An Interview with Nora Peterson
I understand you write both fiction and one
non-fiction. We’ll talk about the non-fiction book
shortly, but first can you tell us a little about your
mystery, Past Imperfect?
Past Imperfect is the story of Casey McCloud. Casey’s
life hit a rough patch a while back, but she’s finally
living the quiet, uncomplicated life she’s always wanted—until
a friend dies within hours of asking Casey for help. When
Casey jets off to Boston in search of answers, all the
clues point to the powerful Mason clan. Before long she
realizes that proving that Angie was murdered and solving
a thirty-year old mystery may well be the only way to from
becoming the killer’s next victim.
Along with the mystery that Casey needs to solve, the
story winds its way through a web of political corruption,
the desperation of homelessness and ageless questions
about truth and integrity, while she tries to sort out her
feelings for an old love.
What made you choose to set the story in Boston instead
of Phoenix, where you live?
I’d been writing short stories for a number of years
when one of our daughters married and moved off to Boston.
The next summer we drove out to visit them. (This was in
the motorhome and if you’ve ever driven in Boston, you
understand the bumper stickers that say, “Boston -- a
great place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to park
there.)
Because of those parking issues, we only stayed for
four short days, but it was long enough for me to fall in
love with the city. On the drive home, scenes of the
places we’d visited kept running through my brain,
followed by potential story lines. By the time we arrived
back in Arizona, I’d made up my mind that I had to write
a novel and it had to be set in Boston’s Back Bay, where
our daughter’s apartment was located.
I assume, then, that you took plenty of pictures while
you were there to help with the process.
I’m embarrassed to admit that we didn’t take a
single picture while we were in Boston that wasn’t of
our daughter and her husband. Remember, I had no
intentions of even writing a novel – let alone a novel
set in Boston – until after returned home.
This meant that I had to do all of my research
long-distance. The Internet helped, as did the endless
telephone calls to our daughter for confirmation about
where this or that was located, etc.
Will Boston show up in any of your future books?
Possibly, but only in passing. My present work is set
in my own back yard. Partly because it’s more convenient
for research purposes, but also because of the Sonoran
Desert’s incredible beauty and natural danger.
That’s terribly exciting and we wish you the best of
luck with it. Now, I’d like to ask about your
non-fiction. It’s a finance book, is that correct?
Yes, that’s correct. I actually have two
personal finance books out now. Retire Rich
With Your Self-Directed IRA was written for
people who want to invest their IRAs in something other
than stocks, bonds, mutual funds. The
vast majority of them simply don't know that you can buy
real estate, mortgage notes and a host of other investment
vehicles in your IRA, too. My goal with Retire Rich
With Your Self-Directed IRA is to help empower people to
take control of their retirement security by filling that
knowledge gap.
My second personal finance book is
Wall Street Lingo - an investment dictionary
designed with the individual investor in mind.
Personally, I find most investment dictionaries
intimidating. I wanted to write one that would
take some of the fear and the "I couldn't possibly do
that" attitude out of finance. The truth is -
almost everyone has the capacity to find ways to make
their money work as hard as they do. I hope Wall
Street Lingo helps them to see that.
How did you come to write a finance book? Did you work
in the industry?
I’ve traded in the financial markets (commodities
futures and the stock market) for close to thirty years.
When I learned that Atlantic Publishing was looking for
someone to write a book on investing within IRAs, it
sounded like an interesting project. We talked, came to an
agreement and the rest, as they say, is history.
Wall Street Lingo is a
book that I conceived and pitched to Atlantic
Publishing. It's a totally new concept for an
investment dictionary that grew out of my own
frustration with the plethora of investing references
written for people who already know their way around the
financial district.
Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?
I actually have several projects that I’m working on
at the same time; both fiction and nonfiction, of course.
My next mystery is tentatively titled
All That Glitters and is a sequel to
Past Imperfect.
It picks up about a year after Casey McCloud returns to
the Phoenix area. After losing her job as a
researcher at a private investigation firm, she's
supporting herself as an ebay seller. When the
fiance of a good friend disappears a few weeks before
her wedding, Casey sets out to find out why.
Then I have a book on nursing homes in
the works as well as another finance book.
When did you decide to become an author?
On some level, I think I always intended to be a
writer. I just didn’t know what kind. As my business
career developed, I was fortunate to encounter numerous
opportunities to use my writing skills. Many of those
opportunities opened doors for me that might not ever have
opened otherwise. As much as I enjoyed writing commercials
and marketing brochures, there was always a little voice
inside badgering me to try something daring with my
writing.
I think it was about 1988 when I first tried my hand at
fiction. Really BAD fiction. At first, I was so
self-conscious about writing that I would lock myself in
the bathroom with a pen and pad of paper. I’m fairly
emotive and I didn’t want witnesses to whatever facial
gyrations I might demonstrate during the creative process.
Little by little my execution improved, along with my
self-confidence, and by 1992 I had a small collection of
short stories I was willing to let close family and
friends read. By then I was hooked.
How do you get from idea to finished book?
Well, I don’t have to hide in the bathroom any more.
If you’re asking if I outline or just do a brain dump,
the answer is a little of both. For me, a story starts
with the characters. I have to know who they are (at least
the main ones) and what is happening in their lives. Once
I have that I brainstorm, jotting down anything that comes
to mind. Then I organize my notes into a detailed outline
with the plot points highlighted. That’s when I start
writing.
You mention that you start with your characters. How do
you come up with them?
I’m a people watcher, so I pull a little from here
and a little from there. By the time I get them fully
developed, they are a composites of people I know or have
observed, rather than a photocopies of any one person.
My protagonist has to be someone I like—someone I can
relate to. At the same time, she’s got to be quirky
enough to lift her out of the realm of the normalcy of
everyday life. I then manipulate her until I think I’ve
got the right balance. I do basically the same thing for
each of the primary characters. When I know them well
enough that they’ve become real to me, then I know they are
developed enough to become real for my readers.
What authors do you like to read?
I go through phases. When I find an author I really
like, I tend to read a good number of books from his or
her body of works. Right now I’m reading Nevada Barr and
Sue Grafton. I
went through a Patricia Cornwell phase, and James
Patterson, and James Clavell and Jane Auel. There are too
many to even list. I also like to read new authors.
What advice would you give to new writers?
Write. Read. Be brave. And make time everyday. I’m
not big into regret, but that is one thing that I do wish I had done differently. No matter what stage of life
you’re in, there will always be something more urgent
than writing to demand your attention. I found that what
works for me is to simply spend less time watching bad TV.
There’s always time if we want to badly enough.
