#WriterWednesday Interview with Lisa Bol

I’d like to welcome actor, director, and producer, Lisa Bol, to the blog for this week’s #WriterWednesday interview.

Things you never want to run out of: Barry’s decaf tea, honey, almond milk, Pim’s orange cookies, and cozy blankets.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Some organizational storage from Ikea that I still haven’t installed in my daughter’s room.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Scheduling time consistently with my partner.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Ideas and inspiration can come at any time and any place.

A few of your favorite things: The Muppets, perfect spring days in Park Slope, my grandmother’s wedding rings, my husband and my daughter.

Things you need to throw out: Old tech products and chargers and probably half of the condiments in my fridge.

Something you’re really good at: Connecting with people and learning their stories.

Something you’re really bad at: Pull-ups/push-ups or anything that requires upper body strength.

Favorite music or song: Pretty much all Pop, R&B, and Hip-hop from 2000 - 2006.

Music that drives you crazy: Metalcore/deathcore - screaming metal.

Favorite smell: My grandmother’s apple pie baking in the oven.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Entering a subway station anytime between July - August.

Last best thing you ate: General D’s Cauliflower from Planta Queen (think general Tso’s but with breaded cauliflower and grilled pineapple).

Last thing you regret eating: Too many Jelly Belly’s before bed….

Things you’d walk a mile for: The ham and cheese croissant from Yardsale Bakery in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn. Also, a california cheeseburger, box of fries, and pineapple shake from Gordy’s Hi Hat in Cloquet, MN.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Scary movies, spicy foods, and Timeshare sales pitches.

Favorite places you’ve been: London, Taipei, Muir Woods, and Prague.

Places you never want to go to again: I didn’t have a great experience in Brussels, so I’d pass on that. But I love traveling so much that I’d give basically anywhere I’ve already been a second chance.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Tina Fey, Amy Pohler, and Maya Rudolph.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone that was sick - with a 4 year old, we’ve been through the ringer health wise, so that would be a deal breaker.

Favorite things to do: Plan trips (and then obviously go on them - I love the researching of it all), go to flea markets and treasure hunt (Elephant’s Trunk!), go for walks with my husband in our neighborhood and discover new bakeries with him.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Moving - the whole experience of it - the decluttering, packing hauling, final cleaning all of it.

About Lisa:

Born and raised in Minnesota, Lisa Bol is an actress, director, and producer, based out of NYC that loves: traveling, crocheting, bourboning, making people laugh, and The Muppets. She received her BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, her MFA in Acting from Ohio University, and was a member of the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Professional Training Company in 2015-2016. Shortly after moving to NYC, she co-founded Tantrum East Productions and is now the Artistic Director.

Let’s Be Social:

Website:

https://murderwespoke.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/murder-we-spoke/id1730737866

 Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556196394490

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murderwespokepodcast/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@murderwespokepodcast

#WriterWednesday with Patricia Marcantonio

I’d like to welcome Patricia Marcantonio to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: Blackberry-sage iced tea, printer cartridges, pens, notebooks, and patience.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Gluten-free brownie mix because I ate all of them.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Making myself sit down to write when I’m not inspired, and then take a needed break from the computer when I’m in the writing zone.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Loving what I do.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Focus, focus, focus.

Things that hamper your writing: Surfing the Internet.

A few of your favorite things: My DVD collection of old movies and my comfy sweatpants.

Things you need to throw out: My comfy sweatpants.

Favorite foods: Tostadas, salt and vinegar chips, burgers with bacon and cheese, and my husband’s smoked brisket.

Things that make you want to gag: Oatmeal.

Favorite smell: My yard after a rain shower.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Too flowery perfume.

The last thing you ordered online: A book, of course.

The last thing you regret buying: Cool shoes that were torture on my feet.

Things to say to an author: “I really related to your story and characters.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “What did you say you did?”

Favorite places you’ve been: The Oregon coast, New Orleans, Puerto Vallarta, Universal Studios, and my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, to visit my family.

Places you never want to go to again: A Los Angeles freeway during a rush hour.

Favorite things to do: Hanging with family, writing, sewing and going to the movies.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cleaning the bathroom and pulling weeds in our yard.

About Patricia:

Patricia Marcantonio is the author of the Felicity Carrol mystery series; Verdict in the Desert (Arte Público Press); Under the Blood Moon (Dark Ink); Best Amigas (Fitzroy Books) and Misbehaving at Cactus Lanes (One More Chapter). She received Alexa Rose Foundation Grants to direct her play, Tears for Llorona, and workshop her play Starring Jane Eyre. Pioneer Drama Service has published new play, Roja Ridin’ in the Hood, which is based on her award-winning children’s book Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos (FSG). She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and has won awards for her screenplays and journalism. For several years, she covered crime and courts as a reporter.

Let’s Be Social:

http://Patriciamarcantonio.com

https://www.facebook.com/MarcantonioStories

https://www.goodreads.com/wwwgoodreadscommarcantonio

https://linkedin.com/in/patricia-marcantonio-01487615/

https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Santos-Marcantonio/e/B001IXO71G?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1659303998&sr=8-1

https://www.instagram.com/santos_stories/

#WriterWednesday Interview with Jim Jackson

I would like to welcome the multi-talented Jim Jackson to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: cleaning out old files.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Quiet, my laptop, and water.

Things that distract you from writing: Noise, phone calls, and something happening outside my windows.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing myself and my books

Easiest thing about being a writer: Responding to fan emails.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Exactly nothing. If I’m awake at midnight, I’m sick or reading a great book.

Things you never put on your shopping list: coffee, hot spices, kale.

Something you’re really good at: I love numbers and am a mathemagician.

Something you’re really bad at: spelling.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: teacher

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: run long-distance races (I was a sprinter).

Something you wish you could do: fluently speak multiple languages.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: cuss

Favorite things to do: Be out in nature with friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Listening to right-wing talk radio.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: solo hiking in the mountains (which shows how non daring I am).

Something you chickened out from doing: bungee jumping in New Zealand off the bridge where the craze started.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I know exactly who you based that character on; it’s {X} (because I had never met or hear of that person, which meant my characterization was evocative).

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I can’t believe I actually liked your book!

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: You can’t fix a blank page.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Celebrate your successes.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Skip ahead and write something you do know and let your subconscious work on the current problem.

Things you do to avoid writing: Distract myself checking email, social media, current news apps.

About Jim:

As James M. Jackson, he authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. The series includes 8 novels, 2 novellas, and several short stories.

As Jim Jackson, he authored a book on contract bridge, One Trick at a Time: How to Start Winning at Bridge, which was published by Master Point Press (2012).

He calls home the deep woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. These days he is a snowbird with clipped wings, retreating only to Madison, Wisconsin when weather and road conditions make access to his U.P. home problematic.

Let’s Be Social:

You can find out more about Jim or sign up for his newsletter at his website, https://jamesmjackson.com.

Facebook Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/james.m.jackson.author

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063463330059

#WriterWednesday Interview with Cathi Stoler

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Cathi Stoler to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Remembering all the great story ideas I dream about then forgetting them in the morning.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Sitting down to write.

Words that describe you: Kind, caring, determined, and a self -starter.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Opiniated and take no prisoners.

Favorite foods: Pizza, pasta, ice cream, and olives.

Things that make you want to gag: Beets, kale, and kimchi.

Favorite music or song: The Beatles, David Bowie, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Music that drives you crazy: Rap

Things you always put in your books: Fashion, food, and interesting settings.

Things you never put in your books: Anything about harming children.

Things to say to an author: I really enjoyed your book and wrote a 5-star review.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I’m so sorry, I thought you wrote that thriller, not Jeffrey Archer.

Favorite places you’ve been: Barcelona, Africa, Israel, and Italy.

Places you never want to go to again: Dallas, Texas.

Favorite books (or genre): Mystery and thrillers.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Self-help.

Favorite things to do: Walk along the streets of Manhattan and eavesdrop for interesting book ideas.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Talking to a telemarketer.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Start writing.

Biggest mistake: Not starting to write when I was younger.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I love your work. When is your next book coming.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I enjoyed your book and would recommend it, but I’d only give it two stars.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Learned how to be a glassblower.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Making a lot of wanky glass vessels.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Many years ago, 1’d read about a female detective who worked undercover, and I based a protagonist on her. Last year, I tracked her down and got to meet her when she was a guest at our Sisters in Crime meeting.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: That my childhood growing up in the Bronx was filled with adversity like my protagonist Jude, in The Murder On The Rocks series. I did not. My childhood was fun and happy.

About Cathi:
Cathi Stoler is an Amazon Best Selling author and Derringer winner. Her newest series is Nick of Time and Out Of Time, The Nick Donahue Adventures, She has also written four novels in her Murder On the Rocks Series: Bar None, and The Silver Falchion finalist Best Suspense Novel 2020 Last Call, plus the Chanticleer Clue Book Awards Finalists, Straight Up and With A Twist, and The Laurel and Helen NY Mysteries, including Telling Lies, Keeping Secrets, and The Hard Way, plus multiple short stories. She is a board member of NYSinC, and a member of MWA, and ITW. You can find her at http://www.cathistoler.com, or email her at cathi@cathistoler.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook

Twitter/X

#WriterWednesday with Adam Wilson

I’d like to welcome author Adam Wilson to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: For me it's definitely getting over the imposter syndrome. Even after all these years, it still manages to creep its way into every step along the way - from when I'm writing to when I'm trying to promote my work. It's always there getting me to second guess myself.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Working on comics I've been really lucky in collaborating with some incredible artists who really got the stories we were trying to tell. You really can't underestimate how important that is when you're working with someone.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Lately it’s been my phone. I have very little free time, so I don’t have writing sessions as much as I have the occasional extra few minutes when I can open up a Word Doc and try to write a few lines of something. In fact, most of the first draft for my upcoming book, Last of the Pops, was written on my phone while my wife and I waited for a very sleep-adverse toddler to finally fall asleep.

Things that hamper your writing: Everything on my phone. If I let myself, the Word Doc will be the last thing I think to open when I have those few free minutes.

Something you’re really good at: Figuring things out on the fly. Most of the skills I use on a regular basis are things I learned just because I didn’t have someone who could do it for me and I didn’t want to let that stop me from completing a project.

Something you’re really bad at: Time management. Even after all these years, it’s still amazing the speed at which a day can get away from me and turn to night.

Favorite music or song: I’ve never had a song stay with me long enough to consider it my favorite, but I once had a music teacher comment about my taste and say “Most people like to listen to a lot of different musical genres, you insist on all those genres being crammed into a single song.” I think that sums it up pretty well.

Music that drives you crazy: It’s not a specific type of music, but more so when songs are horribly out of place. Like there’s nothing more uncomfortable than being at a wedding and watching a bride walk down the aisle to a song about adultery, or attending a school dance and having a DJ play a song about a school shooting.

The last thing you ordered online: A special edition copy of Leaving Through The Window by Something Corporate on vinyl. It was a surprise for my wife cause we both really liked the album back in college, and she still loves listening to it. So I thought it’d make a nice addition to our collection.

The last thing you regret buying: I won’t say specifics, but there were a few books I picked up cause I remember really liking them when I was younger. It turns out they ended up being those books that were for a certain period in your life. Rereading them now, they didn't have the same appeal they once did.

Things you always put in your books: My books always tend to have some kind of musical element to them, even if it’s just songs that have provided the inspiration for what I’m writing.

Things you never put in your books: I actually don't curse a lot in my books. I know it's a weird and kind of inconsequential line in the sand to draw because I'm not doing it to be more accessible for certain ages or for any kind of moral reason. It just feels out of place when I do it.

Favorite things to do: My favorite thing is to go on adventures with my wife and son, whether it’s exploring new places, visiting their library or bookstores, watching movies, or listening to music. I tend to be a bit restless in my downtime, so I’m always up for exploring with them.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Thanks to my ADHD, that's pretty much whatever priority thing I'm supposed to be doing at any given moment.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: One time, my wife and I were doing a signing together for our respective books at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market and someone stopped in their tracks as they were passing by. They picked up a copy of my book What About Tuesday? and said “I came across this by accident last week. I didn't know what to expect, but I'm really glad I read it.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One of my books is a graphic novella so it’s designed to be on the shorter side, but I once had someone buy it at a convention, sit down next to my table, and read it. Then they requested their money back and said “This was really short, couldn’t you have written more?”

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I spent most of my teens and early twenties playing different instruments to varying degrees of competency in several bands that never really ventured outside people’s garages.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: There was a comic book series that was intended to be the followup to my first graphic novel. I spent over a year working on it and had really high hopes for it. I had about six volumes planned and was really excited about it. But the publisher ended up shelving it and by the time the rights reverted back to me, the moment passed and nothing ever came of it.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: When my wife and I first started dating, we were long distance for the first year of our relationship. I pulled a lot from that when I wrote Helium.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: My first graphic novel, Brian & Bobbi, was part superhero story and leading up to its release a lot of people assumed I wrote a version of myself with superpowers as the main character. That wasn’t the case, and when the book came out, I actually made a really conscious effort to downplay anything that might make people think that. I even went so far as to cut my hair and start dressing a little differently at appearances to look as little like the main character as possible

About Adam:

A former comic editor, Adam Wilson is one of the co-publishers of Read Furiously and an award winning comic writer, His works includes Brian & Bobbi, In the Fallout, Helium, the novella What About Tuesday, and the upcoming graphic novel Last of the Pops. He co-writes the graphic novel series The MOTHER Principle and edits the anthology series Life in the Garden State with his partner S. Atzeni.

Let’s Be Social:

Author Website

Website

Facebook

Instagram

#WriterWednesday Interview with Gretchen McCullough

I’d like to welcome Gretchen McCullough to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: To hold on to your work as long as possible before you send it out. Make sure it has been fully revised.

Easiest thing about being a writer: It feels like play, making up stories.

Something you are good at: I play a decent game of doubles. I started when I was twelve and played about four hours a day until I was eighteen.

Something you are bad at: I was a terrible math student. Driven demented by geometry in high school. I managed to pass algebra, but only after my mom hired a tutor.

Things you always put in your books: I love animals, and they usually appear in my novels and stories.

Things you never put in your books: I don’t ever remember a ghost.

Favorite books (or genre): During Covid, I read almost every single thriller by Henning Mankell, the Swedish writer. That is, until I couldn’t take any more murders.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Self-help books on getting rich.

People I’d invite to dinner: I would have loved to meet Mark Twain. Apparently, he was an incredible speaker.

Someone I’d cancel on: The commentator on El-Gezira, Marwan Bishara.

A few of your favorite things: Believe it or not, Cheetos can become scarce in Cairo. We have a huge plastic bag in the kitchen, just for hoarding Cheetos. I know they aren’t good for you, but perfect when you are reading a good book.

Things you need to throw out: We have hundreds of tajin pots from ordering stews. We have no space left in the cupboard for them.

Favorite things to do: Play pool at the Carleton Hotel in Cairo

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Filing insurance claims on the computer.

The funniest thing to happen to you: A translator wanted to translate Shahrazad’s Tooth into Hungarian. (Shahrazad’s Gift is a reprint of this book.) It was also printed at a Hungarian prison.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: During an interview in Arabic on television, I confused two letters in a word. Instead of saying interpretation, I said whistle!

The nicest thing a reader said to you: After reading your stories, I think you are half-Egyptian!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Too many characters.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: One of our neighbors in Cairo actually did throw an egg at the neighbor in the building next to us. This inspired the story, “Taken Hostage by the Ugly Duck.”

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I am maladroit and not very tech-savvy, but I am not a professor of biology, like the character in “On the Run.” I am also not a man!

About Gretchen:

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey and Japan. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999.

Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories from Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Most recently, her translation with Mohamed Metwalli of his poetry collection, A Song by the Aegean Sea was published by Laertes Press, 2022. Confessions of a Knight Errant: Drifters, Thieves and Ali Baba’s Treasure, a novel was published by Cune Press, Fall 2022. Shahrazad’s Gift, a collection of short stories, is forthcoming February 2024 by the same press.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.gretchenmcculloughfictionwriter.com 

Facebook: Gretchen Michele McCullough 

#WriterWednesday Interview with Bob Brill

I’d like to welcome Bob Brill to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: cold milk

Things you wish you’d never bought: Chevy Malibu

Hardest thing about being a writer: criticism/rejection

Easiest thing about being a writer: freedom

A few of your favorite things: baseball cards, photographs, books, collectibles

Things you need to throw out: 90-percent of my garage.

Words that describe you: stubborn, self-motivated, determined, energizer bunny, creative, diligent, hardworking, multi-tasker,

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: defensive, stubborn

Something you’re really good at: writing

Something you’re really bad at: art, drawing, painting type of art

Favorite music or song: Come Monday by Jimmy Buffet

Music that drives you crazy: Hotel California

Favorite smell: Vine ripened tomato

Something that makes you hold your nose: canned tuna

Favorite places you’ve been: Italy

Places you never want to go to again: Disneyland

Favorite books (or genre): Books about U.S. Presidents

Books you wouldn’t buy: Graphic horror novels

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Kevin Costner

People you’d cancel dinner on: The Donald

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Nelson Mandella

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Richard Chamberlain

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I couldn’t put your book down

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I couldn’t put your book down

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Film making

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: The first shooting of a Martial Arts comedy short film, which we reshot and it was 100-percent better.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Hitting a home run in Little League

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: They wonder if I created the Lancer character to be what I wanted to be in the 1880’s.

About Bob:

Bob Brill is a well known and multi-award winning journalist with a long career in radio. A major market talent currently as a news anchor/reporter at KNX News Radio in Los Angeles, he is also an author of 13 books. He has written nearly 20 screenplays and Pilots and produced four short films. His full length Documentary “Shaken; The Great Sylmar Earthquake” airs on Amazon Prime and other platforms.

Journalist: Former National Correspondent and L-A Bureau Chief UPI Radio Network, Reporter and Anchorperson for many radio stations. Was a columnist for The Examiner, UPI wire service, and published the successful The Brill Report. Writes the popular weekly column “Baseball in the 1960s.”

Author: Seven books so far in the “Lancer; Hero of the West” series, plus “The Tattoo Murder,” “Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale,” “Al Kabul, Home Grown Terrorist,” “No Barrier; How the Internet Destroyed the World Economy,” “Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60’s,. “Beating the Slump; an athletes guide to a better career.” Ten Lancer books are planned.

Podcasts & Videocasts: “Interesting People with Bob Brill,” “Major League Stripper.”

Screenwriter: Written both features and pilots as well as those targeted for screeners. Wide variety from Biopics, westerns, two pandemic related, comedies, drama, sports related including period.

Producer: Documentary “Shaken; The Great Sylmar Earthquake.” It is a one-hour documentary based on the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. Four short films including the western “Sundown,” (multi awards), “The Girl From Sweden,” which has more than 1,000,000 views on YouTube.

Radio: News anchor/reporter KNX News Radio Los Angeles.

General: An icon in the sports trading card and memorabilia industry for decades.

Let’s Be Social:

Websites:

www.bobbrillfilms.com

www.bobbrillbooks.com

www.bobbrill.com

www.baseballinthe1960s.com

AMAZON Author page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Brill/author/B00411A3MY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Bob Brill YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfToqYTs5f3lMhlCdVmJgRw

Bob Brill Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bobbrillsr

LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-brill-439411288/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interesting-people-with-bob-brill/id1364250714

TikTok: @theebobbrill

“X”: https://twitter.com/BobBrillLA

Blog: www.baseballinthe1960s.com

#WriterWednesday Interview with Mally Becker

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Mally Becker back to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: A laptop, coffee, scratch paper for notes, and fuzzy socks.

Things that distract you from writing: Good weather, good music, or an empty coffee cup.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

A rowboat-sized sailboat. It was delivered to our house in a box—unassembled.

The thing you wished you’d never bought:

After my husband finished building that small boat-in-a-box in the cellar, we discovered it was too wide too take outside through the basement door.

Favorite snacks: Anything chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Calamari.

Something you’re really good at: Baking.

Something you’re really bad at: Softball.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A dancer with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write mysteries! My Revolutionary War mysteries are available wherever books are sold, and I’m at work on a new story.

Last best thing you ate: Shrimp with green sauce and yellow rice from the Portuguese restaurant where my husband and I had our first date.

Last thing you regret eating: The (entire) giant chocolate cookie a friend brought me.

Things to say to an author: “I couldn’t go to sleep ‘til I finished your book.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I don’t read fiction. I don’t see the point. I mean, it’s not real, right?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico, Paris, Lake Placid, N.Y.

Places you never want to go to again: Middle school.

Favorite things to do: Kayak with my husband. Go to Mets games with the whole family. Visit wineries with friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: There are books in every room in our house, and I’ve promised to get rid of some. Well, a few. Maybe three. Just not today. Not tomorrow, either.

The funniest thing to happen to you: Being chased up the street by a wild turkey. (Don’t judge. They’re tall and mean!) It was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing as I sprinted away.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Being chased by a wild turkey.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Most writers don’t make a ton of money. If you don’t find writing fun, don’t torture yourself. Find another line of work.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Making up stories is even more fun than you imagine, and it’ll lead to some of the best adventures of your life. Enjoy the ride!

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Writer’s block is my subconscious sending up a warning flag, forcing me to stop when I’ve written myself into a corner but don’t yet realize it. I go for a walk or to a movie, then brainstorm alternatives to find an alternative approach to the scene that’s giving me trouble.

Things you do to avoid writing: I’ve gotten more disciplined with time, but housekeeping chores are a great way to avoid writing.

About Mally:

Mally Becker is a two-time Agatha Award-nominated author of the Revolutionary War Mysteries, which include The Turncoat's Widow, The Counterfeit Wife, and The Paris Mistress. My stories feature Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway—George Washington's two least likely spies—as they search for traitors in revolutionary-era Morristown, New York City,  Philadelphia, and Paris. I've woven fictionalized versions of real events and people into each story. I hope you enjoy Becca's and Daniel's adventures as much as I liked writing them.

​I was an attorney and volunteer advocate for foster children before becoming a full-time writer. When I'm not writing, you can find me at The Writers Circle Workshops, where I teach mystery writing, on Guns, Knives & Lipstick, the crime fiction Podcast I co-host with three fabulous female mystery writers, or online at the Historical Novel Society, where I interview other authors. I live with my husband in Somerset County, New Jersey, not too far from Morristown, where my first book is set. 

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