We are delighted to welcome author Barry Finlay to Omnimystery News today.
The author of two books of non-fiction, Barry's first novel is the suspense thriller The Vanishing Wife (Keep On Climbing Publishing; October 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to spend some time with him talking about it.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to the lead character of The Vanishing Wife. What is it about him that appeals to you as a writer?
Photo provided courtesy of
Barry Finlay
Barry Finlay: The lead character is Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant who is thrust into an unimaginable situation when his wife disappears. He doesn't turn into Superman. He makes mistakes along the way but he adapts as I believe most people would. His friend Marcie Kane is a strong, independent and brash woman who will go through a wall for her friends. They appeal to me because they are believable characters. In fact, I know people just like them.
OMN: Is The Vanishing Wife the first in a series?
BF: Marcie Kane is carrying on into my next book. She will be relatively unchanged but we will see a more vulnerable side of her. Things that happen in The Vanishing Wife will influence who she is in the next book.
OMN: How do you go about finding the right voice for your characters?
BF: The lead in my current book is male but in my next the lead is female. I don't think it matters to a reader. However, I will certainly have some females read the ARC to make sure I have the voice correct. Marcie is a popular figure in The Vanishing Wife, according to some of my female readers, because she is so strong and independent.
OMN: Into which fiction genre would you place the book?
BF: I am not really into labeling but it is necessary for book stores and social media. The Vanishing Wife falls into the categories of thriller, mystery and police procedural. If I had to pick one, I would say it is mostly a thriller.
OMN: Tell us something about the book that isn't mentioned in the synopsis.
BF: Mason is required to learn how to shoot and he is very uncomfortable around guns. His experience being trained to shoot in the few hours he has available is not a pleasant one for him.
OMN: How much of your own professional or personal experience have you included in the book?
BF: The characters are definitely based on people I know. I'm an accountant by profession so I tried to have Mason react as I think I would. Marcie is based on a conglomeration of people I've met. The storyline comes from the constant news items we see and hear involving missing persons. I often think how awful it would be if a loved one disappeared without a trace. I threw in a secret past and some bad guys just to make it more compelling.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us.
BF: This is an interesting topic. I was a panel member at a Literary Festival recently where the question was asked and it's amazing the difference in the writing approach among the six authors there. I don't plot my story. I have an idea where the story is going to go but I let the characters take me where they will. I will make a note at the end of my day's work of some ideas about where the story is going next and I note the characteristics of the people in the book. The characters definitely expand and contract as the book goes along. That surprised me when I wrote The Vanishing Wife. I like to say that I can't wait to finish a book to see how it is going to end.
OMN: How did you go about researching the plot points of the story?
BF: I was fortunate to have a connection with the local police force so I was able to interview three detectives to make sure I had the police procedural issues correct. They were incredibly forthcoming and I couldn't wait to get home to write down what I had heard at the interviews. I use the internet for researching things like guns but I always go to more than one site. I also visited the local casino to observe the people. The restaurant at the casino plays a role in one of the scenes and I was able to get a guided tour after I told them what I was doing. The most challenging was the police procedural part but it was also the most enjoyable and exciting.
OMN: How true are you to the settings?
BF: The Vanishing Wife starts out in Florida and finishes in Ottawa, Canada. My next book will start out in Tanzania, Africa. They are all places I have seen and can describe. I try to describe the locations as realistically as possible based on my personal knowledge because I think that adds an element of interest to a book. I personally like reading a book that takes place in a location where I have been because I can relate to it better. It also helps the author show, not tell.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a story, where would it be?
BF: I would like to go back to Africa. I have been there twice but not necessarily with writing a book in mind so I would focus a little more on some of the small details if I went back.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And do any play a role in your books?
BF: I raise money for the kids of Tanzania and Wounded Warriors Canada through an annual golf tournament and variety show. When my wife and I visited a dormitory in Tanzania, one of the girls who guided us through the tour asked me, "So when are you taking me to your country?" My next book is being built around that question. I also like to play golf and hike in the summer and curl in the winter, but those activities haven't made it into my books yet.
OMN: What is the best advice you've received as an author?
BF: The best advice I have received is to hire a professional editor. A good one will make your book better, no matter how good you think your writing skills are. I have received lots of positive reviews and a few negative ones and the latter are the ones I remember. I think that's human nature. I read them all and I try to assess whether the negative ones have any merit. If so, I will take it to heart and try to improve. I always tell aspiring authors to "just do it." You can hesitate and read all the books about writing and take all the courses you want, but it's kind of like golf. You can take all the lessons you want but sometimes you just have to hit the damn ball! But, if you do write, and want it to be available commercially, hire an editor. You owe it to yourself and to your readers.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery/thriller writer and thus I am also …".
BF: I am a mystery/thriller writer and thus I am also a mystery/thriller reader.
OMN: How involved were you with the cover of The Vanishing Wife?
BF: I'm fortunate to know a graphic designer who nails my vision every time. I wanted the cover to reflect the book contents. The book is about a mild-mannered accountant who has to exchange his spreadsheets for a Glock 17 to search for his wife who has disappeared. If you look closely at the cover, you will see all the elements there. The Glock is kind of shimmering to suggest that the accountant is not comfortable with guns.
OMN: What kinds of feedback have you received from readers?
BF: I have written both non-fiction and fiction so I have two favorites. I love when a non-fiction reader sends me a note saying that my books have inspired them to do something. For my fiction book, I'm always motivated when someone tells me they couldn't put the book down. I had one woman tell me she was mad at me because she couldn't go to sleep until she finished the book. That makes me feel good.
OMN: Suppose The Vanishing Wife were to be adapted for television or film. Who do you see playing the key roles?
BF: I could see Ben Affleck playing Mason Seaforth and Halle Berry playing the role of Marcie Kane.
OMN: What kinds of books to you enjoy reading?
BF: I love a good thriller or mystery that can grab my attention on the first page and keep me riveted throughout. I particularly like some of the older books by James Patterson, Robert Ludlum, Jeffery Deaver and Lee Childs, although I can't believe how Jack Reacher always manages to find himself in so much trouble!
OMN: What do you look for when selecting a book to read for pleasure?
BF: I read differently now that I'm writing. I used to read for pure pleasure and now I also pay attention to the writing style, plot structure and phraseology. I like Lincoln Rhyme and Kathryn Dance by Jeffery Deaver. They are believable characters with flaws, like everybody else.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
BF: Top 5 places yet to visit:
• Southeast Asia;
• Paris;
• Switzerland/Austria/Germany;
• Russia; and
• New Zealand.
OMN: What's next for you?
BF: I'm working on my next novel and expect it will be available sometime in 2016. People keep asking me when it is coming out so I have to do it soon before they forget about me. I will continue to fundraise and do some traveling. There is much to see and do yet.
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In 2009, Barry Finlay went up a mountain as an accountant and came down as a writer and philanthropist. After over thirty years in various financial roles, he took his life in a different direction and climbed Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro at age sixty with his son Chris. In 2013, Barry received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his philanthropic work in Africa. His recently completed debut novel, The Vanishing Wife, garnered the New Apple Literary Award for Best e-book in the Thriller/Mystery category. He lives in Ottawa, Canada with his wife Evelyn.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at KeepOnClimbing.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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The Vanishing Wife by Barry Finlay
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: Keep On Climbing Publishing
How far will a man go when his family is threatened? Mason Seaforth is about to find out …
He is a mild mannered accountant living a quiet, idyllic life in the quiet community of Gulfport, Florida with his wife, Samantha. At least, it's quiet and idyllic until Sami, as she's known to her friends, vanishes the night of their 20th anniversary. Mason is thrown into a life that is meant for other people as he and their brash friend, Marcie Kane, try everything to find out what has happened to Sami. A search of Sami's computer uncovers notes describing a past that she has buried for more than 20 years. Mason and Marcie are thrust into a race against a sadistic killer to discover what has happened to Mason's wife.
He reluctantly exchanges his spreadsheets for a Glock 17 and he and Marcie follow a trail left behind by Sami which leads them to a confrontation with some very dangerous people from Sami's past in Canada. Mason is required to make decisions that he could never imagine himself making and each one has deadlier consequences than the last. The wrong one could result in the death of his entire family.
— The Vanishing Wife by Barry Finlay
