Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "joseph-brant"

Catherine Astolfo retired in 2002 after a very successful 34 years in education. She can recall writing fantasy stories for her classmates in Grade Three, so she started finishing her books the day after her retirement became official. Her short stories and poems have been published in a number of Canadian literary presses. Her story, “What Kelly Did”, won the prestigious Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Crime Story in 2012.

In the fall of 2011, she was thrilled to be awarded a four-book contract by Imajin Books for her Emily Taylor Mystery series (previously self-published), and has never been happier with this burgeoning second career!

Catherine’s books are gritty, yet portray gorgeous surroundings; they deal with sensitive social issues, but always include love and hope. They’re not thrillers, but rather literary mysteries with loads of character and setting. And justice always prevails.

Website: www.catherineastolfo.com

FB: http://tinyurl.com/kc4n5xw

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cathyastolfo

Q: What’s inside the mind of a mystery author?

A: Here’s an example. My husband and I were taking a wonderful sunny day drive. He smiled at me and asked, “What are you thinking, honey?” My answer: “I was wondering how long it would take someone to die after they’d been shot in the stomach.” As you can tell, please don’t ask a mystery writer what they are thinking unless you are prepared for a somewhat shocking answer! Our heads are full of crime, puzzles and mischief. Fortunately, it’s mostly fictional. We pick up ideas at the mall, in the newspaper, standing on a mountaintop, or from our fellow flawed human beings.

Q: Tell us why readers should buy SWEET KAROLINE.

A: SWEET KAROLINE is a roller coaster ride of psychological suspense, mixed with history, love and mystery. It has story lines that will appeal to everyone, male and female, from twenty-somethings to ninety-somethings. One of my endorsers probably says it best about why you should buy it. “Sweet Karoline is a multi-layered mystery, where nothing is as it seems. The story grips you on page one and leads you through a maze of history, twisted relationships, and ultimately the darkness of the human mind.”—Liz Bugg, author of Oranges and Lemons

Q: What makes a good psychological suspense?

A: Often, it’s the voice of the narrator that creates the tension, uneasiness, and excitement in a psychological suspense. Is the narrator reliable? Is s/he telling the whole truth? Whom can we trust? The uncertainty creates on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills that most readers love. My new novel, Sweet Karoline, has also been classed as a literary mystery. These two sub-genres are a great match: the plot is somewhat secondary to the characters in a literary novel, while in a psychological suspense, the characters’ dialogue, actions and personalities are what drive the anticipation. I love reading psychological suspense and writing one was almost as much fun.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I’m not the sort of writer who has a strict schedule. Mostly, the writing day depends on what’s coming up in my life. For instance, with Sweet Karoline’s launch imminent, a lot of my writing involves guest interviews, blogs, tweets and emails. I like to spend my mornings doing that sort of work, then get into the creative swing during the early afternoon. (I’m not as awake in the mornings, I think, so the structure of the Internet helps keep me alert.) If I spend too many days unable to write creatively for one reason or another, I become restless and grumpy. So my family likes to make time for me to retreat to the laptop!

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: For me, there are two aspects to the rewards in writing. One happens during the process. When I have an idea, cook it in my head, let it flow onto the page, rework it and suddenly realize just how well it’s shaping up, I get the most amazing thrill. The only thing I can compare it to is looking at your child’s face and thinking how gorgeous s/he is. I read over what I’ve created and am immensely satisfied and happy. The second reward comes when someone else reads it and comes to the same conclusion. What a joy when a reader says, “I LOVED your book!”

Q: How did you celebrate the completion of your book?

A: I celebrated Sweet Karoline’s completion by calling my daughter and telling my husband. Then I handed it over to both of them for a first read. After that I sat down with a glass of particularly good red wine.