Bestselling Author M. M. Deluca
Bestselling author M. M. DeLuca spent her childhood in the beautiful cathedral city of Durham in North-Eastern England, which has often appeared in her novels. She attended the University of London, Goldsmiths College, studied psychology, then became a teacher and a freelance writer. She immigrated to Canada and lives with her husband and two children in Winnipeg. There she also studied creative writing under her mentor, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carol Shields, and received many local arts council grants for her work. Her books have been featured with many book clubs and appeared on The BookScan Top 100 Bestsellers List and Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers List. Marjorie loves writing for all ages and in many genres—suspense, historical, and sci-fi for teens. She's also a screenwriter with several pilot projects in progress. She enjoys teaching workshops in Creative Writing and the writing process. She is an avid reader, an eager painter, and loves going outside for walks, even in the depths of winter.
What inspired you to write, and how did you become a bestselling author?
I was an avid reader during my childhood, devouring books like ALICE IN WONDERLAND, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, and Tove Janssen’s excellent MOOMINTROLL novels. Still, I didn’t start writing stories until I moved from the UK to Canada in my late twenties. I didn’t write much when my children were young, but later I joined an Advanced Creative Writing class taught by Dr. Carol Shields, Pulitzer prizewinning author of THE STONE DIARIES. She became a mentor and a friend, encouraging me to finish my first book, THE PITMAN’S DAUGHTER, a story inspired by a return visit to the UK when I discovered a street of colliery houses in my mother’s home village had been transplanted into an outdoor museum. The book was shortlisted for the Chapter’s Robertson Davies First Novel Award, but I couldn’t find a publisher. I decided to self-publish it and received excellent reviews. I was teaching English Lit at the time and, inspired by THE HUNGER GAMES, went on to write a sci-fi trilogy for teens, THE FOREVERS, THE PARASITES, and THE FEEDERS, which I also self-published.
M. M. Deluca’s THE NIGHT SIDE (Severn House).
Around that time, I also began researching a new historical novel which became THE SAVAGE INSTINCT. The book was published by a small indie press and garnered terrific reviews, including a starred review from Publishers’ Weekly. I still didn’t have an agent then but was determined not to let that stand in my way of success, so I developed a new psychological suspense novel, The Secret Sister, which Canelo picked up in a two-book deal. The second book, THE PERFECT FAMILY MAN, became a bestseller. Fortunately, I met Mark Gottlieb, my current agent, who has since sold THE NIGHT SIDE, my latest book, to Severn House. It has been a long and eventful road, but I never gave up hope that I’d see my books in print, in libraries and bookstores, and I also enjoy meeting fans of my work at book clubs and through social media.
“…pull the reader further into the mystery, like a traveler lured more profoundly into a dark, foreboding forest.”
Publishers Weekly magazine wrote of your work, “DeLuca keeps readers guessing.” How do you maintain the suspense in your novels?
It’s a delicate balance of precise planning, pacing, and atmosphere. The key is identifying a conflict early in the first few pages, revealing enough information to excite the reader’s curiosity and compel them to read. Then I usually reveal tidbits of information in each chapter and introduce unanswered questions that pull the reader further into the mystery, like a traveler being lured more profoundly into a dark, foreboding forest.
Creating the right atmosphere can add to the sense of mystery and intrigue. I love novels with richly developed settings that make a vivid, ominous, uncertain world. Set in 1873, my book, The Savage Instinct, takes place in my hometown of Durham City, an ancient cathedral city with cobbled streets, winding alleyways, and a dark and gloomy prison that houses an unpredictable female serial poisoner. I loved creating the dramatic Gothic setting as a backdrop to the story.
In my new novel, THE NIGHT SIDE, an isolated farmhouse near a small Montana town becomes the unlikely setting for a psychic scammer to lure in customers who take part in seances and psychic readings charged with just the right element of uncertainty and fear.
Of course, enigmatic, complex, and flawed characters are necessary to maintain reader interest, and the relationship between Ruby and her mother, Ida (THE NIGHT SIDE), is complicated, emotionally charged, and fraught with contradictions and ambiguity, leaving the reader to wonder who they can believe after all.
In your book, THE NIGHT SIDE, a woman is drawn back home into the dark, troubled past she fought to escape. How did the idea for this book first reach you?
I read a fascinating article about an ex-detective who’d started a private agency dedicated to exposing psychic scammers, people who use fortune telling, card-reading, and other methods to prey on vulnerable victims and extort from them large amounts of money. This is not to say that all psychics are con artists, just a tiny percentage. The article mentioned one scammer who used her teenage daughter to lure clients. The daughter would start with a faltering reading to “warm up” the client, then the mother swooped in and sealed the deal, making them commit to an expensive series of “treatments,” often cheating her clients of their life savings. I was intrigued and wondered how that teenage girl would be affected by her mother’s actions and whether she was willing or coerced into participating in the scam. Also, my paternal grandmother was a medium in the spiritualist church back home in Durham, so I guess you could say I have family connections to those who believe in a world beyond death and seek to make connections with wandering spirits.
Bestselling author M. M. Deluca.
Are there particular authors or books which have influenced you in your writing?
There are so many I could name. In terms of writing style, I always admired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s gorgeous prose and his ability to use imagery and metaphor. I’ve read THE GREAT GATSBY so many times. Similarly, MADAME BOVARY by Gustave Flaubert is an all-time favorite. Flaubert agonized over every word, and his prose was magical. My favorite contemporary author has to be Margaret Atwood, who is such a versatile writer. I love her historical novel, ALIAS GRACE, as well as her dystopian classic, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, and her hilarious sci-fi novel, THE HEART GOES LAST. I’m also a great fan of Sarah Waters, whose novel THE LITTLE STRANGER is one of the most terrifying books I’ve read. She is a master at creating atmospheric settings that draw you into the story's heart. In terms of suspense novels, I admire Tana French, whose novels like BROKEN HARBOR and FAITHFUL PLACE are written with literary finesse and populated with richly developed characters. Donna Tartt’s chilling novel, THE SECRET HISTORY, is a masterclass in psychological suspense in her portrayal of complex characters and how peer pressure can warp a group’s morality and lead to obsession, corruption, and, ultimately, evil. On the lighter side, I’m a great fan of Liane Moriarty and the underlying thread of humor in many of her suspense novels, as well as the brilliant Kate Atkinson, whose Jackson Brodie novels like STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG, and CASE HISTORIES are laugh-out-loud funny.
Booker Prize-winning author Michael Odaatje and his national bestselling novel WARLIGHT (Alfred A. Knopf).
As a Canadian author, can you tell us what the Canadian literary scene is like?
Canada has a wealth of diverse authors and a rich literary legacy. Margaret Laurence, a Manitoba writer, was one of my idols. Her novels, THE DIVINERS and THE STONE ANGEL, portray the heartbreaking reality of small-town prairie life with unsentimental brilliance. The breathtaking poetic prose of Michael Ondaatje’s THE ENGLISH PATIENT and WARLIGHT makes him a modern Canadian literary icon. Recently, a wave of incredibly talented Indigenous authors has swept the Canadian literary scene. To name just a few: APRIL RAINTREE by Beatrice Culleton Moisonier stormed onto the Canadian literary scene in 1999 with a moving story of two Métis sisters who suffer the breakdown of their family relations and the injustices of the social services system. Since then, THE BREAK by Winnipeg Metis author Katharina Vermette has received numerous literary accolades. Richard Wagamese’s INDIAN HORSE, a poignant portrayal of a young indigenous boy growing up in north-western Ontario, has been made into a feature film. B.C author Eden Robinson draws on her experience growing up in Kitamaat Village in MONKEY BEACH, a compelling cultural read and the story of a teenage girl trying to understand her younger brother's disappearance. Canada has thriving regional literary communities with outstanding authors in every area. A strong writers’ union and numerous conferences and retreats ensure a dynamic and active literary scene.
“…I soon rediscovered the joy of writing.”
I see that you teach creative writing workshops. Do you agree with the adage that one learns when they teach?
Absolutely. I began by teaching Creative Writing to high school students. I learned much from them regarding their willingness to take risks with story structure and language use. Their work was so fresh and enthusiastic that I soon rediscovered the joy of writing. Since then, I’ve conducted workshops for adults at conferences and at my local teachers’ union. Working with emerging writers forces you to step back and understand the entire writing process so that you can guide new writers through it. For example, a question as simple as, “How do you come up with good story ideas?” causes you to reflect on such an essential aspect of your writing methods and develop innovative strategies that help you generate great ideas.
Are you reading anything good for pleasure at the moment?
I just finished CAMP ZERO, a dystopian debut novel by Michelle Min Sterling. It’s a brilliant feminist take on the climate crisis and its effects on future society. I’m just about to dive into DEMON COPPERHEAD, Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer prizewinning novel. As a teenager, I loved Dickens, so I’m anxious to experience her contemporary take on DAVID COPPERFIELD.
Can you tell us what you’re working on next?
Since my last few suspense novels have had a darker tone, my current works-in-progress have more of an undercurrent of humor. The first concerns a Las Vegas divorce party, four old college friends with dark secrets, and a dead body in an opulent hotel suite. The other involves a punk icon whose sixty-fifth birthday concert turns deadly when he collapses from suspected poisoning onstage in front of an audience of adoring fans as well as enough enemies with the motive to kill him. I’m a huge music fan with solid family connections to the music industry, so in this novel, I cover critical milestones in the history of rock music.
What do you feel are the qualities of the best literary agents?
Good communication is vital. Writers are often forced to wait long periods, especially when their novel is out on submission. A good agent will check in with you and keep you updated so you don’t worry too much about your career direction! Good communication also means honesty regarding ideas you pitch or works-in-progress. Agents are so knowledgeable about writing. They’ve read so many manuscripts of all types. Also, we authors have a thick skin and can take any criticism, especially from someone with such broad literary expertise. Knowledge of the publishing landscape is also essential. Like it or not, there are trends in publishing, and a good agent will have their finger on the literary pulse. Finally, when an agent believes in your work, it’s like having a valuable ally who has your back and will go out to fight for you and your books.
“…when an agent believes in your work, it’s like having a valuable ally who has your back and will go out to fight for you and your books.”
What do you feel are the qualities of the best editors and publishers?
I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some incredible editors. A good editor understands the power of story and language. Who believes in the value of your work but can cast an analytical eye on your novel that you’ve nursed for so long, see its strengths and shortcomings, and communicate those to you constructively; who can see the big picture and work together with you to realize that vision; in the same way, a good publisher sends your work out into the world with enough preparation and publicity to ensure it can be seen in a highly crowded market. Also, a good publisher will work with the author to promote that work and keep it in the public eye as long as possible.
Do you have any advice for hopeful writers looking to become published authors?
I always say to aspiring writers that the number one rule is to write as much and as frequently as possible. The number two rule is to read widely and often. Reading is fuel for writers. It’s also essential to learn the value of patience and to work on your writing, revising it until it’s as good as you can get it before sending it out to anyone for consideration. Joining a writers’ group is an excellent thing because until you share your work with others, you won’t know how readers will receive it. Learning how to take constructive criticism is critical to a successful writing career. Develop a solid social media platform, start a blog where you share information about your work, and review other people’s books. These are all things that might get you noticed. When you start to send your work out to agents, don’t despair if you receive rejections, begin something new. Always have a work in progress. Sometimes your first novel might not be the one that works for you. Go on to the next. You can always come back to that first one.
Can you finish this sentence? I love writing because…
…it allows me to enter new worlds, meet incredible characters and shape their stories—a truly magical feeling. Also, it’s rewarding to meet and talk to the readers who enter those worlds you’ve created and want to share their experiences and insights with you.