Writer Interview: Mandy Miller

 “Mandy Miller’s debut mystery, States of Grace, races at the speed of light from the first page to the last.”
 - Amazon review 

I'm launching something new on the woo-blog: author interviews. (Insert your own woohoo here!)

As a writer, I’ve really enjoyed being interviewed, and I read a lot of interviews, always curious about other writer’s process. In the upcoming months, I’ll be looking at the work of some writers I know, and some recent discoveries.

I’m going to kick off the series with Mandy Miller, whose debut novel States of Grace has been receiving a lot of well-deserved acclaim. I loved this book, and while I’m not a fast reader, I tore through it! The characterizations are great, as are the settings, and its narrative pulses with authentic tension and emotion.

States of Grace:
Disgraced prosecutor and disabled Army veteran Grace Locke is one misstep away from losing her law license for good. Fresh out of jail, living in a no-tell-motel, and eating ramen, Grace has no option but to turn to the dark side, defending the types of criminals she used to relish locking up. To make things worse, she's fighting the opioid addiction that got her in this mess in the first place. 

Reading the brief summary above, you can tell we are in neo-noir territory, with a unique protagonist right at its heart. I won’t say much more about the book, better to dive into the interview, where I had a chance to learn about Ms. Miller’s fascinating background, and how she put together this novel.

You’ve had quite a diverse education and career – tell us a bit about the current day job.

I stopped practising law full time a couple of years ago and now only take on special projects, which means brief and motion writing for lawyers who need certain expertise. Beyond that, I also work as an editor for an independent press. And then there’s my own writing. I am also in the process of organizing Write The Boat, a winter writers' conference here in the mountains, which will be held January 14-16, 2022. 

And how about writing – when did that start, and what motivated you to begin?

I suppose I’ve always written in one way or another. Stories in school and then I was a Spanish and French literature major in college so lots of writing then. Of course, being a lawyer does require a lot of writing be it contracts, motions, briefs, etc. As for writing fiction and some creative nonfiction, I started in the late nineties and spent time in an MFA program. After that, it became a habit and I just kept scribbling, taking more classes, scribbling some more and then finally finishing my first book.

What was the impetus of the idea that led you to write States of Grace?

I once represented a thirteen-year-old girl charged with murder as an adult for killing a classmate. It was a terrible tragedy on all sides. The case showed me the draconian underside of the criminal justice system up close. Not that I didn’t see it every day, but that one case has stuck with me and still keeps me up nights. The young woman suffered from a mental illness and had been abused since she was very young, yet the system offered little leeway and she became yet another widget in the prison industrial complex.

How did your own legal career play a part in crafting this novel?

I couldn’t have written about the intricacies of what happens on the front lines without having been in the shoes of a defense lawyer.

I know that all writing requires a degree of research. I’m guessing that even your novel’s legal setting required some. I’m curious about the lead character’s background in the military – did you also serve, or how did you research this vital part of the novel? 

I did not serve, but have close friends who did, and I mined their experiences for the book. I wanted to get things as true to real life as possible because not to do so would have been disrespectful to those who sacrifice for the rest of us.

Back to the legal thriller part (and your novel is one of the best I’ve read), which writers influenced you in this genre?

Michael Connelly, the only bestseller writer I believe gets the courtroom stuff right. As a reporter, he’s a non-lawyer, but clearly does his homework. He also happened to be the reporter assigned to cover the courts in my old courthouse (but before my time). I’m a Michael Haller fan, not so much the Bosch books, although the writing in all of them is stellar, although I do think the earlier books are better.

John D. MacDonald (above left) and Raymond Chandler (above right) are the two icons who have influenced me the most. And in more modern times, for me, James W. Hall and Jeffrey Fleischman can’t be beat. One day I’ll write a sentence as good as one of theirs.

Favourite legal thriller film? And John Grisham, yes, or no?

Yes to vintage Grisham. No to the more recent books.

Do you outline, or are you more of a pantser? Tell us about your process.

Pants on fire the whole way. I cannot write an outline to save my life which was why I was a horrible study group member in law school. I do scratch some notes about where I think things are going, but always trash them and start again. I tend to write in scenes and then slot them in order later, so there’s a lot of back-filling when I finally do figure out what the hell is going on.

What problems arise from being a pantser – do you write yourself into a corner? And if so, how do you get out of them?

DEEP holes that will swallow you up if you’re not careful LOL. And also, just fear of not figuring out a decent ending and how to get there. Such is the lot of the panster, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. If I knew what happened, I’d get bored I think and, likely the reader too. The groping in the darkness for a while does result in some nice surprises. As a result I do MANY drafts and take the scenes apart and reassemble them endlessly, to use an adverb which I try never to do on the page. 

In your opinion, what drives a narrative, character or plot?

For me, it’s character. Plots can surprise, but characters are what grab me. If I’m going to spend time with someone, I need them to grab me by the throat and drag me along on their journey. I also like there to be a certain underlying issue of a social sort to make the journey meaningful which in Grace was the opioid crisis.

One of the things I loved in the book was how Grace’s situation became more and more impossible—there was seemingly no way she was going to be able to defend her client. Without giving anything away, can you talk about how you mapped out that part of the story?

Lots of failed drafts/attempts. Finally, by utilizing some obscure details of criminal procedure (e.g., the incompetency stuff) I cannoodled my way to an ending. Without knowing how the system works, I’m sure it would have worked out to my satisfaction.

Grace Locke is an amazingly real character, complex, flawed, fighting her addictions. Other characters are also very authentic, such as Vinnie her landlord, friend, and sometimes savior. How much are these characters formed from people you know? 

Wink wink. Don’t ask a girl her secrets. Yes, there are elements of people I’ve come across, so let’s just say the characters are creatures of my imagination, but inspired in part by real life.

I know you also are an editor – what is your process for editing your work? And how do you work with those who edit your work? 

LOTS of drafts. There is no other way for me. I read aloud early on to remove the clunkers. I also focus on one thing per draft, moving from bigger picture issues (e.g., plot, characterization) and then move to more and more detailed analysis (e.g., dialogue), then on down to the most minute word choice.

Another rich part of the novel is its South Florida setting, I noted that you practiced law there. The setting, to use an overused term, is very gritty. Why did you choose this area to tell the story? 

You don’t have to make much up about how crazy south Florida is. It’s all in the news. It’s a land of contrasts from the bright sun to the dark souls that live in the shadows. Dreamers and con men shoulder to shoulder, all jostling for the good life. What could possibly go wrong?

All the proceeds from this novel go to not-for-profit organizations devoted to serving veterans –why is this important to you? 

Veterans are the most underserved, undervalued group in our society. They did us a solid by serving, risking their lives, and we need to step up and return the favor.

What’s your favourite thing about the writing process, and what do you dread?

I like the editing once I get the story figured out. As a panster there’s a fear that I’ll never get there and that the initial impetus idea just isn’t enough to sustain a novel. At the micro level, I love writing setting and description, so I have to restrain myself so as not to get carried away.

I’ve read that you run Ultramarathons (which makes me tired just to write) are there similar mental, or even physical muscles required in novel writing as to this type of running?

Odd as it may sound, writing a novel and running 100 miles or more are very similar endeavours. They require patience, persistence, and a dash of madness.

Are you working on a new project with Grace, or something else?

Yes, a first draft of Grace 2.0 is done, but it needs plenty of TLC to make it a book. Am also considering something completely different, but don’t want to jinx it :-)

Tell me about your dog, because I know you have to have one.

Talisker (AKA Tally) is 3 and a half years old, a Border Collie/Great Pyrenees mix. A rescue who was found as a stray having been thrown off his farm because he had a broken paw and could no longer work the fields. He LOVES to run, is super curious about everything, and has a very sweet soul. Very smart with a big vocabulary. It’s hard to get anything by him. I’m waiting for the day he picks up one of my books and start to read, and then point out a typo. 

Thanks very much to Mandy Miller for this interview and giving us a backroom look at her work. I highly recommend her novel States of Grace to those who love legal thrillers with a neo-noir background, and hell, to anyone who loves great writing!

Pick up States of Grace here: Literary Wanderlust

or on: Amazon

A website is in the works: mandymillerbooks.com 

As well, check back for information on her conference: writetheboat.org