Author’s Choice with Christine Knapp

Please welcome Christine to Author’s Choice.

Dear readers, here’s where you get to play along. The author will tell us two truths and one lie (ed comment –I randomized the order). At the end of the questions, we’ll reveal what really happened. Remember, we write crime fiction, so lying is in our nature . . .

Two Truths, One Lie

Truth or Lie? I have Irish citizenship.

Truth or Lie? I have played mahjong weekly for three years.

Truth or Lie? I am six feet tall.

Eight Quick Questions

Now for some fun insight into today’s author. Here are eight forced choice questions.

1.        First draft: longhand, keyboard, or dictation? I always start by writing my thoughts longhand. Of course, later, some of them are indecipherable. Then I switch to the keyboard. I write a brief outline which often changes day to day. With mysteries, the plot must work, and as I read somewhere, “If you find yourself trapped, go back thirty pages and write in an escape route.” I have tried dictation, but with a strong Boston accent, it’s futile.

2.  Plotter, pantser, or plantser (that chaotic middle ground)? I have a five-book series. With the first book, “Murder at the Wedding,” I started with a blank sheet of paper and firmly believed that the entire story would reveal itself as I went along. Okay, I was wrong. I detest writing outlines, but now I believe that even a rudimentary one is so helpful. I guess I am a plantser but wish I was more of a plotter.

3.  Editing as you go, or vomit draft first and fix it later? I love Stephen King’s advice on first drafts. He says they are full of inconsistencies, grammar errors, and plot holes. But then he says to simply keep writing. I never edit as I write. I do make notes of things to include later. Often I am halfway through the first draft when I discover a vital aspect of my protagonist.

4.  Character names: meticulously researched, stolen from real life, or whatever sounds right? I enjoy picking character names. Whenever I hear an interesting name, I jot it down. Being a midwife for many years, I have heard a wide variety of names. I often Google lists of female/male/aristocratic names/ popular names from different decades. I research what area of the world surnames originated from. On occasion, I name a character after someone I know.

5.  Writing space: coffee shop chaos, library quiet, or home sweet home? I have written in a library but spend too much time looking at people and wondering if they could be part of my story. I write at home in a very quiet sunroom. In the warm months, I can see rows of colorful hydrangeas; in the fall, a working cranberry bog; and looking out at a New England snowy winter from my glassed-in writing nook is the best.

6.  Writer's block: push through, step away, or "it's not real"? I approach writing like a job. I try to write every day, even if I sometimes only have a very short window. If I come to an impasse, I switch and write the ending or do a character sketch. I find if I do that, I usually find my way back to the story, often with new insights.

7.  Reading your own work aloud: love it, tolerate it, or would rather eat glass? I have been a book narrator at the Talking Information Center in Marshfield, MA for fifteen years. We broadcast 24/7 for our visually and print-impaired listeners. Volunteers read books, magazines, national and local newspapers, and grocery flyers; a few times a year, various plays are performed live. I recorded my entire series for the Talking Information Center, and I must say it was thrilling. I was very honored.

8.  Happy ending, bittersweet, or gut-punch finale? I am always disappointed when a mystery I am reading ends immediately after the killer is revealed. I want to know what happened to everyone. Were they happy?  What were their thoughts about the murderer? What was the aftermath? So, in my final chapters, I try to touch on the major characters and give them a sense of closure and resolution. I mean, who doesn’t love a happy ending?

About the Book

Enough about you, let’s turn to three questions about your book.

Q: If your main character in this novel showed up at your door right now, what would be the first thing they'd say to you (and would it be a complaint)?

A. Maeve O’Reilly Kensington, my modern midwife, would be a welcome guest! I hope she would say, “Thank you for showcasing modern midwifery to your readers, but how many dead bodies can I find?”

Q: What's one thing you hope readers take away from this book?

A. I hope they gain an insight into the world of modern midwifery.

Q: What question did you want me to ask, and what is your answer? 

A. Are you a nurse midwife? Yes, I am. I wrote journal articles and texts but always dreamed of being a fiction writer. I love mysteries, and the Modern Midwife Mystery series is the answer to a dream.

The Big Reveal

Now let’s see how good a sleuth (or guesser) our readers are. Please reveal all.

The lie is that I have played mahjong weekly for three years. I am just learning how to ply mahjong. I am six feet tall and don’t often see a female protagonist of that height. So, Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is also six feet tall. I obtained Irish citizenship through my grandparents.

Here’s a blurb for and some links where you can find Christine's first in the series:

Book Blurb for Murder at the Wedding

Birth, death, mayhem, and murder…..

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington loves her job as a nurse-midwife at Creighton Memorial Hospital in the quintessential New England seaside town of Langford. Nothing could bring her more pleasure than helping women usher new life into the world... except possibly having a child of her own with her husband, Will. In the meantime, she's happy to celebrate the families of those she treats, and content to support her husband in his newly formed catering business.

However, when Creighton Memorial's Chief Obstetrician suddenly drops dead at his daughter’s extravagant wedding reception, catered by Will, Maeve's two worlds collide in the worst possible way. Suddenly, murder is on the menu, and Maeve is desperate to help her husband and find out who killed the doctor.

With the help of her wealthy, acerbic sister Meg and quick-witted Boston Irish mother, Maeve sets out to solve a murder and clear her husband's name. Can she stay one step ahead of the killer? Or will they strike again... this time closer to home?

[Amazon]       [Barnes & Noble]       [Smashwords]

Want to know more?

For more information about Christine Knapp https://www.thoughtfulmidwife.com/