FEATURED AUTHOR: FRANKIE BOW

ABOUT THE BOOK

A graduate student from Hawaii visits the tiny bayou town of Sinful, Louisiana to investigate the effects of the oil spill on the local wildlife. Sinful resident Fortune Redding, who happens to be a CIA operative hiding out from a ruthless arms dealer, worries that the nosy newcomer might blow her cover. In fact, he does make a disturbing discovery – and unleashes forces that will go to any lengths to protect Sinful’s darkest secret.

INTERVIEW WITH FRANKIE BOW

Frankie, what do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
I think it’s the middle. Outlining the plot is fun; polishing the manuscript is rewarding; forcing myself to sit down and translate the plot outline and story beats into a manuscript, that’s the toughest part for me.

How often do you read?
I read a little every day, while I’m exercising on the elliptical machine. It’s really the only chance I get to read for pleasure.

Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
If you can participate in Kindle Worlds, do it. I’d never written fan fiction, but then Amazon introduced Kindle Worlds, a forum for “legit” fanfic. Bestselling authors granted permission for fans to write in their worlds, the resulting works were put up for sale, and the fanfic writers split the royalties with the original authors. Now, I’d already read and loved a lot of Jana DeLeon’s work, so when I saw that her Miss Fortune world was open on Kindle Worlds, I just had to try it. I was comfortable writing in the Miss Fortune world because I was already a fan of the books and had read the whole series, and I really had fun with it! Sinful Science has done very well on Kindle Worlds, and I’m seeing some sell-through to my other books. If you can find a Kindle World similar to your own writing, it’s a great way to connect with new readers.

How often do you tweet?
I’m a haphazard Tweeter. I’ll always retweet NASA’s Picture of the Day, just because it’s cool, but that’s the only think I do consistently. My “method” is that every so often I open up Twitter and then retweet things I think are funny or important.

Would you make a good character in a book? 
Maybe I could be the “straight man” foil to the wacky main character, but I’m too boring and sensible to carry a story by myself.

What do you love about where you live?
Well I live in Hawaii, so there’s a lot to love. Of course there’s the weather and the beautiful scenery. But one thing that’s great about here, especially when you have kids, is how indifferent most people are to brand names and status symbols. There’s no pressure on kids to wear a certain brand of shoes, and no one cares what kind of car you drive. When people have money they spend it on experiences like travel.

What’s your favorite thing to do on date night?
A casual Pau Hana, or happy hour. Invite a few friends over for potluck, have someone bring a guitar, and spend the evening eating, drinking, listening to live music, and unwinding.

What do you wish you could do?
Star Trek-style teleportation. Hawaii is the most isolated inhabited land mass in the world; it’s a five-hour flight to the West Coast. As safety regulations have become stricter, and the number of flights has declined, flying has become less and less enjoyable. And there’s really no alternative.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Like me, my protagonist Molly Barda has a touch of social anxiety, so she shows up late to Mass on purpose to miss the Passing of the Peace.

What would you name your autobiography?
“Let me get back to you.” Seriously, procrastination is a struggle for me.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Like the characters in her campus murder mysteries, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn't fair, at least it can be entertaining. In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Connect with Frankie:

Website and blog  |  
Facebook  |   
Twitter  |   Goodreads

 

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