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Live Online Chat with M.J. Arlidge

The chat has now ended. Please join us for the next one on Wed., June 4

 Live Chat with M. J. Arlidge: Eeny Meeny(04/15/2015) 
5:26
Nora: 
The next book in the First Flights program is

The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson

Read more about it here

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:26 Nora
5:26
[Comment From kimkim: ] 
Thanks - enjoyed as always. With you (in spirit ) at the pub in the rain!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:26 kim
5:25
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
:-)
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:25 Lucy
5:25
mj: 
Pubs close in 30 mins here so I'll have to run. But I'll drink a toast to you all!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:25 mj
5:25
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Thanks!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:25 Lucy
5:24
Nora: 

I think it's time for you to retreat to the pub (am I being stereotypical?)

Thanks to our First Flight members for joining the chat. You make it fun.

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:24 Nora
5:24
mj: 
Thanks so much Nora and to everyone who participated. Great fun! Sorry for the late start. A small hiccup in the special relationship. Thanks again!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:24 mj
5:23
Nora: 
Thanks M.J. for this great chat and for giving us some extra time with you. We look forward to the next books in the series and to the TV shows.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:23 Nora
5:23
mj: 
Hi Elaine. We have just started talking about it and I hope to be in the US in July - in New York and Minneapolis and poss more besides. One of the great joys of this job is travel - I've already been to Oslo, Lyon, Milan and more besides. It's so nice meeting readers all round the world. Their enthusiasm and passion is always so inspiring!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:23 mj
5:21
[Comment From Elaine, N.J.Elaine, N.J.: ] 
Are you doing a U.S. book tour?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:21 Elaine, N.J.
5:20
mj: 
Ha ha. I love writing in the "u's" just knowing you'll have to take them out! Interestingly, only the US close edits the books, whilst everywhere else just translates. But that's fine by me - every country is different and whatever works best for them is fine by me. I just want as many people to read it as possible.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:20 mj
5:19
[Comment From ElaineElaine: ] 
Did much change in the book(s) in the editing process? And, does each country edit the book, or just translate it (or, in our case, take out all those extra u's)?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:19 Elaine
5:18
mj: 
I was. Principally because I was in love with the books of Roald Dahl. I think he has a unique and special imagination. James and the Giant Peach was one of the very first books I remember reading. It could only have been written by Dahl – the premise, the wacky characters and the notion that parents can be trampled to death by an escaped rhino!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:18 mj
5:17
[Comment From SuperLibrarianSuperLibrarian: ] 
Were you a big reader as a kid?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:17 SuperLibrarian
5:16
mj: 
Depends who was standing in front of me! We all like to think we’d do the right thing, but I suspect there is something innate in all of us which would want to survive, no matter what the cost.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:16 mj
5:15
Nora: 

What do YOU imagine you would have done in a similar situation?

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:15 Nora
5:14
mj: 
From watching reality television! We live in a competition culture. Shows like X-Factor, I’m a Celebrity and Big Brother have helped to create a world in which we are constantly judging other people. Who’s hotter? Who’s more talented? Who do we like more? Who’s good, better, best? I thought it would be interesting for a serial killer to pose this question, raising the stakes so it becomes a matter of life and death. From this original notion, Eeny Meeny grew. It’s set not in the world of celebrity but in the world of ordinary people and as such the question posed is a universal one – faced with the ultimate dilemma, could you kill another to save yourself? Most of us would like to say “no”, or at the very least say we might do it because we have a wife and children who needs us etc. But is that true? Or is there just a basic instinct in all of us to survive, to live?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:14 mj
5:13
Nora: 

Your characters all respond to a similar situation -- having to decide which of them will live and which will die. How did you come up with that concept?

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:13 Nora
5:13
mj: 
My background is in TV and in screenplays you are used to changing POV and location every minute or two. It's risky because you can lose your readers/audience if pace overwhelms character, but I love the vigour and speed that intercutting different story lines and characters gives you. All my novels will be written in this fast style I think.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:13 mj
5:10
Nora: 

Tell us about changing voices from chapter to chapter -- it requires skill by the author and I also think trust in the reader.

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:10 Nora
5:10
mj: 
Novels are very manipulative.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:10 mj
5:10
Nora: 

Interesting -- I've asked other writers how they decide when a chapter is finished. Most don't really have an answer. Love yours about "maximum tease"!



Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:10 Nora
5:08
mj: 
Thanks, Lucy!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:08 mj
5:08
mj: 
I break them when I have achieved the maximum tease. I have never liked long chapters in books. I want each chapter to be an espresso - short and extremely powerful!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:08 mj
5:07
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
GREAT start with that !
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:07 Lucy
5:07
mj: 
Too right, Elaine. Snore!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:07 mj
5:07
Nora: 

Tell us about writing such short chapters (117 in all)! How do you decide when to break them?

Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:07 Nora
5:07
[Comment From ElaineElaine: ] 
So true -- no more middle age men with drinking problems!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:07 Elaine
5:06
mj: 
Hi Lucy - so glad you could join us! And thank you - it's my mission to put strong female police officers and interesting female serial killers on the map!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:06 mj
5:05
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Came in late but have been quickly scrolling through the chat. My questions have already been asked but wanted to say I love an author, especially a male author, who loves to write strong female characters! Thanks for that!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:05 Lucy
5:05
mj: 
Hi Elaine - great question. They were very relaxed as EM came out in the slipstream of Fifty Shades and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Helen's sexuality stems from her desire to punish herself, her need to atone. So those scenes, rather than being erotic per se, are more about the controlled use of pain to manage your emotions. It's not something I'd recommend, but it happens and I thought it made her more interesting than, say, a middle age man with a drink problem.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:05 mj
5:03
[Comment From Elaine, N.J.Elaine, N.J.: ] 
There's some pretty heavy duty erotic scenes in the book. Why did you want to include them? Were your editors OK with them?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:03 Elaine, N.J.
5:02
mj: 
Many people think I'm a woman. Which I take as a compliment.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:02 mj
5:02
[Comment From Ruth R.Ruth R.: ] 
I hope you take this as a compliment -- I thought for a while that this WAS written by a woman.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:02 Ruth R.
5:01
mj: 
In short, Ruth, yes. The decision to use my initials was a deliberate decision – I wanted to be gender neutral! For me the writer should be as anonymous as possible, so people come to the novel without any preconceptions. Sometimes people baulk at the prospect of a man writing a novel with a female protagonist or vice versa and I wanted to avoid that. But it’s not just about gender. The more elusive or enigmatic the writer is the better, as far as I’m concerned, so you can just lose yourself in their work. To be honest I’m never that interested in whether authors are married, have kids, like dogs – too much information destroys the mystery for me. Less is more!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 5:01 mj
4:59
[Comment From Ruth R.Ruth R.: ] 
Thanks for saying that! On the other side -- women writers used to hide their gender behind initials. Are you doing the same by using your initials?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:59 Ruth R.
4:58
mj: 
Because women are more interesting than men! And their lives are much harder – which is great for a fictional protagonist. People find strong, uncompromising women challenging. And they find women with unusual emotional and sexual needs even more challenging! Women have to fight battles daily that men never have to face – which makes their eventual triumph all the more satisfying.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:58 mj
4:57
[Comment From Ruth R.Ruth R.: ] 
Why did you use a female, rather than a male detective?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:57 Ruth R.
4:57
mj: 
Thanks, Ruth. I’m a big fan of Stieg Larsson and you can see his influence in the creation of Helen Grace. I adored Lisbeth Salander as a character – so unconventional, so fearless, so uncompromising – and wanted Helen to have her spirit. They are both complex women – emotionally, sexually, psychologically – and share a dogged determination and sense of social justice that I find very appealing. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the first crime book I’d read in which the heroine was a more interesting character than the bad guys she was hunting.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:57 mj
4:56
[Comment From Ruth R.Ruth R.: ] 
How did you come up with Helen -- she's a fascinating character.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:56 Ruth R.
4:53
mj: 
Good question. I always like to research and spent many happy hours in Southampton plotting dark deeds. But in the end it is the flight of your imagination that creates the most memorable and surprising things, so having done my research I just closed my eyes and let my mind wander…
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:53 mj
4:52
mj: 
I owe you, Kim. Thanks!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:52 mj
4:52
[Comment From SuperLibrarianSuperLibrarian: ] 
Loved that you shot your video intro in front of the British Library. Did you do any research for your book?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:52 SuperLibrarian
4:52
[Comment From kimkim: ] 
It seems to be the trend that books starting off in Europe come to us in trade paper. We also will be buying the book - paperback or not.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:52 kim
4:52
mj: 
My pleasure. This is fun!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:52 mj
4:51
Nora: 
Just to let you know, everyone, M.J. has agreed to stay with us a bit longer, since we had a rocky beginning. Thaks, M.J.!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:51 Nora
4:51
mj: 
EM is set in Southampton. Southampton is a fascinating port city on the South Coast of England. The Titanic set sail from Southampton in 1912 on its maiden journey and it has always been a prosperous, vibrant place. It was heavily bombed during WWII and now has a slightly fractured identity as a result, many of its very old buildings having been destroyed by Hitler’s firebombs. Port cities and towns always interest me – they have a certain atmosphere, a sense of threat and simmering criminality that I always find exciting.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:51 mj
4:50
mj: 
Me too, Kim.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:50 mj
4:50
mj: 
She's been in loads of things, but she specialises in the really dark, highly sexualised films like Antichrist and Nymphomania. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I love them.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:50 mj
4:50
Nora: 
Tell us more about the setting of EENY MEENY (you may know  that Southampton NY is quite a different place). Why did you choose to set the books there
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:50 Nora
4:50
[Comment From kimkim: ] 
I kept seeing a young Helen Miren playing Helen Grace - perfect for the screen
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:50 kim
4:49
Nora: 
That DOES sound amazing -- I am a fan as well. She starred in THE SWIMMING POOL, right?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:49 Nora
4:47
mj: 
Hi Janet, thanks for you great question. I've sold the film rights and the prod company are busy developing it into a UK "True Detective". They want Charlotte Gainsbourg to play Helen which would be extremely interesting as I am a massive fan of her work with Lars Von Trier. She is French but educated in England so has a good accent!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:47 mj
4:46
[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ] 
So great to be able to chat. Are there plans to dramatize the series for television in the UK? Southampton would be a lovely setting.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:46 janet_schneider
4:46
mj: 
Thanks so much, Kim. Really glad it captivated you. Most people seem to read EM very quickly. The record is six hours I think.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:46 mj
4:45
Nora: 
Just stepping in to explain that TLA is the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION conference.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:45 Nora
4:44
[Comment From kimkim: ] 
Sorry that the day is not going well. I almost missed this because of TLA but I was really glad I made it back. I really enjoyed hiding from the world for a few days so I could finish this book - one of my favorites!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:44 kim
4:44
mj: 
Another excellent question. She doesn't like scary books but surprised everyone by saying she actually really enjoyed EM. I got my own back by telling everyone that the S&M elements in the book were all inspired by her.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:44 mj
4:43
[Comment From Jennie, AZJennie, AZ: ] 
Speaking of your wife, JENNIE -- what does she think of Helen?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:43 Jennie, AZ
4:43
mj: 
You'd have to talk to my publishers! I'm a great fan of paperbacks - they are cheap and democratic, but it's out of my hands. I was amazed when i went to Lyons, France, recently to publicise my book there. It was on sale for 22 euros. Which for a debut author is a huge amount, I think. So i love paperbacks.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:43 mj
4:41
[Comment From Jennie, AZJennie, AZ: ] 
My library is delighted that this is a paperback; means we can buy more than if it were hardcover. Are all the books going to be paperback?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:41 Jennie, AZ
4:41
mj: 
No. Oddly I only discovered James as I was writing my second novel. Penguin had long harboured ambitions of doing a series of thrillers with child-like titles and Eeny Meeny as a title was their idea.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:41 mj
4:40
Nora: 

You mention James Patterson as an influence (and he certainly is an example of someone who has a fast publishing schedule!).


I’m sure you’re aware he also wrote a book titled Pop Goes the Weasel. Is your title an homage?

Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:40 Nora
4:39
mj: 
Good question, Jennie. You share my wife's name and her spelling of it, so I'm predisposed to like you! I don't know how many there will be but loads I hope. I love Helen and want to write her for as long as possible.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:39 mj
4:38
[Comment From Jennie, AZJennie, AZ: ] 
Have you decided how many books there will be in the series?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:38 Jennie, AZ
4:38
mj: 
Thanks so much Diana. Really thrilled you enjoyed it.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:38 mj
4:38
[Comment From Diana HowellDiana Howell: ] 
Enjoyed the book and the characters immensely. Looking forward to the next one coming out in October.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:38 Diana Howell
4:37
mj: 
No, I just write quickly. When I first pitched the series to Penguin, I pitched them the first seven Helen Grace novels. They now have me delivering one every six months. Which is hard work!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:37 mj
4:36
Nora: 

T

Two other titles in the series have already been released in the U.K.

    Pop Goes the Weasel

    The Doll's House

And a third is coming in September

      Liar Liar.

Your output is prodigious. Do you write quickly, or did you have a group of novels you sold at once?

Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:36 Nora
4:36
mj: 
That was a tense half an hour. So pleased to be joining you at last. I always like to arrive fashionably late.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:36 mj
4:35
Nora: 
Hurrah -- feels like you just flew in from London!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:35 Nora
4:35
mj: 
Only Romania. They have no kids rhyme that equates to this. Weird.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:35 mj
4:34
Nora: 
Are there any countries that didn’t have a cultural equivalent?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:34 Nora
4:33
 Nora
Polish Cover
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:33 
4:33
Nora: 
And, here's the Polish cover!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:33 Nora
4:33
Nora: 
From M.J. --

Am Stram Gram is the french version. Um Do Li Ta is the Portugese. They are both kids nursery rhymes to decide whose turn it is next. My favourite is the Polish cover which says "Ene Due Smierc". This is a real children's nursery rhyme in Poland and translates as "Eeny Meeny Death". Perfect.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:33 Nora
4:33
 Nora
Portuguese Cover
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:33 
4:32
Nora: 
And about the Portugese one:

Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:32 Nora
4:31
[Comment From kimkim: ] 
I am having trouble getting on. Are you still having technical issues?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:31 kim
 
Nora: 
Hi Kim; We've had to resort to email!
  Nora
4:30
 Nora
French Cover
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:30 
4:30
Nora: 
I'm curious about this one:
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:30 Nora
4:29
Nora: 
M.J. responds:

It has been an amazing experience being published in over 25 countries. Every country has a different take on what the book means and adapt their covers accordingly. The Scandinavians go very dark, the Italians go sexy, the French go sophisticated - its very stereotypical.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:29 Nora
4:29
 Nora
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:29 
4:28
Nora: 

I just asked him about I’m fascinated by the comment he made in is intro video about the covers – that each country’s represents a different take on the book.

Penguin UK posted a range of them in a photo on Twitter:
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:28 Nora
4:25
Nora: 
Hold off a moment -- we think we have a solution.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:25 Nora
4:25
[Comment From SuperLibrarianSuperLibrarian: ] 
Hi! Thanks for doing this. You scared me SO BAD with this book.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:25 SuperLibrarian
4:25
[Comment From Jennie, AZJennie, AZ: ] 
Hi from sunny Arizona!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:25 Jennie, AZ
4:24
[Comment From Elaine, N.J.Elaine, N.J.: ] 
Looking forward to the chat!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 Elaine, N.J.
4:24
[Comment From Ruth R.Ruth R.: ] 
Hi. M.J. -- thanks for taking the time to chat with us.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 Ruth R.
4:24
[Comment From PennyPenny: ] 
Still calming down after reading your book. That book trailer didn't help!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 Penny
4:24
[Comment From Judy P.Judy P.: ] 
Hi from the midwest. Have you ever been to the "flyover" states?
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 Judy P.
4:24
[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ] 
Hello M.J. Helen is a brilliant character. I loved the existential themes of the book--how doing the right thing can go so awry.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 janet_schneider
4:24
Nora: 
Say hi to M.J., everyone!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:24 Nora
4:23
Nora: 
M.J. is in London -- just asked him if Spring has arrived. He responds:

Yes, it's been an amazing day here today. Sunshine all day - a rarity for England!
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:23 Nora
4:17
Nora: 
While we are trying to solve the connectivity problems, M.J. is going to email me his comments and I will post them.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:17 Nora
4:08
Nora: 
While we're waiting, feel free to enter your comments & questions.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:08 Nora
4:04
Nora: 
Hang on, everyone, having a few technical issues.
Wednesday April 15, 2015 4:04 Nora
3:57
Nora: 

I see chat participants gathering. You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to M.J. before the end of the chat. Don’t worry about typos – and please forgive ours.

Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:57 Nora
3:48
NoraNora
Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:48 
3:48
Nora: 

M.J. made a somewhat calmer video to introduce himself to all of you:

Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:48 Nora
3:47
Nora: 

But to get a real flavor, watch this book trailer from the U.K.

Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:47 Nora
3:47
NoraNora
Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:47 
3:47
Nora: 

Publishers Weekly reviewed it recently:

"British author Arlidge’s engrossing first novel, a crime thriller, introduces Det. Insp. Helen Grace of the Hampshire police. When a fiend abducts a young woman and her boyfriend and torments them in an ingeniously cruel way that leads to the death of one of them, Helen investigates, but before she can make any headway there is a second similar case, then a third. Helen believes there’s a connection among the victims, but the only link she can see is that they were all acquaintances of hers. Helen is herself a severely damaged woman. Professional stress and a guilty family secret make her withdrawn and defensive in her personal life; her main relief comes from employing a professional dominator to whip her. Plot complications include Helen’s detection of a mole within the department and her complex relationship with an otherwise talented subordinate who’s sinking into debilitating alcoholism. Readers will look forward to seeing more of this strong, intelligent, and courageous lead."

Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:47 Nora
3:46
 Nora
American cover
Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:46 
3:46
Nora: 
Meanwhile, here is the cover:
Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:46 Nora
3:44
Nora: 

We will begin our online chat at 4 pm. with M.J. Arlidge, author of the internationally best selling debut thriller, Eeny Meeny , to be published in the U.S. on June 2nd, by Penguin/NAL

Wednesday April 15, 2015 3:44 Nora
 
 

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