National
bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Campbell Slan welcomes your emails!
You can contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com with your comments and questions.
Joanna
writes books that feature spunky female characters. Her work has been praised
by Library Journal as "topically relevant and chock-full of side stories."
Publisher's Weekly calls her cozies, "a cut above the usual craft-themed
cozy."
National
bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Campbell Slan welcomes your emails!
You can contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com with your comments and questions.
Joanna
writes books that feature spunky female characters. Her work has been praised
by Library Journal as "topically relevant and chock-full of side stories."
Publisher's Weekly calls her cozies, "a cut above the usual craft-themed
cozy."
RT Book
Review describes one of Joanna's typical heroines as "our best friend, our
next-door neighbor and ourselves with just a touch of the outrageous."
In her
ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their
Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida.
Q & A
Tell me
about yourself. What got you started writing?
I grew up in
an abusive environment and books offered the perfect escape, as well as a vision
of a better life. From reading, it was a short hop to writing. Even as a little
kid, I would staple papers together and tell people, “This is my book.”
How did you
come up with your book idea? What inspired you?
Actually, I
didn’t come up with this book idea! It was the brainchild of CJ Lutton, a
talented man who died three years ago. He left behind several Sherlock Holmes books
that (I felt) deserved publication. One book had a bifurcated plot, so I
divided it into two books.
CJ had chosen the title, which is a reference to a
comment Sherlock Holmes made about a story the world is not yet prepared to
hear. That was a clue. The problem posed in the book had to be big enough and
important enough that Holmes thought it could damage the British public’s trust
in its institutions. I wondered, “What would be so dire?”
Of course, the Sherlock
Holmes books are set in a certain era, the late 1800s up until the first
decade of the 1900s. That meant, the problem had to be true to that period. At
first, I was well and truly stumped. So I did what I often do when I’m stuck, I
took the book apart, piece by piece. And I studied each individual portion. I
researched all the places, ships, politicians, issues, social problems, and so
on of the times. Slowly an idea formed: What if three shipwrecked boys agreed
to be turned into wolves once a month as a way to save their lives and the
lives of people they care about? What if the British government found out—and
decided to capture the boys to replicate their “illness” and breed exceptional
warriors?
And away I
went!
What was the most difficult part of writing this book? How did you overcome this difficulty? CJ had left
behind a compelling scene set inside the Bethlehem Hospital (Bedlam). I wanted
to use it, but I had to fit it in so that it made sense. I overcame that
problem by having Holmes plan a daring escape from this notorious insane asylum.
Who is your
favorite character from the novel? What about them makes them your favorite? I like Dr. John H. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick. He’s so human! He’s a gentleman, a smart fellow, and a loyal friend.
Do your
characters (or message) ever seem to have a life of their own or agenda? On occasion,
my characters surprise me. That’s important because it keeps me coming back to
the keyboard to see what happens next.
How has
writing this book impacted you personally?
I’ve written
non-fiction, historical fiction, and cozy mysteries. This book gave me the
impetus to tackle a thriller. My editor was pleased with the end result. She
called it “one heck of a read.” I hope readers will enjoy this book, too. I’m
proud of it!
How many
books do you currently have published? What genres?
I have a spreadsheet that shows I have 80+ projects. I don’t know if you count box sets
separately, so it’s pretty confusing. I’m not sure that the number matters
anymore.
The genres are: non-fiction (self-help, how to, coloring book,
cookbook, personal essays, how to be a better public speaker) and fiction
(historical fiction, historical fantasy thriller, and contemporary traditional
mystery).
What is your
favorite thing about writing? Your least favorite?
I love
taking an idea and seeing where it will take me. My motto is “dwell in
possibilities,” which is a quotation from Emily Dickinson. I can’t wait to get
writing every day. It’s like reading a book, but I get to decide how the story
goes. What could be better than that?
My least favorite is finding errors.
That’s not the same as proofreading. Errors can be complex problems like too
many days in a week, or timing mistakes. Silly stuff that’s a pain in the
backside. But…it’s an important aspect of my readers’ enjoyment.
What authors
in your genre inspire you most? Charlotte Bronte, Daphne du Maurier, and Agatha
Christie—gosh, there are tons of authors I admire.
What would
you tell a beginning author who wants to publish but doesn’t believe he/she has
enough talent? I would urge the beginning author to read every day, to run
toward criticism instead of away from it, to study craft, and to keep writing.
Most people give up too easily. In fact, I’d say that if you give up, this
probably isn’t the right profession for you. In my humble opinion, the best
authors are driven to write. It’s not a choice.
I’m sure there are people out there who don’t think I have
enough talent. So what? I’m not going to let them define my life. That’s
putting waaa-aay too much power in the hands of other people. I plan to keep on
writing and to get better at what I do every day with every project.
The fourth
book in a new series featuring Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, written by a
USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author.
The world
was not prepared for this story, a conspiracy hatched in the highest levels of
the British government. A rogue Minister of Defense plans to turn soldiers into
blood-thirsty animals—and Holmes and Watson may be among their first victims.
The
adventure starts when Holmes is warned away from investigating Jack the
Ripper’s heinous crimes. Despite Holmes’ well-known skills, he is sidelined. He
must content himself with a straightforward case, finding a bolting beau, the
result of a simple lovers’ quarrel.
But that
“romance gone wrong” is really the key to a nasty secret with tendrils reaching
all the way to a Sumatran island. That’s where four castaways made a difficult
decision. They turned their backs on a society that sent them packing and
allowed themselves to be infected with a deadly virus. After all, they never
expected to ever come home again… And they certainly never expected to be
considered lethal weapons! Can Holmes and Watson stop them from being used for
evil purposes?
This
fast-paced adventure will take Holmes and Watson from the dregs of London to
its noble heights. The two friends will travel from Bedlam, the hospital for
the insane, to stately Windsor Park. Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Sumatran Rat
is a fast-paced thrill ride that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their
seats. If you like historical thrillers with a hint of the supernatural, you’ll
love this series. Each book stays true to Sherlock Holmes and his faithful
friend, John Watson, whilst featuring a cast of real people and issues
pertinent to the times.
This series
is perfect for fans of Laurie R. King, Preston Child, and Joanna Penn.
