I've had the distinct pleasure of reading Author Heather Day Gilbert's novels for many years now from her serious mysteries to her Cozy Mystery Series. Many of you have read her Viking novels. Yesterday, her debut mystery/psychological-thriller Queen of Hearts begins a series of stand-alone stories with different protagonists in each one. Knowing her work, it sounds like a "can't miss" adventure for mystery/thriller enthusiasts like myself.
Heather agreed to answer a few questions to give her new and regular readers a few thoughts on this writing venture.
First off, I’m going to ask you a few typical questions most readers want to know about their favorite authors. So give us a bit of background about you and your family.
I was born and bred in the West Virginia mountains, which is where I live now. My husband and I have been married for 27 years, and we have four children and a wonderful daughter-in-law. I've been writing for at least fifteen years now, and I've been published for eleven years this November.
2. You’ve written in different specific genres that I’m aware of. Tell us about what prompted you to diversify your writing and what came first?
I've been all over the board, that's for sure! In order of publication, I've written: Christian Viking historicals, Christian mysteries, Christian romantic suspense, mainstream cozy mysteries, and now a YA time-travel fantasy, as well as mainstream psychological thrillers. Oh, and I've also written a nonfiction book about independent publishing.
And I guess I write what I feel needs to be written, although as the years have gone by, I've attempted to write more directly to market. Let's just say Viking historicals are very niche, especially in the Christian fiction world, even though I thankfully have a solid readership for them.
3. As for becoming an author of fiction: Why? What inspired and caused you to write in the first place?
I've always loved to read—I remember reading books like The Little Red Hen in our slightly mildewy basement, so I have a fondness for books that smell like mildew. ;) I've written on and off throughout my life, and I've always enjoyed it. I've won writing contests through my school and college years, and then I wrote for newspapers. But once I started having children (pretty rapid-fire—I had three under three there for a bit), my writing kind of got sidelined, even though I continued writing poetry. But once I tried doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I managed to write a 50k book, and it was like something broke loose inside me when I knew I COULD complete an entire book. I've been writing books ever since.
4. What do you want your readers to know about your specific novels as far as your main purpose or goals in writing them?
It's taken me many years to nail my objectives down, and they've shifted over time. I started out by writing books directed toward Christian married women. But then I began to realize my reach could go wider, given who was actually reading my books. So now I write mainstream books that bring some escape to readers, along with a hopeful worldview. My books are intentionally clean reads, so teens can read them—just like I read Agatha Christie or Phyllis Whitney growing up.
5. Do you have a favorite character or characters from all of your work – or is that like picking a favorite child?
Yes. I think sometimes the characters we draw from more heavily in real life might be our favorites. So my faves would be Freydis Eiriksdottir from Forest Child, Thomas and Tess Spencer from the Murder in the Mountains Series, and I also love Alexandra Dubois, the main character in Queen of Hearts.
Next, I’m going to ask you some publishing questions.
1. You’re a successful and award-winning “indie” author. As far as publishing your work, what do you enjoy the most and what do you dislike the most about the process?
I enjoy managing everything myself. One of my top strengths (Clifton Strengths assessment) is Command, which means I want to be the boss every chance I get. LOL! What I dislike most is constantly trying to figure out how to expand my reach. Indie books rarely get the social media hype traditionally published books get, but that hasn't stopped me from trying nonstop to garner a little hype along the way.
2. Did you intend to “go indie” from the start of your career?
Nope. I have had five agents over the course of my career. I've been traditionally published with a 3-book cozy mystery series (rights now reverted) and with a multi-author novella collection (rights also now reverted). I can't say the tradpub dream is completely dead at this point, but I'm learning to savor being able to choose my own direction (adventure!?!) and write books to the length I feel they are complete, instead of stretching them to the length a publisher deems appropriate (I often write Agatha Christie-length mysteries, which feel perfect to me!).
3. Is there anything you incorporate in the process now that you did not in the beginning?
Having a definite, marketable genre and writing toward that genre, instead of winging it and trying to sell something readers haven't ever seen before. LOL!
4. Explain your views regarding publishing in the Christian Fiction genre.
I have many Christian fiction readers, since that's where my initial readership was built. They do have a set of expectations they want to be filled (just as, say, cozy mystery readers have a set of expectations, but those parameters are more easily defined). For instance, on the exact same CF book, some reviews will state that there's too much Christian content, while others will say it's not enough. At this point, I'm most comfortable writing clean mainstream fiction, but I am so grateful for my CF readers who have followed me—some across ALL these genres, bless them!
But I haven't changed along the way in terms of my "author promise"—so if you've read one of my books, you'll instinctively understand what will/won't be included in the other ones. For instance, when I read a Mary Higgins Clark book that features a child kidnapping, I can trust she won't kill the child (in her later books—I know her earlier reads were a bit darker).
Regarding styles of writing:
1. Do you have favorite “styles” of writing? By that I mean do you lean more toward Hemingway or Faulkner, i.e. simplistic or heavy with words. I know you’ve mentioned Daphne du Maurier types of fiction where her writing style is very descriptive and somewhat dark – at least in Rebecca. How would you describe your overall style of writing?
That is a wonderful question! I would say that while I love stunning prose, like in The Great Gatsby, I migrate toward a simpler (yet deep) style, like Agatha Christie, although a bit of poetry in the writing here and there is appreciated. I really respect a beautiful flow and a strong voice, like I recently noticed in The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen. There's just something so perfect about the way she structures her sentences. Then you have really edgy writers, like William Kent Krueger, who are breaking boundaries in their writing styles (he uses a lot of commas, with what I would've considered run-on sentences, as I recall). I appreciate beautiful writing in any form, but the plot/character depth have to be there, or you'll lose me. I don't care for overly flowery "purple prose," where the author seems to be choosing big words just to show that they're smart. And I am a sucker for memorable characters (like where you remember their names for years), or for twists I can't see coming.
And finally, please tell readers all you want them to know about your newest release Queen of Hearts which debuted yesterday, July 23, 2024.
I'm so excited about Queen of Hearts, because I've wanted to write a psychological thriller for years. I read a lot of psych thrillers, but few are very clean reads, with no language/graphic situations/murders. I love movies like Rear Window by Hitchcock, or The Twilight Zone show (old version!), or Mary Higgins Clark books, and I wanted to write something along those lines that both teens and adults could enjoy. Stories with shocking twists, mystery, and wonderfully deep characters—yet clean. And I also love Queen of Hearts because it features a neurodivergent main character, who's discovered her autism later in life, so she's learning new things about herself. I have a daughter with autism like this, so it was so special to have her read my book and help with scenes. I'd love to see more realistically drawn neurodivergent characters coming down the pike in fiction, although maybe I'll be writing them myself!
Author Bio:
HEATHER DAY GILBERT is an RWA Daphne Award-winning author who writes Hitchcock-style suspense with tenacious female leads who know how to fend for themselves. Like her characters, she's a little bit sweet and a little bit dangerous. She loves nothing better than to surprise her readers—and herself—with unpredictable twists. A West Virginia native, she brings modern-day Appalachia to life in her novels. Find out more at heatherdaygilbert.com.
Thank you very much, Heather, for taking the time to share a piece of yourself in your writing journey.
Father, you know all there is to know about each one of us, our passions instilled by you, our specific needs - everything. Thank you for Heather's willingness to participate in this interview and please bring her new readers as a result. I pray you would continue to bless Heather in your abundance and continue to direct her steps on the writing path. Encourage her as only you can do and bring her the stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.