Today I welcome onto the blog my lovely friend Susi Holliday, who also writes as SJI Holliday.
Susi has written three crime novels set in the fictional Scottish town of Banktoun, which are a mix of police procedural and psychological thriller. They are: “Black Wood”, “Willow Walk” and “The Damselfly” – all featuring the much loved character, Sergeant Davie Gray. Her festive serial killer thriller “The Deaths of December”, fea
tures Detective Sergeant Eddie Carmine and Detective Constable Becky Greene. You can find out more at her website and on Facebook and Twitter @SJIHolliday
So, Susi, where did the idea come from for this book?
It was a bit of an experiment, really. There are lots of Christmas books, but not that many Christmas crime books. I loved Tammy Cohen’s Dying for Christmas a couple of years ago, so when my editor suggested writing Christmas crime I was happy to get stuck in and pull out the dark side of Christmas, as an antidote to all that glitter.
This is your first standalone, isn’t it? How different was it writing a standalone compared to writing your previous trilogy?
Well, I’m not entirely sure that it is a standalone. It is in the sense that there is a complete story with a resolution, but then that’s been the case for all my books. I’ve always been fond of leaving little nuggets of things in there so that, in theory, there could be a follow up. I think that’s what I’ve done with this.
You’ve been promoting the book for the last few months? How did it feel to be promoting a Christmas novel in July?
Weird. You saw me at Harrogate in my glittery antlers, pulling crackers and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Thankfully the crime community have seen and done it all before and it went down well.
This is your fourth novel published since “Black Wood” in 2015. You work full time as well. How do you fit in all the writing, editing and marketing alongside working? Do you have any tips for fitting it all in?
I am the last person to ask for advice on this. I work well to a deadline, whether it’s the day job or writing, but give me too much time and I will happily waste it. It is tricky, and I am not entirely sure I’ve got it right yet. I do seem to find myself in a horrible panic on a regular basis. I know
I need to stick to a proper routine, but I am better at planning routines than actually abiding by them. Somehow, I just get it done.
What do you most like about writing? What do you like least?
I love the planning stage – when I think up a new idea and I am brainstorming the plot with myself – I can’t get the book out of my head and I love it. Least, is after the first exciting few chapters of the first draft are written, I find it hard to keep going knowing I have SO many words to write, even when I know where the story is going. Writing a novel is a daunting task, but holding a finished book in your hands is the pay off.
You got your agent by deliberately going to networking events. What are your top tips for making a success of networking?
Well that’s partly true. When I started writing I wanted to get to know the industry and the people in it, so I started going to Theakston’s International Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, and I also tried to meet as many authors and bloggers as I could online. I started my own blog, sharing reviews and interviews and bits about my writing, and I gradually gained followers by chatting to people on Twitter. I met my agent at my first Harrogate, but he didn’t become my agent until several years later, when I was shortlisted for a competition and he asked me to send him my book. The main thing I recommend is getting out there, going to the festivals, chatting to people, getting your face recognised. That way, if you do send something to an agent, you can add a personal note and it might just lead to them moving your manuscript up the slush pile. Of course, it’s no guarantee – you still have to write the best book that you can, and keep your fingers tightly crossed.
Thanks Susi, that’s great. The Deaths of December is out now. If you’re in London on Monday (4 December) come along to First Monday Crime, where you’ll be able to see Susi in competition with a great line-up of authors, pitching a new idea to the audience. There’s wine and Secret Santa and stuff as well. Find out more here.