twenty-three year-old Shelby McDougall, recent college graduate, is facing a mountain of student debt and carting a burden she'd like to exorcise. ARolling Stone ad for a surrogate mother offers her a way to erase the loans and right her karmic place in the cosmos. Within a month, she's signed a contract with intended parents Jackson and Diane Entwistle, relocated to Santa Cruz, California, and started fertility treatments.
But Jackson and Diane have their own secret agenda, one that has nothing to do with diapers and lullabies. With her due date looming and the clues piling up, Shelby must save herself and her twins. As she uses her wits to survive, Shelby learns the real meaning of the word “family.”
What sparked your passion for books and the art of a good story?
I found a refuge in books from a tender age, when I loved to escape into a good read. The first mystery I read was a Nancy Drew. I devoured them. I read my brother’s entire Hardy Boys collection. When I discovered Agatha Christie, I was in heaven.
Is there a particular book that changed or affected your life in a big way?
When I decided to write a mystery, I dove into the genre, starting out by reading the First Novel Edgar nominees for the past several years. I was floored by what I was reading: the characters, the settings, the plots. An Edgar nominee that I read and re-read is called A FIELD OF DARKNESS by Cornelia Read. The protagonist, Madeline Dare, is funny, brave, heroic, and complex. The novel has nuanced characters and a strong sense of place. But the writing was the best: Ms. Read’s writing just sparkles. A FIELD OF DARKNESS made me understand the genre could hold anything a writer wanted to make of it.
Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
No message in particular. I would like people to enjoy the book and want to keep reading it! I would also like readers to think about surrogacy. What would it be like to carry a baby for someone else? Would the money factor into it? What would the relationship between the surrogate mom and the intended parents be like? And how would it all play out after the baby was born?
What challenges have you faced in your writing career?
I think the biggest challenge is finding time to write. I carve out an hour of the day early in the morning, before work. Some days, it’s very difficult to rise at 5 and start writing!
What has been your best moment as a writer?
Well, I have to remember two. 1) When I received the email from Nik Morton, editor-in-chief of Solstice Publishing, telling me that DUE DATE was accepted for publication. 2) When I recently received a compliment from a very tough reader, who reads voraciously, and is very critical.
Who is your author idol?
I’d have to say Gillian Flynn, author of most recently, GONE GIRL. Her writing is spectacular, lean, and immediate. The suspense is excruciating. And her ideas are riveting.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
No.
Do you feel like your dream has come true or is there much more to do?
My dream came true when I found a publisher for DUE DATE. But now I have a new dream: to finish and publish the second book in the series. I’m almost finished with the first draft, but have lots of loose ends to clear up.
What does your workspace look like?
I am lucky enough to have a whole home office. It’s at the front of the house. My desk is at the window and looks out on the street, so I get to see the neighbors out with their kids and watch folks walking their dogs (or dogs walking their people, as the case may be). A palm tree is right outside the window, so I can bird-watch when I need a respite from the computer.
Have you ever had a day when you just wanted to quit?
Oh yes! Plenty. I’ve had weeks where I get frustrated and actually do stop writing. But I always, always, come back to it.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love to get outside: walk, bike, ride my motorcycle (even though it’s been freezing lately and I haven’t been on it for a while). I work; in my day job I’m technical writer. I’m a mom and have two wonderful children (22 and 16). And I love to spend time with my husband. We just celebrated our 25thwedding anniversary.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
Not to take yourself too seriously and keep a sense of humor!
Did you have a moment when you realized you were meant to be a writer?
I remember writing a mystery in fourth grade with my friend Patty. We’d sit on a bench at recess and come up with the story line. Our character was named Sue Brown and was a girl in the fourth grade, like us. I can’t remember the story, other than it was a puzzle, like a Nancy Drew. I remember how much I loved to put those puzzle pieces together.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Read everything you can in your genre. And keep writing. That’s the key. Just like everything, with practice, your writing will get stronger.
After this book, what is next?
I’m working on the second book in the series. Still trying to figure out where to start the darn thing. I’ve overwritten it, I’m about 130,000 words into it. I know the plot is in there, somewhere!
Your website?
Your blog?
Other websites?
Twitter: @NancyWoodAuthor
Also, check out the author interviews I post on my website. I started interviewing mystery/thriller/suspense authors last fall. Everyone gets asked the same questions, so it provides great insights into the genre. Here’s the link: http://nancywood-books.com/author-interviews.html Look for Jodie’s interview in the Feb-March time frame when she's on her blog tour.
Where can your book be found?
Please thank Nancy for joining us today.. Visit her website, blog, whatever and check her out. Buy a book, read a book, do something!
Keep Writing & Reading!
Jodie Pierce
