Author Interview #5 M. E. Proctor 1 on 1 with Mark Atley

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The folks you will hear from in these interviews come from all walks of life, and they may or may not be someone in the writing community you have heard from before, and that’s the wonderful thing about the ability to do this on Substack. It’s free. This is my opportunity to give back to the writing community. 

My values

• —Everyone matters. 

• —Be positive. 

• —Gratitude in everything. 

• —Default action is compassion.

• —Empathy. Always. 

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On to the interview!

M. E. Proctor, writer and friend.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I would not be the author I am today without M.E.’s support and dedication. She has edited nearly every one of my manuscripts, going far beyond the role of a secondary reader. We discuss the elements of good storytelling and effective communication. We don’t always agree, but that has been one of the best parts of our friendship. She has challenged me to be a better writer, and I have encouraged her to grow as well. 

One of the greatest things about her social media presence is the time and energy she devotes to helping other writers. The advice, the tips, the opinions, and the support she provides are invaluable. She is an editor and reader for Punk Noir Magazine and has written more short stories than I could ever conceive. It would be easier to list where she has not been published in the short story realm than to name all of her published works. She discusses the craft of writing with the best of them and can confidently hold her own. 

Her character, Declan Shaw, is truly unique and recently made his debut in a novel from Shotgun Honey. As we eagerly await the next installment, I am happy and proud to have M.E. as my second guest.

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Who are you and can you tell me a little about your work? What drives you? What do you hope to accomplish?

I write as M.E. Proctor, the ‘M’ stands for Martine, and I’m a crime writer. Ten years ago I would not have said that. I had just completed a 4-volume science fiction saga, and my short stories flirted with horror. Crime fiction intimidated me. Probably because I grew up surrounded by the Série Noire and Le Masque paperbacks (Goodis, McBain, Himes, James Hadley Chase). Bookshelves at home sagged under Simenon, S.A. Steeman, Exbrayat, Boileau-Narcejac. Some of it I probably read way too young. I had all that stuff in my head. Then I thought, what the hell, I love to read crime, why not jump in and write it. Short stories should have come first, as a warm-up, but it didn’t happen like that. I built a plot around Declan Shaw, a Houston PI, and it was too complex for short fiction. I must have written close to a million words on this guy. Eventually, I knew who he was, found his voice. From the start I knew I wanted to do a series and the character had the legs for it. The first book, Love You Till Tuesday, came out last year, and the next one, Catch Me on a Blue Day, will be released in the Fall. Cross fingers, there will be many more.

How do you see your relationship with the reader?

I hope they have as much fun reading as I have writing. My husband (James Lee Proctor) is my first reader. He’s a great writer and a tough critic. I don’t agree with all his comments but if he picks at something, I know other readers will too. Having that unfiltered input is precious. I love to hear readers’ comments, see how they interpret a story. Especially when they find things between the lines that I’m not aware of.

How do you view your characters? What has changed over time, and what has stayed the same? How do you develop complex characters?

I’m fond of all my characters, even the nasty ones. Sympathy makes them more complex, more interesting, creates layers. When I step in their shoes instead of those of the main character, I see the story from a different angle and things start happening with the plot, the dialogue … Secondary characters move to center stage and the story gains dimensions. I also write a lot of short stories and I like these occasional characters so much that I want to spend more time with them. Some of them come back for return engagements. Having them show up in different stories is another way to develop them. Of course, I have to be consistent, and keep track of what’s going on in their lives from one story to the next. After ten years, I have a large cast to play with. Maybe I should get a Rolodex!

What is your version of success? Has it changed during your writing journey? How so? What’s different now versus when you started?

I’ve been writing for a long time. When I had a corporate job, writing was my escape valve. I wrote late at night and on the weekends but I didn’t have time to do the marketing part of it—submitting, querying, researching publishers. It wasn’t the main reason I wrote anyway, so it didn’t bother me too much. Now it’s different, writing is still a mental release, a way to get out of my head, but I carve time for the “support” part because I want my work to be read as widely as possible.

What type of reader are you? How do you view books you read, and how do they affect you and your writing?

I inhale books. I’ve always been a fast reader which is both a benefit and a curse, because I often feel the need to reread books that hit me hard, and meanwhile the to-be-read pile has only grown. It’s a losing battle. I’m getting more impatient with so-so books, more aware of the “I wouldn’t have done that”, or “I would have cut that”. But that’s when the book gives me time to think.I’m still a racer when the story grabs me and I don’t care if there’s a style bump in the road. The last one that totally bowled me over was Alma Katsu’s, The Hunger. Some people say it’s a mess, but I don’t care. I was ravenous!  

How do you find readers? What works and hasn’t worked for you? What resonates with you when readers share thoughts about your work? And where do you see yourself in the writing community and publishing world?

Readers … the elusive species … I’ve decided to do mything. What I’m comfortable with and focus on what I can control, which is being a supportive member of the online writing community (rather fragmented these days), and keep steady with my Substack newsletter and interact with the subscribers. I also visit with book clubs, contribute guest posts, share with other writers, and read their work. I’m slowly broadening my audience. None of that is a silver bullet or a quick fix. But I’m making friends and for an introvert like me, that’s a big thing.

 

—Please provide a brief blurb about yourself, and feel free to promote your recent book or work.

 

I was born in Brussels and have been living in Texas for 28 years. The first book in the Declan Shaw PI series, Love You Till Tuesday, was published by Shotgun Honey and the next one, Catch Me on a Blue Day, is scheduled for this year. I also have a collection of short stories out there, Family and Other Ailments. Last year, fellow author Russell Thayer and I co-authored a retro-noir novella, Bop City Swing. It’s coming out from Cowboy Jamboree in April. We had so much fun with mid-century pulp that we’re working on another one. And in between, I write short stories.

 

—Tell me something interesting about yourself that these questions stimulated thought about. And tell me something you want others to know.

 

There’s a lot more to life than writing but eventually all thelife lived finds its way into the writing, and makes it special. I’ve done a lot of things before sitting down to write. Many different jobs, lots of travel. I traipsed all over Asia when I was younger. A memorable, very long, third-class night train to Yogyakarta comes to mind. It was made significantly shorter by chatting in broken Dutch with an elderly Javanese man who had lived through the war and pulled out of his memory a language he had almost forgotten. The only light came from a candle and people were sleeping under our feet and in the luggage racks. 

Stepping out, seeing the world is never a waste of time even if, sometimes, I wish I had slipped into Declan Shaw’s cowboy boots sooner … but of course, they wouldn’t have fit so snugly. I don’t think I could have written the stories I write today thirty years ago, not with the same confidence and freedom. 

 

How do you think growing up in a different country with different cultures has developed your writing style? What difficulties do you experience due to the clash of cultures? How challenging is it to write from a Texas mindset?

 

I can’t describe the way I write. It’s completely unconscious. Does the fact that I spoke French and Dutch before English have an influence? Sure, so do the people I grew up with, the places I’ve seen, the cultural environment, the events in mylife. What that impact is, I don’t know. Everything went in a big pot. Sometimes, as I’m writing, the perfect word comes to me in French and I can’t find an English equivalent. I have to express the thought differently. Language fascinates me. So much happens under the words.

Moving from Brussels to Houston was not a culture shock. From one multi-cultural city to another. Except … Houston is a lot bigger! And Brussels doesn’t have freeways running through it. That was an adjustment. After all that time, I still rely on GPS. But it might be because I have zero sense of orientation, no matter on what continent I am.

The diversity of Texas is inspiring. The woods of East Texas, where I live. The desert and mesas of West Texas. The Gulf Coast. The Metroplex versus Houston. Trendy Austin. Quiet Abilene. There’s an infinity of stories to tell, and miles of roads to drive. Under a really, really Big Sky. I used to love the expanse of the North Sea and 180 degrees of a sea horizon, now I get to see the equivalent on land.

 

You are a reader and editor for Punk Noir Magazine. How did you come to be in this position? What insights have you gained from your experience reading story submissions? What are some common issues you notice in submissions? What are some significant strengths? What is the most valuable lesson you've learned from assisting other authors in publishing their work?

 

Five years ago, I discovered John Bowie’s magazine, Bristol Noir. I loved every story I read in there. One of them, by Stephen J. Golds, impressed me so much that I sent him the modern equivalent of a fan letter (a DM). I never do that kind of thing! Steve’s reply was gracious. A few months later, Bristol Noir published Cutting Edge, my first crime story.That year, I landed more publications, including at Punk Noir Magazine. Steve and I kept in touch. We shared manuscripts, exchanged comments. Two years ago, Steve was running Punk Noir with B.F. Jones. He asked James Jenkins, Scott Cumming and I if we wanted to be guest editors.

It’s easier to see what doesn’t work in somebody else’s writing than in one’s own, and being a guest editor makes that very clear. I’ve done it four times now, and I’m more aware of my likes and dislikes. It’s one of the great things about Punk Noir, the editors have different tastes, and it’s reflected in the stories they select. One of my pet peeves is the long exposition that leads to a rushed finish. I also have no patience for gratuitous gore, and f-bombs every three words. And I enjoy classical crime tropes with a twist. And humor. If you make me smile, you’ll probably be in.

 

As a reader, how do you discover the books you read? How do you evaluate the books after finishing them? When selecting the books to review, what criteria do you use? What specific elements do you look for in a book you'll review? Lastly, what qualities elevate a good book to greatness?

 

My reading list is eclectic. Small press authors, history and non-fiction, favorite writers (when Tana French comes out with a new one, I’m on it), classics—I’m catching up on Jim Thompson and Robert B. Parker. I don’t bother to review established authors, they don’t need the push, but I will write a review for emerging and indie writers, if I liked what I read. If a book disappoints me, I’ll keep my opinion to myself. The chance is I won’t buy the next one from that author.

What makes a good book? Characters I root for, a plot that carries me forward, smooth writing, a satisfying ending. A great book is one that I will recommend to others knowing they will get hooked the same way I was.

If you are interested in being a guest, please reach out to me on social media or email me with the subject line: Author Interview. 

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. The first book in her Declan Shaw PI series, Love You Till Tuesday, came out from Shotgun Honey with the follow up, Catch Me on a Blue Day, scheduled for 2025. She’s the author of a short story collection, Family and Other Ailments, and the co-author with Russel Thayer of a retro-noir novella, Bop City Swing, coming out from Cowboy Jamboree in April 2025. Her fiction has appeared in various crime anthologies and magazines like Vautrin, Bristol Noir, Mystery Tribune, Shotgun Honey, Reckon Review, and Black Cat Weekly. She’s a Derringer nominee. Website: www.shawmystery.com. On Substack: https://meproctor.substack.com.

Mark Atley is known for writing crime fiction, with his works often characterized by complex characters, engaging dialogue, and narratives that build tension towards explosive climaxes.

Atley's approach to writing often involves creating intricate plots where characters' histories and motives are deeply interwoven, providing readers with both entertainment and a commentary on crime and morality. His work has been featured on platforms like Audible for audiobooks, indicating a broad reach in the crime fiction genre.

Mark Atley also engages with his audience through social media, where he can be followed for updates on new releases and insights into his writing process.