I recently had the opportunity to join my friend Mary Cronin on her podcast Why Authors Write. We had a fun and wide-ranging discussion about my transition into fulltime authorship and some of the things I've learned so far. Mary's description of the episode is below and you can watch the short episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podasts (links below).
Why Authors Write Welcomes Chrisopher Mirabile | EPISODE DESCRIPTION
What propels a lifelong entrepreneur and venture investor to pivot from business success to become a full time mystery writer?
In this episode of Why Authors Write, Christopher Mirabile tells Mary J. Cronin what inspired him to create Silas Lopez as a quirky and deeply decent outsider detective hero in “The Washashore.” Mirabile opens up about applying his entrepreneur’s mindset to a career pivot into full-time fiction writing to create and launch a new mystery series set in Provincetown and Cape Cod, and how falling in love with his book’s main characters is an unexpected bonus.
A long-time reader of detective series and an enthusiastic fan of romance novels, Christopher deliberately embraced the challenges of creating a “franchise‑worthy” cast of characters, including an outsider-meets-local-girl love interest. To build out the arc of Silas’s relationship with Provincetown and his romance with Wren, he focused on writing these scenes first, to ensure that the chemistry among his characters was strong enough to sustain a series.
Talking about his writing process, Christopher admits that as a life-long writer who authored multiple business books, he had to learn that in fiction that first draft is just the start. With that in mind, he advises debut authors that multiple drafts and “revision, revision, revision” are the core of a well-written final manuscript.
Christopher draws on his decades of business experience to navigate the commercial side of publishing and selling a new novel, including a commitment to spend time mastering the nuances of social media platforms, website design, press releases, newsletters, and reader outreach. He brings a project‑management mindset and a long‑term view: series writing lowers the cost of customer acquisition over time, as every new book in his Silas Lopez will help attract new readers and increase sales of the earlier books.
For readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries with heart, and for everyone who wonder if they could make a living as a full time author, Christopher’s blend of realism, encouragement, and hard‑earned wisdom will inspire you to take your own creative ambitions seriously—at any age.
Why Authors Write features candid conversations with best-selling authors about what propels them from inspiration to publication. Weekly podcast episodes explore the powerful, emotional moments and creative ideas that shape the books we want to read. Our audience includes book club members and regular readers of literary fiction, fantasy, mystery and thrillers, romance, and best-selling nonfiction.
To meet your hosts Mary J. Cronin, Kristie Dickinson, and Sara Stanton visit our podcast page at 4Q Catalyst
Christopher Mirabile Episode Links: YouTube; Spotify; Apple Podcasts.
If you are interested in ordering The Washashore you can find it at—or order it from— these local bookstores: Wellesley Books (Wellesley, MA), The Bookshop of Needham (Needham, MA), Provincetown Bookshop (Provincetown, MA) and Elm Street Books (New Canaan, CT)
Or if you want the convenience and speed of online, but still want to support local bookstores, grab The Washashorethrough Bookshop.org
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