We are delighted to welcome back crime novelist Christopher Irvin to Omnimystery News today.
We visited with Christopher last year when his novella Federales was published, and this week he has a new book out, Burn Cards (280 Steps; April 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats). We recently had a chance to catch up with him to talk more about it.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to the lead character of Burn Cards.
Photo provided courtesy of
Christopher Irvin
Christopher Irvin: Mirna Fowler is a young woman who works at a salon in Reno, Nevada, doing her best to survive while she pockets money for school. Her father has struggled with a gambling addiction for most of Mirna's life, leaving her to fend for herself. Mirna is an underdog, but possesses an inner strength that's kept her fighting for what she wants.
OMN: This is your second stand-alone. Have you considered developing a series character?
CI: Burn Cards is my second book to fall in the noir genre. In general I think noir works best in stand-alones — the stakes are too high for a long-running series. I'd like to write a recurring character into future books, but I think they will carry a different tone.
OMN: How difficult was it to find the right voice for your character?
CI: Burn Cards grew from a short story that featured a female as the lead character (per a requirement when I first wrote the story.) It felt natural to write Mirna, though I was definitely cognizant that I was writing from the POV of a woman. It's not something you want to overthink either, so I went with my gut and trusted my female writing/critique partners to correct me if I was making a mess. I love how Mirna turned out. I toyed with switching from first to third person after I finished the first draft back in 2012 (the book was much different) but I couldn't drop her voice — it's too much a part of the story.
OMN: You mentioned that Burn Cards was your second book in the noir genre. What is it about this genre that appeals to you as a writer?
CI: Noir is not as popular as say, police procedurals, or suspense/thriller, which blanket a wide-range of books. But I love noir and readers who enjoy the genre — they're smart and know what they are getting into. For now, it's what I want to write.
OMN: How much of your own personal experience have you included in the book?
CI: In terms of the events/plot of the book, there is very little based on my experience. A few of the characters pull from people I know, though Mirna isn't one of them. It's in the details — sights, sounds, smells — that tie more directly to my own experience. Those aspects are important to me.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?
CI: A mix of internet research and consulting with friends. I've read a few books which were excellent except for major flaws in the setting. I try my best to get it right.
OMN: How true are you to the setting of the story?
CI: I took a couple of small liberties with the setting in Reno, but otherwise the locations are spot-on. Setting is very important to the characters and plot of Burn Cards. Believability is key — if a reader doesn't believe the setting supports a character's actions/motivations, we've got problems.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a story, where would it be?
CI: Ask me tomorrow and my answer will be different, but today I'll go with Venice. It's a place I've always wanted to visit, and I think it would be a lot of fun to set a contemporary crime/noir there. Maybe I have James Bond (Casino Royale) on the brain.
OMN: Was Burn Cards your working title while you wrote it?
CI: The original title was Bottled (awful, right?). It did nothing for the story! I wish someone had slapped me sooner and told me to drop it Day One. Glad it worked out in the end.
OMN: How involved were you with the cover design?
CI: I LOVE the cover of Burn Cards. I had zero involvement. 280 Steps took the book and ran with it. I couldn't be happier with the result.
OMN: What kind of feedback have you received from readers?
CI: I love when writers/readers reach out to say they read the book. It's a little gesture that goes a long way to pushing me to work hard and continue writing.
OMN: What kinds of films do you enjoy watching?
CI: I go back and forth between fun stuff like Guardians of the Galaxy and darker works like Spring Breakers and Drive. Other recent favorites are Elite Squad and Elite Squad 2 (Excellent Brazilian films that I can't recommend enough), Nightcrawler, and Bird Man.
OMN: Suppose Burn Cards were to be adapted for television or film. Who do you see playing the key role?
CI: Jena Malone as Mirna Fowler.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
CI: Top 5 (recent) favorite comics/graphic novels …
1. Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
2. Starlight by Mark Millar and Goran Parlov
3. 20th Century Boys (Vol. 1) by Naoki Urasawa
4. Afterlife with Archie (Vol.1) by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla
5. God Hates Astronauts by Ryan Browne
OMN: What's next for you?
CI: Keeping busy. Follow me on Twitter @chrislirvin for some big announcements in the near future!
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Christopher Irvin has traded all hope of a good night’s sleep for the chance to spend his mornings writing dark and noir fiction. He lives in Boston, MA.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at ChristopherIrvin.net and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Burn Cards by Christopher Irvin
A Crime Novel
Publisher: 280 Steps
Mirna Fowler believes she has been cheated in life, growing up in a broken home alone with a drunken and gambling-addicted father. Now she works at a small hair salon in Reno, doing her best to survive while she saves money for school. Hoping to get a degree that will take her places.
But in the wake of her father's death, Mirna inherits his extravagant debt, an amount of money she can never repay. As her fractured world begins to crumble, the search for the truth sets her on a path where life hangs on her every move.
— Burn Cards by Christopher Irvin
