It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we’ll meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Matty Dalrymple, author of:
- The Sense of Death
- The Sense of Reckoning
- The Falcon and the Owl
- The Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels Ebook Box Set – Books 1-3
- All Deaths Endure
- Close These Eyes
- May Violets Spring
- Sea of Troubles
- Write in Water
- Rock Paper Scissors
- Snakes and Ladders
- The Iron Ring
- The Lizzy Ballard Thrillers Ebook Box Set
😮 😮 😮
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About Matty:
Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, SNAKES AND LADDERS, and THE IRON RING; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels THE SENSE OF DEATH, THE SENSE OF RECKONING, and THE FALCON AND THE OWL; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES and WRITE IN WATER. Matty lives with her husband and three dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and enjoys vacationing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and Sedona, Arizona, and these locations provide the settings for her work. Matty is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group.
Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She hosts THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and is the author of THE INDY AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS: CREATING CONNECTIONS, COMMUNITY, AND INCOME and the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: CREATING INCOME AND CONNECTING WITH READERS USING SHORT FICTION. Matty is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Author Interview with Matty Dalrymple:
- How many hours per day do you write?
Every day between 1:00 and 2:30, I have a virtual sprint with two other crime authors. We get on Zoom and do a series of 20 minute writing sprints, then check in with each other for a few minutes in between. (My sprint partners are also my “first responders” for plotting emergencies!) I generally keep writing until it’s time for cocktails with my husband, so in total I’m writing about five hours a day. Before 1:00, I’m working on my podcast, The Indy Author, and doing marketing and publishing work.
- How long on average does it take you to write a book?
My first book, THE SENSE OF DEATH, took two-and-a-half years, but I was able to decrease that time for subsequent books to about one year. Since I went full-time as an author and publisher in 2019, I need to increase my output, but I also have a lot more time to devote to my writing. I will be putting out two books in 2021–Ann Kinnear Book 4 and a standalone thriller–and hope to be able to maintain that pace going forward.
- As the author of multiple books, do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
The Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts can be read standalone; the Lizzy Ballard Thrilllers have a story arc through the trilogy that means they should really be read in order, starting with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. There have been a couple of cameos of Ann characters appearing in the Lizzy world, and there is one unnamed cameo of two Ann characters in ROCK PAPER SCISSORS that I don’t think anyone has ever noticed. (There’s a Friends of Ann Kinnear mug waiting for the first person who IDs them.) - Who is your favorite character you’ve developed so far?
That’s like being asked to pick my favorite (canine) child! : ) Of my two protagonists, I feel closest to Ann Kinnear, who is more like me (if I were younger, thinner, and could sense spirits) in being a more solitary person. I most admire Lizzy Ballard, who is determined to connect with the world around her, even though it’s a bad idea. A couple of my secret favorites are the villains, because the best bad guys are the ones who have some aspect of their personalities that makes you empathize with or even admire them. - What have you found to be the best way to market your books so far?
I’ve been having great luck with Facebook Ads, thanks to a course I took with Nicholas Erik and Lee Savino called THE SIX FIGURE AUTHOR MARKETING CHALLENGE. I love that I have the opportunity not only to get my books in front of people whose interests I believe are a good match, but also to interact with them online once they become fans. In fact, I would love it if your fans would stop by my Facebook pages at Matty Dalrymple (https://www.facebook.com/matty.dalrymple) and The Indy Author (https://www.facebook.com/TheIndyAuthor) and say hello!
- Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or live in an un-haunted cottage?
Only a haunted mansion if the resident spirit was willing to help with the upkeep and expenses.
- Who are some of the other authors you’re connected with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
The authors who are my sprinting partners–Jane Kelly, the author of the Meg Daniels Mysteries, and Lisa Regan, the author of the Detective Josie Quinn Mysteries–have been lifesavers in terms of providing a sounding board for plot ideas, human dictionaries for those times when the right word is just beyond my mental grasp, and general moral support. Once a month, we have a brunch (now virtual) with Jane Gorman, author of the Adam Kaminski Mysteries, and James McCrone, author of the Imogen Trager Thrillers, to exchange ideas for improving our craft and reaching our readers.
- I know you’re a huge dog lover. Can you share a recent photo of your dogs?
Of course! : ) (Juno | Sophie | Griffin)
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