Author Bio:
The writing team of M. J. Williams is comprised of sisters-in-law Peggy Joque Williams and Mary Joy Johnson (nee Williams). Peggy, having grown up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and thus a Yooper-by-Birth, has just retired from many years as an elementary school teacher; she is also a freelance writer and screenwriter. Mary Joy, a retired English professor, specialized in teaching writing on the community college level. She is an accomplished quilter and has had her work displayed in shows. Having lived in a variety of places, she spent her career years in Escanaba, Michigan, making her an honorary Yooper. Both writers now live in Madison, WI, where they happily identify as Cheeseheads-by-Choice.
What inspires you to write?
We both love mysteries. We love telling stories. We love incorporating our travels into our stories.
Tell us about your writing process.
Because we write as a team, and because mysteries are a very particular genre, outlining is a must for us. We’ve created our own form that helps us keep track of the scene, the day, time of day, action, backstory, and any notes we want to consider. The outline is detailed enough to keep us on track and allow us each to write different parts of the story, but flexible enough to be changed as needed.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Sometimes one or the other of us will get inside the head of one of the characters and challenge the other with action, ideas, words. Sometimes one of us will just sit down to write a scene and when finished say to the other, “You’re not going to believe what I found out about…” Or you’re not going to believe what so-and-so did. We talk a lot about what would our characters really do in a certain situation. When they act out of character, what is the logical motivation behind that action.
Who are your favorite authors?
We both love Louise Penny and Geraldine Brooks. We’re also fond of William Kent Krueger’s books. Mary Joy will read just about anything, but has a passion for mysteries and women’s travel memoirs. Peggy reads a lot of historical and science non-fiction.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
We would love to have gone with a traditional publisher, but while agents complimented our work, none saw our niche as being easily marketable. We thought we’d give independent publishing a try and have been pretty happy with the process.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
We both think it’s too bad that the “big” traditional publishing houses have combined so many times over the years to become very limited. We think there will always be a place for small and independent presses. And we believe that independent publishing will keep readers reading a wider swath of genres, authors, and books.
What genres do you write?
Mystery
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
M. J. Williams Home Page Link
Link To M. J. Williams Page On Amazon
