Ricki Thomas – 'Gentle' Author is Knocking 'em Dead
One of the books to reach the top of the Amazon UK list was Ricki Thomas’s “Unlikely Killer”. One reviewer said that Ricki will “take you on a journey into the darkest recesses of the human mind”. Another reviewer simply said, “brilliant. fast paced. a book that gets you hooked from the first page”.
Since this interview, she has also released another book, “Hope’s Vengeance.”
Darrell - How did you become a writer?
Ricki - I was running a successful business as an accountant, but when I turned that dreaded '30' I knew I wasn't happy with the tedium and office politics, so I closed the business and became a pauper, writing my socks off with a view to achieving either with a novel or script. So, nine penniless years later, my first book, Hopes Vengeance, was published, followed shortly after by Unlikely Killer, which is happily becoming pretty successful.
Darrell - Can you describe a typical day of writing?
Ricki - I'm not quite sure there is a typical day. If I'm 'locked into' a book, I'll do nothing but write, day in, night out. But if anything at all isn't right, perhaps I feel the book may have flaws, or, and this is being totally honest, the dishes aren't done, it can put me on a 'block' for weeks, sad but true! I've learned to not stress over the blocks, because they always resolve in my head at some stage and I can throw myself back into the work with ease then. But yes, when the writing is happening, it takes over life, and is very intense.
Darrell - Where do you get your inspiration?
Ricki - This is weirdly funny, because in 'real life' I'm a very gentle person, adoring and nurturing my 4 kids, caring about the environment ... BUT ... I've had a life-long interest in the psychology of serial killers, and have a great knowledge of them. This inspires me, and it's the psychology, not the violence, that I am trying to get across in my work. I have to put the violence into the books, readers of the type of novel I produce like that (although a recent reviewer said he'd never known so many murders in one book!). Life, just looking around, people watching, that's a great way to find inspiration if you let your mind wander.
Darrell - What sort of marketing do you think is best for a writer?
Ricki - Slow with lots of patience. A writers' life is full of rejection. Get the first book out there, Facebook is a wonderful marketing tool and the majority of writers are happy to support each other with the 'ups and downs', and I believe (perhaps it's the Brit in me) that you should be self-deprecating, let the work stand for itself. If it's good enough, then the success will happen gently.
Darrell - What are you currently working on?
Ricki - I recently finished Bloody Mary, which is somewhat on the theme of Hope's Vengeance, and I'm currently working on Bonfire Night, another one about a serial killer, albeit covering several years as opposed to Unlikely Killer's intense rampage. Also Holiday of the Dead, an anthology of zombie stories, has just been released and luckily one of my stories (Ladykiller) is included. And I continuously have a stream of journalistic articles appearing in both national and local magazines and newsletters.
Darrell - What do you see as the future of hard copy books as opposed to ebooks?
Ricki - Whoah, the divided subject! I personally love the feel of a 'real' book in my hands, but many people adore Kindle, and I have to admit that most of my sales are through Kindle even though the book's available in hard copy. As a writer, the sales are great, but at 69pence a book, sadly the royalties don't pay the bills. I suspect the future is electronic, it appears to be the most economic way of getting hours of enjoyment from a novel, but from an authors view, it will reduce the industry to writing as a hobby rather than a job.
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