Interview with JC Martin

And We Do Write is back! Hope you all had a nice summer and are enjoying the last of it. Today we're chatting with author JC Martin about her book, THE ORACLE.

Welcome, JC! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I write crime and thrillers with what I like to think is a psychological slant. I like to delve deep into my character’s psyche, find out what scares them, what angers them, and in the case of my villains, what makes them kill. When not writing, I work as a martial arts instructor, so expect to find quite a bit of combat action in my stories, too!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing seriously (with an aim to getting published) for around 3 years now. Prior to that, I’ve dabbled for years writing short stories and fanfiction. I wrote my first novel (now trashed) at 14. My first “publication” was when I was around 10, when I turned an old notebook into a comic book, with my then pet dogs as cartoon characters.

Tell us about ORACLE. What's the story about?

Oracle is a crime thriller set in London in the run-up to the Olympics. Whilst the city gears up to host the Games, a serial killer stalks the streets, committing bizarre murders. Detective Kurt Lancer is put on the case, but he is in a race against time, as evidence points towards the killer planning a grand finale—at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Amid the furore lading up to London 2012, the cynical local papers were publishing all sorts of stories about organising woes: blown budgets, logistical nightmares, shoddy construction, projected transport chaos ... which got me to thinking: won’t it really stress the organisers out if they had to contend with the public relations nightmare of a serial killer as well? That got me into researching the Olympics, both the 2012 edition and the history of the Games, and that’s how the idea for this story came about.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Hard-core planner. I don’t start writing until I’ve first completed a chapter-by-chapter outline of the whole story.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Getting started! Honestly, with everything going on, the hardest part is to glue my butt onto the chair and to just get on with it.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cold drink to sip: either iced water, diet Coke or juice. Some snacks would be nice, too.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The ability to write as quickly, prolifically and masterfully as Stephen King. Failing which, the ability to bend time to my will, so I can squeeze more hours into a day.

Ooh, yeah, I'd like that too! What's the weirdest thing you've Googled?

For Oracle, I had to research the appearance of a corpse exposed to electricity in water. Grim, I know. My latest search history: burn victims, homemade bombs, suicide bombing, etc. might just get me blacklisted by Homeland Security!

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Oh my, there are so many! I appreciate all the support and encouragement from family, friends, and online blog-buddies and followers, but there area few I just have to embarrass by naming them: Lisa L. Regan, my critique partner, whose feedback of Oracle was invaluable during the book’s foetal stages;Cherie Reich, who has been a loyal follower from day one; and Len Lambert, one of my most vocal and ardent supporters. You know you guys all ROCK, right?

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

You can find me on my website jc-martin.com and I blog at Fighter Writer. I also Tweet andFacebook. Oracle is available at:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble

Thank you so much for chatting with us, JC! I love the cover for Oracle and wish you lots of success with the book!