Episode 100? How in the world?
Thanks for sticking around to celebrate this milestone with me – I am so excited to be going into year three of podcasting. I’ve gotten to talk to so many amazing writers, and my 100th episode is no different.
I am delighted to welcome an author I truly admire – Faye Snowden – to the podcast this week.
Faye is the award-winning author of noir mysteries, poems and short stories. Her novels include The Savior, Fatal Justice, and A Killing Fire, a dark, southern gothic tale featuring homicide detective Raven Burns. A Killing Fire is first in a four-part series. The sequel, A Killing Rain (June, 2022), was long listed for the CWA Gold Dagger award, and won gold in the 2022 Foreword INDIES awards. CrimeReads named it one of the best southern gothic crime fiction novels of 2022.
Faye started out writing romantic suspense before transitioning to Southern Gothic mysteries, and we talk about her whole journey to get here, as well as her publishing story.
We cover:
- How she started writing by reimagining TV shows and books
- The personal inspiration behind Detective Raven Burns
- The “roller coaster ride” of publishing
- How she structures her writing life
- The influence the South has had on her work
- Imposter syndrome, and why all writers—even the most successful ones—have it
And so much more.
Faye is lovely – and she’s also an inspiration to all writers. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
You can find more about Faye here.
Chapters:
- 03:40 Introduction to Faye Snowden
- 07:54 Transition from Romantic Suspense to Southern Gothic Mysteries
- 11:24 The Publishing Journey: Challenges and Triumphs
- 19:39 Balancing Writing with Day Job and Family Life
- 24:47 Creating Detective Raven Burns: Inspiration and Setting
- 26:54 Exploring the Gothic Elements of Louisiana
- 28:46 Themes Evil and Human Nature
- 33:45 The Art of Plotting vs. Pantsing in Writing
- 36:57 Diversity in Publishing: Progress or Setback?
- 40:11 The Role of Organizations in Supporting Diverse Voices
- 43:36 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Writer
