Mystery and Suspense Author Mia Fisher

Please help me welcome Mia Fisher, mystery author and president-elect of Kiss of Death. For those of you who don't know, KOD is the mystery writer's specialty chapter of Romance Writers of America. I met and became friends with Mia during my tenure as KOD's president. Here is the short version of Mia's life:

Born and raised in New England, Mia Fisher spent twenty years in the Midwest before returning to the east coast. A prolific writer who spent many years writing Inspirationals, she crossed over to the dark side to write mystery/suspense and paranormal romance in 2008. The mother of four children she moved to sunny state of Florida after the death of her husband in 2011. She lives with her youngest child and a cat with evil intentions and works in Social Work when nobody is looking. To learn more about Mia Fisher's books, visit her website at www.miafisher.net.

I've asked Mia to give us the low down of her writing, below are her answers!
Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

My latest book is a mystery/suspense that carries a lot of romance. Blood Roles is the first book in what will be a six book series regarding a behavioral science unit that deals only with Native American crimes. Blood Roles brings our hero and heroine together for the first time in over a decade and it is not pretty. I think it crosses several genres actually. It has the edge of a contemporary, the romantic elements and the hard-driving mystery. It also brings out some social issues that the general population may or may not be aware of and that would put it into a social boundaries genre as well. It’s a very edgy, sexy and thought provoking book that’s been getting some great reviews.

How do you come up with ideas? Usually while driving and listening to music. Music for me is a strong muse. My contemporary romance, Illusions, which will be coming out in November, was written entirely around two Transiberian Orchestra songs – Christmas Canon Rock and Grinch Melody. I’m sure people will wonder what those two songs even have to do with a romance novel – they’re just going to have to buy the book when it comes out and see how it all fits together! Blood Roles was written around one song – Mike and the Mechanics “All I Need Is A Miracle”. My last Inspirational, Heart of Stone, was named after a Cher song. Music provides an exceptional creative medium in my opinion.

What is the single most important part of writing for you? Creating my characters. I love bringing them to life.

What is the most important thing you do for your career?

Force myself to market. When I first was published back in 1987 it was a time when the publishers did a lot for us – very little self-promotion or marketing wasn’t either planned in advance or backed by them. Now it’s a whole new world and I’m learning as I go. I’m not an outgoing, cold-call type of person (which is ironic since I used to be a publicist, lol) so I really have to focus and force myself to take all those needed steps to market both myself and my books.

What do you enjoy most about writing? – Creating the dynamic between the hero and heroine. I like incredibly complex relationships that look much simpler than they actually are.

What do you enjoy most about life? Life in general. My husband passed away last year after several very-traumatic months in the ICU. During that time I learned that life is something to be treasured, something to be enjoyed, all aspects, no matter how hard or how small deserve the same attention. Live every day to the fullest no matter what because there may not be a tomorrow.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...? Usually in the middle. LOL I visualize I specific scene – usually a climactic moment – and then once I’ve written it I go back, start the book and then finish it.

What did you learn from writing your first book? Grammar, while important, should not be your first priority. My very first editor told me that writing the book is more important than editing the book during that first draft. To worry about editing while you’re writing interrupts your flow. Now days I’m told that’s a lazy way to write but for me it’s the best way to go. Focus on the outline and the lives the characters are living – then worry about if it’s all grammatically correct.

Would you consider self publishing? Yes. In fact the NABSU series is now, officially, a self-pubbed series. I originally went with a very small house and didn’t like what they did with it. The editing was poor, the changes they made without notifying me changed the entire story. I sued to break the contract and now I’m self-publishing the entire series. It’s a very unique and special series that needs strong creative control due to the subject matter and self-publishing allows that.

How many hours a day to you spend writing? Currently between eight and ten, sometimes more, sometimes less.

If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what would it be? Don’t marry husband #1 and don’t listen to what anybody has to say about your desire to write. If people can’t support you in your goal they don’t need to be a part of your life. I'm sure to some people that might seem harsh but, over all, I did not have family or friends who supported my career when I first started out and their constant negativity was a major inhibitor for me.

Is your muse demanding? Only when there’s chocolate involved!

Are your stories driven by plot or character? Most definitely character driven. I usually see one of my main characters long before I know what road they’re going to be traveling on.

How do you balance a life outside of writing with deadlines and writing muses? Lots of lists and really big calendar pages on my wall.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why? If Intimate States was still in print I’d say that one – in my opinion it is, by far, my best book BUT (ain’t there always a but?) I’ve matured a lot as a writer and a character builder since then so of what I have on the market now? I’d say Blood Roles – it’s a page turner and will keep you on the edge of your seat as well as provide some steamy intimate reading!

List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.

Weirdly enough when I take a break from writing I don’t read romance. I feel guilty that I’m not writing when I do so I’ll usually be reading non-fiction when I actually take a break. Katherine Ramsland, Anne Rule, usually something true crime related. When I take a mini-break while I’m writing? Joan Swan, Pamela Palmer – something with a lot of heat and a totally different dimension!

Mia Fisher
2012 KOD President-Elect