Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .
What drew you to the genre you write?
I love mysteries not necessarily for the puzzle, but for the characters and how they react to the situation. Character arcs within a book and over a series are fascinating, because people do change!
Tell us how you got into writing?
I wrote a story about the origin of Santa Claus when I was in the fifth grade and I think that might’ve started me off.
What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I started out as a speech therapist, then I wrote garden how-to books, and then started in on fiction. It’s an odd path, but it made sense to me at the time.
How many books do you have published?
A Murder Is Rehearsed makes 24!
Where do you write?
I mostly write at local libraries, but during Covid when I couldn’t get into a library or a coffee shop, I became known for writing in the car.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love mysteries—traditional, police procedural, quirky, and what I suppose would be called magical realism. (I put Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London in the last.) I also love historical fiction, especially Kate Atkinson’s books including Shrines of Gaiety. I say I don’t read fantasy, but then Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’ve read Jasper Fforde’s Early Riser four times.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
All my books are set in Britain, yet I can’t do any British accent to save myself.
Who is an author you admire?
Susanna Clarke and Kate Atkinson (mentioned above).
Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
Read good books! Immerse yourself in the kind of writing you want to write.
What is next for you?
I’m working on another historical mystery set in 1953 Britain (no surprise there) at a cottage hospital.
Where can we find you?
On my website at martywingate.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor.
NOW TO HAVE SOME FUN . . .
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast—starting with a cup of Yorkshire Gold tea.
Fruits or vegetables
Fruits—summer peaches and nectarines.
Sweet or salty snacks
I should say salty to keep it balanced.
Ice cream, cake, or pie
Ice cream most definitely.
Cooking, baking, or dining out
Cooking and baking – unless someone else wants to do it for me!
City life or country living
Country
Beach or mountain
Beach
Early bird or night owl
Early bird
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Spring!
Extrovert or introvert
Extrovert
AND EVEN MORE FUN . . .
What is your favorite movie?
Local Hero
You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
An audio book of Andy Serkis reading The Lord of the Rings on my phone and a way to charge it. Wait! Is that three things already?
My bio:
USA Today best-selling author Marty Wingate writes mysteries and histories—all fiction and all set in Britain. Her mystery series include A Murder Is Rehearsed, the Potting Shed, Birds of a Feather, the First Edition Library, and The London Ladies’ Murder Club. Marty’s historical fiction titles include The House for Lost Children, The German Sisters, and Glamour Girls—all set during the Second World War—and The Orphans of Mersea House, set in 1957 in a seaside town in the east of England. Marty prefers on-the-ground research whenever possible, and so she and her husband regularly travel to England and Scotland, where she can be found tracing the steps of her characters, stopping for tea and a slice of Victoria sponge in a café, or enjoying a swift half in a pub.