Mark Willen
Author Interview - Mark Willen
Author of The Question Is Murder
The novel has an offbeat premise: It begins when Sam Turner, who writes an advice column on ethics, receives a question from a young woman who’s being stalked, harassed, and subject to revenge porn from an ex-lover. She feels her life is being ruined and her only out is to kill the man. Under these circumstances, she asks, is murder ethical? Turner reaches out to her and tells her to go to the police, but she says the ex-lover is too powerful, the police won’t do anything. Two weeks later, a U.S. senator is murdered and Turner is drawn into an increasing complex and dangerous investigation.
Author Interview - Mark Willen
Author I draw inspiration from: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Miriam Toews, Fredrik Bachman, Lily King
Author Interview - Mark Willen | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: I have a favorite chair in my private reading room, which has no television or electronic distractions.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Lady MacBeth from Shakespeare's MacBeth, providing she's unarmed.
Author Interview - Mark Willen | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: When my 9th grade short story won a newspaper prize. To earn a living, I shifted into nonfiction and became a journalist, but I never gave up writing fiction.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I don't listen to audiobooks, but I devour everything else. My books are available in paperback and ebook formats.
The last book I read: Who Is Maud Dixon? By Alexandra Andrews
Author Interview - Mark Willen | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. Even I can't read my handwriting.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Lucas Davenport from John Sandford's Prey series. He knows what he's doing and he has an ethical backbone.
Author Interview - Mark Willen | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: A taxi driver, but I'd probably be a failure. I have no sense of direction and rely always on a GPS.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Jeans are always in fashion
Place I’d most like to travel: Italy again -- the food is sooo good!!!
My signature drink: Macallan, one ice cube
Favorite artist: Cezanne
Number one on my bucket list: Learn how to sing
Find more from the author:
twitter - @markwillen
Instagram markwillen7
Author Bio: Mark Willen was born, raised, and educated in New England, but has lived most of his adult life the Washington, DC area.
As a journalist, he has been a reporter, columnist, blogger, producer, and editor at The Voice of America, National Public Radio, Congressional Quarterly, Bloomberg News, and Kiplinger. Though based primarily in Washington, he has reported from datelines as varied as New York, Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg.
Having retired from journalism in 2010, Mark now divides his time between writing fiction and volunteer work. He has a Masters of Arts in writing from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in government from Dartmouth College.
The Question Is Murder is Mark’s debut mystery, but there is always an element of suspense in his novels. His earlier Jonas Hawke series, three books set in a small but troublesome town in Vermont, were also published by Pen-L.
