interview with Cy Wyss, Author of An Eye for a Lie

Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has a Ph.D. in computer science and her day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC.

Before studying computer science, Cy obtained her undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. She studied overseas for three years in the UK, although she never managed to develop a British accent.

Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with her husband, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.

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Did you like mysteries growing up?

I think I like mysteries because my father liked mysteries. He used to read me Nancy Drew books before bed, and he introduced me to Hercule Poirot and Miss. Marple. He was definitely a mystery buff and that rubbed off on me.

What is the first mystery story you wrote, whether published or unpublished?

My first story was more of an action-adventure: Cathy and Melanie go to the Artic. It was about my best friend’s and my journey to a snow-filled wasteland where we got threatened by polar bears. At the time, I was reading the Miss Pickerel novels. They do have elements of mystery, but are more straight up adventure.

What is your favorite part of writing mysteries?

I love putting together a group of characters with secrets and dark pasts and just watching them interact. Someone is going to be murdered, and someone will be the killer, but I often don’t know who when I first make the cast of the book. Or, I might start with a trope, such as a love triangle, and see how far I can push the characters until one of them breaks and kills another. One thing about mysteries is that the books usually start with the murder, so all the action is in the past. For the detective, it is all about figuring out who the characters really are, which then leads to knowing what they likely did.

Is there a mystery author you most admire?

Agatha Christie is always the mystery author I think of first. Her style is direct and straightforward and her characters idiosyncratic and distinctly memorable. Actually, growing up, the author who most impacted my style was probably Arthur Conan Doyle. I read and studied all the Sherlock Holmes novels ad nauseum, and I’m sure that’s part of the reason I find myself creating super-perceptive male heroes, and why I end up telling their story from a viewpoint that is not their own. A character can be as overconfident as he wants to be, as long as you tell about his greatness from a secondary character. A character espousing their own greatness is a no-go.

What is up next for you?

I plan to release at least two more mysteries in 2019: the second and third books in my Eyeshine series about an investigative photojournalist who turns into a cat overnight. It is a really fun premise. If there’s enough interest in Inspector Richter, I’d like to do a sequel where we see them in Washington.

Do you have anything to add?

Just a couple of things. First off, I have monthly giveaways that newsletter recipients can win, so be sure to sign up at https://www.cywyss.com. Also, thanks very much for having me!