Author Q&A: Jackie Baldwin, author of Dead Man's Prayer

Jackie Baldwin is the author of the intriguing police procedural Dead Man's Prayer whose main character is an ex Roman catholic priest. Jackie was one of Bloody Scotland 
 2016's debut 'Spotlight' authors, so give her a huge welcome to The Crime Warp.

Liz: Tell us a bit about Dead Man's Prayer, Jackie.

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Jackie:  ‘Dead Man’s Prayer,’ is a police procedural, set in Dumfries and featuring former RC priest, DI Frank Farrell. He has to contend with a murder of the priest who all but forced him out of the priesthood and also the abduction of twin boys from a nursery. The intense pressure and the necessity of delving back into the past he thought he had left behind causes his mental health to buckle under the strain.

Liz: You've created a fair few intriguing characters in Dead Man's Prayer .  Are any of your characters based on real life people?

Dumfries

Jackie: No, never! However, since I have mostly lived in Dumfries where the book is set people are always coming up to me and asserting, ‘You based so and so on such and such, didn’t you?’ My protestations fall on deaf ears. They will not be swayed and it worries me!

Liz: Eek, could be troublesome if they don't like the portrayal! Could you describe how the germ of an idea develops into a full-blown novel?

Jackie: I started off with a blurb. Then I wrote a monologue for DI Farrell and also for DC McLeod which helped me discover their voices. As a result I had to change my original concept for DI Farrell as his voice was different from the character I had created. I then wrote something akin to a synopsis setting out the story in two pages. After that, I wrote twenty chapter headings. Then it was time to start page1 chapter one and I simply kept going until I reached the end.

Kircudbright

Liz:  Sounds like a very well organised plan, so where is your favourite place to write and why?

Jackie: I write at a desk in a small room with one wall devoted to bookshelves and another to pictures, one of which was painted by a close friend of mine. It also has a couple of comfortable wingback chairs as it doubles as a therapy space for my hypnotherapy clients. As an only child, I grew up in a quiet house so I like to lock myself away to write in solitude with no music or distractions.

Liz: Any tips for would-be writers seeking publication?

Jackie is treading water somewhere down there.
Can you spot her?

Jackie: Build a social media platform long before you are published. This is a case of do as I say and not as I do as I had absolutely zilch myself but had to quickly learn and adapt. Most publishers these days expect writers to be proactive in promoting their work online. Some even include it as a clause in their contracts. Don’t try and do everything. Pick one or two that you feel comfortable with and grow it organically. I would also recommend finding a supportive writing group. I doubt I would have persevered if it hadn’t been for mine.

Liz:  Can you tell us two things about yourself that your readership may be unaware of?

Jackie: I am ridiculously buoyant. Virtually unsinkable. I can

float or tread water for hours without moving a muscle. It is the secret party trick that no one gets to see because I live in Scotland and would get hypothermia. The other thing is I am crazy about iguanas and lizards in general. I could sit and watch them in the wild for hours. The Galapagos Islands is on my bucket list as I would love to see the really huge ones.

Liz:  I now have visions of you treading water, holding binoculars whilst viewing Iguanas in the sea.  Moving on swiftly, What is it about Crime fiction as a genre that turns you on?

Jackie: I like the fact that it is so broad covering everything from cosy mysteries to stark social commentary. It is fascinating to see people pushed to the limits of their endurance when their true character is revealed. I have always been very interested in psychology and the different things that drive human behaviour. I also like the vibe in the crime writing community. Considering a lot of them dwell on the darker side of life, they are generally so supportive of each other and often hilarious to boot.

Liz:  which leads on nicely to my next question, which author are you cosying up with tonight? 

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Jackie: I am reading Graham Smith’s ‘I Know Your Secret,’ and loving it, having read all the books that came before.

Liz: Good choice, I love Graham's work too.   Could you describe the book you are working on at the moment using only 5 words?

Jackie: Twisted artistic mayhem in Kirkcudbright

Liz:  Nice one!  Do you have competing ideas for future projects and have you ever worked on more than one at the same time?

Jackie: Yes, I do. I wish all of them were in the crime genre as it seems to be easier to pick a box and stay in it. I want to write an American serial killer novel, so the character will leave me alone. I also have plans for a crime novel set in the future, a quirky Highland novel and one literary novel inspired by real events. I have only worked on one at a time so far. The others simply simmer away on the back burner of my mind.

Liz:  That's the thing with us crime writers,  no-one ever knows what's lurking in the darker recesses of our minds. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting to you.  All the best with your next book and have a safe journey back to the sunnier climes of Scotland.