Ask the Author: Chris Holcombe
Answered Questions (4)
Chris Holcombe
I read the archives of the New York Times and the New Yorker, focusing on the dates that correspond with the book I'm writing. The city and the time period feel so alive in those articles, features, and yes, even their advertising!
I also have a cast of characters with very strong personalities, which provide a ton of inspiration as well. I want to see what they'll do and say next!
I also have a cast of characters with very strong personalities, which provide a ton of inspiration as well. I want to see what they'll do and say next!
Chris Holcombe
It's a marathon, not a sprint. It's easy to get discouraged if you're not at the end yet, or if the writing isn't up to the standard you want. Writing takes time. Keep doing it every day, especially if you don't feel like it. And trust that you'll eventually get there.
Chris Holcombe
The next book in the Hidden Gotham series called THE BLIND TIGER. It should be out this December!
Chris Holcombe
I had written two books set in the modern-day (that will also never see the light of day lol), and was a bit restless. I didn't like having to write about my detective combing through Facebook posts and tracking apps.
One Christmas, I was inspired by a Bette Davis movie marathon with my father to write a historical mystery. As a gay man who loves the crime fiction genre, I noticed queer characters hardly get the starring role in a crime series, so I was committed to having my protagonist be part of the LGBTQ+ community. From there, I discovered an article that led to a series of books describing this vividly vibrant queer world in 1920s Manhattan.
Now I had found the history, but what about the mystery? That took a bit longer to figure out, but once I discovered the Committee of Fourteen and other "anti-vice" organizations, I could see how a speakeasy owner--and a gay one at that--could be forced into the role of the "reluctant detective."
From there, THE DOUBLE VICE began to take shape.
One Christmas, I was inspired by a Bette Davis movie marathon with my father to write a historical mystery. As a gay man who loves the crime fiction genre, I noticed queer characters hardly get the starring role in a crime series, so I was committed to having my protagonist be part of the LGBTQ+ community. From there, I discovered an article that led to a series of books describing this vividly vibrant queer world in 1920s Manhattan.
Now I had found the history, but what about the mystery? That took a bit longer to figure out, but once I discovered the Committee of Fourteen and other "anti-vice" organizations, I could see how a speakeasy owner--and a gay one at that--could be forced into the role of the "reluctant detective."
From there, THE DOUBLE VICE began to take shape.
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