Ask the Author: Mord McGhee
Answered Questions (11)
Mord McGhee
I do not write genre books, I write fiction and allow the book to define its place in literature. Thank you!
Mord McGhee
I'd always felt that most fictional "Ripper" books treat the subject as if he (or she) were a Scooby Doo Villain. Scores of books have detectives chasing clues to catch the elusive murderer.
The truth was that the person(or persons) responsible for the crimes was a horrible, vile monster. MURDER RED INK is a look inside the mind and actions of one of the worst criminals in human history.
What was done to those poor victims deserve respect.
For me, it wasn't an easy book to write but I felt it needed done in a way that wasn't light and easy.
It was a dark time in the slums of London and it serves us well to remember the past... so that we don't forget our future.
The truth was that the person(or persons) responsible for the crimes was a horrible, vile monster. MURDER RED INK is a look inside the mind and actions of one of the worst criminals in human history.
What was done to those poor victims deserve respect.
For me, it wasn't an easy book to write but I felt it needed done in a way that wasn't light and easy.
It was a dark time in the slums of London and it serves us well to remember the past... so that we don't forget our future.
Mord McGhee
I am not a genre writer.
I like to think that my characters write the books and I simply capture a moment in their lives. I do my best to convey that to the reader...
...but as in all things REAL LIFE, it's not always clean and tidy.
MURDER RED INK takes a look at humanity at it's best and worst.
It fits into my brand of scifi but it splashes across traditional genres the way loud music permeates through walls.
I like to imagine I'm creating something unique.
It's based in part on true events (in this case).
Good question... made me think.
I like to think that my characters write the books and I simply capture a moment in their lives. I do my best to convey that to the reader...
...but as in all things REAL LIFE, it's not always clean and tidy.
MURDER RED INK takes a look at humanity at it's best and worst.
It fits into my brand of scifi but it splashes across traditional genres the way loud music permeates through walls.
I like to imagine I'm creating something unique.
It's based in part on true events (in this case).
Good question... made me think.
Mord McGhee
No. It does take part in my mind which makes it my "twisted science fiction." It is not the "sequel" to Ghosts of San Francisco. There is a Tales of Eclipse Vol.2 coming, perhaps 2016 (according to TSPress... I've only written the first 25% or so...)
Thank you!
Thank you!
Mord McGhee
I've been writing since I saw the first Conan movie, with Arnold. 82ish maybe?
I remember penning a script and giving it to my father straight away... I'd changed the WORLD! It was ground-breaking... I was only about twelve years old and had written a book (about 4 pages).
My dad read it, humoring me...
...and said, "It sure sounds a lot like the Conan movie we just watched."
I was crushed.
I wrote through college and until I was about thirty.
I'd sold some short stories but just lost the heart for it for about fifteen years.
My wife... (though we wouldn't be married for five years...) found the old manuscripts and suggested I give it another go.
The first publisher accepted the manuscript.
Great question!
I remember penning a script and giving it to my father straight away... I'd changed the WORLD! It was ground-breaking... I was only about twelve years old and had written a book (about 4 pages).
My dad read it, humoring me...
...and said, "It sure sounds a lot like the Conan movie we just watched."
I was crushed.
I wrote through college and until I was about thirty.
I'd sold some short stories but just lost the heart for it for about fifteen years.
My wife... (though we wouldn't be married for five years...) found the old manuscripts and suggested I give it another go.
The first publisher accepted the manuscript.
Great question!
Mord McGhee
Good question!
I try to be passionate about all subjects... however, I read all types of historical books. (I like introspective book about war written by the men and women that were there). I also travel quite a bit to see "first-hand" and live the moment in my head.
I'm no historian.... but I do love history!
As far as the Ripper for Murder Red Ink: I've been reading and investigating since I saw a television show in the late 1970s.
I've always been fascinated by unsolved mysteries.
Tips for telling a tale about true life events:
Let the characters tell the story!
If they mess it up they may have a reason... like they're in a WAR and not everything can be translated in a perfect way.
I try to be passionate about all subjects... however, I read all types of historical books. (I like introspective book about war written by the men and women that were there). I also travel quite a bit to see "first-hand" and live the moment in my head.
I'm no historian.... but I do love history!
As far as the Ripper for Murder Red Ink: I've been reading and investigating since I saw a television show in the late 1970s.
I've always been fascinated by unsolved mysteries.
Tips for telling a tale about true life events:
Let the characters tell the story!
If they mess it up they may have a reason... like they're in a WAR and not everything can be translated in a perfect way.
Mord McGhee
That moment you receive fan mail.
That moment someone says "OMG, your book was so (add good or bad comment)
That moment you realize you did it... you wrote a book.
That moment someone says "OMG, your book was so (add good or bad comment)
That moment you realize you did it... you wrote a book.
Mord McGhee
Avoid reading reviews. If you do, use them as constructive criticism.
I know I know, you're thinking "But Mord! I poured my heart into it!"
Okay, perspective:
A few other people who have had bad reviews in their career...
Stephen King, Steve Alten, Beethoven, H.P. Lovecraft, Emily Dickenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Mord McGhee, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, John Williams, Steven Spielberg, (Are you starting to get the picture?)
Don't give up. Work WITH your editors.
If you don't have an editor (or team of them), it's a good investment.
I know I know, you're thinking "But Mord! I poured my heart into it!"
Okay, perspective:
A few other people who have had bad reviews in their career...
Stephen King, Steve Alten, Beethoven, H.P. Lovecraft, Emily Dickenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Mord McGhee, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, John Williams, Steven Spielberg, (Are you starting to get the picture?)
Don't give up. Work WITH your editors.
If you don't have an editor (or team of them), it's a good investment.
Mord McGhee
My third novel is a sweeping fantasy novel inspired by a literary trip I made over the summer to Lake Champlain in NY/VT.
It is a fantasy novel that will hold true to my existing novels.
It may be something quite different...
It is a fantasy novel that will hold true to my existing novels.
It may be something quite different...
Mord McGhee
I have insomnia and a wild imagination...
the only prep I do is coffee and the wee hours of morning.
the only prep I do is coffee and the wee hours of morning.
Mord McGhee
I have been a Ripper enthusiast for thirty years. I've felt the subject has never been done the way I felt it needed done. I'm known for wicked twists on real-life inspirations... Murder Red Ink aspires to do just that.
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