#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Anna St. John

I’d like to welcome Anna St. John to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

I like books, turtles, Madeline dolls and the beach.

Things I need to throw out:

Anything that’s been hanging in my closet more than five years, and half of my cookbooks.

Things I love about writing: When the characters take control of the scene and dictate their own dialogue. When the plot falls into place. When the first printed samples arrive at my door.

Things I hate about writing: When I write myself into a box and must figure a way out.

Favorite foods: My mother’s potato soup, ice cream, and anything chocolate.

Things that make me want to gag: I’m not a fan of turnips.

Favorite music or song: Jim Brickman piano music for writing. Sixties music for dancing. Country music for fun.

Music that drives me crazy: Anything with lyrics that are too fast to understand, or too rude to repeat in front of my grandchildren.

Favorite smell: Fresh-cut grass or blooming lilacs. Both take me back to my childhood.

Something that makes me hold my nose: The pungent odor of skunk spray on a wet dog. (Don’t ask me how I know this.)

Things you’d walk a mile for: My Old English Sheepdog, Oliver. (We do this almost every day.) I’d also walk a mile for a hug from either of my grandchildren.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Waiting “on hold” for customer support people.

Things you always put in your books: Strong, smart women. Small town charm. A few names of real people. Recipes.

Things you never put in your books: Profanity. Explicit sex scenes. Violence (Except for the murder.)

Things to say to an author: I love your writing and always write a five-star review. I can’t wait for your next book. Will you autograph this for me?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I hate to read. It must be nice to get paid for doing something that easy. Are you rich?

Favorite places you’ve been:

This is a hard one, but my top five cities would include: Amsterdam, Budapest, Oxford, Prague and Venice. Top five countries: Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Thailand.

Places you never want to go to again: A cave we visited near the floating villages In Phang Nga Bay, not far from Phuket, Thailand. I had an anxiety attack when I learned we had to wade through knee-high water and duck under the low-ceilinged cave to get through a narrow passageway. I hyperventilated and chickened out.

Favorite things to do: Write, travel, spend time with my grandchildren.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Serve on a committee where the meetings drone on for hours.

Things that make you happy: I love to drive my little red convertible. It’s a Triumph Herald that my dad bought new in 1965. When I sit behind the wheel, I feel like I’m sixteen again.

Things that drive you crazy: Rude customer service. People who are intentionally unkind to others.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Signed with my agent Cindy Bullard, at Birch Literary. She is amazing.

Biggest mistake: Waiting too long to get started as an author.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I emceed a prayer breakfast with 600 in attendance. When it was time for the closing song, I introduced former Dixie Chick singer Robin Macy. As I handed her the microphone to walk off-stage, she wrapped her arm around me and pulled me closer. “Sing with me,” she said. (Note: I am not a singer.) I tried to escape, but she kept a strong grasp on my arm, and I gave up the struggle. Fortunately, the song was a familiar one. The entire audience rose to their feet and raised their voices “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” From that moment on, I claimed that I’d sung a duet on stage with a Dixie Chick—to a standing ovation.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: After I completed chemo treatments, a friend took me to lunch to celebrate. A mutual business associate approached our table. Although he and I had worked together on several projects, the man ignored me and spoke only to my friend. I smiled and said, “It’s good to see you again.” He did a double-take and stammered. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you without your hair.”

The coolest person you’ve ever met: My sorority friend, Magi Watson. She lived to be 102, and never worried about anything. She said worry was a waste of time. “Either fix what’s bothering you, or let it go.” It was great advice.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Susan Dey, most known for her roles on The Partridge Family and LA Law. She looked reserved and glamorous in pictures. Working with our ad agency on a nonprofit video, Susan was warm and funny, with a huge heart for kids.

Josie Posey, a mature yet ever-feisty big city crime reporter turned crime solver, has officially retired to a small, touristy town in middle America where she and her posse of friends “unofficially” have their noses in everything.

Josie loves her new life, but a weekly game of mahjong isn’t enough: she itches to get back into the action. She gets more than she bargained for when The Village Gazette asks her to interview their local celebrity, a former NYC prima ballerina.

Then, the ballerina’s husband is discovered dead -- face down in the couple’s beloved field of flowers. Now, Josie has the inside track on solving the murder, with her quirky Mahjong Mavens as useful sidekicks.

And if a killer in their midst wasn’t enough distraction, Josie’s matchmaking friends are pushing her to date again—particularly, to pursue an attraction toward a certain local blacksmith, with whom sparks fly.

About Anna:

Anna St. John is a former newspaper journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter, and ad agency owner. She lives in a small Kansas town with a working blacksmith shop, much like the one in this story.

Anna is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Kansas Authors Club and the National Mah Jongg League.

Let’s Be Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozyauthor/

Website: https://www.anna-stjohn.com/

Twitter: @AuthorStJohn

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Michelle Hillen Klump

I’m so excited to welcome Michelle Hillen Klump to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: I love chai tea, old books, fat cats, wildflowers, chocolate, my family, newspapers and my Kitchen-Aid mixer.

Things you need to throw out: I need to throw out the five pairs of old running shoes collecting dust at the back of my closet.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need a comfy couch, my laptop computer and my cat for company.

Things that hamper your writing: I can’t listen to music, television or any other sounds while I’m trying to write.

Things you love about writing: I love coming up with an inventive solution to a plot problem, and playing around with language to make a piece more lyrical or descriptive.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the process of trying to start writing when I am feeling particularly stuck. I try to write at least 500 words a day, and if I’m stuck on something, that can feel like torture.

Favorite foods: Anything Tex-Mex, fruits of all kinds, pasta and chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Olives and hardboiled eggs.

Favorite smell: The combination of mint and rosemary.

Something that makes you hold your nose: fish fertilizer – my garden loves it, but the smell is so awful!

Something you’re really good at: I am pretty great at Scrabble and Upwards. My family groans when I ask to play!

Something you’re really bad at: I am so bad at decorating baked goods. I’m pretty sure I would fit right in on the Netflix show Nailed It.

Favorite things to do: I love reading, swimming, biking, baking, writing, traveling, hanging out with my kid and husband.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: While I generally enjoy cooking, I hate the weekly task of planning out dinner menus with the fire of a thousand suns! I get so tired of trying to figure out new recipes to make, and how to throw in healthier options among all the family favorites.

Things to say to an author: I loved your book! I left a review for you on Amazon! I requested your book at the library!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Would I have ever heard of you or your book? Anyone can write and publish a book these days.

Words that describe you: Kind, smart, driven, creative.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Stubborn, shy, tired, impatient.

Things you always put in your books: I always include strong, capable women who aren’t afraid to ask for help, but who also aren’t afraid to find their own way when necessary.

Things you never put in your books: While it is hard to avoid any violence in a murder mystery, I don’t like gratuitous violence or graphic depictions of violence, and don’t put those in my books.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I try to walk at least a couple of miles a day, so I’m pretty willing to walk a mile for just about anything. But I would walk an extra mile for an interesting ice cream shop or a really cool craft cocktail bar or speakeasy.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Roaches and the Baby Shark song.

About Michelle:

Michelle Hillen Klump is a former newspaper reporter who covered government, courts and crime throughout Arkansas and Central Texas. Now living in Houston with her husband and daughter, she is still a working journalist and is also a member of Sisters in Crime. Her short fiction has appeared in Crimson Streets and Tales of Texas, Volume II, a Houston short story anthology. MURDER SERVED NEAT is her second novel.

Let’s Be Social:

My webpage: https://michelleklump.com/

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMichelleKlump 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mh_klump

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.h.klump/?hl=en

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21600853.Michelle_Hillen_Klump

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jacob Sahms

I’d like to welcome the very inspiring author and speaker (and fellow UR Spider fan) Rev. Jacob Sahms to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you love about writing: self-expression, ability to touch someone else’s heart

Things you hate about writing: deadlines, editing myself

Hardest thing about being a writer: criticism

Easiest thing about being a writer: content

Favorite music or song: Christian rap

Music that drives you crazy: techno

Something you’re really good at: coaching sports

Something you’re really bad at: assembling furniture

Something you wish you could do: play the guitar

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: drive a church bus

Something you like to do: go to the beach

Something you wish you’d never done: climb on a roof

Things you’d walk a mile for: family, a sporting event, ice cream

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: politics, extreme opinions, cruelty

Favorite places you’ve been: Boston, MA; the beach (anywhere); home

Places you never want to go to again: Kentucky; St. Louis, MO

Favorite books (or genre): thrillers

Books you wouldn’t buy: diet guides

Favorite things to do: play sports or board games, watch sports live or on TV, read a book

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

Things that make you happy: time with my family, reading, building LEGO sets, playing sports

Things that drive you crazy: bullying, lack of respect, judgmental attitudes, my own mistakes

Most embarrassing moment: Playing the piano in church without practicing

Proudest moment: Watching my children succeed

About Jacob:

Rev. Jacob Sahms (or just Jacob to everyone he meets) is a son, husband, dad, coach, pastor, and film critic. Originally from Rhode Island, he and his wife Joanne met at the University of Richmond, where he later served as a campus minister and then associate chaplain, before being appointed to local churches in central Virginia through the United Methodist Church. He helped found ScreenFish.net, a site that looks at media from a Christian perspective, and has written for HollywoodJesus.com, Dove.org, and others, interviewing creators of popular media for film and television, including David Oyelowo, Kurt Russell, and Dude Perfect. While that all sounds reasonably similar, he has also flipped burgers at McDonalds, offered advice as a fantasy football guru for an app, made drinks and desserts as a barista, saved lives as a lifeguard, taught English at a junior college, and provided various unmentionable services for local water and sewer. Now, outside of pastoring a church, he coaches his sons in soccer for the Richmond Kickers, where he received the distinction of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association’s Boys Recreational Coach of the Year for 2021-22. When time allows, he’s rooting avidly for the Duke Blue Devils, Boston Red Sox, and Richmond Spiders.

Let’s Be Social:
https://www.facebook.com/jacob.sahms

https://twitter.com/Spider_Raven

https://www.instagram.com/jacobsahms/

#ThisorThatThursday - Throwback to Summer Edition with Melanie P. Smith

We’re in the throes of winter here in the northern hemisphere, so my guest today, Melanie P. Smith, is going to give us a little taste of summer with her #ThisorThatThursday interview.

A few of your favorite summer traditions:

Camping in the wilderness, playing softball, horseback riding, motorcycle trips.

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again:

Visit Zion National Park in July — the temps reached 112°F that summer and I’m pretty sure we suffered heat exhaustion.

Favorite summer treat:

Orange Julius and cold lemonade

A summer treat that makes you gag:

Hot dogs

Funniest summer story:

My grandmother owned a small mountain lot in a nearby canyon. She insisted the entire family had to get together at the lot to have a picnic every 4th of July. One year we experienced a summer downpour, but she wouldn’t cancel. We were gathered around the firepit with my grandmother insisting the fire would start if we just tried harder, lightning flashed all around us, and rain poured down in buckets. We were all completely soaked by the time we talked her into leaving.

Something embarrassing that happened during the summer:

I went to a local fun park with friends and agreed to race the Go-Karts. The attendant handed me a helmet, but I didn’t try it on. It was about three sizes too big. I was racing down the far end of the track when the helmet turned sideways, and I was completely blinded. Before I could stop, I left the paved track, darted across the lawn, and collided with a stack of hay bales. The car died and they had to push it back to the garage. I got to do the walk of shame back to the starting line.

Best thing you ever grilled in spring:

The first burger of the season after a long winter.

Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster:

I was making potato casserole for a large family gathering and one of my glass dishes exploded destroying that dish and launching shards of glass into the second dish. I ended up with a gooey mess in the oven and nothing to take to the family gathering.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer:

I love to write outside at night on my back patio with a fire burning in the fire pit.

The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions:

On vacation.

Favorite thing to do on a summer evening:

Relax in front of a campfire – preferably in the mountains.

Least favorite thing about summer:

Heat — here in Utah, the highs can get over 100°F.

The thing you like most about being a writer:

Creating a story that entertains my readers and provides a means of escape for a little while.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

All the non-writing stuff that comes with being an author. It’s hard to balance what I want to do (write) with the things I know I need to do.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Skydiving, rappelling from the Snowbird Ski Tram, or cliff diving at Lake Powell — I can’t decide which was the most daring.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Rappelling off the Red Rock Cliff in St. George, Utah at night. I didn’t trust the guys rigging the line.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

A reader told me she loved my Thin Blue Line series so much she read it several times and was still reading it again.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

I was told that because I grew up in a loving Christian home, I shouldn’t write criminal suspense because the subject is too dark and violent.

The funniest thing that happened to you in an airport:

I went skydiving the first time I ever flew in a plane and the instructor thought I was crazy.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you in an airport:

My flight was changed and rerouted to a different airport in Italy from France. The staff didn’t realize I was rerouted and didn’t stamp my passport. I got stuck wandering around trying to find someone that could speak English because they wouldn’t let me leave and couldn’t understand what I was trying to tell them.

The best summer job you ever had:

Working as a job coach for special needs young adults

The worst summer job you ever had:

Working on an assembly line scraping the excess rubber from door stoppers

About Melanie:

Melanie P. Smith is a multi-genre author of criminal suspense; police procedurals; and paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and has always loved adventure. Melanie spent her childhood playing sports, water-skiing, horseback riding, and tending to the many animals on her family farm. She’s been skydiving, rappelling, and loves to explore backroads on her Harley, venture into the wilderness on her ATV, and capture that next amazing photo.

Melanie has an Associates of Science degree in Marketing, a bachelor’s in Business Management, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Mediation. She’s on the editorial staff of two bestselling, international eMagazines, coordinates an annual writing competition, and works as an administrator / mentor for multiple writing groups.

Long before she delved into the world of fantasy and suspense, Melanie served nearly three decades in the Special Operations Division at her local sheriff’s office supporting SWAT, Search & Rescue, K9, the Motor Unit, Investigations, and the Child Abduction Response Team.  She now uses that training and knowledge to create stories that are action-packed, gripping, and realistic.  You can find more about Melanie and her books on her website and social media platforms.

 Let’s Be Social:

Visit Melanie on her website at www.melaniepsmith.com

Find her on Facebook at https://geni.us/MPSFacebook

Instagram https://geni.us/MPSInstagram

YouTube https://geni.us/MPSmithYouTube

Locals Community https://geni.us/MPSLocals

BoobBub https://geni.us/MPSBookBub

LinkedIn https://geni.us/MPSmithLI

Pinterest https://geni.us/MPSPinterest

Goodreads https://geni.us/MPSGoodreads

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with D. C. Gomez

I’d like to welcome back D. C. Gomez to the blog for more on her latest work.

Favorite thing that you always make time for:

One of my favorite things that I always make time for is reading. With my crazy schedule sometimes reading is more like a reward, but still makes everything better.

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid:

I still hate vacuuming. It’s seriously one of those necessary evils since I suffer from allergies. But I procrastinate as much as possible before doing it.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

When I’m writing, I need my space to be as comfy as possible. I normally have candles on, a blanket over my legs, and lots of water easily available. On the practical side, since I write Urban Fantasy, Goggle Earth is the one app I allowed myself to have on all the time.

Things that distract you from writing:

My biggest distraction is social media. I honestly have to set a timer when I’m working on a book to make sure I don’t fall down the social media hole and get nothing done.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

I have an obsession with kitchen appliances. This is something all my family makes fun of me for. The coolest thing I bought online was a panini press. It’s truly so much fun, if you like sandwiches of courses.

The thing you wished you’d never bought.

One crazy thing I recently purchased was a case of stuffed olives. The packaging said they were delicious stuffed with salmon. Not the best purchased I made, especially since I had 24 cans of these things. Now I’m working on paying more attention to item descriptions.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life:

The one thing I will most remember in my writing journey, is being able to meet and connect with readers at live events. This has been the most unexpected and fun part of this journey. It has been a true blessing to meet as many people as I have throughout the years.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over:

If I could do something over, it would be to invest in ads from the beginning. I feel like I wasted a lot of time and money trying to learn how to market my books without ads.

Something you’re really good at:

I’m actually great at cooking. It’s also one of my favorite things to do to relax. Lately I don’t have as much time to cook as I would like, so I cherish the time that I do.

Something you never learned how to do:

This is probably the most shocking thing for most people to learn since I grew up in an island. I never learned to swim. It’s on my bucket list now.

Your best recipe:

I have an awesome recipe for a Flan. The Latin desert is something I grew up making since I was little. I have a crazy sweet tooth, so I enjoy how easy it is to make.

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it:

I tried once to make tiramisu and failed miserably. There was a terrible mess in my kitchen and the poor thing tasted nasty.

Things you always put in your books:

I didn’t realize how much food is in my books. I have reader mentioned that my books make them hungry, because I’m always describing what my characters are eating all the time.

Things you never put in your books:

This one is hard. Since I write in multiple genres I get to play with my different things. Probably the one thing you wouldn’t see in many of my books is a graphic sex scene. The books that might sex in them usually fade to black.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

To this day, joining the military was the most daring thing I ever done. Nobody in my family had ever been in the armed forces, so this was a leap of faith with very little information.

Something you chickened out from doing:

I learned later in life that I’m terrified of heights. Things that I chickened out is rock climbing. While it sounds very exciting, that is something I can absolutely live without.

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

To this day, Elizabeth Gilbert is the coolest person I have ever met. She is absolutely charming and personable. Officially the kind person you just want to chill with.

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

I had the opportunity to meet Mark Anthony at a previous job. He is truly a sweetheart, but I was not aware how small he is.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

One of the nicest things a reader has told me, is that they read my devotionals every morning. The fact they made those books part of their daily routine just made my day.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

I had a reader who truly loves my Urban Fantasy books. One of the funniest and wildest things he told me was that the books were like a documentary on his life.

About D. C.:

D. C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, Podcaster, motivational speaker, and coach. Born in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. D. C. studied film and television at New York University. After college, she joined the US Army, and proudly served for four years.

D. C. has a master’s degree in Science Administration from the Central Michigan University, as well as a Master in Adult Education from Texas A&M- Texarkana University. She is a certified John Maxwell Team speaker and coach, and a certified meditation instructor from the Chopra Center.

One of D. C. passions is helping those around her overcome their self-limiting beliefs. She writes both non-fiction as well as fiction books, ranging from Urban Fantasy to Children’s Books. To learn more about her books and her passion, you can find her at www.dcgomez-author.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/dcgomez.author

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dc.gomez

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@dcgomez_author

Website: http://dcgomez-author.com

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Leah Dobrinska

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Leah Dobrinska to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: I love pretty notebooks; the smell of books, both old and new; my husband and our kids; monthly game night with friends; book club meetings; Nancy Drew; going to the library; running through the local park; vanilla lattes; Christmas; changing seasons; and pictures in frames.

Things you need to throw out: My old college textbooks. They are taking up prime book-shelf real-estate, and if I haven’t needed them in over a decade, I probably am not going to, right?

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer and a timer—usually just the stop-watch app on my phone. I draft entire books using (almost) exclusively brief writing sprints. I set my timer for thirty minutes and get as many words on the page as possible in that amount of time. As a result, I don’t stop to sip any type of beverage, and I don’t require much!

Things that hamper your writing: Music. I love listening to music in general, and I make a specific playlist for each of my books, but I can’t listen to it while I’m writing. I can’t come up with my own words when I’m focused on someone else’s!

Things you love about writing: I love creating fictional worlds. I love crafting characters with whom I’d want to be friends and inventing places I’d want to visit in real life. I love the moment when I story clicks, or a scene comes together, or even when I write just one really great line. I love that I feel the most like myself when I’m writing.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the feeling I get in my gut when I don’t have the solution to a plot problem. I’m getting better at realizing that it’s all part of the process, and I will figure it out, but when I encounter a plot hurdle, it can be all-consuming for me until I work through how to resolve it, and I don’t love that.

Favorite foods: Fruit of any kind; Pasta of any kind; Ice cream of any kind…it’s all about balance.

Things that make you want to gag: Raw meat.

Favorite music or song: I am a huge fan of Taylor Swift’s music. I am so inspired by the way she tells complete, intricate, clever, thought-provoking stories within the confines of a three to five minute song. If I had to pick a favorite song of hers, I’d go with “All Too Well”.

Music that drives you crazy: Anything with lyrics I can’t understand. I’m all about the words, so if I don’t know what an artist is saying, it’s going to be a no from me.

Favorite smell: The smell of northern Wisconsin in July. So many of my core memories are tied to summers in the Northwoods, that the scent of lake musk, pine trees, damp sand, and sunshine will forever give me a hit of serotonin. So much so, in fact, that I based Larkspur, the location of Death Checked Out, off a small town in Northern Wisconsin.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Sour-smelling laundry.

Last best thing you ate: Carbonara from a small family-owned restaurant in Rome, Italy. I will dream about that meal for the rest of my life.

Last thing you regret eating: The tuna casserole I made last week. Everyone else in the family loves it and will eat it (no small feat with four children), so I made it for them, and I choked it down.

The last thing you ordered online: Mint green library card notecards. I love to write little notes on them and send them with copies of my books for giveaway winners or folks who order directly from me. There’s something so nostalgic about them, and readers have told me they use them as bookmarks. The mint green ones are especially appropriate because Greta, my amateur sleuth in Death Checked Out, is a library director and the books cover is a beautiful green!

The last thing you regret buying: All the toys with sound that we gave our kids for Christmas.

Things you always put in your books: Happy endings! Whether I’m writing in the mystery genre or the romance genre, my books will never not have a happy resolution. That, and I’ve consistently written a café into each of my books. It’s such a perfect gathering place, and especially in small town communities, it’s a great place to spread, share, and learn information. I wish I could visit Mugs & Hugs, the café in Death Checked Out in real life.

Things you never put in your books: Explicit content. It’s not my style.

Things to say to an author: “You’re doing a great job. I loved your book. It should totally be made into a movie. I want to live in Larkspur! I want to be friends with (insert character name here)! I’m going to go leave a 5 star review online and tell all my friends!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I loved everything about this book. 3 stars!”

Favorite books (or genre): Pride & Prejudice is my all-time favorite book. I love me a classic. Lately, I’ve been reading mostly romcoms and cozies, so a couple recent favorites include Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel, and the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series by Jacqueline Frost.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything dark and/or gory.

Most embarrassing moment: My two year old son pulled the fire alarm at his older sisters’ school and I have never been more embarrassed in my life.

Proudest moment: Watching my kids show kindness to other kids.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Anytime a reader tells me that my books got them back into reading, I take it as the highest compliment. That, and when they tell me that they wish my characters and settings were real.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “This book was so predictable…I didn’t figure out what was going to happen until the very end.” And yes, that was all in the same review.

About Leah:

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of award-winning standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. Leah lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she's not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting local parks, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website, leahdobrinska.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://leahdobrinska.com/

Newsletter: https://leahdobrinska.com/newsletter

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3zB9eeg

The Mapleton Series (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BFXFBS3

The Larkspur Library Mysteries (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3ULbXch

Death Checked Out Purchase link (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3T4XK9n

Death Checked Out Purchase link (Barnes & Noble): https://bit.ly/bndeathcheckedout

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatleahwrote

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leah-dobrinska

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/leahdobrinska

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Fern Brady

I’d like to welcome author Fern Brady to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:

Free time? I’ve heard of this mythical beast. All kidding aside, I love to read or binge watch shows and movies. On my next binge watch wish list is to see all the Star Wars movies and series and shorts and animated series in the chronological order that they would have happened if the Star Wars universe existed. That means it will be summer before I can even begin to expect to have enough time to be able to do this.

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

Laundry. I have so much clothes that I could probably go at least six months without having to actually do laundry. However, I almost always wear the same clothes. I have a bad case of a closet full of nothing to wear. But if I can procrastinate laundry, I will.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

I need my posters and my dragon figurines and my sword collection. Having these and all my reference books as well as my book outline on sticky notes up on the wall make my writing space ready for me. Plus having the view of trees or water out the window. At home, I have two windows that let in sunlight and from which I see the beautiful trees that grow in our neighbor’s front yard. It’s a nice view, though I miss my old house where I could see to the backyard with our pool.

Things that distract you from writing:

Music with words will distract me from writing. I find myself singing along and listening to the lyrics and losing track of the storyline. Interestingly, I can write in a public space with people talking all around me, and I can write while others in my family watch the TV even when the sound of it flows up to my study. Yet, music with words, song lyrics, they do me in every time.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Finding time to write. Sadly, I don’t make enough money yet as a writer or publisher to be able to focus on this profession full time. I have a day job like most other authors. So finding time to write, making writing a priority in my allocation of time can be very difficult. Besides the day job, there are other things that require time such as family, laundry, cleaning house, cooking, and even other friends that need help. Finding balance between work and life and writing can be challenging.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Creating new worlds. I am a world builder. I love creating new cultures, languages, political affiliations, religious traditions, and all manner of other background elements that will make a story for my novel come to life. As a science fiction fantasy author, the universe of my books is vast and nuanced and creating the elements of it is the best part of my time as a creative writer.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight:

Okay full disclosure, I’ve never actually run to the store at midnight, but I have had door dash bring me donuts at midnight. Which I have to say I was surprised I found a donut shop that delivered that late, but then again I was like in New Orleans at the time, so they do have a lot more stores and shops open late. I think if I had to go out, it would probably be for something sweet like Oreos or cake or ice cream. I have a terrible sweet tooth.

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Vegetables. I don’t really like vegetables. I mean like potatoes, tomatoes, or avocado are great, but broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, yeah, no. I’m not a healthy food person as you can clearly tell. I’m getting better though at balancing my eating. Having been diagnosed with diabetes, I am scared enough to have made some adjustments and added more vegetables, but mostly just reduced amount of sweets and cut out sodas entirely.

Favorite snacks:

I love Target’s monster mix. That is yummy. Now they have a Peanut butter monster’s mix which is event better because I love peanut butter. Now when I’m really trying to be good, I enjoy an apple with lots of peanut butter.

Things that make you want to gag:

Oysters. To be honest, they just look dreadful, like snot. I’ve been told they aren’t actually gross in texture, but the look is just not appealing. I would also add escargot to this answer and Brussel sprouts. Though in all fairness to Brussel sprouts, a very dear friend once cooked some in the oven and they were delicious.

Something you’re really good at:

Training dogs. I’m actually really good at training dogs to behave for indoor living. I don’t use a lot of treats, just a few every once in a while. Instead, I use repetition and a lot of praise and hugs. Dogs really want to please you, so just showing them how proud you are that they sat until you told them to move will make them willing to keep doing it. They are the best and most noble of animals.

Something you’re really bad at:

Remembering people’s names. It is very hard for me to remember people’s names for some reason. It can be a terrible thing because many remember me because I’m the head of the Houston Writers Guild or because of Inklings Publishing, but then I’m standing there searching and getting nothing for who they are and I feel terrible. I don’t know what it is about it, but even when I was a teacher full time, I always had the kids in a seating chart so I could remember their names by looking at where they sat on my cheat sheet.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

I wanted to be an actress. I thought it would be so great to become an actress and be in movies. I grew out of it fast because I was too chubby to make it in Hollywood. For a short time, I wanted to be a lawyer, mostly because of my dad. But eventually, I realized that didn’t really fit as well. I loved being a teacher and still stay in the classroom as much as I can. Writing, however, has been at the heart of my life’s passion since I was a kid.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do:

I never dreamed I’d have my own company. I thought I would work for someone else always. I enjoy working for myself and helping authors get their books published. Being the head of the Houston Writers Guild is great as well for this very reason. But owning Inklings Publishing, watching it grow to the good reputation it has today, well, that’s something totally unexpected.

Something you wish you could do:

I wish I could retire to a small cabin in the highlands of Scotland and just write. Do nothing else but just write. NOW that’s the dream of a lifetime.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

I can’t honestly think of a good answer for this one except for maybe I wish I’d never had to learn to be resilient. When you are strong and resilient it’s because you’ve had to handle some difficult and heart wrenching things in your life. Honestly, I could have done without all the hard knock lessons and heartbreaking betrayals and losses. But, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t gone through what I did, so I guess they were needed.

Things to say to an author:

You don’t need to be published to feel like you’re a legitimate author; You don’t need anyone to tell you they like your writing to be a legitimate author; you don’t need anyone to even read it to be a legitimate author. You are an author because a story is in you, and you feel the need to write it. That’s what makes you a writer, an author. The fact that you desire to do it.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

So, when are you going to finish writing this book?

Favorite places you’ve been:

Oh, my favorite place to visit is Paris, France. There really is something magical about Paris and the heart of an artist. I’d love to get to go there again and just visit special places and sit and write in that energy of creativity and love of life. I am also really fond of Scotland. If I could live there, in those mountains by a lake, I would be in heaven.

Places you never want to go to again:

The dentist’s office. Honestly, if I could just avoid those people, life would be near perfect. It isn’t so much pain, because they numb the area, and you don’t really feel pain. Some discomfort afterwards for sure. It’s the noise and the vibration of the tools. Why can’t they find a way to make those machines less stressful in terms of the noises they make? Surely there must be something to be done about that?

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):

George Lucas, George R Martin, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. To have a dinner party with these amazing authors and creators, to hear them talk about their writing process and share their journey with me would be so cool.

People you’d cancel dinner on:

As an introvert, I am actually very prone to canceling plans and often last minute. I’m all excited to see friends or family when I make the plan, but then, somedays, there’s that introverted part of me that just doesn’t want to go. It’s too peoply out there, and I prefer my happy little lair. Now, once I get myself out the door and am present with them, I enjoy every minute of it, but getting motivated to go can be hard. And if I’m going through a tough season, I’m definitely canceling on everyone. You’ve been warned.

The most exciting thing about your writing life:

Getting to create worlds and build characters that come alive in my mind. The sheer joy of the creative process, the map making, the background writing, the creation of symbols and other props of the world, the research into the science of things to extrapolate and see what marvels might be possible… all these are the things I love most.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life:

I wish I had chosen to be a writer sooner instead of doing the sensible thing and getting a job as a teacher. Make no mistake, I love teaching and those year’s in the classroom teaching social studies world cultures and reading and writing influenced my writing in marvelous ways. But if I could, I would go back to when I finished my masters, and forge a career as a writer of creative fiction from the word go. If anyone has a time machine, let me know and I am happy to help test it.

About Fern:

Fern Brady is the founder and CEO of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees and several certifications. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent, then taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. Her debut novel, United Vidden, which is book one in her Thyrein’s Galactic Wall Series, was given a glowing review by Dr. Who Online, the official site of the fandom. It also won the silver medal in the Global Book Awards for 2022. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She co-hosts Author Talk and is a member of various organizations in Houston, including Women in the Visual and Literary Arts (WiVLA), Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Follow Fern's writing at: www.fernbrady.com

 You can contact her at: fernbrady@inklingspublishing.com

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with K.C. Grifant

I’d like to welcome author K. C. Grifant to the blot for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing that you always make time for: Browsing bookstores and finding new coffee shops.

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: Car tune-ups and grocery shopping.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Sugary coffee drinks and one of my dozens of curated playlists.

Things that distract you from writing: My newborn, but that’s to be expected!

The thing you like most about being a writer: Creating new worlds and not having to compromise on a vision.

The thing you like least about being a writer: How long it takes to create a clean draft. I always underestimate the time from writing a first draft to getting a piece close to final.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Coffee if we’re out and (currently) baby diapers.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Anything with licorice.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: Most recently, a signed print from the movie Jaws and miniature books featuring the covers of my stories from anthologies and magazines.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: Adult wheeled sneakers. They are a disaster waiting to happen.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: How kind and supportive friends, family and strangers can be, as well as how friendly the indie/horror community is.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: There’s never enough time, so writing more, and earlier.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: An astronaut. I was serious enough that I made plans to go to space camp and learn to pilot—neither of which came to pass.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I never thought I’d live in California. As someone who grew up on the east coast, the west coast seemed like a fairytale place where the scenery and weather were too good to be true.

Things you always put in your books: Diverse women characters.

Things you never put in your books: I try to avoid stereotypes as much as possible. Also, I’m too squeamish to write extremely graphic violence.

Things to say to an author: You’ll buy/read/recommend their book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Pointing out a nitpicky error on a published work (e.g., the scrunchie incident in Sex & The City).

The best job you ever had: Science journalist and communicator, where I get to learn about fascinating cutting-edge research every day.

The worst job you ever had: An underpaid receptionist for a sketchy chiropractor.

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: I’ve perfected my stovetop popcorn recipe so it’s on par with movie theater popcorn.

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: Everything else.

About K. C.:

KC Grifant is an award-winning author based in Southern California who writes internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction and weird west stories for podcasts, anthologies and magazines. Her tales have appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Unnerving Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Matter Magazine, the British SF Association’s Fission Magazine, Tales to Terrify, the Lovecraft eZine, and many others.

In addition to a Weird West novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press, Feb 2023), she has also written for dozens of anthologies, including: Chromophobia; Musings of the Muse; Dancing in the Shadows—A Tribute to Anne Rice; Field Notes from a Nightmare; The One That Got Away; Six Guns Straight From Hell; Shadowy Natures; Beyond the Infinite - Tales from the Outer Reaches; and the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror.

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