A Conversation with Mike Martin, Author of 'Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series' @mike54martin

Tessier didn’t speak long but he spoke of the history surrounding the fishery in this part of the world and how many times they had been told it was a thing of the past, only to see it reclaim its place as part of the town’s on-going economy. “Ya can knock us down, b’ys, but ya can’t keep us down.” With Tessier’s speech the protest was over, and while the smaller boats found a place to tie up along the wharfside, the long liners and larger vessels left port to return home. Windflower thought it was a sad moment, but at the same time he felt the pride the people of Grand Bank had in their little community.”

--From A Twist of Fortune: Book Four of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series by Mike Martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web was released in 2017 and the newest book in the series is Darkest Before the Dawn.

Series Description:

The Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are a light mystery series set in Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. These cozy-like books follow the adventures of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Cree from Northern Alberta as he finds a new life and new loves in the tiny village of Grand Bank. There are crimes and mysteries for the Canadian Mountie to investigate and solve but the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are more about family, friends, good food and good times.

The recurring cast of characters include the love of his life, Sheila Hillier who keeps him well-fed and grounded in reality. There’s also his fellow Mounties like Corporal Eddie Tizzard and a long list of bad actors, both local and just visiting, to cause havoc in their sleepy little town. Windflower brings his native background and traditions with him and finds ways to use them to help himself and his friends through difficult times. Rounding out his life are his collie, Lady, who often has adventures of her own and some new additions to his family that appear in the latest book, Darkest Before the Dawn.

Interview:

Welcome back, Mike! So what have you been doing with yourself since our last interview?

Mike: I’ve been busy, writing a new Sgt. Windflower Mystery and a few other exciting writing projects. I’ve also been elected as the Chair of Crime Writers of Canada which is both new and exciting.

For those not familiar with the Sgt. Windflower mysteries, can you tell us a little about the main characters?

Mike: Sgt. Winston Windflower is a Mountie who is originally from northern Alberta who finds himself stationed in tiny Grand Bank. He finds the woman of his dreams, Sheila Hillier, who is the Mayor of Grand Bank, and a cadre of friends and co-workers that share his love of good food and good times. And then they have to deal with the crime and a few dead bodies along the way.

Did you know when shocking events would occur in any of your books, or did they sneak up on you?

Mike: I don’t know before the reader does. That’s why I was shocked when it was revealed that one of the main characters was going to be shot. I saw it coming, but felt powerless to stop it from coming.

Do you proofread and edit your work on your own or pay someone to do it for you?

Mike: I proofread and then I pay someone and then I pay someone again and then I proof it again. And there’s still mistakes. Arghhhhh

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process? How did you come up with the ideas behind your book covers?

Mike: Most of my book covers are photos of locations in Newfoundland. I choose them because they invoke an image in me of the story that I hope connects with the readers. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but people will buy more books if there’s an intriguing cover.

Is this the end of the series or do you have more planned?

Mike: Somebody once said that the story only ends when the author dies, so I hope there’s more books in the series. For my sake!! I am working on a new book which will be out in 2019. At least one more after that.

What did you want to become when you were a kid?

Mike: I wanted to be an Olympic athlete. Of course, I did no training or practice and I wasn’t good at sports. Maybe that’s why I became a writer. It was all in my imagination.

Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?