SinC-IC: Spotlight Profile

Spotlight Profile

November/December 2004

M. Diane Vogt

M. DIANE VOGT is the author of the Judge Wilhelmina Carson legal suspense series of novels set in Tampa, Florida. Diane is also a nationally recognized speaker and educator and an active member of both Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America (MWA). She was the editor of the Florida MWA Chapter’s newsletter for four years and is now a member of the Board. Diane served as a judge on the Edgar Committee for Best Paperback Original published in 2002, presenter at the Edgar Symposium in 2002 and 2003, and editor of the 2003 Edgar Annual.

Please join me in welcoming M. Diane Vogt to the Spotlight.

IC:
Your books feature a Judge, Wilhelmina Carson. Can you tell us something about her and what drew you to her as your protagonist?

MDV:
Pundits have said that our series characters are either our alter egos or our best friends. Willa is the best friend variety of protagonist. She's the kind of woman I like to spend time with, talk to, have for a friend. She's smart, well read, a professional woman who is successfully married. She has an important job, a United States District Court judge, and she takes that job seriously. And she's compassionate, strong willed, creative, determined. I wanted Willa to be heroic, in a real-world way, and to me, she is.

IC:
Your first four books were set in Florida, then you made a drastic switch to Canada/Northern Michigan. Why the switch? Will the different settings affect the tone of the books?

BL:
Actually, I'm working on the book set up north now, and I am finding it more difficult to do than I had imagined. I'm a snow bird, living winters in Tampa and summers in Northern Michigan. And, I lived in the Detroit area for 35 years, so I'm quite familiar with the northern setting. Still, Willa and crew seem to me to be a part of Florida. They won't be moving any time soon!

IC:
How did you get your start?

MDV:
I was published by a traditional publisher, a small press, first. Then I did two books with iUniverse under the MWA contract, which I though had better contract terms for me. Then, I was picked up by a larger traditional publisher again.

IC:
Would you recommend the self-published route for others?

BL:
It's not for everyone. It depends on what your goals are and how much time you have. Traditional publishing is a very slow process.

IC:
What are you working on now?

MDV:
I have a stand alone legal thriller, THINK NO EVIL, that my agent is marketing now. And I'm doing a proposal for another publisher. Then, I have another series idea that's percolating around in my head.

IC:
When you are writing, do you continue to read other authors? What authors do you enjoy personally?

MDV:
Yes and no. When I'm writing the first draft, creating a new story, a can't read fiction at all. I just can't get involved in someone else's characters when I'm so involved with my own. So I don't enjoy reading fiction during those times. I read nonfiction then, and magazines and newspapers. When I'm in revisions, I can return to fiction. I read widely, inside and outside the crime fiction genre. I enjoy many of our working writers, such as Linda Fairstein, Barbara Parker, P.J. Parrish, Christine Kling, Sue Grafton, Margaret Maron, and several others.

IC:
You have a web site that includes a press room and a blog. What else do you do to self-promote? What do you think has been the best use of your promotion dollars?

MDV:
I've done just about everything, I think. Radio, television, print articles. I've placed ads in magazines such as Mystery Scene and program books at conferences like SleuthFest and Malice Domestic. I do personal appearances at libraries, reading groups, writing groups and business groups. Bookmarks, flyers, postcards, holiday cards, business cards. You name it, I've done it. Bookmarks are by far the single best thing I've done. I've given out literally thousands of them. If you're only going to do one thing, I'd recommend bookmarks.

IC:
What about the free ebook on your site “Creating Buzz.” What gave you the idea? Has it been well received?

MDV:
Yes, the book has been very well received. Why not? All those wonderful writers contributed to it! There's very little of me in it, and mostly tips from others. I got the idea from the suggestion that I should try viral marketing. I wanted to see how well it worked.

IC:
Where can readers catch up with you in the next few months?

MDV:
My web site, www.mdianevogt.com, has an appearances page on it that we keep updated regularly. And I usually do the major conferences, such as Sluethfest, Malice Domestic, and Bouchercon.

Here are a few places to see Diane in the next few months:
November 16, 2004, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8 p.m., East Lake Community Library, Palm Harbor, Florida
TELL ALL -- The East Lake Library Author's Literary League

November 17, 2004, Wednesday, Noon, Clearwater Public Library, Clearwater FL

November 19-20, 2004 Vero Beach Book Festival

November 29, 2004, Tuesday 7:00 p.m., DUNEDIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, 223 Douglas Ave, Dunedin, FL 34698

December 2 & 4, 2004, Sisters in Crime - Florida Chapter, Jacksonville Public Library, “Writing Novels for Fun and Profit”

January 15-23, 2005 Florida Lady Killers Sunshine State Tour

This interview was conducted for SinC-IC
by Lori Devoti.
E-mail Cindy E-mail Lori

Read an earlier Spotlight Profile