#WriterWednesday Interview with Tina deBellegarde

I’d like to welcome author, Tina deBellegarde, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Self-promotion. It’s so hard to say to a world full of great writing, Look at me, I’m an author, read me!

Easiest thing about being a writer: When the story and the characters take over. It fascinates me every time and it’s my favorite part of writing. I feel like I’m channeling.

Words that describe you: energetic, optimistic, compulsive problem-solver

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Short, worrier, insomniac, chatterbox (while also being an introvert)

Favorite foods: Croissants, lemon ice-cream, gnocchi, pizza on the grill, fresh fruit of any kind

Things that make you want to gag: Peach fuzz. It’s making me pucker just writing it.

Favorite music or song: Bossa Nova – It relaxes me under any conditions. I cook to it, I write to it, I clean to it.

Music that drives you crazy: Harpsichord

Favorite beverage: Daytime: Coffee, coffee, coffee. Evening: Bourbon

Something that gives you a sour face: Kiwi, love them and yet…

Something you wish you could do: Sing. My sister has a beautiful voice. Me, not so much. I grew up in a household where my dad sang or whistled all the time. My parents often played music at dinner and my dad would stop his meal to take me, my mom or my sister for a twirl around the kitchen. I could dance, but I couldn’t sing.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: File taxes and decipher legal documents.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Lemon ice-cream. A ride in a hot air balloon.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Snakes

Things you always put in your books: Music always seems to make it into my stories.

Things you never put in your books: Sex

Things to say to an author: Stick with it.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Do it my way.

Favorite things to do: Writing, cooking, baking, binging old films, sitting in front of a fireplace reading, sitting by the ocean reading, sitting under a tree reading…talking to my husband and son about books and films.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Public Speaking

Most embarrassing moment: Playing Betsy Ross in the school play next to my second grade crush Patrick Henry.

Proudest moment: Seeing my son Alessandro off to live in Japan the day after he graduated. I thought he was so courageous and adventurous to just pick up and do that. I was so sad, but I never shed a tear until the plane took off. Sad or not, I was so proud of him. Ten years later he is still there.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Take hot air balloon piloting lessons

Something you chickened out from doing: Karaoke. Did I mention I can’t sing?

The coolest person you’ve ever met: A serenading monk at the Daisen-In Zen Temple in Kyoto. When he learned I was from New York, he sang My Way for me.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I once passed Mary Tyler Moore on the street walking her dog. She was so completely covered with a scarf, hat and huge dark glasses that I never noticed her. My friend, who was MTM’s neighbor, told me after the fact.

About Tina:

Tina deBellegarde lives in Catskill, New York with her husband Denis and their cat Shelby. Winter Witness is the first book in the Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series. Tina also writes short stories and flash fiction. When she isn’t writing, Tina is helping Denis tend their beehives, harvest shiitake mushrooms, and cultivate their vegetable garden. She travels to Japan regularly to visit her son Alessandro. Tina did her graduate studies in history. She is a former exporter, paralegal, teacher, and library clerk. Visit her website for more information and purchase links: www.tinadebellegarde.com

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Tammy Euliano

I’d like to welcome mystery author, Tammy Euliano, to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My dogs underfoot – they keep me company and entertained Things that hamper your writing: My dogs underfoot – they want to be entertained (“the ball’s not going to throw itself ya know”)

Things you love about writing: When I get in the flow and the characters seem to know where they’re going and it all makes sense and the words rush onto the page…wait, that wasn’t me, just kidding.

Things you hate about writing: That the above doesn’t happen more often. Also, unlike my day-job, there’s no metric to know whether I’m doing it “right.” In fact, there is no “right.” It’s so non-quantitative and therefore different from my day job and therefore also something I love about writing.

Favorite beverage: Diet Mountain Dew Something that gives you a sour face:

Coffee or tea…or alcohol unfortunately. My mom always said I’d be a better mother if I’d learn to drink wine in the evenings.

Something you’re really good at: staying dedicated to an exercise plan – every morning at 6am. Something you’re really bad at: staying dedicated to an eating plan – every morning at 7am, and 8am, and 9:30am, and…hey wait, I’m hungry.

Something you wish you could do: play tennis with a decent forehand

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: play racquetball because now I stand too close to the tennis ball, expecting the shorter racket…or maybe, just possibly, having played racquetball briefly 40 years ago is only an excuse…naaahhh

Last best thing you ate: Captain Jack’s ice cream dessert at Ale House

Last thing you regret eating: Any ice cream that wasn’t part of Captain Jack’s

Things you always put in your books: a wonderful dog

Things you never put in your books: sex, at least so far, but my husband says I need to…but I don’t think he knows what he’s suggesting…ugh

Things to say to an author: I loved your book, loved your characters, loved everything about it.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I liked your book, but you should have …

Favorite places you’ve been: Banff, Canada; Swiss alps; Galapagos; Costa Rica; most anywhere hiking or skiing with friends or family

Places you never want to go to again: Haiti, anywhere with A-- wait, did you say people might read this? Just Haiti

Favorite books (or genre): Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache series!!! And of course Harry Potter which I read aloud to my whole family on the sectional couch.

Books you wouldn’t buy: anything meant to spur hatred and dissension without presenting a balanced opinion. Yeah, rules out most of the non-fiction section.

Things that make you happy: Time spent with family, friends, dogs, outdoors, mountains, beaches, playing sports, games, sunrises and sunsets, Gator sports

Things that drive you crazy: traffic; other people “sharing” their music at volume on the road (mine of course is universally loved); people, especially medical trainees, who don’t recognize the responsibility that goes with opportunity.

About Tammy

Tammy Euliano writes medical thrillers inspired by her day job as a physician, researcher and medical educator.  She is a tenured professor at the University of Florida, where she's been honored with numerous teaching awards, nearly 100,000 views of her YouTube teaching videos, and was featured in a calendar of women inventors (copies available wherever you buy your out-of-date calendars). At home, she plays games or sports with her family, cuddles her dogs, reads, and writes medical thrillers. Her debut novel, “Fatal Intent,” will be published by Oceanview in March, 2021. 

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Ellen Byron

I’d like to welcome one of my favorite mystery authors, Ellen Bryon, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Books, my needlepoint projects, my doggy.

Things you need to throw out: So much I can’t even list it all! Our house could be on an episode of Hoarders.

Things you need for your writing sessions: my computer – desk or laptop; a printout of my notes; a Papermate Sharpwriter pencil.

Things that hamper your writing: the internet.

Things you love about writing: coming up with a great plot twist, a wonderful image, or a clever joke. Things you hate about writing: those moments or hours when none of the things mentioned above are coming to me.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Just doing it.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Pretending that “research” counts as writing!

Things you never want to run out of: Ideas.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Any item of clothing that didn’t fit when I bought it, but I bought anyway because it would fit when I “lost weight.”

Words that describe you: driven, generous, creative, funny.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: stubborn, obsessive, impatient, competitive.

Favorite foods: Pizza, spaghetti, sushi, cake, See’s chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Cilantro and anything coffee-flavored. Even See’s. If I bite into a piece of chocolate and it’s coffee-flavored, I not only spit it out, I rinse my mouth. I even hate coffee ice cream, which even non-coffee lovers seem to like.

Favorite music or song: “Get Down Tonight,” by KC and the Sunshine Band. I think it’s the best pop song ever written and no one will ever convince me otherwise. I live for all songs KC! My favorite band EVER. Music that drives you crazy: Slide guitar. It’s like nails on a chalk board to me.

Favorite beverage: Tea.

Something that gives you a sour face: Root beer. Blecch. And have I mentioned I hate coffee?

Favorite smell: roses.

Something that makes you hold your nose: garlic.

Something you wish you could do: go en pointe in ballet. Not having achieved this is one of my biggest regrets.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Needlepoint. It’s a very pricey hobby. But I do love it and it relaxes me.

Things you always put in your books: recipes, even though I’m not much of a cook.

Things you never put in your books: dead children or animals.

Favorite things to do: Write, dance, read, and needlepoint.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Clean. Some people clean to procrastinate from writing. I write to procrastinate from cleaning!

Most embarrassing moment: In high school, I played Duke Vincentio in an all-female production of Measure for Measure. The kid doing a costume change for me forgot to put out the pants for my costume, so I had to go onstage in just my tights. Thank God I at least had those on!

Proudest moment: Winning the Agatha Award for Mardi Gras Murder.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Have our daughter. Although there are days when both of us might not agree about this!

Biggest mistake: Turning down an overall deal from a studio that would have forced my then-TV writing partner and I to work on a show we didn’t like. In the end, we should have sucked it up and worked on the show because the deal would have had better long-term effects on our career.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Martha Stewart, who I worked for as a cater-waiter when she was just starting out. You’ll find me standing next to Martha in a photo on page 29 of early editions of her first book, Entertaining.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I’ve either written for or interviewed a ton of celebrities and honestly, they all looked like their photos. Sometimes they even look better, as in the case of a certain actress with the initials LL who was caught up in the college admissions scandal. I met with her on a possible project years ago and she was even prettier in person.

About Ellen:

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Her new Catering Hall Mystery series, written as Maria DiRico, launched with Here Comes the Body, and was inspired by her real life. Her pen name was the maiden name of her late nonna, Maria DiVirgilio, a long-time Astoria resident. Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like WINGS, JUST SHOOT ME, and FAIRLY ODD PARENTS. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart.

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Marilyn Levinson (Allison Brook)

I’d like to welcome Marilyn Levinson/Allison Brook to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday. I am having so much fun reading her Haunted Library series.

A few of your favorite things: my books—read and unread, chocolate bark, mystery series in any format, dining out, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, visiting other countries

Things you need to throw out: Clothing I haven't worn in three years, linens I no longer use, kitchen utensils I no longer use

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer, of course; my movable bumpy footrest, good lighting, silence

Things that hamper your writing: The zing of an incoming email, noise.

Things you love about writing: Typing away when it flows; finishing the book; getting emails and messages that someone's just read one of my books and loved it, communicating with my fellow writers and with readers.

Things you hate about writing: When the words don't flow

Hardest thing about being a writer: Your work is never done—there's always another book, more promotion to work on

Easiest thing about being a writer: Your workplace is in your home. Your world involving your Work In Progress; communicating with readers and other writers; your agent and publisher; and information and research are all at your fingertips.

Things you never want to run out of: ideas, books, British mystery shows, book contracts

Things you wish you’d never bought: a George Foreman rotisserie, a very large and complicated Cuisinart Food Processor

Favorite foods: pasta, Indian food, ice cream, honeyed nuts, cheese

Things that make you want to gag: drinking milk

Favorite beverage: white wine

Something that gives you a sour face: lemonade without sugar

Something you’re really good at: knitting, Sudoku, teaching

Something you’re really bad at: using crutches, adding things to my website

Things you always put in your books: relationships, secrets

Things you never put in your books: erotica, death of a child

Favorite places you’ve been: South of France, Machu Picchu, Paris, England

Places you never want to go to again: some small islands in the Caribbean

Favorite books (or genre): mysteries, good literature

Books you wouldn’t buy: erotica,

Things that make you happy: Seeing my grandchildren, getting good reviews, watching a good movie

Things that drive you crazy: parents who let their children run wild in public; unnecessary horn blowing

About Marilyn:

"I was a bookworm from the moment I learned how to read. I devoured Nancy Drews, Judy Boltons, and Trixie Beldons – sometimes two books in one day. Was it any wonder I ended up writing mysteries?

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I dreamed of becoming a ballerina or a writer. I practiced my pirouettes and penned short stories. My family moved to Long Island, where I continued to write stories until I was discouraged by a high school English teacher. Turned off to writing, I continued to read voraciously in college and concentrated on my major, Spanish. I studied in Mexico and Spain, intent on becoming fluent in the language. I taught high school Spanish, married my dentist husband, and we started a family. When our two sons were small, I found myself drawn back to writing fiction.

A writer is a writer forever. We may have more than our share of disappointments, but the rewards are many – knowing you bring joy to readers; sharing the camaraderie and support of your fellow scribes. Writing is a way of life, one I wouldn’t relinquish for anything."

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Help Marilyn celebrate her new book at her Facebook Party on September 10 from 7-10 PM EDT.

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Jodi Rath

I’d like to welcome mystery author, Jodi Rath, back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: My husband, cats, books, my murder board, all my screens (phone, tablet, monitor, and surface pro), kickboxing bag, yoga mat, cast iron skillets, my business.

Things you need to throw out: hmmm….some would say books BUT NO WAY! LOL Probably shoes and clothes—I have too much!

Things you need for your writing sessions: murder board (which is really a whiteboard), yarn to map out the plot on murder board, pictures—visuals of places in my fictional village Leavensport, OH, my style sheet or chart of characters, plot points, and settings to keep everything in order, computer, paper, pen, pencil, books for research, my cats, cup of hot or cold tea and dumdum suckers while I work.

Things that hamper your writing: social media—HA!

Things you love about writing: Everything!

Things you hate about writing: Nothing!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Probably the second and third drafts before finalizing for publishing Easiest thing about being a writer: Planning, plotting, first draft.

Words that describe you: feisty, sassy, determined, motivated, grit

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: a bit obsessive-compulsive, perfectionist, control-freak

Favorite foods: most anything in cast iron skillet

Things that make you want to gag: oysters

Favorite music or song: 60’s and 80’s music mainly—but I love most music

Music that drives you crazy: country

Favorite smell: pumpkin/cinnamon spice

Something that makes you hold your nose: skunk smell Things you’d walk a mile for: chocolate or really good New York style pizza

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Snakes or alligators

Things you always put in your books: cats and characters that are similar to my family and friends and my frenemies over the ages

Things you never put in your books: abuse of animals

Things to say to an author: “I’m a fan.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Write faster or Can I get it for free?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Home

Places you never want to go to again: Most anywhere other than home!

Favorite books (or genre): Mystery

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not into fantasy.

Things that make you happy: My husband, my cats, my business which is a lot of research, writing, and art.

Things that drive you crazy: Hypocrite, liars, manipulators

Best thing you’ve ever done: marrying my husband and our cat family

Biggest mistake: don’t believe in them. I’ve done a lot wrong, but I learn from it—so therefore, how much of a mistake can it be. That’s the educator in me talking.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: race car driving in CA at Laguna Seca

Something you chickened out from doing: I got my brown belt in kickboxing—one away from black and never got the black belt.

About Jodi:

Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her nine cats.

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Debra Goldstein

I’d like to welcome back mystery author, Debra H. Goldstein, to #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Reading, watching TV, spending time with friends

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Cooking – any meal.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: My computer and easy access to the kitchen for snacks.

Things that distract you from writing: My husband, Joel – he always wants to be entertained.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Making myself sit down and write. I’m not a person who schedules times and word counts.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The pure joy when words are flowing

Favorite snacks: Almond Toastees, sushi

Things that make you want to gag: lobster

Favorite smell: The powdered sweet smell of a newly bathed baby

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

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Exercise (but I try not to glisten)

Something you wish you could do: Be with family and friends without social distancing

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Cook even minimally

Things you always put in your books: Fun – humor

Things you never put in your books: Lies that manipulate the reader

Things to say to an author: “I love your book.” “I love your writing style.” “I gave all my friends and family a copy of your book for Christmas.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “You look older than I thought you were.”

Favorite things to do: Go to a Broadway musical. Ever since I was taken to my first show at the age of four, when the lights go down and the first notes of music begin, I feel a tingle of excited electricity go through me.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Camping. The outdoors and I are not best buds…. Those bugs would probably eat me if given half a chance.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Walking away from my lifetime judicial appointment to follow my passion to write.

Biggest mistake: When a friend and I invited a guy I thought was cute for dinner in an hour. My friend and I then went up to our apartment to defrost the chicken we planned to serve. Needless to say, I never saw him again after we served him a wing we’d hacked off the still frozen bird, despite our best efforts to cook it, and he remarked, “My, this is a bit rare.”

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Thank you. You helped me forget what was really going on in my life for a little while.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “That couldn’t possibly happen.” --- It was at a university book club and before I could answer, another woman whipped out two pieces of paper and said, “I knew someone would say that so I googled how many times it has happened in the last five years.” (the irony was it had happened on the original woman’s own campus six months earlier).

About Debra and Her New Book:

When a romantic rival opens a competing restaurant in small-town Wheaton, Alabama, Sarah Blair discovers murder is the specialty of the house . . . 
 
For someone whose greatest culinary skill is ordering takeout, Sarah never expected to be co-owner of a restaurant. Even her Siamese cat, RahRah, seems to be looking at her differently. But while Sarah and her twin sister, Chef Emily, are tangled up in red tape waiting for the building inspector to get around to them, an attention-stealing new establishment—run by none other than Sarah's late ex-husband's mistress, Jane—is having its grand opening across the street. 
 
Jane's new sous chef, Riley Miller, is the talk of Wheaton with her delicious vegan specialties. When Riley is found dead outside the restaurant with Sarah's friend, Jacob, kneeling over her, the former line cook—whose infatuation with Riley was no secret—becomes the prime suspect. Now Sarah must turn up the heat on the real culprit, who has no reservations about committing cold-blooded murder . . .
 
 Includes quick and easy recipes!

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, One Taste Too Many). She also authored Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, which have been named Agatha, Anthony, Derringer finalists, 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 SEMWA and past president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraHGoldstein.com

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Melissa Face

I’d like to welcome Melissa Face to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday. Melissa’s new book, I Love You More Than Coffee is coming out soon.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Laptop, coffee, paper, and pen. Even if I am typing a draft, I still handwrite from time to time as ideas pop in my head.

Things that hamper your writing: Knowing that there are other chores that I need to be doing in order to focus. But sometimes I create other projects even though I’m “supposed” to be writing.

Things you love about writing: I love deadlines because they keep me focused and motivated.

Things you hate about writing: I also hate deadlines because they cause stress and anxiety!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Not having as much time to write as I need.

Easiest thing about being a writer: I have material everywhere, and I keep an ongoing list of ideas. Sometimes ideas come to me in the middle of the night, and I wake up and type them into my notes on my phone. And then I can’t fall asleep for a while. So maybe that’s also the worst thing?? A lot of my writing life can be classified as great and terrible.

Things you never want to run out of: I never want to run out of coffee, chocolate, ideas, or time.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I wish I’d never bought a pair of jeans that were a size too small with the plan of fitting into them. They’re still in my closet. I need to let them go.

Words that describe you: Fun, witty, strong, confident, blunt, opinionated, motivated

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

Favorite foods: Salad, pizza, eggplant parmesan, Brussels sprouts, chocolate. Have I mentioned chocolate?

Things that make you want to gag: Meat that isn’t well done

Favorite music or song: Look at Miss Ohio, by Gillian Welch

Music that drives you crazy: Current country music (I like older country artists)

Favorite beverage: Coffee

Something that gives you a sour face: Root Beer

The last thing you ordered online: a Pusheen coffee mug. My daughter is obsessed with Pusheen the cat. As it turns out, he’s pretty great, and this is now my favorite mug.

The last thing you regret buying: A dress that fits me like a tent. It was so cute on the model.

Things you always put in your books: Funny things my children have said or done

Things you never put in your books: Things that I know will embarrass them when they are older or stories that are simply too personal

Things to say to an author: I’m enjoying your book, I related to the part when…

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: How many copies have you sold?

The funniest thing to happen to you: A seagull crapped on my shoulder when I was walking to a waterfront restaurant in Charleston, SC.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Not confirming the spelling of someone’s name when I was working as a reporter for the Myrtle Beach Herald. The wrong name was published, and the gentleman was livid.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Jakob Dylan (Bob Dylan’s son)

The nicest thing a reader said to you: The nicest thing was a recent question from someone who bought my book. She asked me to please tell her when my next one is out.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Since I have been contributing to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series for years, my bio has been published in editions all over the world. As a result, I have received many interesting requests from readers who want me to help them with various aspects of their lives. Not always writing related! Still, the strangest most recent thing I have been asked recently is how I plan to compete with websites that are free. She was an attendee at one of my events!

About Melissa:

Melissa Face is the author of I Love You More Than Coffee, an essay collection for parents who love coffee a lot and their kids...a little more. Her essays and articles have appeared in Richmond Family Magazine, Tidewater Family Magazine, Scary Mommy, and twenty-one volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Read more at melissaface.com.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kat Jorgensen

I’d like to welcome author Kat Jorgensen to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Absolute quiet! My laptop. And my mystery wheel for plotting and keeping me on track.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise. My sweet cats tussling and running through the house chasing one another. My mind when it’s working overtime and too busy. Hunger or thirst.

Things you love about writing: The satisfaction of creating. Getting to know my characters. And typing “the end.”

Things you hate about writing: Writer’s block. The blank page – especially when starting a new project. When your characters don’t follow the plot and go rogue on you.

Words that describe you: Kind, loyal, trustworthy, responsible, smart, good sense of humor.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Somewhat disorganized. Overweight (yuck), and out of shape.

Favorite music or song: Classic rock and alternative music.

Music that drives you crazy: I like just about all music, but rap and opera are my least favorites.

Something you’re really good at: Knitting. I’d say I was an advanced knitter.

Something you’re really bad at: Staying on budget sometimes and resisting a really good sale.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Family or friends if they needed me.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Arguments or loud voices. I love a peaceful and tranquil environment.

Things you always put in your books: Cats, especially a black or tuxedo cat. And some levity or humor. Things you never put in your books: Gratuitous violence or abuse of any sort.

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries, Thrillers. General fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Book about vampires or anything where animals are abused or killed off

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Friends and family – they make the best guests.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Politicians!

Things that make you happy: Spending time with the people I love. Sunny days and blue skies. The beach. Things that drive you crazy: Taxes.

Most embarrassing moment: I have so many to choose from. But one sticks out in a long line of embarrassing moments. The afternoon I closed on a house. I was downtown. It was raining. Hard. I slipped and fell crossing 9th and Main Streets wearing a white dress and carrying a congratulatory bottle of wine. Landed in the gutter with yucky water all over my dress and legs. Didn’t break the bottle of wine. But I couldn’t get up because I was laughing so hard due to a bad case of nervous laughter. A kind gentleman helped me to my feet. That memory is etched in my memory banks.

Proudest moment: Seeing my children succeed in life.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Fall in love and marry my second husband. He was a great guy and I’m so lucky to have had the years together with him. Sadly, he passed away in 2012 after a very brief illness. Biggest mistake: Marrying the first husband. It was a disastrous marriage, and we were both better off when we divorced.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: It doesn’t sound like a daring adventure, but it was. Going up in the St. Louis Arch. I’m very claustrophobic. My husband didn’t enjoy heights. He knew how much I wanted to go to the top of the Arch. While I was in the Ladies’ Room, he got our tickets and answered the questions about claustrophobia and heights. Without my knowledge. He told them we were fine with both! No, not so much. Those little pods to the top are tight, confined spaces. But I did it, and so did he. And we had a good time. But had I known ahead of time, how we’d have to travel to the top, I wouldn’t have done it.

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That I made then laugh and smile while reading my book.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Why not write romances instead of killing off people in books? I enjoy my murder mysteries and they do have some romantic moments. But I am just not cut out to write straight romance. I’ll stick to mysteries.

About Kat:

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Kat still lives in River City.  Her handsome black cats, Sam and Milo, amuse her and keep her company.  You can reach Kat through her website at https://katjorgensenauthor.com.

Your Eight O’clock is Dead

Becca Reynolds is having a bad day. Her grandfather’s lecture (#405: Eat a Healthy Diet or Die Not Trying) makes her late for her job at Daley & Palmer, the psychiatric group where she works as office manager – her title not theirs. But she knows her day has taken a really bad turn when she finds the firm’s eight o’clock patient dead with Dr. Daley’s letter opener opening the patient instead of the mail.

With the fledgling firm in danger of an early demise, Becca appoints herself the unofficial investigator since the police seem to be looking in all the wrong places.

The case takes Becca from the sordid depths of the Russian mafia to the upscale West End of Richmond, Virginia (known locally as River City), and even to her own back yard. In the course of the investigation, she finds herself in hot water, hot danger, and with dreams of hot men.

Let’s Be Social:

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