I’d like to welcome my friend, Debra H. Goldstein, to the blog. Her latest in her Sarah Blair series launched this month.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: read, try new restaurants, get together with family and friends.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Exercise!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Show music playing.

Things that distract you from writing: A beautiful day outside my window or my husband needing his remote control fixed – again.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Discipline – there are so many distractions from simply sitting down and writing.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Meeting deadlines – I write best under pressure.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Toilet paper and ice cream.

Things you never put on your shopping list: a head of lettuce (pre-washed and made salads for me)

Favorite snacks: Pizza, ice cream, Girl Scout Thin Mint and Samoa cookies

Things that make you want to gag: Almost anything healthy, Nutella, and garlic.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Doctor.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Walk away from my judicial position to be a writer (passion!)

Things to say to an author: “I love yours books (or stories);” “You write beautifully;” “I stayed up all night reading your book. I had to know how it ended.” “Thank you.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I don’t think any of that could ever have happened.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Australia, San Francisco, China, and any theater in New York showing a Broadway musical

Places you never want to go to again: Jamaica – the country was beautiful, but the food did me in. Ended up in the hospital for a week.

Favorite things to do: Washing laundry, reading to children/grandchildren, writing, reading

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Folding laundry, making a bed, cleaning a toilet (notice the theme here… if I could afford it, I’d add cooking to the list)

Best thing you’ve ever done: Having my children

Biggest mistake: When I’m angry, I’d answer getting married, but after thirty-seven years, that is old hat, so I’ll simply say it’s a toss-up between putting the interior of the oven on fire while cooking or blowing the computer brain on the oven/stove while trying to use the automatic self-cleaning.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I’d been sitting with my mother who is in hospice, but for a few hours, while she was resting and my sister was with her, your book made me forget what was going on.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “You’ve got everything wrong!” – of course, the book was set in 1970, but the change in the road he was talking about didn’t occur until 1971.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Every day is different, but there is something thrilling when I realize people like my writing (and occasionally my works are nominated for awards).

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Start sooner. I waited until I’d already established myself in other careers and in my family life to follow my dream.

Four Cuts Too Many

Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in her friend’s culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama . . .

Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister’s restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life’s finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she’s considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah’s more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal.

Although she wouldn’t mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef’s position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah’s business rival—and her late ex-husband’s lover. But Grace’s future lands in hot water when the school’s director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend’s name, there’s no time to mince words. Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer . . .

Includes quick and easy recipes!

Let’s Be Social:

Website – www.DebraHGoldstein.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/

Twitter - @DebraHGoldstein

Instagram – debrahgoldstein

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debra-h-goldstein

Book LInks:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Cuts-Sarah-Blair-Mystery/dp/1496732219

Barnes & Noble: Four Cuts Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

About Debra:

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series. Her short stories and novels have been Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Silver Falchion finalists. Debra is on the national board of MWA and is president of SEMWA. She previously was on SinC’s national board and was the Guppy Chapter president.

I would like to welcome author, Debra H. Goldstein, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: I like dark chocolate, quiet time to read, and hanging with family and friends.

Things you need to throw out: Three dressy dresses I bought six years and twenty less pounds ago.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A comfortable chair and show music blaring.

Things that hamper your writing: My husband, who recently retired, being home during my writing time – he keeps the TV louder than my show music.

Things you love about writing: I love the creative process.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the creative process.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing is not letting distractions keep me from sitting and writing.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas.

Favorite foods: I love pizza, ice cream, and dark chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Cottage cheese and tuna fish.

Favorite music or song: Show tunes – I love Broadway shows.

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy metal music drives me crazy.

Favorite beverage: Coca-cola
Something that gives you a sour face: Water

Favorite smell: The fragrance of roses (especially yellow ones simply because I like the look of them)
Something that makes you hold your nose: My husband’s gym clothing after he’s exercised.

The last thing you ordered online: A copy of Damned if you Do Damned if you Don’t by Marjorie K. Osterman

The last thing you regret buying: a hand scale from Magellan’s to weigh luggage

Things you always put in your books: Humor
Things you never put in your books: My family

Favorite places you’ve been: Barcelona, San Francisco, and New York
Places you never want to go to again: Underground in a coal mine where the seam is only three feet high.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with family and friends; going out to eat; reading; and writing.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cooking --- my Sarah Blair character comes by her fear of cooking from scratch naturally

About Debra:

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two Bites Too Many). She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. Debra serves on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and is president of the Southeast Chapter of MWA and past president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraHGoldstein.com .