Gordon Mathieson: The Color of Ice

My guest today is author, Gordon Mathieson. Welcome, Gordon. Grab a cup of coffee and tell us a little about yourself.

I am retired now, finishing my 20 year career as Director of IT as Yale University. So my wife and I moved to Cape Cod where we always summered and with time on my hands I invented a trivia board game, The Cape Cod & islands Challenge. Now with all the research I had done, I decided to take the factoids and develop a mystery…..the rest is history as they say…..

What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing?

I enjoy reading all sorts of books and genres, but favor mysteries. That is why my works are in the mystery genre…always in the mystery genre….but cozy mysteries where the average Jane or John Doe come across the crime and solve the mystery without cops, FBI or any authority.


Tell us about your latest book. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

My latest suspense mystery, The Color of Ice is available only in print, but I am open to other vehicles to get the story into the hands of readers.

Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt? If so, in what way?

In so many ways, have I improved. Especially taking my time….. I actually enjoy the “re-work-editing” more than penning the original text….I likened it to sculpting, where you have a block of clay and make a rough model, but the fun and excitement is in the fine chiseling, shaping and smoothing.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? If so, why?

I think my latest was the more challenging since I had to refresh my knowledge of Mandarin Chinese for some of the sentences and phrases…and also had to consult with scientists to ascertain some assumptions.

How do you develop characters? Setting?

I love to develop characters and readers tell me that is my forte. I try to give the reader a good visual and profile of the character early in the book, and if the character changes (arc) they will feel the change as well.

I write only about areas I am familiar with or have visited.

How do you determine voice in your writing?

I always take the third person and try to keep with only one POV, but in one book I had to used two POV.

Describe your ideal reader.

Someone who can spend at least a few hours as a time to read and not snippets during their lunch our etc. Someone who gets into the plot and lets themselves drift into the storyline, venue, etc.

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?

I walk…I love to walk

Me too!
Any current projects?

Yes. I just completed my first Young Adult mystery novel with a teenage girl as the super sleuth ala a contemporary Nancy Drew story.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

My website is gordonmathieson.com and people can ask questions of me through that. And I am on FaceBook.

Thanks for dropping by, Gordon, and continued success! By the way, congratulations on your recent cover award. It's quite eye-catching.