When did you start writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Alphabets fascinated me long before I could read or write. The small signs with their curves and lines and dots were magic. (They’re still magic, especially when I’m trying to learn a new alphabet).
When I was five, I told my mother I was going to be a writer so that I could master these mysterious signs. I demonstrated my determination by making up an alphabet and then imaging stories to go along with my scribbles.
How did you come up with the idea for your newest installment of the Dr. Evan Wildling series, Dark of Night?
While reading about lost tomes, literary mysteries, and undeciphered scripts, I came across news of a missing treasure which thousands of scholars and treasure hunters have searched for: a purported early version of Deuteronomy that dates from the same period as the Dead Sea scrolls. And an idea was born …
Author Biography
I was made in Japan, born in Guam, and traveled through numerous ports of call to land in Colorado. All of which honed my sense of adventure and gave me an insatiable curiosity about pretty much everything. When I’m not writing, traveling, or wandering through libraries, I’m usually in the Colorado Rockies where I love to hike, cave, snowshoe and drink single malt Scotch—rarely, please note, at the same time.
-Find out more at BarbaraNickless.com
You wrote the Sydney Parnell series as well as the Dr. Evan Wildling series. What was it about these characters that made you want to stay with them over multiple stories?
I feel an electric buzz when I get an idea for a character that I believe has staying power. Sydney, with her trauma-generated ghosts and haunting memories came to me as a way to process my own post-traumatic stress.
Evan walked into my mind long ago, but it took twenty years to find a book for him.
You do extensive research for your novels. This has included participating in the FBI Citizen’s Academy, talking to agents about the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team, touring Denver’s PD headquarters, and even role-playing a drug dealer for SWAT trainees. Why is this extensive research so useful in your development as a writer?
First, it’s just plain fun. I sometimes write novels as an excuse to do a deep dive into a particular aspect of research.
Beyond that, experiencing situations or talking to experts one-on-one allows me to provide verisimilitude in my writing. It’s hugely important to me to get it right, and though I sometimes fail, it’s not out of carelessness.
Did you have a specific writing routine/process for Dark of Night? Has that process changed at all over the course of your successful writing career?
It used to be I had to squeeze in writing time whenever I could. I’m very lucky now to be able to focus on my books. I start my day with a solitary walk; this is valuable time I use to think about the day’s planned work.
After breakfast and a quick scan of the news, I tuck my phone in a drawer and work until noon. The afternoon is reserved for editing and—if necessary—additional writing. Evenings and weekends are when I do my research.
You’re represented by Christina Hogrebe of Jane Rotrosen Agency. How did you find Christina? What was it about her and the Jane Rotrosen Agency as a whole that made you want to sign with them? Do you have any advice on what writers should look for in an agent?
When I was looking for an agent, my top choice was the Jane Rotrosen Agency. They represent a lot of writers I greatly admire, and they have plenty of experience with my specific publisher.
I was lucky enough to have someone at the agency refer me to Christina. I read her bio and researched her authors. We chatted, and then she read my most recent novel. It was a definite match, and I’m so happy we connected!
What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I’ve been reading about codes and ciphers, which led me to an enthralling novel by Ken Follett, The Key to Rebecca, based on actual events.
Because I read multiple books at a time, I’m also reading novels by Carter Wilson and Hannah Mary McKinnon as well as non-fiction books about Egypt.
What book(s) most inspired you to write?
Since I decided to be a writer early on, I’m not sure where that desire sprang from. But every book I read in my childhood and teen years further convinced me that writing was my path. Books (like alphabets) are magic, and I wanted a bit of that pixie dust.
I’ve never been the person who reads a book and thinks, I could do that. I read a book and think, Oh, I wish I could write like that. It’s wonderful inspiration (if also sometimes a bit daunting).
So now that Dark of Night is out, what are you working on? Do you have another story in the works?
I’m writing the third book in the Dr. Evan Wilding trilogy. It’s called Play of Shadows and delves into the mystery of mazes, our fascination with labyrinths, and the mythos of monsters.
What do you hope people take away from reading your books?
I’m drawn to characters who face hurdles even before the novel opens. In my first series, Sydney has to learn how to manage her response to the traumas she sustained in war.
Evan must face the fact that many in our society do not understand or look kindly upon dwarfism. Our culture creates physical obstacles for him, but it is peoples’ attitudes that are harder to live with.
That he manages to do so in a (generally) cheery way reminds me that attitude is (almost) everything. It’s a chance to learn from my characters. 🙂
And that’s what I hope readers also take away: no matter how difficult our circumstances, we have power over our own thoughts.
