Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

What drew you to the genre you write?
I grew up surrounded by stacks of crime novels. My parents both read a lot and crime was by far their favorite genre. Of course, I raided their bookshelves (I was probably too young for most of that stuff). The first stories I wrote were light horror and science fiction. It took me a while to try my hand at crime fiction. I had to wrap my head and writing style around it. I had all these great writers and stories in the back of my mind; it was a bit intimidating. I remember thinking: can I do it, can I pull it off?

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
I’m using my husband’s last name with my initials. My name is hard to pronounce for English speakers.

Tell us how you got into writing?
Reading, writing, it’s a continuum … I never kept a journal, though. My secrets felt a lot safer in my head than on paper. In my mid-twenties, I had a job that was mostly number-crunching and I needed to balance it with something creative. I’d gone to drama school and acted in a play, but the company went on hiatus and it was unclear if or when we would stage another show. I’d always hovered on the edge of writing and I thought: why not? I wrote a ‘disquiet’ story (I wouldn’t call it horror) inspired by the house I lived in. It was published in a women’s magazine—nice paycheck. Then I wrote another one that was also published. It was the confirmation that I could do this. I found other opportunities to write. I was a freelance journalist for a music magazine for a while, and I wrote song lyrics for a musician friend. More stories came after that, some of them weren’t published for years. The books grew out of the stories; some themes and ideas need room to expand.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
It’s only recently that I’ve become a full-time writer. I’ve always had a job and the work was interesting/demanding. Writing was a mental release. Some people run, I write. After college, I was a researcher in economic policy for a university, then I was a business analyst for a big chemical company. I worked in advertising as an account executive for many years. I moved back to corporate as a communications advisor. And all through that, I wrote fiction. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to research the market, push my work out there, build a network, socialize. For the past twelve years, I’ve tried to remedy that.

How many books do you have published?
It’ll be eleven in September, when the third Declan Shaw detective novel comes out (“The Way You Say My Name”, published by Shotgun Honey Books). I have a four-book science fiction saga, three books in the Declan Shaw series, two short story collections, and two retro-noirs written in collaboration.

Where do you write?
Anywhere I flop down with my laptop. The corner of the dining room table (with a great view of a lake), the back porch, a deep armchair … Anywhere that is NOT a desk, and anywhere that is not too quiet. Silence feels claustrophobic and stifling to me.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Crime, of course, the gritty kind and the classics. I also read historical fiction and non-fiction, spy novels, science-fiction, horror. I don’t read romance, cozies, or fantasy, and I’m not a fan of domestic thrillers.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I learned to fly a plane. A childhood dream. I wanted to go up there! I clocked hours of solo flight but I dropped out before getting my license. Navigation stumps me. I’m the kind of pilot who would aim for the sea and find themselves over the mountains (don’t laugh, it happens!).

Who is an author you admire?
Tana French bowls me over. I must have read the first two pages of “The Likeness” twenty times, at least. And Dennis Lehane. He grabs me and I can’t let go.

Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
Stick to it, everybody collects rejections, and don’t be in too much of a hurry to send your pieces out; when you let things sit for a while, problems are easier to spot. Find your tribe: fellow writers, magazine editors, people you like to read. The crime fiction community is cool.

What is next for you?
Another Declan Shaw book, I hope. I’m several drafts in. In-depth editing is next. Russel Thayer and I are also putting together another retro-noir, it will be our third collaboration. We’re almost done with the first draft and we’re playing with the ending. As usual, we have tons of ideas that shoot in every possible direction.

Where can we find you?
I post every two weeks on Substack: meproctor.substack.com (free) and I’m on a bunch of social media platforms: Twitter (@MEProctor3), Instagram and Threads (@proctormartine), Facebook (@martine.proctor).
There’s the website too: www.shawmystery.com.

Now to have some fun . . .

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
I’m not a breakfast person, never have been. A cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk and I’m out of the door. I like daydreaming in bed too much, which means cutting the ‘get ready for school or work’ time to the bare minimum. For my entire childhood, lunch was the meal of the day. As an adult, dinner means going out with friends and coming home late. So, I guess it’s dinner, the fun time.

Fruits or vegetables
Cherries, blueberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges. Although I love green beans and I occasionally crave tomatoes. Must be some kind of vitamin deficiency.

Sweet or salty snacks
Salty. Nuts of all kinds, chips. And chocolate, the darker the better.

Ice cream or cake
Cake, but hold the sweetish, cloying, cream and butter. I like my cakes straight with minimal or no icing.

Cooking or baking
Baking, it’s the pleasure part of being in the kitchen.

Dining in or dining out
That’s a tie. Having friends for dinner and long conversations is a joy, and so is picking a nice restaurant for a romantic evening out.

City life or country living
I’m a city girl who now lives in the country. I like the open views, watching the birds, and being in a quiet place but I need an infusion of city and culture at regular intervals.

Beach or mountain
Beach. I can stare at the sea for hours and never be bored.

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Spring. All that fresh new green smells so good.

Extrovert or introvert
Introvert. I turn mute in large groups.

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
I can’t choose just one, are you kidding? I love David Lean’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, but when ‘Miller’s Crossing’ is on, I have to watch it, again. And don’t get me going on ‘The Searchers’, or ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘The Sting’, ‘Jaws’ … I could go on forever.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Oh dear, I don’t know … a satellite phone? And then to stay alive while they’re on their way to rescue me: ten gallons of water and two pounds of energy bars (the kind with almonds and chocolate, please).

My bio:
M.E. Proctor (www.shawmystery.com) was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. She writes the Declan Shaw detective mysteries (Love You Till Tuesday and Catch Me on a Blue Day). She’s the author of two collections (Family and Other Ailments and A Book to Live By), and the co-author of a couple of retro-noir novels, Bop City Swing and Kansas City Breakdown. Her short stories have appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She’s a Shamus Award and Derringer Award nominee for short fiction. Catch Me on a Blue Day was nominated for a 2026 Shamus Award – Best Original Paperback PI Novel.