Meet the author: Mark de Castrique

Writer Mark de Castrique has a new book out called Blackman’s Coffin, and it’s set in Asheville. I noted that Publisher’s Weekly recently had a nice review of his book, so I did what all bloggers do and asked Mark to fill out a little Q&A. Bloggers are looking for content and authors are looking for all the pub they can get, so that’s the way it works.

So, say hello to Mark de Castrique:

Can you give me a brief bio – who are you, where are you from, etc.
I was born in Hendersonville in 1948. Spent the first several years of my life living above the Jackson Thompson Funeral Home where my father was funeral director and also drove ambulance. We used to go to Asheville where my two brothers and I rode the escalators in the department stores – our version of DisneyWorld.

Moved to Winston-Salem when I was 14. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill, BA degrees in English and Radio, TV, Motion Pictures and a Masters in English from UNC-Charlotte. My career has been in TV and film work. I’ve worked in D.C. but last 30 years I’ve been in Charlotte. Now I’m an independent video producer, I teach several courses at UNC-Charlotte, and I write mysteries. I met my wife at the A BC affiliate in D.C. and I’ve been married for 34 years, we have two daughters who went to Davidson (#2 basketball team in the country by point spread). My older daughter teaches English in NYC and has a children’s book coming out from Penguin in July – KEENA FORD and the SECOND GRADE MIX-UP. My younger daughter works for the Carolinas HealthCare Foundation, an organization that raises funds for Carolinas HealthCare System, especially the children’s hospital. Ooops, you said brief. Sorry.

Is this your first book?
No. BLACKMAN’S COFFIN is my sixth book, but the first of what I hope will be a second series. It is my first to use Asheville as the setting. I’m very pleased with the advance reviews.

How did you get into writing?
I wanted to work in a creative arena where I wouldn’t need a big support team. TV and film require crews, equipment, etc., (which I enjoy working with), but I also wanted to do something less dependent upon others. Of course, an author is still dependent on others – publishers, booksellers, libraries, reviewers, etc. but I can write the manuscript anywhere. I’ve always liked mysteries and I felt like the beauty and people of the western NC mountains offered a rich resource for stories.

How many emails are currently in your inbox?
94. I just pared it down from 214.

Who’s the biggest pain in the ass you have to deal with?
Myself. Keeping organized. Since I’ve got multiple projects going on I have trouble staying focused. Also all those people in Nigeria and Ghana who have fortunes in gold that only I can help them get out of the country.

Who’s nicer than you would expect?
I’ll cop out on this question. I expect people to be nice. Life’s too short to put up with jerks.
As far as the few celebrities I’ve worked with, I scouted a film for Diane Keaton years ago when she was directing a made-for-TV film out of Charlotte. She was very down-to-earth and fun to work with. We took her square-dancing in Granite Falls and she got right in step.

What do you consider your writing “coming-of-age” moment or experience?
I think the experience is not complete until you hear how a reader has made your story his or her own. My Barry Clayton series has dealt with a family’s reaction to Alzheimer’s and hearing from readers whose family suffers with that illness and how they thought the stories honestly portray that family dynamic has been rewarding. Readers bring their own world to my fictional one and I like it when there are connections made that I never intended or envisioned.

What’s on your desk/ work space right now?
I’m working on a half-hour TV documentary for Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, an hour TV special on the late John Belk, former Charlotte mayor who had a tremendous impact on our region, and a fifth Barry Clayton mystery for release next year.

What are you reading these days?
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. I’m in an “all-guys” book club and that’s next month’s selection. I think it’s terrific so far.

What’s your favorite meal?
My book club read Omnivore’s Dilemma last month so now I’m into grass fed beef, pork, and local vegetables. My wife is a very good cook, and is taking me to an Italian cooking class this weekend. I’m confident I will be a disaster.

Are you a music news junkie?
No. But I went to a Carolinas Chocolate Drops concert last weekend and thought they were great. My music tastes are all over the place – from The Kruger Brothers to Pink Martini.

Where do you get your news?
Internet. Charlotte Observer. Jim Lehrer. New Yorker. New York Times on Sunday. The problem is it’s hard to get away from news.

Which stereotype about a writer most fits you?
I can zone out when I’m thinking about a story and be daydreaming when I should be paying attention to something else.

What’s your favorite book right now?
That’s a tough one. The answer can sound so pretentious if it’s some heavy weight book a writer should say. I also write Young Adult books and that’s an area where some great stories are being told (not by me, unfortunately). I like to introduce readers to a British writer, David Almond. I really like his work, especially KIT’S WILDERNESS which is a great book on many levels – the power of story, family, the subconscious, coming of age. Anyway, check it out.

If you could institute by decree one reform to popular fiction, what would it be?
Outlaw copy-cat premises, especially ones pushed by the publishers. But that’s the cycle of popular fiction. Dan Brown has a mega-hit with Da Vinci Code and the publishers want something with a code in it or “Jesus as you’ve never seen him before!” I’ve been very fortunate in that my publishers are more interested in freshness and encouraging character and series growth.

What’s one thing that area or North Carolina writers are doing really well?
Capturing setting to make their stories distinctive.

What’s one thing area or North Carolina writers are doing badly, and how could they do it better?
I don’t think that’s a regional thing. We should all be telling the best stories that we can. We can lapse into letting the strength of setting and heritage be a crutch rather than a springboard.

Who was your favorite author when you were 18?
Shakespeare had just passed away and I wish I’d kept those first editions he gave me.

Now?
Kurt Vonnegut

What are you happy about right now?
Not being bored. Having a lot of interests and not enough time to pursue them all. That’s a good thing. And I’m driving up to Ashe County for “research” this weekend!