Get ready to learn more about the book Nine Nights on the Windy Tree in this discussion with sapphic author Martha Miller.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Martha Miller about Nine Nights on the Windy Tree, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Addiction category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Nine Nights on the Windy Tree?
I was five years into sobriety. I wanted to base the story on a woman fresh out of treatment and trying to put her life back together. In it, she revisits all the things she destroyed, including a woman she loved and a business as an attorney she almost lost. I immediately brought her a case she needed to take because she needed the money. The case took her back to all her old haunts. All the way through I kept asking “what if…”
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Bertha Brannon. I wanted a character that was different than the ones I was seeing in lesbian books back then. No slim, blond, athletic women. Bertha is Black, six feet tall, and weighs 200 pounds. I fell in love with her right away. She is like me except I’m not an attorney and not Black. She has a Grandma who is a source of humor. There’s a grandma like mine in most of my mysteries. I guess Grandma is my second favorite character.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
This was my first mystery and the most challenging part was finishing it. I learned that whatever you put into the story had to be tied up at the end. I knew where the book was going but how to get there was tricky.
What part of Nine Nights on the Windy Tree was the most fun to write?
I loved the scenes with Bertha and her grandma who needed a weekly ride to the grocery store and was more and more vulnerable as the case warmed up. The case turns on some family secrets. I also enjoyed writing the sex scenes. There were a few pretty hot ones.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
It came from a Tarot Deck–the hang man. Odin hung nine nights on the windy tree to learn the secrets… I came to regret the title although I thought it was clever at the time. If I had it to do again, I’d just call it Nine Nights.
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I have a cluttered office. The smallest bedroom of a three-bedroom house. My computer faces the window. The office has a door on which I have a sign that says “Not Now.”
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
Regular Coffee or later in the day Diet Pepsi. On a difficult day something chocolate.
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
Alice, my cat. She was a stray we took in who immediately had kittens. She is black tuxedo in coloring. She sometimes forgets she is a house cat now and she makes a break for it when we open the door to let the dogs out. My wife will, unknown to me, let her get out and she comes to my office window and cries and puts her paws on the screen and lets me know she needs to come inside. When the office door is open she comes in and climbs on the desk and needs petted. Her purr is very loud.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
I find that after a few chapters, the characters get in my head. I’ve actually tried to change something and they won’t let me.
If you could be mentored by a famous author (living or not), who would it be?
Harper Lee or Janet Evanovich
What author in your genre do you most admire, and why?
I don’t know that I have a favorite these days. I remember the early female detective writers like Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. I think I’ve read everything they’ve written. They started the trend a long time ago, when there weren’t any others writing about female detectives. I always loved Paretsky whose character is from Chicago because I’m from Illinois.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
While I read other things–anything well written–I read a lot of mysteries. I like to look at how they are structured for my own writing. Most recently I’m reading Strangers on a Train and am fascinated by how many copies Patricia Heighsmith sold–in the millions. I like the humor in Janet Evanovich. I like Stephanie Plum’s grandma.
Describe your favorite reading spot.
We recently built a sun room. I love reading in my rocker recliner out there in the sunlight.
