Interview with Author Margie Miklas
Author Margie Miklas is an award-winning author and a travel blogger, retired critical-care nurse, photographer, and social media manager. She writes medical thrillers and travel memoirs about Italy, a place which has captured her passion for travel. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, and trying out new recipes. She makes her home in Florida and is a member of the Florida Writers Association.
Margie’s characteristic conversational, storytelling approach in her travel memoirs makes readers feel as if they are traveling beside her. In her medical thrillers, her years of experience as a critical care nurse provide the foundation for the realistic storylines inside a hospital.
Margie has won numerous awards, including two from the Florida Writers Association, Readers Favorite, and Book Excellence awards.
Tell me more about your latest book
A Cure for Deceit is a medical thriller and sequel to my first novel, Critical Cover-Up. A sudden spike in patient deaths drives an impassioned ICU nurse to launch a clandestine investigation, targeting a powerful cardiac surgeon whose corrupt connections could destroy her career.
Allison Jamison, an experienced intensive care nurse, becomes suspicious when a recent wave of major surgical complications results in unnecessary patient deaths. She enlists the professional expertise of her friend, Detective Mark Derning, whose interests include more than an investigative role. She can’t deny the attraction, but will her dreams be crushed by circumstances out of her control?
When her probe targets Dr. Gary Tamarino, the powerful, narcissistic chief of cardiothoracic surgery at San Francisco Bay Hospital, she encounters a staggering level of deceit and revenge while delving deep into his far-reaching web of corruption.
Abuse of power, manipulation, callousness, and desperation drive the dark side of a man who also saves lives on a daily basis.
Will she succeed in exposing his unscrupulous practices before more patients die at his hand, or will he destroy her career before she can do anything to stop him?
What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book?
Probably making sure all the medical procedures were as accurate as possible. While I have years of experience as a critical care nurse, I also consulted with nurse cardiac surgeons, nurse practitioners, and perfusionists to verify everything.
What is your normal procedure to get your books published?
I self-publish my books except my hardback coffee table photography book. Once I finish writing several drafts, my manuscript goes to my editor and then I have more rewriting to do, and back to her, and the final rewriting. Then it gets formatted (I send it to someone else to do now) and then I design a cover and have someone create it. After all this I upload to KDP, Amazon’s self-publishing platform. I always do a paperback and an ebook of each title.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
No
How many books have you written so far?
I have written seven books, five on Italy and two thrillers. Here they are in order of publication. Four of them are also available as audiobooks.
Memoirs of a Solo Traveler – My Love Affair with Italy
Colors of Naples and the Amalfi Coast
How hard or easy is it to establish and maintain a career in writing?
I feel unqualified to answer this, since writing isn’t really a career for me. It’s more of a passion and something I enjoy.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
I always tell aspiring writers to keep their dream alive, and write whatever they feel passionate about. Keep a notebook handy, or even a voice recorder in your smartphone, and write every day, at least twenty or thirty minutes. Write whatever story or memory you are thinking about. Don’t worry about the grammar or the punctuation. This will be the first draft of many, and the rest will get straightened out during the editing and rewriting process.
Visit Author Margie Miklas book links: –
Margie’s Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/Margie-Miklas/e/B0094YY3LA
Margie’s blog https://margieinitaly.com/
Follow Margie on Twitter https://twitter.com/MargieMiklas
Follow Margie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/margiemiklas/
Visit Margie on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MargieMiklasAuthor/
Great interview! Margie has been so successful with her writing, and her photos are beautiful!