DIGITAL MEDIA GHOST
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
Search

Author of the Week: Sarah M. Chen

6/13/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Will Viharo

  The main point of this series is not only to introduce and celebrate indie authors for the benefit of a new audience, but to show how much we writers have in common, despite external distinctions.

For instance, Sarah M. Chen takes inspiration from movies like True Romance and is a big fan of Charles Bukowski, two of my self-defining characteristics. But our actual writing style and sensibilities are quite different.​

This is what makes the literary field, and life in general, so interesting…


 
 

As with most authors in my social work, I know Souther California-based author Sarah Chen mainly via Facebook, though I did have the pleasure of meeting her at a Noir at the Bar Seattle live reading event (and will again on August 5).

Vivacious and personable, Sarah is yet another of those fast-rising crime authors (though she is working on a YA novel, too) whose pleasant presence belies a darker, deeper undercurrent, funneled creatively into her work. 

Mystery and noir fiction (there is a definite marketing distinction) attract a wide variety of authors as well as readers, the main link being the vulnerability of human nature to temptation as well as the futility of fighting one’s own fate. 

Sarah explores and expounds on these universal themes not only in this brief interview, but in her beautifully crafted work, which is highly recommended to anyone that wants to study the art of writing, or for anyone just looking for a successful escape…

What attracts you to the crime genre?

I’ve always been drawn to stories of the loner, the misfit, or the underdog since I was a kid. Probably because that’s how I felt growing up. Lord knows I still do. I think crime fiction is the perfect vehicle for these types of characters, people who are driven to the edge for whatever reason. We are all flawed even if it appears we got our shit together. What drives a “normal” person to commit a crime? To plan a murder? Crime fiction appeals to my fascination with moral ambiguity.

How do your experiences as a private investigator assistant inform your work?

It has been fantastic for material. I’ve written several short stories based on actual claims we worked, the most recent being “Nut Job” (in Last Resort, the latest Sisters in Crime / LA anthology) about a nut cargo heist. We investigate insurance claims, mostly cargo thefts and tractor-trailer accidents, boring stuff. Although there’s been some cool field work, like the time I did a stakeout in the Hustler Casino parking lot or where I had to riffle through someone’s mailbox to see if a witness lived there. I’ve served subpoenas which I hate doing, but people are more likely to open the door for me rather than my boss.

Do you see hope for the ongoing longevity of fiction in today’s multi-media entertainment/information world?

I think there will always be an appetite for fiction and storytelling. We may have a shorter attention span and there is a lot more noise out there, but people like to be transported to a different place. Life can be mundane or troubling (especially lately) that we need that escape.

What are your influences, literary and otherwise?

My early inspiration comes from film. I studied it in college and worked for many years as a studio script reader. When I saw movies like Pulp Fiction, Wild at Heart, Natural Born Killers, True Romance, and Heathers, I thought, now these are the fucked-up stories I want to tell. I was always an avid reader as well, and Charles Bukowski remains my literary hero. My private investigator boss is the one who introduced me to crime fiction, notably Patricia Highsmith, Elmore Leonard, and Mo Hayder. I also love YA and will read anything by Andrew Smith and Tommy Wallach.     

What’s next for you?

I have several short stories coming out this year and early 2018, including a Johnny Cash anthology by Gutter Books and a collection for charity called Killing Malmon with Down & Out Books. Meanwhile, I’m polishing up my first full-length novel.

See you again soon, Sarah!

Bio:
Sarah M. Chen juggles several jobs including indie bookseller, transcriber, and insurance adjuster. She has published over twenty crime fiction short stories with Shotgun Honey, Crime Factory, Betty Fedora, Out of the Gutter, and Dead Guns Press, among others. Cleaning Up Finn, her noir novella with All Due Respect Books, is shortlisted for an Anthony and an IPPY award winner. 

Website: https://sarahmchen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahmchenauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahmchen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmchen . 
​

PHOTO: SARAH M. CHEN

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Become a Ghostwriter!
    Picture
    Contribute to DMG
    Picture
    BECOME A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
    Picture
    PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS BY GUEST POSTING
    Picture
    ARE YOU A GHOSTWRITER? WE WANT TO KNOW!
    Picture
    DO YOU HAVE A GHOSTWRITING BUSINESS?

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Agency Spotlight
    Business
    Digital Marketing
    Ghost In A Flash
    Ghostwriting
    Media Relations
    Privacy Concerns
    Social Sabotage
    Technology
    Writer Spotlight
    Writing

    Advertising Disclaimer

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Find your domain and create your site at Weebly.com!
Digital Media Strategy
Content Marketing
Law Firm Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
eBooks
Writing
Becoming a Ghostwriter
Blogging
Content Marketing
Ghostwriting Services
Guest Post Guidelines
Media Relations
Online Crisis Management
Personal Brand
Public Relations
Reputation Management
About
Our Team
Our Results
Testimonials
Contact Us
Locations:
New Orleans, LA
Nashville, TN

DMG University
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy
Digital Media Ghost  @2020
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About