I’d like to welcome Stuart S.
Laing to talk with me about his latest, “Writing in Progress.” Stuart is one of
my favourite people and he is one heck of a writer. We met on social media a
few years ago and he has also been a tremendous help in my own writing and the
advice he has been giving me over the years has been priceless.
Born and raised on the east coast of
Scotland in the ancient Pictish Kingdom of Fife Stuart grew up looking across
the Firth of Forth towards the spires and turrets of the city of Edinburgh and
its castle atop its volcanic eyrie. He has always been fascinated by the
history of Auld Reekie and has spent most of his life studying Scottish history
in all its aspects whenever he finds the time between family, work and the
thousand and one other things that seek to distract him. Despite the vast
panorama of Scotland's history, he always finds himself being drawn back to the
cobbled streets of the Old Town. Those streets have provided the inspiration
for his stories and characters. He would urge all visitors to Scotland's
ancient capital to (briefly) venture into one of the narrow closes running down
from the Royal Mile to get a flavour of how alive with mischief, mayhem, love
and laughter these streets once were.
Stuart, I am so delighted to
hear your latest WIP is going well. Can you tell us a little about some of the
dangers your readers can expect in this story?
Thank you Stephanie. Congratulations to you on the new
look for Layered Pages. You really doing a tremendous job. Sites such as yours
are absolutely vital for all indie-authors if they wish to reach a wider
audience, and I truly appreciate all the help you have given me over the last
couple of years. You are the best!
Now, as for the book…
A band of Tinkers (Scottish Gypsies) have set up camp
on the shores of the Nor’loch, Edinburgh’s famous Princes Street Gardens these
days but then an open body of water which served as the city’s northern
defence.
These people are seeking only to eke out a simple
living by selling their wares, tin-smithing, knick-knacks, odds and ends
etcetera to the townsfolk. Among their number is a beautiful young woman, Libby
Oliver, who all agree is the finest musician anyone has ever heard. Her fiddle
playing could have a dying man jump up from his deathbed and start jigging!
Unfortunately for Libby, she is being used as a pawn
to defraud a woman, who she wishes with all her heart to call a friend. She is
being forced, through threats and violence, by a vicious brute who is
determined to exploit her friendship with Alice Galbraith for his own ends.
He knows something about Libby which could destroy her
life if he was to reveal it. Not a nice man!
Meanwhile a shadowy group of city gentlemen are
plotting this man’s demise as he holds a dark secret over them relating to a
secret they share from their youth. They are stirring up ignorant prejudices
against the Tinkers to create an atmosphere of hatred and distrust that will
allow them to cause mayhem.
Are there any murders or
untimely deaths?
There will be at least one murder, the victim is
someone few folks will shed many tears over though! However, his death is going
to place poor Libby in the spotlight as the most likely suspect for the death.
This is the point that Robert Young of Newbiggin would
swing into action to unmask the true murderer and save her from the noose. Unfortunately,
he is confined to bed with inflammation of the lungs and can do nothing to
help.
It falls to his wife Euphemia, aided and abetted by Alice Galbraith, to do the
investigating using their own contacts (servants, gossips and friends) from the
ranks of the upper class. They are convinced of Libby’s innocence but don’t
know the girl has dark secrets of her own which she has to keep from them. She
may not be the simple Tinker’s Daughter she portrays!
Are there any tea houses in
your story, or just pubs?
There are a couple of coffee-houses which feature.
Bunty’s is a regular haunt for morning meetings between Euphemia and her
friends, while Mr. Mackenzie’s coffee-house on the Lawnmarket is just a couple
of doors from her bookshop. It is a useful place to send Robert and Euphemia’s
adopted daughter, Effie, to, whenever they have something private to discuss.
Bunty is famous for her tea, coffee and cakes. I’d
actually go there myself for elevenses if I could travel back in time.
Robert is more likely to be found in an alehouse or tavern. He will tell you
that this is purely work-related though, as it were he is likely to find his
informants! Euphemia isn’t certain that is the only reason, and neither am I.
What is a typical day for
your main character?
For Robert it depends on whether he has been engaged
to solve a crime and clear the name of someone able to pay his fee. When on an
investigation his day consists of searching for clues and information using his
contacts and own nose to follow a lead. At other times he has to turn his
attention to his real work, as his father would describe it, which is helping
to run that man’s business empire of mills, mines and textile manufactories
centred on the family home of Newbiggin in East Lothian.
For Euphemia, when she is not being driven to
distraction by Robert being a typical man with a sniffle, whining for endless
cups of tea and sympathy, she is busy looking after two small children under
the age of five with Effie’s assistance. Planning literacy lessons for the
women and girls of Kitty’s house of gentlemanly pursuits (gambling and ladies
of negotiable affection) which she fell into by accident. These lessons take
place every Sunday afternoon after church. She loves teaching these women and
girls to read and write and led to her close friendship with Alice Galbraith.
How do you keep all your
conflicts straight? Which is a lot!
Plotting! Lots of plotting! I work to a basic skeleton
which the story is built upon. Having so many regular characters helps
enormously as I can trust them to simply be themselves most of the time. Having
said that, they will still insist on surprising me by doing something out of
the blue and then give me just a shrug when I say “what was that?”
The other help is knowing where the story is going
before I write the first word. I know who the victim will be, who the killer
will be, and, just as importantly, I know what will be happening in the background
with several minor plots which can roll along for one book or, as in the case
of Estelle Cannonby and her estranged mother, several.
How much time have you spent
working on this story so far?
I have written just a whisker over 50k words so far with
this story in 9 separate bouts of writing. Each is normally 5 or 6 hours of
doing nothing but write. No TV, no internet, no saying “I’ll just take five
minutes to research this” (that always turns into a couple of hours of looking
at videos of cats or puppies on facebook!)
The only distraction I allow myself is background
music which has to fit the mood of the book. With this one it is a soundtrack
of ‘New-Folk’ music that really sets the tone in my head for the words to flow.
Artists such as Birdy, Gabrielle Aplin, London Grammar. Beautiful voices,
haunting music and lyrics that just warm your soul.
Oh, and endless cups of tea and coffee!
Have you designed your book
cover yet?
I have a rough version worked out which may, or may
not, be the finished article. I usually design the book cover using a specific
scene from the book so that when people read it they can go, ‘oh, that is what
the cover is!’
As a wee teaser, this cover may feature the Tinker’s
camp in flames!
For those who have not read
your mystery series yet, what can you tell them about it?
Set on the old cobblestones of Edinburgh in 1745 and
onwards, they feature Robert Young. Son of a rich industrialist, he has
discovered a talent for solving mysteries and having the bravery to venture down
into the murky underbelly of the city where few others of his class would even
dream of going. He has created an eclectic mixture of informants, friends and
allies from these dank streets who can, usually, be relied on to delve even
deeper into the mire than even he is daft enough to go himself!
Just as important a figure is his wife, Euphemia. She
is the bedrock that all he does is built on. She is the calm head who can be
relied upon to give sound advice and who isn’t afraid, when it is needed, to
step in herself and lend a hand to solve a crime.
As Robert himself ponders, ‘what would it be like to
have an obedient wife? Probably dull!’
Alongside the mysteries are tales of everyday life for
the great and good, and also the equally important lives of the poor and
downtrodden who demand equal billing!
Add to that the ups and downs of married life for
Robert and Euphemia and I hope the reader will find themselves transported back
to the rich, reeking, mess of a city where 70,000 people live cheek by jowl in
a town squeezed within its ancient walls.
Where can readers purchase
your stories?
Readers in the US can find the Robert Young of
Newbiggin mysteries here in both ebook and paperback
In the UK, please visit
Finally, may I, just once more, thank you from the
bottom of my heart for all that you do, not only for me, but for the countless
other authors you have encouraged and supported over the years. Without your
help we would struggle to reach as many new readers.
Thank you, Stuart for such a
wonderful chat about your latest book and a bit about what you write. It is
always an honour and delight to be able to chat with my favourite writers and
support their endeavours.
You may check out another interview I
have had with Stuart here
