Q & A with Mary Keliikoa

Take your audience on a rollercoaster ride of suspense, corruption and dark family secrets this summer when author Mary Keliikoa tests the bonds of sisterhood in her latest thriller, Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow

We’re delighted to feature  this interview with Mary Kellikoa!

Q & A  Mary Keliikoa

Tell us about your beginning, where are you from?

I was born in Portland, Oregon and then my father, a charter fisherman, moved us to the Oregon coast until I was 9. I would say my most vivid memories came from that time. The Oregon coast was a wonderful place to live and grow up as far as the beauty and freedom I felt there in the small fishing community. We didn’t have much—we lived in a trailer home and my dad cut meat in the winter, but life was simpler then. Riding bikes all day, running in and out of the house through the day, but home by dinner. But as the charter trade became less financially stable, we moved back to the Portland area, and settled in a suburb where we remained until my adulthood.

How did your childhood impact the writer you’ve become?

There were few days, rain or shine, that were not spent outdoors in my youth. I had a big brother to keep up with after all. But that freedom and the atmosphere of the area contributed to my imagination. Before restrictions were in place, we were always exploring some abandoned WWII military battery or building forts in the woods and telling stories. It didn’t take much for my 6-year-old self to think of a few scary things that had me running for home.

And life wasn’t always carefree. I often worried whether my father would make it home safely from his charter trips. I could see how it affected my mother when the seas were rough. And there were always people we knew that didn’t make it across the bar, or come home safely. I learned early on that there weren’t always happy endings. That was also hit home when I was 14 and a classmate was abducted and murdered. Those types of events shaped my world view—and the measure of safety in it. As a writer, I’ve drawn often from those feelings to create character, setting, and story.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

It was around the age of 27. I wouldn’t say I wanted to be a writer at that point, but I agreed to write a book with another secretary at the law firm where I worked. I already loved reading mystery and suspense novels, so it was a natural choice to write one. So we spent each lunch hour creating our mystery novel. It took about a year. While that novel did not sell, I had the writing bug then and I’ve never looked back.

How has writing changed you as a person?

I’m an introvert by nature, and I do keep much of my thinking process to myself. But writing has really helped me process what I see and learn from the world. It illuminates the areas that I want to know more about and I’m trying to understand. I think it’s truly strengthened that part of me that has the ability to see both sides fairly and neutrally. To examine motivation.

As far as how it’s changed me, it’s allowed me to explore and understand different perspectives, making me more open and empathetic..

What inspired you to write DON’T ASK DON’T FOLLOW? 

Having a big sister, I was inspired to write a story that featured a pair of sisters—the youngest, a rule follower, the older, impassioned about her causes. Believing the same in many respects, but with completely different approaches. Of course, I write mystery, so I had to throw a body in there, and the oldest one would be the one running from the murder scene.

As the story progressed, however, it became more than that. It became an examination of identity, and moral ambiguity around the choices people make and the positions they take for what they believe might be the right reasons. That they might even believe they have the moral high ground. Once that concept took hold, I was inspired to explore what that would look like when it morphed into something very wrong.

What would be your 6 word memoir?

One day, I believed in myself.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever had, and the worst?

The best advice I ever received: find what works for you and do that. The worst: you have to do it a particular way.

There are so many processes out there that work, and quite a few that work for only the person recommending them. I say, listen, experiment, and if it resonates for you, then do it. If it doesn’t, feel no guilt or regret and find a new way. There simply is no “right” way. It’s only what’s right for you.

At the end of the day, the only thing that you must do to be a writer is to show up and get words on a page. Writing and reading improves your craft. The editing process teaches you to fine-tune. Find a few trusted souls that will read your work and be kind, yet honest. And write. Write. Did I mention write?

What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I write most every day. It’s like exercise for some people–I feel off if I don’t. As for pantser or plotter? Not so long ago, I would have said 100% pantser. Now I’m a little bit of both. I spend time getting to know my characters (although they grow too as I write) and I generally know my beginning and at least a potential end. Then I plot out a few chapters ahead at a time. Not too far. I liked to be surprised!

Do you need a special place to write?

I write best in my office—there’s something about the routine that seems to kick my creative process into gear. That said, when I’m on a roll, or have a vision of where I’m going, I can write most anywhere.

Are you part of a writing community or a writing group?

I’m the President of the Columbia River Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and therefore am part of National as well. I’m also a member of Mystery Writers of America and Willamette Writers in Portland, Oregon.

I’m not part of a writing group—mostly because I write fairly quickly and I know everyone has their own projects. So I work with an editor regularly because I can have more instant feedback. I have found that to be the most effective way for me to continue growing and learning as a storyteller. But when I’m almost done with my novel, I have several author friends with whom I swap projects with to get another set of eyes and feedback and that works really well for me.

What is your experience with social media as a writer? Do you find it distracts you or does it provide inspiration?

Without social media, I believe it would be difficult for newer writers to get their books seen. So I do believe it’s invaluable for that, and I’ve certainly benefited from the visibility of the various platforms. I also enjoy posting about fun events, goals met, meeting different authors, etc. But what I love most about social media, is the ability to connect with readers. When people reach out about my work, or post something that they enjoyed, I find that very inspiring and motivation to keep creating.

Who are your favorite authors?

I fell in love with Mary Higgins Clark originally, so she will always be among my top. But Faye Kellerman, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, and J.A. Jance are among the many that inspired the beginning of my journey and who I still read. And of course, there are so many newer writers, many of them my friends, that line my bookshelves: Dianne Freeman, Cindy Goyette, Jaime Lynn Hendricks, Tracy Clark, Jessica Payne, Kellye Garrett, I just love them all!

What are you reading currently?

Right now, I’m reading Elle Marr’s Alone Time and loving it!

Thank you, Mary!  

Mary Keliikoa is a Pacific Northwest native and the multi-award-winning author of the Misty Pines Mystery Series, the PI Kelly Pruett Mystery Series, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, her latest novel. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime. When not in Washington, you can find Mary with toes in the sand on a Hawaiian beach.

DON’T ASK, DON’T FOLLOW

Murder, dark family secrets, and the unwavering bond of sisterhood— regardless of the cost

Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon, would rather be racking up billable hours than mingling at an office party— especially when her sister Lindsay, aka her plus one, is a no-show.

After making her obligatory rounds, Beth returns to her office to find that her boss, who she’ d talked with moments before, has been murdered. She sees a woman fleeing the scene. Wait— was that Lindsay? Unable to catch up to her in time, Beth waits for the police to arrive and notices that Lindsay has left her phone behind with an unsent text message to Beth displayed on the screen: “ Don’ t ask. Don’ t follow.”

Lindsay is unreachable for days, and when Beth starts to come under suspicion for the crime, she decides that waiting is impossible. While retracing Lindsay’ s steps, determined to bring her home, Beth uncovers what her sister, an investigative reporter bent on changing the world, was trying to expose— corruption, secrets, and betrayal on an unimaginable level. Revealing the truth might bring back the one person she’ s desperate to find— but it could also destroy the only life and family Beth’ s ever known.

BUY HERE

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing