Fatality in F: Author Interview

INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIA GORDON

 Your book titles are cleverly related to your main character’s occupation. Can you tell us how you came up with your titles? Any titles that ended up on the cutting room floor?

I came up with my first title, Murder in G Major, because I wanted to let readers know it was a murder mystery and to let them know music played a role. And I wanted something alliterative since I couldn’t think of an outright pun. I thought the publisher would change it, but they didn’t.

The rest of the titles in the series had to follow the same pattern as the first. Killing in C Sharp originally had “A” before “Killing” (A Killing in C Sharp) but my publisher cut the “A.” The publisher also wanted me to put “Flat” after the “F” in Fatality in F because all of the other titles have a word after the note, i.e., major, minor, sharp. I argued that one because F-flat is the same note as E and it’s theoretical more than practical. With double sharps or double flats, it’s too complex for most musicians to play. F-flat also sounds, well, flat and I didn’t want my title to suggest a dud. I convinced my publisher to see things my way, but I did agree to have another title in the series without a word after the note, for consistency.

Do you now or have you ever considered writing under a pen-name? Why or why not?

I’ve never considered a pen name because I’ve always wanted to see my name on the cover of a book. Also, I couldn’t think of a good pseudonym.

Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie version of your book?

I want Thandie Newton to play Gethsemane and Prince Harry to play Frankie in the film version. Haven’t cast the rest of the characters yet.

What’s something interesting that most people don’t know about you?

I’ve won ribbons in State Fairs in weaving, knitting, and duct tape craft.

What is your favorite quote?

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”    –Toni Morrison