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Interview with Sandra Ruttan

Cornelia Read, author of A Field of Darkness, has described Sandra Ruttan’s debut novel as “crime fiction with booster jets--a white-hot blazing ride sure to slam you down some of the darkest, twistiest back alleys that ever corrupted a small city's secret heart.”

Ruttan’s debut, Suspicious Circumstances, was released in hardcover in January 2007. Sandra Ruttan is the co-founder and editor of Spinetingler Magazine, and co-founder of Killer Year. Her work has appeared in Crimespree Magazine, Out of the Gutter, The Cynic, Demolition, and she will have a story in Crime Scene Scotland’s 2007 issue.

For more information visit www.sandraruttan.com and www.spinetinglermag.com.

Q. How long have you been writing?

A. I was scribbling at three, printing at five and handwriting came at age eight. Now, if you mean writing stories and such, I guess since around the age of eight. I have some work here that dates back that far.

Q. Have you ever published a story you began writing as a child?

A. Not at this time. I've never thought about digging any of that stuff up, but I suppose it's possible some day I will.

Q. What inspired you to begin writing?

A. One of the things I discovered as a kid was what it was like to be completely transported through fiction. I had pneumonia one summer and read the Narnia Chronicles. I read books like THE CALL OF THE WILD and was dreaming about sled dogs and Alaska. Other girls played with dolls. I was mushing through the woods behind our house.

I decided to do a class newspaper when I was twelve, and it was my first experience of really entertaining through fiction. I feel like I always wanted to be an author, but I’d persuaded myself it was impossible. It wasn’t until about five, six years ago now when I read Ian Rankin that I was converted to the mystery genre and I was still writing, but eventually I thought I should try writing what I love reading.

Q. I can certainly relate to your dreams. I also got swept away by THE CALL OF THE WILD as a child. Did you ever read WHITE FANG, which was also written by Jack London? That was another book I fell into and loved.

A. Yes, I read that. I have the movie. I've even been to Jack London's cabin in the Yukon. Those books had a profound influence on me, and I wanted to go up north from childhood. Three years ago we drove all the way to Inuvik, north of the Arctic Circle, and then we flew to Tuktoyuktuk and swam in the Arctic Ocean, drove over to Anchorage...

Q. What types of books do you most like to read?

A. A great story with engaging characters in a series. My comfort zone is British police procedurals, but I also love hardboiled.

Q. Who published your first short story?

A. There was a story in high school that was ranked highest subbed. I don’t think it exists anywhere now. I think The Cynic did the next one.

Q. How did that first acceptance impact your writing career?

A. It gave me some confidence to keep going.

Q. For those of us interested in reading your very first published story, where can we find it?

A. There should be a link on my website to the one in The Cynic.

Q. How many hours per day do you devote to writing?

A. It depends on what phase I’m in. If I’m in a Spinetingler phase my actual writing time might be under an hour per day. I usually lock myself in when I’m doing a draft and write for up to 12 hours per day. I write fast and work seven days a week for about 6-8 weeks until a draft is done.

Q. Do you have any marketing tips you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

A. Oh boy. There are no formulas. From my perspective don’t go overboard. Mega-marketers turn me off. There are ways to get people interested in you without even talking about your book. A lot of people know me from Spinetingler or DorothyL or 4MA or my blog. They certainly don’t need me taking every opportunity to mention my book. I mean, you build a presence. I do a lot of things besides writing my own books. I actively promote books I’m passionate about by other authors. I love interviewing authors and giving them some profile. So, for me, I guess it’s inverse marketing that’s my approach, if I have one. I know it’s the “wrong answer” but I’d so much rather talk about the latest Rankin, Billingham, Bruen or MacBride book than always, always, always talk about my own.

I guess I’m the wrong person to ask about marketing.

Q. I like your advice. You know, sometimes the "wrong answer" is what works. Thanks for your thoughts.

Now, for those who haven't discovered the wonderful gift of Spinetingler Magazine (www.spinetinglermag.com), can you tell us about it? Like, how did it come into existence, what are you looking for in a story, who designed the OUTSTANDING logo, when to expect the next issue, etc.?

A. Spinetingler was the brainchild of K. Robert Einarson, really. I was roped into it because I happen to be married to him. He designed the logo. The photo on the home page is a modified photo I took in 1994 at Belle Isle Bay in New Brunswick of my brother-in-law, Martin Edwards.

What to look forward to? I'm presently wrapping up interviews with Anthony Bidulka, Allan Guthrie and Ken Bruen. Natasha Cooper has provided information about Harrogate Crime Festival, and there is also a piece on Out of the Gutter, a collection of pulp fiction and degenerate literature, which I also have a short story in. We'll have a profile of Tim Maleeny and a review of his debut book, STEALING THE DRAGON. And profiles of other debut authors as well, the usual mix of reviews...

We have some exceptional stories, including one by you. I consider it an enormous compliment when other editors who're doing outstanding work supporting the genre submit material to us for consideration.

Q. Do you have a writing schedule?

A. Sort of. When I work on a manuscript it’s 100%, as I mentioned before. But between manuscripts and editing I work on short stories or articles.

Q. Can you describe a typical day in the life of Sandra Ruttan?

A. The alarm goes off before 5 am. On a good day, I’m up and energetic. It all depends on what time I got to bed the night before.

When I do get up I clear through some emails and see if there’s anything urgent I need to address. Most of my closest friends are in the UK, or Ireland, so there’s often mail from them. I like to deal with things as soon as possible.

I always go through the news headlines in the morning as well.

Sometimes, what I read inspires a blog post. Typically, I wing off a blog post in pretty short order. It’s usually 15 minutes, unedited, and a way to get the juices flowing.

On a normal day I work out for about an hour. This has been erratic this past year, because of a back injury, but if I’m doing well and really on schedule I’ll have cleared email, blogged and worked out by 9, 9:30.

Then I start in on my current project, whatever it is. At this point Rebus will come and jump on my lap and annoy me for about half an hour. If the day is really going well Stuart will flop down on top of my monitor and dangle her tail in front of the screen. And that’s always when Simon decides to rub my feet. Occasionally Buttons and Skittles try to get on my lap as well.

This is usually when the dogs start barking. As you may have guessed, with seven cats and two huskies I have to schedule in time to pay attention to everyone.

I pick up the mail around 11 am. By this time I may have moved the dogs in or out once or twice, and depending on the weather and time of year this is a definite move time. In the summer it’s too hot for them by 11, so they go to the basement.

I used to eat lunch watching Water Rats, my only routine television. But somebody moved the time it was syndicated, so now I just eat and work through the afternoon.

My husband usually leaves work around 3:30, so this is time for me to think about making supper and feeding all the other animals. Depending on the day of the week and whether or not I’m working on a book I’ll be back in my office in the evening. I’m pretty much an obsessive workaholic. We normally only ever watch TV when The Wire or The Shield is on, so we don’t watch much TV. My husband has commitments with the fire department that take him out evenings, so I tend to work or call friends out of province.

Weekends I’m always in my office as well, except usually Saturday mornings. We’re trying to work out our dog walking and hiking schedules.

As I said, it all depends on my husband’s schedule. He does a lot of weekend training with the fire department, so I spend a lot of time working.

One thing I’m trying to be more diligent about is spending some time each night reading. It is hard for me to read when writing, but I’m working on it.

Q. Wow! You are busy! About your back injury, should I ask?

A. Probably not! Okay, this is a long story. When I was a child I partially severed my right foot. It was cut more than 50% in depth and about 75% across. The doctor had to stitch the muscles inside back together... I guess at that point it wasn't certain if it would be successful. I still remember Dr. Daniels saying if I didn't shut up he'd cut my foot off. I did stop screaming.

This happened on the Victoria Day long weekend in May, so just a matter of days before my ninth birthday. The increased blood flow to my injury resulted in disproportionate growth - my right leg is just a bit longer than my left.

So, I have minor scoliosis.

Add in that when I lived in Ireland I had a bad fall and landed flat on my back, putting a small fracture into my spine. I don't even remember where now. But I have to be careful about my back. I can lie in bed and write on my laptop, no problem, and I'm never down for long, but when you injure yourself it takes a while to rebuild the muscles. I need to be far more diligent than I have been about lifting weights, but it becomes part of a vicious cycle...

Q. What type of workouts do you do?

A. If I'm being a very good girl I alternate a routine that includes muscle development for my arms, back and legs. I always do some cardio. It's very hard when your work is sedentary to not gain weight. I used to work out for 90 minutes a day, plus walking, and I felt great. When I injured myself last year I got out of the routine and I need to get back to it.

This is one of the things I regret about living in a small town. I used to take Chitu-Ryu, and I never felt so fit in my life. Three nights a week. I miss that.

Q. Your choice in dogs--did that come from THE CALL OF THE WILD? Huskies were my favorite dogs because of the books I read as a kid. I wanted a husky that was part wolf, but I never got mine.

A. Yes, you've nailed it. That's why I have huskies. And I would love a wolf. The wolf is my favourite wild animal of all. Bears and turtles follow, but wolves are beautiful and so misunderstood. I've seen a wild pack, what a thrill that was.

Q. I have to ask; am I the only husband who calls his wife and asks "what's for supper?"

A. Possibly. My husband calls to say he's coming home and I ask him what's for supper. I think he calls as a reminder to me that I haven't made dinner yet...

Q. I've always heard The Shield was good, but I never got around to watching it. My TV drugs are 24, Bones, and House. Have you ever watched any of these?

A. I did watch some 24 in the early days. I really don't watch much TV at all. I'm a fan of The Shield, but even more of The Wire. In some ways it's a carry-over from the days of Homicide. That was a show that didn't just follow formula. There was an episode, first season I think it was, where they're trying to figure out who lights a candle in the squad room or lunch room - that part's hazy. That episode is more about how the cops cope with their job, the stress, the waiting. It was a show that wasn't afraid to develop real characters and make them human. Early signs of David Simon's pure genius.

The Wire is that realized in full. Incredible. I don't think I have ever seen anything more disturbing than one murder scene in the second-last episode of the first season of The Wire. Fans will know exactly which one I'm talking about.

I blame George Pelecanos. Okay, not seriously. But by God, he's a brilliant writer.

Q. Do you work on one story at a time, or multiple?

A. Books, usually one at a time. Short stories I can do in multiple.

Q. What’s your personal favorite Sandra Ruttan story?

A. TO DIE FOR, which will be in the next Crime Scene Scotland.

Q. What is it about that story that makes it your favorite?

A. I always like to give myself a challenge. TO DIE FOR is a story where I forced myself to do something new for me. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Q. You have a story out in the current issue of MFOB called "What Every Guy Wants". What inspired that story?

A. Again, just the idea of a challenge. Give myself a short amount of space and see if I can really get inside some sicko’s head.

Q. What do you think is easier, getting into a sicko's head, or getting into a man's head? You did both in your story and pulled it off with ease. I'll admit to having trouble on occasion when writing from a female's perspective. I have to get my wife or female friends to read the story to see if I've pulled it off. I make them close their eyes while they read to see if they can tell I wrote it. J They'll oftentimes correct the way I phrase things.

I admire writers like you who can write from another perspective with such effortlessness.

A. My closest friends have always been guys, so perhaps that's why I'm not intimidated about writing male. At first I was concerned that Farraday be believable. Once I'd gotten past that it was easy for me to move on with other male characters.

I don't know about writing sickos. I think every character can have their own challenges. I don't blame you for finding it tough to write women. I am one and I don't understand us most of the time.

Q. Can you tell us about your book?

A. This is the first novel I finished writing. I could tell you all sorts of stories, about how it was originally written as two books and I merged them into one...

But the book itself is about a cop and a reporter who are forced to work together when a story the reporter is covering gets out of control. And there are issues. Rumors of corruption in the local police department, conflicts between the editor of the newspaper and the police captain. Lara and Farraday have to decide who to trust, and that becomes more and more critical as the story unfolds.

Personally, I’m fascinated by cases where someone gets pulled over for speeding or a broken taillight and it ends up being the pebble that unleashes the avalanche, leading to murder or whatever other crimes the person has committed. I’m disgusted by the corruption that seems to permeate every level of society, from our political figures to businessmen. And I’ve certainly been burned enough times to have asked if I’ll ever be able to trust someone again.

All of that thinking went into this book. Plus, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Lara and Farraday are both decent people. Anyone who gets the book will appreciate that it’s safe to connect to them. Farraday is a young detective who is close to his family and goes home for Thanksgiving. How many of those do you get in crime fiction anymore? I’m sure there are plenty of cop/reporter books out there but this was as far removed from what I’d been reading as I could get, without going to the amateur sleuth vein. I am a procedural junkie, but I’m also a former journalist, so it was comfortable for me to give Lara that background and my ethics and some of my headstrong, opinionated personality and throw her into this situation. She isn’t me, but there is definite carry-over, more than I’d planned when writing. Part of the reason I didn’t stay in journalism was that I didn’t have the stomach for the business and politics of it. Lara is not your typical reporter in many respects, and it could cost her dearly, but that’s another subject to discuss if the sequel to SC is published.

Q. Your book sounds very interesting! Congratulations on getting your very first completed book published. That's quite an accomplishment. Who published the book and where is it available for purchase?

A. The book was published by a small publisher called TICO. I know you can get it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Wal-Mart. In the physical 'they're carrying it' capacity I'm not sure beyond that. Bookstores in Canada don't carry it.

Q. How does one go about ordering a signed copy of your book?

A. That’s something I haven’t set up. Call me clueless. There is a US bookstore that talked to me about shipping up copies for me to sign, so when that happens I’ll post it on my site.

Q. Do you have any book signings scheduled? When? Where?

A. Been and done. I did a school event locally and signed books. I signed at Left Coast Crime. My first bookstore signing was at Murder By The Book in Portland. Fantastic bookstore, really enjoyed that.

I'll be signing at Murder in the Grove in June, but that's all I have planned. I know it's important to get out and meet people and do all of that stuff, and I want to do that, but right now I think it's more important to focus on writing future projects. As a debut author I find myself wondering how many people are really interested in seeing me at a signing. I don't want to do that just because everyone's doing it. I really feel that once I have a second book under my belt it would be more appropriate to do more touring. I'm not opposed to doing events, just overdoing it.

Q. How'd your previous signings go?

A. The signings were great. I sold out everywhere.

Q. Do you have any "first novel" experiences you'd care to share?

A. Well, it isn't a secret I was sick at Left Coast Crime. Fortunately I didn't really fall apart until I got home, but I was struggling through the convention. People would ask me, "So tell me about your book." I had no idea what to say, and did say to one, "It's out now." Wrong answer.

I've been fortunate to get solid reviews for the first book. I'll tell you a secret, I find it hard to talk about. It's even hard to remember what happened. I've written three other books since this one, and am busy editing something else right now. An author told me they were on a panel and answered every single question about their book with answers for the current work in progress, so they answered all the questions wrong. It's tough. I feel, mentally, like I'm all over the place.

That's the advantage of writing a series character, I guess.

The best moments are when someone comes up to you and says they're reading the book and loving it. I had that happen at Left Coast Crime. It felt wonderful.

Q. What's in store for Sandra Ruttan in the near future? Any conference appearances? Upcoming stories? New workout regimen?

A. Well, Murder in the Grove, as I mentioned. I'm planning on Bouchercon 2007. In the long-term, I really hope to go to Harrogate in 2008. I don't think I'll do Bouchercon that year, though.

I have an upcoming story in Crime Scene Scotland, as I mentioned. A story is just out in Out of the Gutter, which can be purchased now.

I am signing with an agent, who will represent some of the new material. I've been developing the platform for a series set in Vancouver, one that's darker than my first book. My husband is a firefighter and the storyline for the first manuscript, which has been through a hundred titles it seems but for now I'm calling What Burns Within, was inspired by something from his work.

I also have an anthology pitch package I'm putting together.

And hopefully Ken Bruen and I will clear our schedules enough to finish our project.

I'd like to add that titles are one of the things I struggle with more than anything. I suck at coming up with book titles.

Q. Thank you very much for allowing me to interview you. It's been an immense pleasure. Good luck with all your future endeavors. I've no doubt you will succeed in all you set out to accomplish.

A. My pleasure. You're a fantastic interviewer.