Q&A with Aly Monroe discussion

New line of thought: Writers are often asked how the idea for a book or their characters came to them. Do you think this enhances your enjoyment when reading?

It's a standard question, and authors tend to be a candid sort, at times at the expense of their readers. First, no issue from me on disclosing how the idea for a book came about. With respect to disclosing the drivers behind the creation and invention of a character, particularly a series character such as the one you are launching, authors need to shroud that nugget in a bit of mystery, and keep it foggy. A writer friend once told me he snagged the name for one of my favorite characters in one of his historic thrillers from an NBA football game. For Christ's sake, don't tell me that! Steve Berry, now quite well known for international "quest" thrillers, told a luncheon I attended just last Friday in Richmond how his two main protagonists came to mind in his "Templar Legacy." I downloaded the book yesterday (yes, in the rocking chair)and found his disclosure entirely distracting as I recognized precisely what he had said and done in the opening chapters. I put it down after reading a few chapters. (not because of that!). So be sparing in such detail when people ask you how your Mr. Cotton came about. It might be too prosaic for comfort. (By the way, I intend to lobby our new-found friend Richard over in the UK into finding me two hard copies of your books and shipping them my way at a competitive rate. He does not know that yet.) When I do finally read your first two books, I will post how I think your character came about, and you can confirm, deny or decline comment! Maybe stage a contest to break this discussion into broader space. Good luck, as always, with the series. Mark

Interesting, Mark.I shall certainly bear that in mind!
I don't know what Richard would say to you, but I suspect The Book Depository are the best bet for you - free shipping anywhere in the world, and they have the books on a launch discount.

I'd tell you to support your local independent bookshop. I can give you some numbers if you'd like to call them or you can do as Ali suggests and use TBD.

Most of the time, I like to take the book as it comes. Background information about it or its characters are useful only for sharing with other people once they've read the book too or with my wife, who probably already knows anyway. A friend of mine has taken the names of most of the characters in her novel from the England cricket team which won the Ashes in 2005 and modified them enough to make them more or less unrecognisable unless you're into the joke. My wife keeps an old car atlas which she uses for inspiration when she's thinking up names.

It's best to answer questions openly and honestly, but I personally don't really need to know where the idea for the book came from. That original flash of inspiration may be so far removed from the book when it was completed that it's irrelevant anyway. I recently read a manuscript which the author told me had been inspired by the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The book was set during the 1984 Miner's strike in Nottinghamshire. It made no sense to me. Neither did the MS, but that's another story.

Richard - Perhaps you hadn't realised that Mark is in the USA, - hence his question - so the local independent bookshop solution does not apply - as yet.

I saw that he's been to Richmond and assumed he was Yorkshire! Sorry, Mark. I should have picked up on it when he said I was 'over in the UK.'

Reading comprehension is good for you.

Richard-- Yes... indeed... I am a long-time resident of Richmond... Virginia, the former colony. I'm greatly enjoying your thoughtful comments and do plan to purchase Aly's novels when the U.S. publishers finally realize that U.S. readers can and will buy historic novels/thrillers featuring paragraphs of greater lengths than two to three sentences. Take care and great luck with your business. Mark