#WriterWednesday with Jackie Layton
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I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Jackie Layton, to the blog for #WriterWednesday.
Things you never want to run out of: I never want to run out of story ideas and time to write.
Things you wish you’d never bought: Years ago, before the birth of my second son, we traded in our sports car for a bigger car. It was a true lemon. It broke down before my son was born, and we weren’t even able to drive home with him in the new-to-us vehicle. We ended up trading it. Then another time we bought a used car. We were told it’d never been smoked in. I have allergies and that’s one of the many things I’m allergic to. We took it home, and the smoky smell soon broke through. That was our last time to buy a used car, because it just doesn’t seem to work for us. But, I’m still driving my 2007 Highlander, and I love it.
Hardest thing about being a writer: Distractions. Instead of just yearly goals, I have quarterly and weekly goals. Also, at night before I go to bed, I make a list of writing goals for the next day. If I’m scheduled to work my other job, I’ll make a simple list like check social media. But I try to always have a list.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Watching people and coming up with ideas. I may not use all the ideas, but it’s fun to consider.
Things you need for your writing sessions: Laptop, pens, notecards, Scrivener, and coffee.
Things that hamper your writing: If I’m writing in my home office, I like it to be quiet except for soft music playing in the background. When neighbors start mowing their yards, it really distracts me. I’m not sure why.
A few of your favorite things: I have two of my Grandmother Lutz’s small looms. She had some so big that they were taller than some people. She wove many things, and I learned to weave little things like placemats and scarves.
I have a pie safe that belonged to my parents. It was in the kitchen where we grew up, and instead of pies, she kept dishes in it.
Things you need to throw out: I’ve just gone through old magazines and put most of them into the recycling box. Some magazines are for research, and others are for fun, but it was time to get rid of a lot of them.
Words that describe you: A lot of people refer to me as being tall. I’m 5’10”, so they’re right, but the people in my family are tall and I tend to forget about it.
Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Shy. I really have to push myself to be outgoing.
Something you’re really good at: I’m good at listening. If people want to confide in me, I will listen. I can be trusted with secrets both good and bad.
Something you’re really bad at: I’m not very coordinated, so I’m not very good at sports. Luckily, my sons didn’t inherit that from me, and I got to watch and cheer for them when they played sports.
Favorite music or song: I enjoy all kinds of music, but country music is my favorite.
Music that drives you crazy: I don’t like music with negative messages.
Favorite smell: The smell of the beach and sunscreen makes me happy.
Something that makes you hold your nose: Skunks.
Last best thing you ate: Key lime pie.
Last thing you regret eating: Fried food makes me feel sluggish, and I usually regret eating fried fish or chicken.
The last thing you ordered online: A skinny black shelf for my husband’s office.
The last thing you regret buying: A book about the psychology of murder. It may be great, but the print is so tiny. I can’t read it.
Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk a mile for a good cup of coffee. If my family needs something, I’d even run a mile.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: If I am about to walk into a room and people are already arguing, I try to wait before entering. If I’m in a meeting and a fight breaks out, that will make me run screaming from the room.
Things you always put in your books: Dogs. I also like to add a romantic thread. At a recent conference they referred to this as Rom-cozy.
Things you never put in your books: Suicide or death of a pet.
Favorite places you’ve been: Some of my favorite vacation spots are Paris, Maine, and Rhode Island. I also love Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.
Places you never want to go to again: I’d be happy never to drive on The Capital Beltway or drive in Boston. I’d like to visit both places again, but I don’t want to drive.
Favorite books (or genre): Cozy mysteries and romances.
Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror.
People you’d like to invite to dinner: I would love to invite my author friends to dinner. It would be fun to laugh and share stories.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Without being specific, we all have people in our lives who say things to make us feel bad. I try to avoid those people.
Favorite things to do: Spend time with family and friends, especially if we can be outside at a park or beach.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Sing in front of people. I can’t carry a tune.
Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my husband.
Biggest mistake: Trusting a man to build a house for us, then he disappeared with a large chunk of our money.
The coolest person you’ve ever met: Vince Gill. He was so nice.
The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Paula Deen. She was so tiny, but her smile and voice were just like on TV. She was also very nice.
The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your characters feel like my friends.
The craziest thing a reader said to you: People in South Carolina only drink Pepsi.
Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Photography. Other people are better, but I still enjoy taking pictures.
A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Creating a book of photos. Each time I try, something goes wrong.
Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My husband teases me that many of my stories have an element related to things that happened to us. Kate Sloan, the amateur in Clutter Free, has lost hearing in one ear because of an acoustic neuroma. My husband also had an acoustic neuroma. After the tumor was removed, he lost hearing in his right ear.
Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Some people think I’m organized, but it’s not a strength of mine. I work very hard to be organized.
About Jackie:
Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories.
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Back cover blurb: Emma Justice never imagines working at the farmers market on a normal Saturday morning will lead to her second murder investigation. When two friends become suspects in the latest small-town murder, she’ll help prove they are innocent by tracking down the real killer.
Houston Turner, the successful owner of Texas BBQ Hut, is a hard man and has made many enemies in his life. Revenge, greed, and hatred are some of the motives Emma must sift through to catch the killer. Seeds of suspicion from family, friends, and employees leaves Emma digging for real clues instead of stumbling through the rocky soil of deceit and lies.
