First question, inevitable perhaps considering the pandemic...how are you coping?
Like everyone else, I’ve been stuck here at home every day, so I’ve treated that as a chance to do a lot of writing. And reading.
Is there a story behind your contribution to The Black Beacon Book of Mystery? What inspired you to write this mystery?
I wrote it because it’s a locked-room mystery, and I’ve always enjoyed reading that kind of story.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
Almost every trip I’ve ever taken has resulted in at least one story, so I guess I’ve been on a lot of literary pilgrimages. Most of them lately have been to Bouchercons.
What are the key ingredients for a ripping mystery story?
Suspense and deception. And of course a crime, at its center. I also like plot twists, not only at the end but during the story itself.
Do you have a favourite fictional sleuth?
I have two of them: Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko and Nelson DeMille’s John Corey.
Tell us about a real mystery you have solved or would like to?
How does a guy who graduated in Electrical Engineering wind up writing fiction for magazines? I think I’ve solved that one.
What are you writing now?
A western about a bounty hunter on the trail of the stagecoach bandit who stole his girlfriend.
Where can we follow or contact you online?
Via my website (www.johnmfloyd.com) or my publisher’s site (dogwoodpress.com/john-floyd/).
