Barbara Nickless is a Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of eight novels. She is the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence, the Golden Quill Award, Suspense Magazine Best Debut of 2016, Amazon Editors’ Best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense, and a multi-winner of the Colorado Book Award and the Colorado Authors League Writing Award. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, the World Affairs Council, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. Her most recent travels—while conducting research for a novel—involved taking cover from rocket fire and being grilled at military checkpoints.
Elevator Pitch for The Drowning Game: Nadia and her sister build
yachts for the ultra-wealthy. While Nadia works in the U.S., Cass oversees a build for a Chinese billionaire in Singapore. When Cass is found dead after a fall from a hotel balcony, Nadia learns that her sister was involved in dangerous, globe-spanning work to save a family. Solving her sister’s death will drag Nadia into the same terrifying web of espionage, dark family histories, and cutting-edge AI. Will she survive?
Tell us about your writing process: Think, research, think some more, research some more, check the calendar, and realize I’m almost out of time and then panic. This is a bit of an exaggeration, but I do seem to take longer in the composting process than many other writers. Fear of the blank page, imposter syndrome, and plain old procrastination are bugs in my writing system that I need to address.
What are you currently working on? I’m about to sign a two-book contract with Thomas & Mercer for the start of a new series set in Denver featuring an FBI agent and an unusual consultant known as the Mythologist. It’s time to start researching and thinking, starting with a trip to Quantico. Except the first book is due SOON so that I maintain my publishing cadence after I took time off for family. Has an association membership helped you with your writing? So much! I encourage all writers to take advantage of organizations like Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Aside from enjoying the comradery of shared interests, I’ve gotten feedback on my writing, learned the craft from fellow writers, and dug into espionage with people in the know.
How long did it take you to write your first book? I’ve been tinkering with writing since I was three—I kid you not. I used to imitate my mom’s cursive handwriting and then make up a story to go with my scribbles. Average time to a story: five minutes. My first published novel took a wildfire to get me cranking and two years to write. Now, that seems like a luxury given the push for “publishing cadency,” which means delivering a book every nine to twelve months.
How long will it take to get it published? In today’s world, when you can’t get an editor without an agent, and agents are so deluged with requests they often don’t respond, it helps to attend a conference and sign up for a chance to meet an agent and pitch face to face. I went to Thrillerfest, participated in their version of speed dating known as Pitchfest, and managed to talk to multiple editors and agents. But I met the man who would become my agent immediately afterward while I was waiting for the elevator. A fellow author—Hank Phillippi Ryan—introduced us (we’d met at an MWA event). Bob Diforio read my book that afternoon and made an offer that evening.
My advice: attend conferences and network. Your fellow writers are your best advocates.
What’s the most challenging thing about writing characters from the opposite sex? Thinking like a cis man while describing a woman from his point of view.
What kind of research do you do? My agent and editor know me as the queen of research. I love it! I’ve participated in SWAT training and police ride-alongs, graduated from the FBI Citizens Academy, and played both victim and offender at mass casualty training events. I’ve researched, interviewed, and journeyed with murderers and survivors, medical examiners, forensic pathologists, and—especially—crime scene and homicide detectives. Nothing beats the hours I’ve spent taking notes while cops, criminals, and survivors unspool their pasts. We sit in late afternoon bars, sunlight slatting through grease-streaked windows while nursing cheap whiskey under blinking neon signs. It’s emotional. It’s frank. It’s real.
How do our readers contact you?
Email: Barbara@BarbaraNickless.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbarannickless
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1362211.Barbara_Nickless
Substack: barbaranickless.substack.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/barbara-nickless
Groups I belong to:
Pikes Peak Writers on Facebook
Colorado Authors League on Facebook
Sisters in Crime on Facebook
It feels like Barbara lives in her books. That spark likely leads to her success. Thanks for the advice about conferences.
Thank you, Pamela. Writing books is a great escape.
It sounds like you go the extra yard with research, Barbara. That’s admirable. I’ll have to check out your books. Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much, Michael. It’s important to me to get it right.
I am so jealous that it’s hard to say anything nice. But seriously, very impressive, and at seventy-five, I hope to grow up to be you. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you, Shelley. It’s a dream come true that I almost gave up on. We can’t quit.
“…nursing cheap whiskey under blinking neon signs.” Evidence you write so well, because you intentionally live so well! Love this interview!!
Thanks, Marie. I’ve treasured hearing people’s stories. Although maybe I need to upgrade the whiskey. 🙂
Maire. I hate autocorrect.
Barbara-isn’t it delightful to “use” researching as an excuse to live vicariously for a short time. Your books are awesome- but as your numerous awards prove, you already know that. Yet, you share the communicable disease of imposter syndrome.Ha!.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Thanks so much, Kathryn! Living vicariously is one of the great benefits of being a writer. As for imposter syndrome—yeah, it’s something we have to fight against.
Great informative interview. Love your frankness
“sunlight slatting through grease-streaked windows” sounds like a world to walk into.
your book is on my to-buy list!