Today I am delighted to welcome author, Marie Anders to Books, Life and Everything to talk about her writing life. Marie is an Austrian crime writer whose fifth book will be published in the autumn of this year. Her first two novels have recently been translated into English: Death by Truffles and The Finnish Sock.
You can order these books here: Death by Truffles | The Finnish Sock
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Marie. Would you like to start by telling us a little about
yourself and how you started as a writer?
My name is Marie. I live and work in the beautiful Mozart
city of Salzburg. As an entrepreneur, I am pretty busy. I am highly creative
and love to paint, dance, and cook. Even as a kid, I made up stories and
sometimes wrote them down.
For me, Salzburg is much more than just a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, Mozart city or festival city. It is the city I grew up in and
know like the back of my hand. In addition to the many sights, such as the
Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Getreidegasse or the Mirabell Gardens, there are
exciting and perhaps surprising things to discover in Salzburg. Tradition and
modernity make up the charm of this city.
There are many small, romantic alleys, winding paths,
beautiful gardens, parks and lakes that I describe in my books and would like
to introduce to the readers.
When did you first realise you were going to be a writer?
When people who read my manuscripts told me I should send
them to publishers because they have potential.
If you didn't write, what would you do for work?
I am a translator and have my own little agency.
What are you interests apart from writing?
Since I am a very creative person, I also like to work with
my hands. I paint and sculpt. I also love music and tap dancing.
What is your favorite
childhood book?
I loved books by Enid Blyton and the Bill Bergson, Master
Detective series by Astrid Lindgren.
Where were you when you heard your first book was going to
be published? How did you celebrate?
When I got the contract, I was at my office working. We only
celebrated within the family.
Tell us three
surprising things about yourself.
I am a polyglot and love to travel and meet people around
the world. It is always fun to talk to people in their native language and see
their reaction.
My favourite time to write is in the middle of the night
when everything is quiet, and everyone around is asleep.
Teatime is my favourite time of the day. I take a break and
relax for about half an hour. Only I rarely drink tea – I prefer hot chocolate.
Tell us about your latest book without giving the plot away.
Two well-known scientists are killed at a Medical Congress
in Salzburg. Inspector Neuner and his team are bewildered by the signature of
the murderer. What does a colourful hand-knitted sock have to do with all of
this? (THE FINNISH SOCK)
How do you plan to spend publication day?
It has been published already as e-book, and the paperback
just arrived a few days ago. I have no particular plans. I am just happy and
telling everyone about the book.
What are your writing routines and where do you do most of
your writing?
My favourite time to write is at night when everything is
quiet, and everyone is fast asleep. I'm both a morning person as well as a
night person, but I'm most creative at night. For me, writing is similar to
painting. It does not happen on command. Sometimes whole chapters flow in no
time, and sometimes I get up after half a page and go to sleep. I write in my
office/library where no one disturbs me when the door is closed.
How many hours a day do you write?
I have no fixed time or hours. The best thing about creative
work is that, apart from publishing deadlines, you do not have any set times.
Somehow, as an author, you are always working. Writing is 30 % talent and 70 %
discipline. That is why I write every day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
How do you go about researching detail and ensuring your
books are realistic?
I ask professionals, go to libraries (yes, the old-fashioned
way), talk to people, and do online research.
Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most
difficult?
As mentioned before, the best thing about creative work is
that you do not have any fixed times. Somehow, as an author, you are always
working. The most challenging part about writing is the constant
"fear" of not meeting your own standards and possibly disappointing
the reader.
How difficult was writing your second book- did having one
published change how you went about it?
It was not difficult at all. I went about the exact same way
as with the first. Since it is a crime series, I can just continue with a
different case and give more insights to the characters private lives.
Were there any scenes which you had to edit out of your book
which you still hanker after?
No.
How do you select the names of your characters? Are they
based on anyone you know?
When I watch a movie, I usually look at the end credits. I
typically look at a first name and then wait for the last name (usually from
the third person down the row). I also
use the phone registry at times. Open it and just use the first name that pops
up.
How long on average does it take you to write your first
draft?
The first draft is in my head. A vague idea. I immediately
start writing, I do not write drafts. The plot and story develop by
themselves.
Are there any secret references hidden in your books?
Maybe at times. If I gave it away, it wouldn’t be secret
anymore, would it?
Do you have any guilty pleasures which stop/ help you write?
Hot chocolate and cookies usually help.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It energizes me.
Do you or have you ever considered writing under a
pseudonym?
Yes.
Do you have any other writers as friends and how do they
influence your writing?
I have authors that became friends but, I can’t say we
influence each other. We support each other.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would it be?
Never give up. Take constructive criticism and learn from
it.
Do you believe in writer's block? What do you do to break
its spell?
No, as I mentioned earlier, writing has to do with
discipline. You have to sit down every day until your script is done. Some days
you will write loads of pages and other times you will write a sentence and be
happy with it.
Can you give any hints about any upcoming books you have
planned?
I have published four crime novels in German and two in
English. The third and fourth Neuner crime novels in English are being
translated at the moment and will be released by the end of the year.
Do you have any unfinished or unpublished books hidden away?
Yes! A Neuner crime novel (number five) in German and
English and a romantic family saga are under way.
Thanks so much, Marie and good luck with your writing!
About the Author
Marie Anders was born in Kirchdorf an der Krems, in Upper
Austria. She grew up multilingual in an international environment and has
lived, studied, and worked in the United States, Serbia, Russia, France and
Germany. She has recently returned to live and work in Austria.
You can follow Marie here: Website | Instagram | Facebook
| Twitter | Publisher's Website | Publisher's Instagram
Book Spotlights: Death by Truffles, The Finnish Sock
Near the Salzach river, in the beautiful city of Salzburg, Marc
Bergmann, the town’s gigolo, is found dead on a park bench. Marc
Bergmann, the shady lawyer, was married, had a fiancée and various
lovers and connections to the mob. Soon it is clear that poisoned
chocolate truffles sealed Marc’s faith. The more Quentin Neuner and his
team delve into the case, the stranger things get. When Neuner’s
childhood sweetheart turns up, the case takes a sudden unexpected turn.
During an International Medical Congress in Salzburg, a well-known
surgeon and scientist, Doctor Thomas Steinmetz, is mysteriously killed.
When Inspector Quentin Neuner examines the corpse, he notices something
he has never seen before. The victim's right foot had been dressed in a
colourful hand-knitted sock, and his shoe nicely draped next to the
body. Was this a sign? Or the signature of the killer? If so, what is
the killer trying to flag up? In the course of the first interrogations,
the killer strikes again in broad daylight and right under Quentin
Neuner's nose. The investigators quickly discover similarities between
the two victims. Was it their research that sealed their fate?
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