M.C. Mell interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hello world! This is M.C. Mell, author of “Missing with Secrets: The Disappearance of My Friend Nick.” I am a man of many hobbies, with writing being closest to my heart. One of my best friends lives in Berlin, I have two cats and a dog, my wife is a veterinarian nurse and I am a South Jersey native. During my daytime job, I work in criminal law and investigation.

When did your love of books begin?

In 1^st grade our teacher read to us “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” I can’t recall if it was ten pages a day, a chapter a day or what. I do remember being absolutely absorbed in the story the entire time though. From that point on, I was hooked. I read all of J.K. Rowling’s wonderful series as the books came out. I went on to read the Hobbit, the Lord of Rings trilogy and continued to branch out from there.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started writing my first manuscript when I was in 7^th or 8^th grade, so about 11 or 12 years old? The story actually reached 80 or 90 pages, which is crazy to think now! The plot became lost along the way and various narratives took shape. I never finished it. I still have that one sitting around somewhere. Maybe one day I’ll pick it back up and see if I can make something of it.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I have been published in my field previously, though not under this pen name. That was much easier than trying to write and become established in fiction. I’d say the latter is more akin to one of my previous jobs. I did door-to-door sales one summer in college (long story). Trying to establish myself as a fiction writer feels pretty similar. It’s a lot of knocking on metaphorical doors, with many people wanting nothing to do with you. Occasionally, someone takes the time to listen (read) and that makes it worth it. Fortunately, no one has set their German Shepherd on me here like they did when I was soliciting sales. “Careful, he bites!” (opens door wide).

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

The other day I saw someone tweet that simply writing one novel is an incredible accomplishment. I absolutely agree with that. If becoming a writer is your dream, there truly is nothing that can stop you from achieving this. If you have a computer, you can write your manuscript. If no one wants to pick up your story, you can self-publish. Understand that writing a novel is like running a mental marathon. How many people do you know who have run a marathon? I would guess not many. Those who have done it are immensely proud of their accomplishment. The same goes for writing a book. Completing your first work is something no one can ever take away from you, no matter who publishes it or how it does in sales. So go out there, stop letting your fear of rejection hold you back and write the thing!

Tell us about your book/books:

I’m currently releasing “Missing with Secrets: The Disappearance of My Friend Nick” on Kindle – Vella (Amazon’s new reading format) under the genres of Mystery and Thriller. It is stylized much like a series you might watch on television, with a new chapter released each week. I really like Vella because the first three chapters are free. It gives the reader the opportunity to try before they buy.

I would describe the book as a written crime podcast told by someone who lived it. It sets out the story of Nick Simmons, who disappeared under suspicious circumstances.  It was a missing persons case that rocked a small suburban town in New Jersey. The book tracks the case from when Nick initially vanished, through the investigation and ultimately takes the reader into the trial of the accused. It promises to be different from most crime novels you may have read. Many novels in this genre are written from the perspective of the investigator or the prosecutor. Missing with Secrets is told by one of the victim survivors. It gives the reader a glimpse of the efforts taken and the emotions felt by those who were personally touched by this situation. It also shows how a small police department dealt with a high profile case. It sets out the difficulties faced, the assumptions made, the media scrutiny and more. In all, it paints a true picture; that investigations and prosecutions are seldom perfect. In the case of Nick’s disappearance, there are many questions left unanswered. The story seeks the reader’s help to figure out what really happened.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The writing community is the first I’ve seen where there is a genuine desire to help each other from top to bottom. There are accounts with 60,000 followers who will retweet someone’s story who joined twitter yesterday. That’s incredible. These big names don’t have to do that, but they do it nonetheless. That goes for anyone in this community though. How often have you seen an up and coming author retweet someone else’s story? It happens all the time! It’s really great.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

First and foremost, thank you for reading! A lot of time goes into writing these things and the fact that you are reading it is validation that the time was well spent. I hope that the story was enjoyable for you and provided you with some entertainment and mental exercise. Please keep reading, reviewing and supporting indie authors. Most importantly, stay away from those five-dollar streaming services! They dull your mind. A book sharpens it!

Where can people connect with you?

I welcome any questions, praises or critiques. To reach me, please follow me on Amazon’s Kindle Vella (M.C. Mell), on Twitter (@MCMellAuthor) or feel free to email me at mcmellauthor@gmail.com