Cozy Mysteries discussion
Revisting Author Interviews
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Mini Interview with Anna Loan Wilsey
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
A.W. I see myself still writing cozies, maybe with a new series set in England since I’m such an anglophile, in addition to more Hattie Davish adventures. I see myself improving in my craft, becoming more efficient in the process and the research and writing full-time. Sounds pretty good!
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
A.W. That’s a difficult one for me since I love to travel and have visited some amazing places I could imagine living. Ultimately, I think I would like to live on or near the ocean on the East Coast of the US (New England, Virginia). It would be close to my family, have all the elements of nature I love nearby: ocean, mountains, parks, hiking trails, as well as having the historical roots I can’t live without.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
A.W. I like cozy/traditional mysteries (which is why I write them), everything from Agatha Christie to “Murder She Wrote.” I also like fantasy, having grown up on J.R.R. Tolkien (and have even considered writing one myself). I love the classic British romance novels too, though I’m not sure if they are considered genre fiction, but Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters are all on my shelf!
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
A.W. Yes, I love to do book signings. It’s so much fun meeting readers in person. As I have to set them up myself, I do most of them locally (Iowa). However I have also traveled to more faraway places when specifically invited, including the location of a novel (Eureka Springs/Galena/Newport). I’ve had book signings at bookstores, like Barnes & Noble, at libraries, book clubs, women’s clubs as well as at book festivals like Books in Bloom in Eureka Springs, AR or the Annual Ankeny Author’s Fair (which I just did last week) as well as had book launches, complete with Victorian tea cakes and a steam trunk, in my hometown in upstate New York.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
A.W. No, but I do “borrow” characteristics from people I know especially if someone has a fun quirky habit or trait. For example, one of my characters in Anything But Civil can’t leave the house without having a drink of water. I know someone very well who does this but who is otherwise nothing like my fictional character. However, I have definitely based some of my fictional characters on real historical figures. Mrs. Edwina Trevelyan, the saloon-smashing temperance leader in A Lack of Temperance was inspired by Carrie A. Nation and Mrs. Charlotte Mayhew, the rich socialite in A Sense of Entitlement, was inspired by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, a true Newport icon.
#6 What are working on now?
A.W. I am currently working on Hattie Davish’s next adventure, yet untitled book 4 in the series. It is set in Hattie’s hometown of St. Joseph, MO. It differs slightly from the first three in that she isn’t working on a particular assignment but goes home for a funeral. Unfortunately the deceased in the coffin is not who she expected to see!
A.W. #7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
Wow, thanks for the compliment! I do hope readers enjoy my books. As to other talents, I’m a pretty good assemble singer (sang Mozart’s Requiem at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City with my college choir) though I’d never make it on to American Idol. I’ve had jobs training seals, sea lions and monkeys but my dog still jumps up on strangers! I also have to say I bake a pretty darn good loaf of bread (old-school style, of course).
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
B.R. What a great question. I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before. Like most series writers, I'd love for my series to be continued. The third book, Musseled Out is due June 1 and I'd love a contract for more. I'd also like to continue with my short stories. (In an embarrassment of riches I have two Agatha nominations this year, Best Contemporary Novel for Clammed Up and Best Short Story for "Bread Baby" which appears in Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold.) I also have an idea for a stand-alone, a suspense novel.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
B.R. Oddly enough, no longer tied to our day jobs, my husband and I are wrestling with this right now. We'd keep our place in Maine, and maybe spend the winter in Key West where my parents had a house. But then again, it would be hard to give up our base in Boston. But I guess if money were no object, I'd have to say New York City, because I love it. Or Paris. Or the Cotswolds.Maybe it's a good thing money IS an object.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
B.R. Oh, all over the place. Mystery, both cozy and darker. Literary fiction, novels and short stories. And now, lots of non-fiction about Maine. Most recently a book about the sex lives of lobsters (it's amazing there are any lobsters) and an anthropological treatise called The Lobster Gangs of Maine.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
B.R. Yes, I do. I'm just starting to set signings up for Boiled Over which will be published in May. Check this page for updates.http://maineclambakemysteries.com/app...
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
B.R. Funny you should ask. Yes, Gus in Clammed Up is based on a real person who had a restaurant and really had a "no strangers" rule as the fictional Gus does. Viola and Fiona Snuggs who own the Snuggles Inn are more loosely based on real people.
#6 What are working on now?
B.R. Finishing up Musseled Out, the third book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series, due to my publisher on June 1.
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
B.R. Hmm. I was a tech entrepreneur, part of a team that successfully grew two technology start-ups. Other than that, I always say my superpower is being able to get more dishes in a single dishwasher load than any other person.
I have read Trouble In Mudvale and like it.
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Mini Interview with Carol Culver
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
C.C. I hope to still be self-publishing mysteries and romances as I'm doing now. It's the world's greatest job.
You can do it anywhere and at your own pace. And you meet other writers, the most generous people in the world.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
C.C. I have lived in Honolulu, West Africa, Nicaragua, Tunisia, Algeria and France. I love exotic places where I can speak French. Since I enjoy warm weather, I would choose a tropical island so I could swim, read, write and bask in the sunshine. But maybe I'd be so relaxed I'd forget the writing part.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
C.C. I love mysteries and romances and I'm now enjoying Where'd You Go, Bernadette.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
C.C. I did book signings for years when I published with Harlequin, but since the arrival of the e-book phenomenon, I won't be doing anymore.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
C.C. Of course the main character is always me - a smarter, younger and more beautiful version of myself. I don't think I could ever solve a mystery, but my super sleuth can.
#6 What are working on now?
C.C. I'm writing a short fan fiction book based on The Gossip Girls for Kindleworlds, their new imprint. My version is called "Where'd You Go, Gossip Girl?"
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
C.C. I speak French and I give classes on cruise ships. The most recent was on a cruise to Scandinavia and Russia where we discussed Scandinavian mysteries like the Stieg Larsson books.
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
C.D. Publishing is an odd business and there have been so many changes in the
industry in the last few years, it's hard to say with any certainty what
might be happening in 10 years. I hope to still be telling stories I love,
and I hope readers are still finding them and enjoying them!
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
C.D. Wow, tough question! I've never lived anywhere but in northeast Ohio, so
it's hard for me to know what another place might be like. I did go to
school (for a very short time) at Oxford University in England. That would
be a wonderful spot to live, so much culture and learning! I'll choose a
little (and gorgeous, of course) cottage on some quaint cobbly street.
Garden out the front door and the teakettle at the boil. That sounds pretty
good to me!
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
C.D. Mystery is my favorite. No surprise there! Lately, I've also been reading
a lot of non-fiction on all sorts of subjects.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
C.D. I do signings mostly when a new book comes out. My favorites are the ones I
do at a place called Something Different in Cleveland, Ohio. It's not a
bookstore, it's an art gallery, but the owners (truly, the nicest people in
Cleveland) say that writers are artists so they are willing to promote my
books. It's always a party there complete with droves of customers and
neighborhood regulars who stop in to say hello. I don't have a
hard-and-fast date set for the next signing there, but it will be in
February when my next Kylie Logan book, "A Tale of Two Biddies," comes out.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from
people in your personal life?
C.D. I certainly try not to! For a couple reasons--#1, in reality, most people
are pretty boring. And #2, I don't want to offend anyone. That being said,
I think it's impossible not to have some reality flow into the fiction
you're writing. What I hope I do (I try!) is take bits and pieces of real
people, mix them, shake them up, change them around, and create the
characters who inhabit my stories.
#6 What are working on now?
C.D. In addition to writing as Casey Daniels, I'm also Kylie Logan and I've been
concentrating on the Kylie books lately. She writes the Button Box
mysteries (newest is "Buttoned Up," #4 in the series). She also writes the
League of Literary Ladies mysteries. The first was "Mayhem at the Orient
Express." "Biddies" (mentioned above) is up next and I'm currently writing
book #3, "The Legend of Sleepy Harlow." Under that name, I also write the
Chili Cook-Off mysteries. The first book in that series is "Chili Con
Carnage."
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
C.D. Not sure how talented I am at it, but I love to knit, weave and crochet.
I'm a terrible piano player, a decent gardener and I'm very interested in
family history. I'd say I'm pretty talented at that, I've been able to
track down some very interesting things about both my family and my
husband's. Of course, that all goes along with researching skills and
research is something I love to do!
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Any cozy authors that would be interested in doing an interview to be posted here, please pm me.
What cozy authors would you like to be asked to do an interview?
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
C.C. Still alive and writing (we certainly hope). And speaking of ten years…
As of this month (September 2013), our Coffeehouse Mystery series has been in print for an entire decade. We’re grateful to our readers for the loyalty they’ve shown us over the past ten years, and we hope they’ll continue to enjoy our work through the next.
For those who haven’t read us, the first book in our Coffeehouse Mystery series, On What Grounds, is now in its 17th printing, and the characters who populate it have become like family—to us and our readers (or so they tell us).
Marc and I truly relish penning these mysteries. We even have our cast’s far futures sketched out in our minds, with many surprising twists along the way. Sorry, no hints today. To us, writing mystery is akin to magic (creative presentations, tricky machinations, careful misdirections, surprising reveals)—and magicians should never reveal their secrets.
Our other series, The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, will celebrate 10-years in print next fall. Our “Ghost” series (as we call it) has a dedicated following, and our readers have told us (in no uncertain terms) that they want to read more stories. We hope to make them happy, and we’re now sketching out more titles in this series.
These mysteries feature the spirit of a hardboiled private eye named Jack Shepard. Jack was gunned down in a New England book shop circa 1949. Without a body, he must solve crimes via a living partner, which is one reason he haunts the prim, young widow who runs the book shop where he died. (The other reason is that he’s always had a soft spot for red heads, and “Penny with the copper hair” works his way into his heart, so to speak.)
Penelope Thornton-McClure isn’t sure if Jack is a real ghost or a figment of her readers’ imagination. She always was a fan of the Black Mask school of mystery writing, just like her police officer dad. And like her late father, Pen wants to see justice served. So whether Jack is a real ghost or just a figment of her mystery-reading imagination, she accepts all the advice he can give her.
For anyone interested in reading our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, the first book in the series is titled The Ghost and Mrs. McClure, and it’s written under the name Alice Kimberly. Readers who’d like to know when more books will be published should be sure to stay subscribed to our periodic newsletter. (For info on how to subscribe, click here: http://cleocoylebooks.wordpress.com/s....)
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather where and why?
C.C. Marc and I grew up in Western, Pennsylvania (USA), and have traveled to many beautiful parts of our country as well as other countries. But for us, living in New York City is our writers’ dream come true.
There’s so much history here and history-in-the-making; and the diverse populations, along with their intriguing cuisines, have given us many ideas for stories—and recipes.
While New York is a very large city, we know from living here for decades that it’s really just a collection of little neighborhoods with many of the same characteristics as small towns—from Mom and Pop shops, pet-loving dog-walkers, and baseball fans to street festivals, annual parades, and local eateries.
We enjoy writing about all aspects of the city: the lamebrain insanity, the inevitable crime, and the tough challenges as well as the unexpected kindnesses, unabashed heroism, 24/7 energy, and heartwarming joy. New York City inspires us daily as authors (sometimes even hourly) and we can’t imagine living anywhere else.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
C.C. Marc and I both read widely in fiction (mysteries, classics, and other genres) and non-fiction.
Marc grew up reading fantasy, pulp fiction, and science fiction and was deeply inspired at a young age by the existential fantasy fiction of Robert E Howard and H P Lovecraft. In fact, Marc’s first published book was a literary study of Robert E Howard’s fiction.
I grew up sampling from every genre, and I discovered that I enjoyed reading plays—everything from Shakespeare to modern dramatists like Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard, David Mamet, Tennessee Williams, and some very offbeat playwrights like Samuel Beckett and “Theater of the Absurd” writer Eugene Ionesco.
Marc and I both appreciate the art of dialog, which is why we also enjoy listening to old radio dramas. We’re big fans of noir fiction, as well—Raymond Chandler, James M Cain, Hammett, and James Ellroy, authors who helped inspire our creation of Jack Shepard in our Haunted Bookshop Mystery series.
#4 Do you do book signings if no do you have plans to, when and where?
C.C. Next spring (most likely April), we are looking forward to appearing at the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop in Mechanicsburg, PA. We hope to do more signings in the future. Watch our newsletter for announcements, and if we come to a bookstore near you, we certainly hope you’ll stop by and say hi.
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
C.C. Marc and I created and developed every character in The Coffeehouse Mysteries and The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries drawing from our own experiences, histories, and personalities—and aspects of the quirks therein. You might say we suffer from creative Schizophrenia, which is a good thing to have if you’re an author.
And, yes, we have based our characters not only on aspects of ourselves but on those of people we’ve known, admired, and/or observed as we’ve gone about our lives.
Of course, murder mystery writers are often asked if they’ve ever killed someone they knew. Yes. I must confess, I am guilty as charged. The particular woman I “did away with” was a former boss. She once let an employee go with the perky line that she wanted to inform the person herself because it was “good practice” for her as a young executive. Truthfully, I’ve killed her off a few times now—and plan to do it a few more.
#6 What are you working on now?
C.C. Next fall’s Coffeehouse Mystery. And to our Haunted Bookshop Mystery fans, yes, Jack and Pen are coming again. We’re working on the next book in that series, too.
#7 Do you have any talents besides being a great writer?
C.C. Ha! That’s very flattering, but “great” is a high bar. We’ll settle for “entertaining” writers!
In answer to your question, Marc and I both very much enjoy cooking and baking—a good thing since the Coffeehouse Mysteries are also culinary mysteries.
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
D.S. Ten years ago, when I'd just turned 50 and left the news business, I never could have predicted where I'd be today: Five published books, a couple hundred appearances, and a few interviews on NBC's Today Show under my belt. I just celebrated (?) my 60th birthday, and that landmark has me weighing where I go from here, and what part writing will play in that journey.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather where and why?
D.S. I had the fabulous good luck to visit Italy last year, my first time. I wouldn't mind putting down roots in the Tuscany region, for its food, beauty, and relaxed pace of life. I picture myself in a crumbling villa among rolling hills, surrounded by an olive grove. Shhh, though, since I haven't shared this idea yet with my husband.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
D.S. All the way back to Bridget Jones's Diary, I've escaped with what used to be called Chick Lit (What are they calling that these days?) Authors like Jennifer Weiner, Emily Griffin and Mary Kay Andrews. I also like to read other funny mysteries, especially those with a great sense of place and strong female characters.
#4 Do you do book signings if no do you have plans to, when and where?
D.S. I've cut back on traveling to book events, but I recently visited the public library in little Okeechobee, Fla., which is the real-life inspiration for the fictional Himmarshee in my books. On February 15, I'll be at Barrel of Books in Mount Dora, Fla. I'll moderate one panel and be on another at Sleuthfest in Orlando, March 1; and I'm a featured author at the Lake County (Fla.) Book Festival, March 13-15.
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
D.S. I'm surprised my real mom never sued me since I stole so many details from her life for the Mama character in my Mace Bauer Mysteries. She's been married multiple times, likes her sweet pink wine, and owns an array of sherbet-colored pantsuits. Unlike the fictional character, my mama has never ''done time.'' She's only 99, though, so maybe there's still a chance she'll get busted for something.
#6 What are you working on now?
D.S. See the answer to No. 1, above. I'm taking a writing break while I figure out what to be when I grow up. Will there be a sixth Mama book? A short story collection? Will I do something completely different? I'll let you know when I find out.
#7 Do you have any talents besides being a great writer?
D.S. I can't sing, paint, or play the piano, but I have been blessed with an unerring sense of direction. This talent was much more impressive before everybody got GPS and Mapquest. Put me in any city, and I can always figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. (I wonder if I could apply this talent to mapping out where my life goes next? )
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
D.A. Still writing and getting published, I hope and with luck, read by a steadily increasing number of people. Sorry if it sounds feckless, but I don’t have a master plan; I just try to do the best I can at any given moment. Back when I had a day job, my boss had a quote taped to her monitor to the effect that these days, climbing a mountain is no longer a good metaphor for succeeding in business—white water rafting is a better metaphor. I think that works well for every aspect of life these days.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather where and why?
D.A. Regardless of the weather? I think the weather’s a pretty important factor when people choose where they want to live! Actually, I’m a lifelong Virginian, and don’t really have any desire to move elsewhere. I’d like to have a house with room for more books, and a yard with fewer deer, but I’d like them here, in Northern Virginia. If I were so rich that I could afford multiple houses, I think I’d add a flat in London, a brownstone in New York, a house overlooking the ocean on the northern California coast, and a farm in the Virginia countryside. But for visits. I’m grounded here.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
D.A. When I’m not writing, I try to catch up mystery and fantasy. I have a hard time reading fiction when I’m writing it, so these days I read a lot more nonfiction than fiction, because it doesn’t interfere with my own writing. When I’m in the middle of a book, I generally read nonfiction.
#4 Do you do book signings if no do you have plans to, when and where?
D.A. I do some—I try to keep the schedule page on my website updated, and also mention them in advance on my Facebook author page.
http://donnaandrews.com/schedule.shtml
https://www.facebook.com/DonnaAndrews...
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
D.A. There are three characters in the series that were directly inspired by real life models. Duck, Meg’s nephew’s pet duck belonged to a friend the neighborhood where I grew up. Spike, the eight-and-a-half-pound furball, was based on the real dog who belonged to my friends Tracey and Bill and Meg’s father was in some ways inspired by mine. My dad was tall, with a full head of hair, a marine biologist and a passionate fan of French literature and culture.Meg’s dad is short, balding, a doctor, and an avid mystery reader. What they have in common is the enthusiasm and determination with which they pursue whatever they’re interested in at the moment. Oh, and the whole obsessive gardening thing.
#6 What are you working on now?
D.A. I just turned in the revisions on my next book, The Good, the Bad, and the Emus, which will come out from Minotaur in July 2014.And soon I will start writing a Christmas book that should come out in October 2014.But right now I’m trying to catch up on all the things I don’t get done when I’m on deadline.
#7 Do you have any talents besides being a great writer?
D.A. I’m an avid amateur digital photographer—I’ve been doing the 365 project for several years, in which I post a photo every day on the 365project.org website. I also post a link on my Facebook author page, so anyone who’s curious can also catch them there as well as on the 365 Project site: http://365project.org/donnaandrews/36...
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
D.B. Ten years…that’s along time off. God willing I’ll be right were I am writing more mystery books. I cannot imagine a life without making up stories and chatting with readers…the best part of writing. I’ve made so many wonderful friends through writing.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
D.B. Probably just stay in Cincy. I have two grand kids on the way, one being adopted from South Korea…we’ve waited for that little guy a long time. I can’t leave with all my family here. I do love the South. If my kids weren’t here in Cincy I’d move to Savannah. I just love that city, guess that’s why I set Consignment Shop Mysteries there. Or maybe Mackinac Island. I’m setting another mystery series there and visited for a week. I could so live there. It’s like a blip in time with no cars and only bikes and horses. And it’s lovely. And I could buy a snowmobile!!
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
D.B. I’m such a mystery person…write it and read it. If there’s not a mystery to be solved I get so bored. I think…you people are wasting time…there are clues there.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
D.B. August 22 I’ll be at the Painted Cupcake in Nashville with Tanya Kappes and Nancy Naigle to drink tea and eat delish cupcakes with readers. If any of you can make it just let me know and I’ll add you to the list. I do the book fairs. They are so much fun and I meet a lot of readers. I do the Kentucky book fairs and the ones in Ohio. I’m also going to the Virginia Festival of Books in March and Savannah book fair in February.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
D.B. My characters are more like people I wish I knew. Lots of fun and get into trouble helping others. I wish I lived next door to Auntie KiKi and knew Reagan and everyone wants a Walker Boone it their lives.
#6 What are working on now?
D.B. I’m working Breaking for Bodies, the first book in my Cyclepath Mystery Series set on Mackinac Island. I know how to talk Southern now I need to talk Mackinac. It’s only eight miles big but the perfect place to kill people off. Shakedowns cover-ups and big fat lies keep bodies hidden on Mackinac Island and fudge-eating tourist oblivious to it all.
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
D.B. I love to garden, have a ton of roses, hydrangeas, hostas, blueberry bushes, apple trees and plant a bunch of annuals each year. I can’t imagine a house not surrounded by flowers. I work the Snooty Fox, an upscale consignment shop here in Cincy. Love the deals I get on nice clothes. I love to hike and bike and I Zumba. Don’t know if I exactly love Zumba but it lets me eat a Snickers now and then and sneak a doughnut.
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Mini Interview with Edith Maxwell
#1 Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
E.M I expect to be an award-winning NYT bestselling author of three or four mystery series, one of them an historical. Or at least I hope so. I'm a full-time fiction writer now, and love making this dream work.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
E.M. I really love where I live, in the northeastern corner of Massachusetts. Spring and fall are gorgeous, summer is lush, and cross-country skiing on fresh snow can't be beat. That said, I am a fourth-generation Californian and I still miss the west, even though I have now lived longer in Massachusetts than I did in California. I'd love to have a second home in one of the wine regions within an hour's drive of the Pacific.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
E.M. I pretty much only read traditional and cozy mysteries whether I'm writing or not. And the New Yorker. And two newspapers a day, yes, on actual paper.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
E.M. I'm a signing slut: I'll go anywhere I'm invited (if I can afford the ticket). I just got back from three author events in the San Francisco area, and have a bunch booked in New England in the next few months. See the Events tab over at www.edithmaxwell.com for a list. I enjoy attending book club meetings, too, and am willing to Skype in if I can't get there in person.
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
E.M. I do my best to invent characters, because if I use a real person, the character might not have the freedom to do what he or she wants or needs to in the book. However, my sweet mom died two years ago and didn't get to read any of my books, so I have broken my own rule and added her as a secondary character in Farmed and Dangerous, my third Local Foods mystery (out in May, 2015). She's the new girlfriend of my protagonist's great uncle, although Mommy never had a glass of wine and never quite caught onto computers, unlike the Marilyn in the book.
#6 What are you working on now?
E.M. I am polishing Farmed and Dangerous before sending it off to my editor at Kensington Publishing at the end of April. Then I'll get back to Breaking the Silence, an historical mystery set in my town 1888, with Quaker midwife Rose Carroll and intrigue among the mill workers and in the carriage industry. That book is about half written. I'm also working on a proposal for a country store series. 'Til Dirt Do Us Part releases on May 27, and my second Quaker Linguistics professor book, Bluffing is Murder, releases next November from Barking Rain Press (under my pen name Tace Baker).
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writers?
E.M. I'm a very good organic gardener and an amateur chef. I can speak several languages, but don't ask me to use my black belt in karate from 1983!
Best,
Edith
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#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
E.B. I hadn't thought much about it. But I would like to make more money so that I could relax more and enjoy the process. I also would like to write a few books and plays that last.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
E.B. Wouldn't it be fun to live in Paris for awhile? It's beautiful and I visited once, but not nearly long enough. I have such a fondness in my heart for Bucks County Pennsylvania, but I could probably live many places in Mid-Atlantic or possibly further south. I crave the green of the East, the moisture, the softness of the landscape. I love the occasional gray and rainy day, which I don't find where I currently live.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
E.B. Always love mysteries and thrillers, and I like the occasional Regency romance. Biographies are good if they're well done and not dropping footnotes every two sentences. I sometimes like memoir. And I love books on fashion and fashion history.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
E.B. I do not have as many book signings as I once did. Bookstores are fewer and farther between, and I find that in general, my readers are not that excited to have signed copies of paperbacks. There are no signings currently scheduled.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
E.B. That's a dangerous question! Traits from the occasional person I know work their way into my books, but once I decide on a character, he or she takes on a life of their own. Some turn out to surprise me in a good way. I do use quotes I've heard and manners of speech I might have heard.
#6 What are working on now?
E.B. After finishing a thriller that is currently being edited, I've returned to Lacey Smithsonian for the 10th Crime of Fashion Mystery. It's a lot of fun because the opening scene is at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and the clothes are delightful to write about. Sadly, they aren't in my closet.
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
E.B. Thanks for the compliment. I'm not sure I do. I once worked at JC Penney in the housewares department and had to take a cake decorating course for which I have a diploma. I think I can still make a rose out of frosting. But most of my interests have to do with writing. I loved working as a reporter in Washington, D.C., for a trade publisher and covered aspects of the government. I also write plays and, when everything goes well, there is nothing on earth like the theatre.
Thanks so much for inviting me to speak with your readers.
Cheers,
Ellen
Mod
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
E.A. Hopefully, I’ll still be writing traditional mysteries, but I’d like to venture into other genres in the next few years as well—namely women’s fiction and young adult fantasy.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
E.A. Wilmington, North Carolina. When we retire a million years from now, we’re moving south. I miss living near the ocean and I want to smell that salt breeze every morning. It never gets too cold in Wilmington and there is plenty to do in the area. One of the reasons I set a mystery series on the NC coast is that part of me is already there in spirit.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
E.A My favorite genre is historical fiction. I wish I could write it and I greatly admire the countless hours of research that goes into a historical fiction novel. I also like thrillers and young adult books. I was on a big John Green kick over the summer and am now going through a women’s fiction phase. I love Kate Morton’s novels and am currently reading Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
#4 Do you do book signings, if so do you have plans to, when and where?
E.A Not so much anymore. I’m writing three books a year and I just don’t have the time. What I prefer is stock signings. By this I mean that I race into a bookstore, sign whatever books they have in stock, and hurry on to the next store. I do this in the central Virginia area whenever I have a new book out, so come October 1st, I’ll be zooming around Richmond and its environs.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
E.A. I do not, but I used to. In fact, my first book was based on real people and guess what? They didn’t like their characters. Not one bit. They found them too abrupt, too flaky, too pushy, too talkative, too stern, etc. And I found them restrictive. It’s much easier to create people in my head and strangely, I know these characters on a far deeper level. I guess the people I invent all have qualities I understand or I can at least empathize with, and I hope that makes them more complex. It is my goal in life to create interesting, complicated, and unforgettable characters.
#6 What are you working on now?
E.A. I am working on Books By the Bay #6, which is tentatively titled Wicked Vows (yes, this book features a wedding scene. In fact, it features two of them!). I’m also just starting to research the 4th Charmed Pie Shoppe mystery (tentatively titled Lemon Pies and Little White Lies) and am planning to have Ella Mae attend the county fair, battle the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend, and save her handsome fireman, Hugh Dylan, from destroying himself. Much to do, much to do!
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
E.A Let’s see. I can cook a wicked oven-barbequed brisket, mix a lovely cocktail, and bake a killer pie. However, don’t ask me to do anything with needle and thread because I’m utterly hopeless. I’m a decent gardener and I love to sing, but I tend to restrict my crooning to when I’m alone in the car. I can’t play music, but I love to listen to it. I’m terrible at math and foreign languages too. I guess my real talent is that I’m a good gift-giver (or so I’ve been told). I love to make people smile and I try to help a stranger at least once a day.
Thanks so much for the fun interview. Cheers! Ellery
I am reading An Amanda Flower book right now. I would love to read an interview with Sue Ann Jaffarian.
Candace wrote: "Mini Interview with Cleo Coyle#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
C.C. Still alive and writing (we certainly hope). And speaking of ten years…
As of this month (September 2013), ..."
Thanks for revisiting this interview. I'm only familiar with the coffee house mysteries and am excited to try the "Haunted" series!
Mod
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
D.S. Ten years ago, when I'd just turned 50 and left the news business, I never could have predicted where I'd be today: Five published books, a couple hundred appearances, and a few interviews on NBC's Today Show under my belt. I just celebrated (?) my 60th birthday, and that landmark has me weighing where I go from here, and what part writing will play in that journey.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather where and why?
D.S. I had the fabulous good luck to visit Italy last year, my first time. I wouldn't mind putting down roots in the Tuscany region, for its food, beauty, and relaxed pace of life. I picture myself in a crumbling villa among rolling hills, surrounded by an olive grove. Shhh, though, since I haven't shared this idea yet with my husband.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
D.S. All the way back to Bridget Jones's Diary, I've escaped with what used to be called Chick Lit (What are they calling that these days?) Authors like Jennifer Weiner, Emily Griffin and Mary Kay Andrews. I also like to read other funny mysteries, especially those with a great sense of place and strong female characters.
#4 Do you do book signings if no do you have plans to, when and where?
D.S. I've cut back on traveling to book events, but I recently visited the public library in little Okeechobee, Fla., which is the real-life inspiration for the fictional Himmarshee in my books. On February 15, I'll be at Barrel of Books in Mount Dora, Fla. I'll moderate one panel and be on another at Sleuthfest in Orlando, March 1; and I'm a featured author at the Lake County (Fla.) Book Festival, March 13-15.
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
D.S. I'm surprised my real mom never sued me since I stole so many details from her life for the Mama character in my Mace Bauer Mysteries. She's been married multiple times, likes her sweet pink wine, and owns an array of sherbet-colored pantsuits. Unlike the fictional character, my mama has never ''done time.'' She's only 99, though, so maybe there's still a chance she'll get busted for something.
#6 What are you working on now?
D.S. See the answer to No. 1, above. I'm taking a writing break while I figure out what to be when I grow up. Will there be a sixth Mama book? A short story collection? Will I do something completely different? I'll let you know when I find out.
#7 Do you have any talents besides being a great writer?
D.S. I can't sing, paint, or play the piano, but I have been blessed with an unerring sense of direction. This talent was much more impressive before everybody got GPS and Mapquest. Put me in any city, and I can always figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. (I wonder if I could apply this talent to mapping out where my life goes next? )
Mod
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
D.A. Still writing and getting published, I hope and with luck, read by a steadily increasing number of people. Sorry if it sounds feckless, but I don’t have a master plan; I just try to do the best I can at any given moment. Back when I had a day job, my boss had a quote taped to her monitor to the effect that these days, climbing a mountain is no longer a good metaphor for succeeding in business—white water rafting is a better metaphor. I think that works well for every aspect of life these days.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather where and why?
D.A. Regardless of the weather? I think the weather’s a pretty important factor when people choose where they want to live! Actually, I’m a lifelong Virginian, and don’t really have any desire to move elsewhere. I’d like to have a house with room for more books, and a yard with fewer deer, but I’d like them here, in Northern Virginia. If I were so rich that I could afford multiple houses, I think I’d add a flat in London, a brownstone in New York, a house overlooking the ocean on the northern California coast, and a farm in the Virginia countryside. But for visits. I’m grounded here.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
D.A. When I’m not writing, I try to catch up mystery and fantasy. I have a hard time reading fiction when I’m writing it, so these days I read a lot more nonfiction than fiction, because it doesn’t interfere with my own writing. When I’m in the middle of a book, I generally read nonfiction.
#4 Do you do book signings if no do you have plans to, when and where?
D.A. I do some—I try to keep the schedule page on my website updated, and also mention them in advance on my Facebook author page.
http://donnaandrews.com/schedule.shtml
https://www.facebook.com/DonnaAndrews...
#5 Do you “base” any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
D.A. There are three characters in the series that were directly inspired by real life models. Duck, Meg’s nephew’s pet duck belonged to a friend the neighborhood where I grew up. Spike, the eight-and-a-half-pound furball, was based on the real dog who belonged to my friends Tracey and Bill and Meg’s father was in some ways inspired by mine. My dad was tall, with a full head of hair, a marine biologist and a passionate fan of French literature and culture.Meg’s dad is short, balding, a doctor, and an avid mystery reader. What they have in common is the enthusiasm and determination with which they pursue whatever they’re interested in at the moment. Oh, and the whole obsessive gardening thing.
#6 What are you working on now?
D.A. I just turned in the revisions on my next book, The Good, the Bad, and the Emus, which will come out from Minotaur in July 2014.And soon I will start writing a Christmas book that should come out in October 2014.But right now I’m trying to catch up on all the things I don’t get done when I’m on deadline.
#7 Do you have any talents besides being a great writer?
D.A. I’m an avid amateur digital photographer—I’ve been doing the 365 project for several years, in which I post a photo every day on the 365project.org website. I also post a link on my Facebook author page, so anyone who’s curious can also catch them there as well as on the 365 Project site: http://365project.org/donnaandrews/36...
Mini Interview with Amanda Flower
#1 Where do you see yourself as a writer in 10 years?
A.F. I hope that I will have a steady career of writing cozy mysteries and feel confident enough in the stability of that career to leave my day job as a librarian. When the time comes, it will be a very difficult decision for me because I love being a librarian almost as much as being an author.
#2 If you could live anywhere regardless of the weather, where and why?
A.F. That’s a tough question for me. I travel a lot and have been to so many beautiful places, but I think ultimately, I would still pick Ohio because it’s where my family is. It’s the people that are more important to me than the place.
#3 What genres do you like to read when you are not writing?
A.F. I write cozy mysteries, but I am also a huge cozy mystery fan. Those are always the books I gravitate to in the library or the bookstore. It’s hard for me to leave a bookstore without picking up a cozy or two. I also love children’s chapter books, which is another genre I write.
#4 Do you do book signings, if no do you have plans to, when and where?
A.F. I do a lot of book signings. Because I’m a librarian most of them accompany book talks at libraries. I love meeting readers and talking about books. Readers can find my list of signings on my website on the Events Page. I update it regularly.
#5 Do you" base" any of your fictional characters in your books from people in your personal life?
A.F. That depends on whom you ask. I have had family member ask me “is that me” after reading my novels. I do take quirks and characteristics from the people in my life, but then I mesh them together to create someone new. No one character is exactly like a real person.
#6 What are you working on now?
A.F. Right now, I am working on my second middle grade mystery novel, Andi Under Pressure. I’m so happy to be writing fun mysteries for adults and children. I am blessed to have three novels releasing this September. They are three different publishers, so their releases just happened to fall in the same month. They are Andi Unexpected, the first Andi Boggs novel (mystery for children ages 8-12); Murder, Plain and Simple, the first Amish Quilt Shop Mystery (I write as Isabella Alan); and A Plain Disappearance, the third Appleseed Creek Mystery.
#7 Do you have any talents other than being a great writer?
A.F. I don’t know if you can call them “talents,” but I do love to dabble in the visual arts, such as painting, drawing, and crafting. Thankfully, I am a better writer than I am an artist.