Our guest today is MK Tod, author of Time and Regret, which is her third novel. She began writing while living as an
expat in Hong Kong. What started as an interest in her grandparents’ lives
turned into a full-time occupation writing historical fiction. Her novel Unravelled
was awarded Indie Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society. In addition
to writing historical novels, she blogs about reading and writing historical
fiction at www.awriterofhistory.com. She can be contacted on Facebook,
Twitter and Goodreads or on
her website www.mktod.com.
What or who inspired you to first write?
I began to write when I was an expat
spouse in Hong Kong. My husband and I had embarked on a three-year assignment
with gusto but after a year reality set in. I had no friends, no family, a
husband who travelled constantly and a job that hadn’t worked out. So I
conceived the idea of researching my grandparents’ lives with the possibility
of writing about them. Roughly four years later, and back in our hometown of
Toronto, I gave up my consulting practice and began to write full time. I was
obsessed!
What is the inspiration for your current book?
On a trip to France a few years ago, my
husband and I were in a small bistro and I pulled out a notebook and wrote
something. Hubby asked what I had written and I told him I had an idea for a
story featuring a woman following her grandfather’s WWI diaries. It was my
husband who suggested adding a mystery and over dinner—and a bottle of wine—we
amused ourselves sketching out the story, which is now Time and Regret.
Is there a particular theme you are exploring in this book?
So far, each of my novels has featured
World War One and the devastation that occurred as well as the lifelong effects
one those who survived. So that’s one theme. In Time and Regret I also explore
the notion of regret and how it can eat away at an individual over time often
with unexpected consequences. We all have regrets in life and I wanted to
explore that for both Grace and her grandfather Martin.
Which period of history particularly inspires or interests you? Why?
I seem to be drawn to periods of great
conflict although I have no idea why! While in school, I was never a fan of
history classes, however, as an adult I am discovering that I’m very keen to
understand the political, social and military forces that shape change. I am
also drawn to time periods that are not too distant. Such periods feel more tangible
and relatable to me.
Which authors have influenced you?
I’m constantly reading and while I have
some favourite authors, I tend to find different techniques to emulate from
different authors. For example, when I wrote the character Grace Hansen in Time
and Regret, I had the styles of Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig in mind. The
novel I’m working on now is set in 1870s Paris so I think the main characters
will need a different approach. I hope that makes sense!
Which methods/ strategies do you employ to write?
I’m a planner so I create a concept,
then a summary outline. Following the summary outline, I develop a detailed
chapter outline and only then do I begin to write. When I wrote Unravelled, my
first novel, the process was totally ‘seat of the pants’ and while I am happy
with the final result, it took many, many iterations to get there!
What do you do if stuck for a word or a phrase?
My thesaurus is always in reach—my son
gave me the largest one he could find as a Christmas gift one year—as is my
dictionary. I frequently look at poetry for inspiration and occasionally I put
in #needsabetterword as a placeholder to return to later. There are times when
the creative spirit has disappeared so I leave those rather than become
frustrated.
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
There’s so much advice out there, it’s
hard to know what to emphasize! However, here are a few takeaways that have
worked for me. (1) Learn how to write well. I know that’s obvious but if you
want to be competitive, you have to develop a style and write very well. (2)
Learn about your genre. In my case I’ve done a lot of research on historical
fiction (who buys it, why, what are their preferences, what kind of stories do
they prefer and so on) and while I wouldn’t suggest you invest the time I have
in conducting surveys, I would suggest you look for similar information about
your chosen genre. (3) Build a platform. This is another truism in today’s
social media driven world. You can’t start building a platform soon enough. I
originally thought this was nonsense until I heard more than one agent/editor
mention that they always look at a prospective author’s social media presence
before deciding whether to take them on. (4) Develop a writing approach and
discipline that works for you. Others talk about ‘bum glue’ as a key component
for success and I agree with that notion. Novels don’t get written unless you sit
down and write!
Tell us about your next book
Thank you for asking. My next
novel is currently called Camille and Mariele, mainly because I haven’t yet
come up with a more compelling title! It’s about two women who are nothing
alike but develop a strong, enduring friendship and is set in 1870s Paris, a
time of conflict and great turmoil for France. These two women originally
appeared in Lies Told in Silence. In that novel, which is set during WWI,
Camille has already died and Mariele is a grandmother. The new novel has them
as young women on the verge of marriage and, of course, many twists and turns
will unfold. If I were cleverer, I would have written this one earlier and
develop a series!!
Many thanks for sharing your insights, Mary. Good luck with Time and Regret.
When
Grace Hansen finds a box belonging to her beloved grandfather, she has no idea
it holds the key to his past—and to long buried secrets. In the box are his
World War I diaries and a cryptic note addressed to her. Determine to solve her
grandfather’s puzzle, Grace follows his diary entries across towns and battle
sites in northern France, where she becomes increasingly drawn to a charming
French man—and suddenly aware that someone is following her.
From her grandfather’s vivid writing and Grace’s own travels, a picture emerges of a many very unlike the one who raised her: one who watched countless friends and loved ones die horrifically in battle; one who lived a life of regret. But her grandfather wasn’t the only one harbouring secrets, and the more Grace learns about her family, the less she thinks she can trust them.
Time and Regret is available from Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Indigo and Audiobooks.
Mary’s other novels, Lies Told in Silence and Unravelled are available
from Amazon,
Nook, Kobo, Google
Play and iTunes.
