Today we travel to Leeds, England to chat with Samantha Goodwin about how being a Marketing Manager, handwriting all first drafts, being inspired by a newspaper article, superstitions surrounding Macbeth, a tarantula, and The Lord of the Rings come together as part of Samantha’s past and current life.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a crime author from Leeds, England. In my day job I’m a Marketing Manager for a national charity and I’m married with a two-year-old son who likes to keep me on my toes.
In which genre do you write?
I’m a crime mystery author and Murder at Macbeth is my debut novel. It’s a classic whodunnit that centres around a talented young actress who unwittingly stabs herself live onstage after a prop knife is tampered with. Suspicion soon falls on her eclectic castmates, but who had the motive to kill the leading lady…
A lot of reviewers have likened it to a modern-day Poirot (high praise indeed!) and said it reads like a really good episode of a prime-time crime series, like CSI or Person of Interest.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?
I’ve wanted to write a book since I was about 5 years old. I used to write short stories and poetry all the time when I was younger and it was my husband, Chris, who finally convinced me to take the plunge and write my first novel.
What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?
I write all my first drafts by hand! I find the ideas flow so much better with a pen, rather than sitting and typing on my computer.
Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?
I was actually inspired by a newspaper article about a London West End actor who was accidentally stabbed live on stage. That got me thinking; what if that had been intentional? What a dramatic way to murder someone and believe you could get away with it.
I’ve always been fascinated by the superstitions surrounding Macbeth about it being cursed and the fact the play itself is about corruption and deception provided an interesting parallel to the murder mystery. Plus, I found the concept of interviewing suspects who are also actors really interesting; they could so easily be playing a part to hide the truth.
List 3 interesting facts about yourself.
I love musical theatre and have met Jonathan Groff (Hamilton/Glee/Spring Awakening fans will appreciate this!) I love Marvel movies and my favourite superhero is Spider-Man. I’ve held a tarantula.
(Spoiler Alert: If you have not seen Endgame, do not watch this trailer.)
At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?
Don’t worry about trying to please everyone. When it comes to writing, inevitably not everyone will love your book and that’s okay. If I’ve learned anything from being in a book club it’s that it is impossible to write a book that everyone enjoys. Focus on the people who enjoy your genre; they are your target audience.
What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?
Me and my husband have been rewatching The Lord of The Rings movies. Such timeless masterpieces. I find it so inspiring so think that all of that originated from one writer’s imagination!
Do you believe things happen for a reason?
Absolutely. This was actually my Dad’s catchprase, “Everything happens for a reason.”
Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?
I’m very conscientious, which has been a really helpful personality trait when it comes to writing and editing my books. That attention to detail is definitely useful to ensure that everything I release is of the highest possible standard.
Tell us about your most recent book and where we can find it.
This year I’ve been working on a collaborative non-fiction book called Indie Writing Wisdom, which was released on 1st December 2020.
With the aim to inspire the next generation of writers, this book was written by eleven well-respected indie authors who all came together to share our expertise about our own self-publishing experiences and the useful approaches we took to ensure our books stood out effectively in a marketplace that has millions of books vying for attention.
It includes lots of practical advice on different elements of the publishing process from crafting interesting characters, writing motivation and plotting to editing, formatting, book marketing and much more. Our hope is to encourage fellow writers and answer the question we all get asked most frequently, which is, “How did you write and release a book?” And the best thing is that all the profits will be going to the Encephalitis Society (the brain inflammation charity).
It was wonderful to have you on MTA, and to learn more about you and your writing style. Wishing you all the best!!! – Camilla
Biography
Samantha Goodwin has written professionally for her business career as a Chartered Marketing Manager for over a decade before turning her hand to fiction. As an avid crime fiction fan, she regularly participates in the renowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate and completed their prestigious Crime Writing Creative Workshop. She also relishes attending literature festivals across the country as well as engaging in numerous online writing communities.
Keen to support upcoming authors, Samantha recently launched the #IndieWritingWisdom initiative on Instagram to collate and share inspiring, original writing quotes and does a weekly #IndieBookSpotlight to showcase indie books.
When she is not writing, Samantha enjoys reading, countryside walks, movies, musicals and almost all chocolate (but controversially not Oreos). She lives in Leeds, England with her husband, Chris, and son, Jack.
Murder at Macbeth is her first novel and was longlisted for the international Flash 500 Novel Award, has won a Gold LIterrary Titan Award, Chill With A Book Award and is an Indie Author Central (IAC) Approved 5 Star Read.
Her collaborative non-fiction book, Indie Writing Wisdom, is released on 1st December 2020. It provides practical advice and inspiring insights on writing and self-publishing from successful indie authors from all over the world. All profits will go to the Encephalitis Society (the brain inflammation charity).
Murder at Macbeth – Book Blurb
Something wicked this way comes…
When a talented, young actress unwittingly stabs herself live onstage after a prop knife is tampered with, suspicion immediately falls on her eclectic band of castmates.
But who had the motive to kill the show’s leading lady?
As the insightful, yet disillusioned, Detective Inspector Finley Robson and his shrewd partner, Detective Sergeant Nadia Zahra, interrogate the seven key suspects, secrets unfold to unveil a web of scandal, blackmail, and deceit.
Bitter rivalries, secret trysts and troubled pasts are just the beginning of the story…
Gold Literary Titan Award / Chill With a Book Award / Longlisted for the International Flash 500 Novel Award / Indie Author Central 5-Star Approved Read
Website: http://samanthagoodwinnet.wordpress.com
Instagram: @samanthagoodwinauthor
Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/murderatmacbethgoodreads
Amazon Link: http://bit.ly/murderatmacbeth
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