London, 1893: Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are called in to protect Tsesarevich Nicholas from nefarious forces as he travels to England for a royal wedding–in Dance with Death, the next mystery in Will Thomas’s beloved series.
We had the pleasure of chatting with author Will Thomas about Dance With Death, which is the latest installment in his Barker & Llewelyn series, writing, book recommendations, and much more!
Hi, Will! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi to The Nerd Daily readers! Thank you for inviting me to do this interview. I was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but moved to Oklahoma as a teen and have lived here most of my adult life. I have degrees in Drama and English. I’ve also studied various forms of martial arts since I was thirteen and am an instructor of various styles. My wife, Julia Thomas, is also an author, so our books (and our brood of Pekingese, three, to be precise) keep us busy.
How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?
It was actually pretty dreadful for a while. Although we took every precaution, we managed to catch Covid and it sidelined us for a couple of months. We’re both vaccinated now and eager to turn things around for the rest of the year.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I ever remember reading was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It was also the book that made me want to become an author. I was so inspired by Conan Doyle’s character and the mystery and intrigue of the Victorian Era, I decided to write about it myself. The book I can’t stop thinking about is The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Charles Dickens died before this masterpiece was finished and I find myself trying to work out how he would have ended it had he been given the chance.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I came to writing late, after giving up the theater. There were thoughts in my head that I wanted to set down on paper and I realized I had more control over a character by writing it than acting a part. I was around forty when my first book was published, and as they say, it was off to the races.
Your new novel, Dance with Death, is the twelfth installment in your Barker & Llewelyn series and it is out April 13th. If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
“Tsarevich sows his wild oats.” (At the expense of Barker and Llewelyn, of course.)
What can readers expect?
I want the book to be like a roller coaster, buffeted from each direction, not knowing what to expect until the last page. At that point, I hope the reader will go back and start again to figure out what he or she might have missed. I have such a great time blending history with fiction and working to make it as seamless as possible.
Where did the inspiration for Dance with Death come from?
I keep a running timeline of Victorian history in my head and I knew that the young Tsarevich Nicholas came to London, so I began to wonder what I could do with him – or to him – while he was there. When he was older, he was rather dull and refined. However, I came upon three facts about his young adulthood:
- He had just survived an assassination attempt.
- He flaunted his mistress in society.
- He was possibly having a nervous breakdown.
I felt justified, then, in pitting this young man, just twenty-one at the time and accompanied by his mistress and his drinking buddies, against an unsuspecting England. Poor Barker and Llewelyn are responsible for keeping him out of trouble and away from an assassin’s bullet.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing this installment and how you were able to overcome them?
I’ve been a professional librarian for twenty years, so research is not a problem for me. I search fiction, non-fiction, databases, interlibrary loans, and even unique forms of fighting and weaponry. I love anything that will pull the reader into the story and into narrator Thomas Llewelyn’s head.
Can you tell us about any fun tidbits you learned for this novel?
Somewhere I came upon information about a man named Jim Hercules, a former American boxer who ended up becoming one of the Imperial Family’s Ethiopian Guard. He was in charge of protecting the young tsar-to-be. I couldn’t possibly avoid using him and put on the very first page, too.
What’s the best and worst writing advice you have ever received?
Worst advice: “If you become a writer, you’ll end up a janitor.”
Best advice: “Just be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” – Oscar Wilde. A reviewer said recently about my books, “There’s nothing out there quite like it,” which is exactly what I was going for.
My best advisor is my wife, Julia. She’s my first reader, and she was a few chapters into this book when she said, “Do you know what this book needs? A good masked ball full of intrigue.” She’s a genius.
What’s next for you?
Unlike some other series, my characters are in constant growth and flux, professionally and personally. The book I’m writing now ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. We’ll see how our duo hangs on.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’m currently reading A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch. His Victorian England is the polar opposite of mine, with a posh detective among the upper classes. Finch does his homework and he knows how to get into a character’s head. It’s nice to see my favorite time and location through another writer’s eyes. I wish I were his character, gentleman Charles Lenox, with his tea and biscuits in the middle of the day with nothing to do but read as much as he likes.
Thank you again for inviting me to participate! Happy reading!
