Interview with Mark Edwards, Crime Writer and one half of the crime writing duo Louise Voss and Mark Edwards.

I first heard of Mark a couple of years ago when I downloaded Killing Cupid onto my Kindle.

 

He and his writing partner Louise Voss have had great success, not just with Killing Cupid but also with their subsequent novels; Catch your Death and All Fall Down.  

Last year I had the great pleasure to hear him speak at the Harrogate Crime writers Festival.

His solo novel, The Magpies, is released on Amazon on Today!!!!!  (25th March).

  

About Mark;

Q1.      Tell us about Mark?

A1.      I grew up in Hastings, the kind of depressed seaside town that Morrissey sang about in ‘Every day is like Sunday’, a place with no jobs and where the locals are supposedly cursed by Alastair Crowley to never leave. Doing possibly the two worst jobs in the world in my twenties – answering complaints for the Child Support Agency and a rail company – I saw writing as an escape route and began writing novels.

Fifteen years, several agents and countless rejections later, I had a No.1 hit on Amazon and got the book deal I’d dream't about for years, with my co-writer Louise Voss. I am now what they call a ‘hybrid’ writer – traditionally- and self-published. I don’t mind how I reach readers – I just want people to read my books.

These days, after a few years in London, I live in Wolverhampton with my fiancée, two young kids and another on the way.

I write in between changing nappies and wiping up spilt yoghurt. I am writing this while trying to ignore my daughter chase my son around the room with a plastic dinosaur. 

My life is chaotic, but fun.

Q2.      Who has been your biggest inspiration?

A2.      My first inspiration as a writer was Stephen King. I love how he makes horrific things happen to ordinary people, something I’ve tried to emulate with The Magpies (though there is nothing supernatural in it).

My second inspiration was Donna Tartt, whose incredible The Secret History made me fall in love with books again after a fallow period in my late teens.

These days, my biggest inspiration is Peter James, who has been a great help personally and whose long career I dream of emulating.

Q3.      If you hadn’t discovered Amazons’ free direct publication system would you have continued writing?

A3.      Probably not. I had given up after knocking my head against a brick wall for too long. I had built a career for myself as a marketing director which took up all my time and energy. When we self-published Killing Cupid, I hadn’t written anything for years.

That was one of the best things about the Kindle success – it have me a reason to start writing again, and I soon realised how much I missed it. When I’m writing, I forget about everything else. All the stuff that goes around writing – worrying about sales, etc – can be painful, but writing itself is a joy. Being able to write with Louise again was an extra bonus.

With Louise;

Q4.      You have had amazing success writing with Louise Voss.  What is it like being one half of a successful writing partnership?  

A4.      It’s wonderful working with Louise, because as well as having someone else to do half the work for you, and to act as a creative foil, you have someone else who is just as interested in your books and career as you are. My other half gets very bored listening to me bang on about my books but Louise and I could talk about it all day and never get tired. It’s also great to have someone to share everything with: whether it’s success or failure.

Q5.      How has success changed you? 

A5.      This question made me laugh a little because I’m hardly Lady Gaga. I still do my own shopping! I hardly ever get harassed by paparazzi… Seriously, I don’t really see myself as a success. I feel like I am still very much on the first rung of the ladder. 

Our early success with Catch Your Death got us on to that first rung but we still have a long way to go. I still work full-time – the only practical change to my life is that I am able to work from home now.

Q6.      You are now with a traditional publisher, what are the advantages over indie publishing?

A6.      The biggest advantage is editorial. Our editor really helped us make our books better, which is – at the end of the day – the most important thing. 

Also, people take you more seriously if you are traditionally published. However, when readers are browsing Amazon, I don’t think they notice or care who published a book. A lot of people barely remember the author’s name, let alone the publisher!

Q7.      You have had a great couple of years, what have been the highlights?

A7.      Without a doubt, getting to No.1 on Amazon with Catch Your Death, and doing the double whammy when Killing Cupid was No.2. We had a very heady month in June 2011.

Getting the book deal was fantastic too, and seeing the books in shops for the first time.

The Harrogate Festival last summer was also great – meeting loads of other crime writers, witnessing the sockpuppet storm, etc.

It’s also been lovely getting messages from people who’ve enjoyed our books – we have an active community on facebook.com/vossandedwards which we love.

Without Louise;

Q8. I’ve read kissing Games and loved it.  I know your new novel is out soon, do you plan to do more solo writing?

A8.      Thank you. I don’t really enjoy writing short stories – I prefer having the space of a novel. I hardly get time to write solo but I am working on a YA thriller at the moment, though it’s in its very early stages.

Q9. Tell us about your new novel; The Magpies.

A9.      The Magpies is a psychological thriller in which a young couple 

move into their dream home, only for everything to go terrifyingly wrong. The novel asks how far you would go to protect your ‘nest’ when it comes under attack. 

It’s a creepy page-turner and tells a story that could happen to anyone. Early reader reactions have been fantastic.

I am publishing it via my agent as an Amazon exclusive initially, as a Kindle book and paperback.

Link to The Magpies;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Magpies-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00BY447AA/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_BWQX

Q10.    Have you any words of advice for aspiring crime writers like us?

A10.    If you are writing to get traditionally published, you need to be aware of what agents and publishers are looking for. They are so swamped by submissions, that good writing is not enough – it needs a really strong hook, compelling main characters and there has to be something about it that sets it apart from the norm. In short, your book needs ‘wow factor’. 

Publishers want to find books like that – there is no conspiracy against writers – but those kind of books are rare. If you write one, you have a good chance of getting a deal.

If you can’t find a publisher, and you believe that your book is good, by all means self-publish. But remember, 99% of self-published books sink without trace. Readers are as fussy as publishers, even fussier. They also want a very strong hook and a central character they will love. 

While you are writing, network like crazy, build an audience, and be prepared to write fast. If you have a hit, you need to be able to follow it up quickly. Almost all of the successful indie writers have released a series very quickly.

Unless you really, really want it, or are effortlessly brilliant, there are far more rewarding ways to spend your time. And remember, published writers are no happier than unpublished writers. They have just moved to the next level of stress and discontent!

Q11.    Finally; what’s next for Mark Edwards?  

A11.    The fourth Voss & Edwards book, Forward Slash, is out in July, and we are working on our fifth novel now. 

As above, I’m also writing a YA thriller.   

And I’m preparing myself for the arrival of baby No.3!

I'd like to thank you on behalf of CrimeWarp and myself for giving us this great interview.

You can find out more about Mark and order his books via his website: http://vossandedwards.com 

You can also follow Mark on Twitter @mredwards.

Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/vossandedwards  

Cheryll Taylor Rawling