Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today, I’m
excited to have Jan Gangsei here to share about her new YA mystery, Dead Below
Deck. I love mysteries, and this one sounds like a page-turner, so I’m looking
forward to reading it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
When an
heiress disappears from her superyacht and security footage shows her getting
pushed, the main suspect has to prove her innocence in this thrilling mystery
at sea told in reverse chronological order, perfect for fans of Karen McManus
and Genuine Fraud.
It was supposed to be the best-ever girls’ trip:
five days, four friends, one luxury yacht, no parents. But on the final night,
as the yacht cruised the deep and dark waters between Florida and Grand Cayman,
eighteen-year-old heiress Giselle vanished. She’s nowhere to be found the next
morning even after a frantic search, until security footage surfaces . . .
showing Maggie pushing her overboard.
But Maggie has no memory of what happened. All
she knows is that she woke up with a throbbing headache, thousands of dollars
in cash in her safe, a passport that isn’t hers, and Giselle’s diary. And while
Maggie had her own reasons to want Giselle dead, so did everyone else on board:
jealous Viv, calculating Emi, even some members of the staff.
What really went down on the top deck that
night? Maggie will have to work her way backward to uncover the secrets that
everyone—even Giselle—kept below deck or she’s dead in the water.
Jan Gangsei crafts a compulsively readable tale
of privilege, family, and identity wrapped in a wholly original mystery that
will keep readers on the edges of their seats until the final twist.
Before I get to Tracy’s guest post, I have my IWSG post.
Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The
awesome co-hosts this month are: Diedre Knight, Lisa
Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!
Optional Question: What creative activity do you engage in when you’re not
writing?
I’m not
sure if gardening counts, but I love planting and caring for a small vegetable
garden and my flower beds. I tweak the design of the beds every year.
Just recently my daughter has taken up crocheting small animals that can be finished in about three hours. I used to knit and crochet some as a kid. I want to get one of the crochet kits when my fall yard clean-up is done in a few weeks and teach myself to make some cute little animals that I can give away to my nieces and nephews and maybe donate some. I think I would enjoy doing something creative that can be finished in a few hours as a break sometimes from writing a manuscript that takes me years to finish. I’ll still keep working on my current manuscript too. Here's a few examples of what I hope to create:
Interview With
Jan Gangsei
Hi Jan!
Thanks so much for joining us.
1. Tell us
about yourself and how you became a writer.
Hi Natalie!
Thanks for having me. I’ve been writing pretty much as long as I can remember
(stories were my main form of entertainment growing up in small-town Vermont!).
I spent the early part of my career working in journalism and communications,
but my first love was always fiction. It wasn’t until my thirties that I
started to seriously pursue publication (all while raising a family and moving from
assignment to assignment with my Coast Guard husband). No complaints, though! I’ve
had the opportunity to live in some very cool places—Key West, New York City,
D.C., Barbados—and have had many interesting experiences (all of which, I think,
have made me a stronger writer). I’m now back in northern Virginia with my
family, where I write full-time!
2. Where
did you get the idea for Dead Below Deck?
Right
before the pandemic hit, my family and I took a cruise from New York to the
Bahamas. It was an amazing trip—and one that turned out to be a stark line in
the sand between the before and after times of Covid. The idea for Dead
Below Deck came to me during those early days of lockdown, when I
desperately wished I could rewind time and go back to the before. From
there, I started thinking about what would happen if a group of teens (with
secrets and grudges) went on a yacht to get away from it all—but the trip ends
(or should I say, begins?) with murder—and the story evolved from there.
Your Writing Process: On Writing a Twisty
Mystery
3. It’s cool that you story idea came in
part from a family trip. How did you plot out Dead Below Deck? What tips do you
have for writers who want to write a mystery on plotting out their stories?
I knew from the very beginning how I
wanted the story to end, so the next step was figuring out how to get there.
For me, plotting is a bit like plugging a destination into a GPS. I’ll create
an initial map with the major milestones (suspects, red herrings, plot points),
but there are bound to be detours along the way as I get to know the characters
better. Typically, my first draft winds up being something of a super-detailed
outline that I then flesh out. But every writer is different! You need to
experiment and find the method that works best for you. I think I’m somewhere
between a pantser and a planner (maybe I’m a plantster?). I definitely need to
know where I’m headed—but I like to give myself room to explore on the way
there!
4. You wrote your story in a backward mystery format. Explain what that is, why you chose to write this story this way, and any challenges it created for you.
I really enjoy books that play with
narrative structures, and the yacht’s journey created the perfect framework to
tell the story in reverse, from Day 5 to Day 1 of the trip. I also felt like
the backwards narrative was a great way to reflect Maggie’s desire to hit the
rewind button and go back in time and undo her mistakes.
Of course, there are some unique
challenges to writing a story in reverse! Mainly, since the story moves back in
time, you can’t have a character experience something in Chapter 1 and then
reflect on it in Chapter 2, because Chapter 2 happened before Chapter 1,
not after. Which also means the reveals unfold in a slightly different way
since the characters begin the story already knowing what the reader will learn
in subsequent chapters (it’s a bit confusing even trying to explain that—but it
works, I promise! ;).
5. Reviewers have said that your plot had
a lot of twists and turns and that they were surprised by the ending. How did
you decide on which twists and turns to add to lead the reader down other
paths?
Thank you! I’m glad to hear that. J
Adding twists and turns is the fun part of
writing a mystery! In Dead Below Deck, Maggie’s not the only person on
the yacht with a reason (or three ;) to push Giselle overboard. The rest of the
friend group (and some of the crew) have issues with Giselle, too. Identifying
those alternate suspects (and their motives) helped me plant seeds of doubt
throughout the story to lead readers down other paths. At the same time, I also
made sure to sprinkle in clues about what *really* happened—so hopefully the ending
will come as a surprise, but in a satisfying way!
6. Do you have any book recommendations or
other resources you recommend for writers who want to learn to write a mystery?
My biggest recommendation? Read, read, and
read some more! There are so many amazing mystery and thriller writers out
there. Some of my favorites include Ruth Ware, Gillian McAllister, Karen
McManus, Maureen Johnson, April Henry, Megan Lally, Tiffany Jackson, Kit Frick,
and Tana French, to name just a few! The more you read, the more you get a
sense of pacing, where to include pivotal plot points, how to create a twisty
ending, and what works and doesn’t work.
Also, keep writing! Plotting and pacing
become more natural with practice. And it’s important to remember that a lot of
the magic happens during revision—what you see in a finished book has gone
through multiple rounds of editing. So don’t get discouraged or feel
like your manuscript has to be perfect straight out of the gate!
Your Journey to Publication
7. Thanks for all your tips on writing a
mystery. It’s hard to find enough advice on how to write them. Your agent is
Mandy Hubbard. How did she become your agent?
Via good old-fashioned querying! We do
have a fun history, though—many years ago when I was just starting out, Mandy
was one of the first agents to pluck a manuscript of mine from the slush pile.
Although we didn’t sign together at the time, I’ve always been a huge fan of
Mandy’s. We reconnected when I was in the market for a new agent a few years back
(querying the book that became Dead Below Deck). I was beyond thrilled
that she still liked my writing, and I loved her vision for the story and my
career. I like to say that it’s fitting her agency is called Emerald City, because
signing with her was truly like coming home!
8. What was your road to getting your
debut YA book, Zero Day, published in 2016? Has going on submission been easier
for Dead Below Deck, and your two middle grade books, The Wild Bunch and
Project ME 2.0?
Ahhh… the answer to this might be as
twisty (and long, sorry!) as some of my favorite plots!
A quick rewind: I signed with my first
agent in 2010 with The Farley Project, a humorous middle-grade story. I
had high hopes for that manuscript as it had generated a good amount of agent
interest and multiple offers of representation. Unfortunately, after a round of
submissions that yielded some favorable rejections, we tabled it, and I focused
on writing other things. I then won an audition to write a middle-grade story
called The Weekenders for book packager Working Partners (best known for
the Warrior series by Erin Hunter). Sadly, that project wound up
homeless, too. But I’m stubborn. I continued my own writing while also authoring
several books (under pen names) for Working Partners that were published in
multiple languages and countries.
Fast forward to 2014: Disney-Hyperion
contacted my agent in search of an emerging author to write a thriller about a
politician’s kidnapped daughter. I had just a few days to come up with a
sample, which I eagerly sent off with some additional plot ideas (then crossed
my fingers!). Shortly after, I was offered the contract (yay!)—and then had
about six weeks to turn in the first draft (eek!). Needless to say, I got busy
writing! And in January of 2016, Zero Day hit shelves!
Meanwhile—seemingly out of nowhere and
some four years after its initial submission—Simon & Schuster acquired The
Weekenders, renaming it The Wild Bunch. I finished writing that book
while edits were underway with Zero Day, and it published in 2017.
I then had an out-of-the-blue idea to
breathe new life into The Farley Project. I did a quick revision, and we
went back on sub (a full seven years after the initial submission!)—and
happily, that manuscript was acquired by Simon & Schuster, too! The book
published in 2019 as Project Me 2.0 (and will always hold a special
place in my heart as the story I could never give up on!).
Dead Below Deck was a bit more
straightforward. I signed with Mandy, revised the story, and we went out on
sub. Within a matter of days, we had interest… and then an offer, and another
offer… (exciting, but nail-biting times—incredibly grateful to have Mandy in my
corner negotiating the details!). Ultimately, we sold to HarperCollins and the
book releases on November 19!
The moral of the story? Publishing is very
cyclical. Trends come and go, and a manuscript that doesn’t sell one year might
wind up with an offer seven years later! Patience, flexibility, and a
dedication to improving your craft are key. (Also, never give up!)
Promoting Your Book
9. How are you promoting Dead Below Deck?
How have your marketing plans changed for your books since your debut book was
released?
That’s a very interesting question! I
think the publishing landscape in general has shifted quite a bit since my
debut—with mergers, layoffs, changes in chain bookstore buying policies, etc. There’s
always been an element of book marketing/promotion that has fallen to the
author, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s increased over the years as
publishing staff has shrunk and become (even more) stretched thin.
While my awesome Harper team handles much
of the behind-the-scenes marketing for Dead Below Deck (trade review
submission, catalog placement, bookstore sales, etc.), I’m also working with an
independent publicist to help get the word out. We have some fun blog posts and
Q&As scheduled (like this one!), plus several podcasts and interviews lined
up. I’ll also be holding book launch events—one close to home in Fairfax,
Virginia; another in Key West, Florida, where I used to live, and which is also
a port stop in Dead Below Deck!
10. How has your involvement with your
social media platforms changed over the years? Why?
When I first started writing, Twitter was
the place to be, Instagram was still in its infancy, and TikTok didn’t exist at
all. Now, we all dream of our books going viral on TikTok and landing on the
Barnes & Noble #BookTok table, right?
I used to be more active on X when it was
Twitter and there were more author chats and that sort of thing going on (miss
those, to be honest!). I still post there, but not as often, and I’ve started
to be more active on Instagram. My Facebook page is mostly where I keep up with
family and friends. I don’t have a TikTok account, though the BookTok community
does seem very cool (and if anyone wants to make Dead Below Deck go
viral, no complaints! ;).
11. What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on another mystery
set in a boarding school that’s a bit more of a romance than Dead Below Deck
– a romystery, if you will. Hoping to have that in my agent’s hands soon!
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Jan. You can find Jan at:
Giveaway Details
Jan’s publicist is generously
offering a hardback of Dead Below Deck for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a
follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the
right sidebar) and leave a comment by November 16th. If your email is
not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the
contest. Please be sure I have your email address.
If you mention this contest on
Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Jan on her
social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra
entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway
is U.S.
Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts,
and Blog Hops
Saturday, November 9th I’m participating in the Super
Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop
Monday, November 11th I have an agent spotlight interview
with CoCo Freeman and a query critique giveaway
Saturday, November 16th I’m participating in the In All
Things Give Thanks Giveaway Hop
Monday, November 18th I have a guest post by Elisa Stone Leahy
and a giveaway of her MG Mallory in Full Color
Wednesday, November 20th I have an agent
spotlight interview with Courtney Donovan and a query critique giveaway
I hope to see you on Saturday!
12 comments:
Backwards narratives are fun to read! Congratulations on the release!
Ummm, YES, gardening counts. There are so many good things about putting our hands in soil and growing things.
Those little animals are so cute. It makes me want to crochet again. Tell your daughter that I think she did a great job.
I adore those little crocheted animals! Congratulations to Jan.
Oh, those little crocheted animals are adorable! I like craft projects that don't take forever, ones that you can hold/see the results sooner rather than later.
Hi,
I enjoy knitting very much. Your crochet animals look great. Great job.
Shalom shalom
I love those little critters. I hope they are as much fun as they look.
Anna from elements of emaginette
I think gardening is a very creative endeavor, but then I love digging in the dirt and planting things I hope will grow and thrive. I also love twisty plots, so I'm sure I'll enjoy Jan's book. https://substack.com/home/post/p-150486288
Dead Below Deck sounds awesome--and challenging to write. Reverse order, totally cool. Congratulations.
Gardening totally counts! And I love your little crochet creatures. I love that crochet is making a comeback. I have tendonitis in my thumbs so I can't which makes me sad.
Those little critters are so cute! And I say gardening counts.
I think gardening is highly creative! And those little knit projects are super cute! Congrats to Jan on a fun mystery read!
I've always loved mysteries and have read books by the recommended authors in the post. I can't wait to read this book. I shared on tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter. I follow both Natalie and the author on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for the interview to get to know this talented author and her process.
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