This week I have the privilege of introducing you to award-winning mystery writer G. M. MALLIET, whose books, written in the tradition of Agatha Christie, are set in the U.K.
Malliet’s first mystery, Death of a Cozy Writer, was awarded the prestigious Malice Domestic Grant, followed by the Agatha Award for Best First Novel.
Her current series, set in the fictional English village of Nether Monkslip (don’t you love that name?), features Max Tudor–Anglican priest, former MI5-agent, and village heartthrob. The third book in the series, Pagan Spring, hit the bookstores just this month. Life is good for Vicar Max Tudor.
Reveling in his new-found personal happiness with Awena Owen, his life holds no greater challenge than writing his Easter sermon. But when murder invades his idyllic village of Nether Monkslip, Tudor’s MI5 training kicks in. But can he restore peace to the village and still manage to finish his sermon?
When I asked her what she wishes she had known starting out as a writer, Ms. Malliet said: “I don’t feel I made any huge mistakes along the way to publication, other than occasionally losing faith and belief in myself that I would get published one day. I knew I had a story I liked (Death of a Cozy Writer) and I hoped that one day someone besides me would see some benefit to themselves in representing or publishing my work. There were days when the sight of yet another rejection letter in the mail when I came home exhausted from work pretty much broke my heart. It’s funny but now that I write full time, I have days when I am tired, but I never experience the soul-destroying drain I felt working a “money job” (writing advertising copy). So my advice to new writers has to be the old adage about never quitting. I wanted to quit a hundred times. I would swear I was going to pack it in. But I didn’t want to reach the end of a long life knowing I’d never done what I most wanted to do. That was the only prospect I could not face–somehow I felt I’d sacrificed too much already to just give up trying.”
Malliet’s many fans (myself included) are so glad she persevered! If you love maps as I do, check out the wonderful interactive map of Nether Monkslip at www.gmmallet.com. And look for Pagan Spring at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.