#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Grace Topping

I’d like to welcome my friend, the wonderful Grace Topping, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of: My husband is from England, so he panics if we get low on milk for his tea. So I never want to run out of milk and have him going out in bad weather for milk.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I’m notorious for buying clothes on sale and then not liking them after I get home. I am frequently persuaded by the price and not the fit and appearance. They hang in my closet with the tags on them until I finally donate them.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Talk to most writers and they will tell you that the hardest thing about being a writer is not the writing—it’s promoting what they’ve written.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Is there anything easy about being a writer? I haven’t found it yet.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I’m not always successful at it, but I like to be in a position where I’m not stressed about other things that need to be done. I don’t have any rituals like having special treats around, music, etc. Occasionally, I’ll clear off my very paper-covered desk, which always helps me make progress in my writing.

Things that hamper your writing: Music playing. I need quiet to focus on what I’m writing.

Words that describe you: Committed. It took me ten years before my first book was published. I refused to give up.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Chunky. The problem with writing is that I do a lot of sitting, which doesn’t help me stay in the shape I’d like to be.

Favorite foods: Anything that I can sprinkle Pecorino-Romano cheese on. Love it.

Things that make you want to gag: The idea of eating octopus. It is such an intelligent creature that I can’t bear to see it on a menu.

Favorite music or song: I’m a fan of both rock music from the 60s and 70s and classical music. Play “Proud Mary” by Credence Clearwater Revival and I could hop out of a sick bed and dance.

Music that drives you crazy: I’m not a fan of country or rap.

Favorite smell: Natural fragrances like lavender and sandalwood.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Heavy perfumes.

Last best thing you ate: Leftovers from an Indian restaurant. I love Indian food but only if it isn’t too spicy.

Last thing you regret eating: A bowl of chocolate ice cream. I loved it, but I regret that it added to my waistline.

The last thing you ordered online: Doll baby furniture for my two-year-old granddaughter’s birthday.

The last thing you regret buying: The carton of chocolate ice cream mentioned above.

Things to say to an author: I loved your book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I’d like to write a book. How hard can it be?

Favorite places you’ve been: My husband and I have had the good fortune to travel around a good portion of the world. Among my favorites are remote places that I never thought I would get to in a million years, such as Easter Island, Petra, Cape Horn, and Pitcairn.

Places you never want to go to again: I’m just not a beach person, so I can safely say that if I never went to the beach again, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Favorite books (or genre): I write cozy mysteries, and I read a lot of them. But my favorite genre is historical mysteries. I like being taken into a different time period, especially ones that modern technology doesn’t interfere with the plot. For example, in a contemporary mystery, it is difficult to get a character into a situation without readers thinking, why doesn’t she pull out her cell phone and call for help.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not a fan of sci-fi, so I probably wouldn’t buy books in that genre. I definitely wouldn’t buy erotica.

About Grace:

USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award finalist, Grace Topping is the author of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series. She is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of SINC, a steering committee member of the SINC Guppies, and member of MWA. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia.

Grace Topping, a USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award Finalist, is the author of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series. A recovering technical writer, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Chessie Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the SINC Guppies, where she serves on the steering committee.

Let’s Be Social:

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

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Leah St. James

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Leah St. James, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of: Black tea. I’m a tea-aholic, but don’t give me any of that sissy, fruit-flavored herbal stuff.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Our living room couch/loveseat set.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet or white-noise type of background sounds.

Things that hamper your writing: Music I love—it’s too distracting; I end up dancing in my seat and forgetting I’m supposed to be writing.

Favorite foods: Anything with sugar and fat, especially if it’s fried.

Things that make you want to gag: Raw oysters. (I’m gagging now just thinking about them.)

Something you’re really good at: Writing scathing letters to the editor.

Something you’re really bad at: Public speaking.

Favorite music or song: Country rock or contemporary Christian.

Music that drives you crazy: Opera because it’s performed in other languages I don’t know.

Favorite smell: The ocean.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Gasoline or combustion engine exhaust.

The last thing you ordered online: Replacement seat cushions for the aforementioned couch/loveseat set.

The last thing you regret buying: Tuxedo cake for Father’s Day dessert…It was too good.

Things you always put in your books: Cats and food.

Things you never put in your books: Anything mechanical; I’m clueless.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your story. Where can I post a review?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I wrote a book and it was easier than I thought!”

Favorite books (or genre): Romantic suspense and action thrillers.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror and fantasy.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: The heartbreak of infertility in Christmas Dance. While I had a happy ending, not everyone does.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: The BDSM lifestyle in Surrender to Sanctuary. I keep telling people, “This is not an autobiography!”

About Leah:

Leah St. James writes stories of good and evil, the mysteries of life, and the enduring power of love. Her published works span the genres from romantic suspense, mystery, and police procedurals to women’s fiction and even a children’s book.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Central Virginia Chapter, and the Alliance of Independent Authors, Leah is a native of the Central Jersey Shore but now lives in the Richmond area with her husband. Together they have two grown sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law and several grand-critters.

Let’s Be Social:

Twitter/X: https://x.com/LeahStJames

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

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Kristin Kisska

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Kristin Kisska, to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I can’t work without coffee and absolute silence.

Things that distract you from writing: Pretty much all things on the internet. I need to put parental controls on my office computer.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: A 9-volt battery to replace the dying one in my chirping smoke alarm. That’s usually the time it goes off as well.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Lumber. I’m not handy, so I have no business working with a hammer, nails, or wood.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: This is tough, because I buy just about everything online these days. But, one of my very first online purchases ever was my wedding dress back in 1999!

The thing you wished you’d never bought: I bought a monthly subscription plan for a streaming “commercial free” radio service for my car, that took months to finally terminate our subscription, and now I’m on their marketing mailing list.

Favorite snacks: Ice cream, especially Gelato. I just returned from visiting my daughter in Rome, so I’m trying to break my daily afternoon Gelato habit.

Things that make you want to gag: Olives. I can’t even pick them off a Greek salad, because they make all the rest of the ingredients taste like olives.

Something you’re really good at: Making lists and spreadsheets.

Something you’re really bad at: Remembering to bring along my shopping list with me to the grocery store.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I never in a million years predicted I’d be a novelist, let alone publish one!

Things to say to an author: I couldn’t stop thinking about your book after it

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I have a great idea for a book. If you write it, we can split the profits.

Favorite places you’ve been: I adore Prague, Czech Republic where I lived for three years, the Amalfi Coast, Italy, and the Exuma, Bahamas. In the USA, I love visiting Destin, Florida, Savannah, and Charleston.

Places you never want to go to again: Ohhhhh, that’s tough, because I think most places have something charming to them. But if pressed, it would be tough to convince me to visit Las Vegas.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: In my twenties, I bought a one-way ticket to Prague and lived there for three years. My parents thought I was nuts, but it was the adventure of a lifetime.

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving. I don’t do heights. Ever.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: I love going to in person book events like festivals, conferences, and book clubs. While most writers are introverts—myself included—I get a rush chatting with book people.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I could learn how to write in quick bursts. I started out writing when my kiddos were napping or in preschool, and now I need a stretch of absolute quiet time or I can’t write.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “If I could, I would give your novel [The Hint of Light] six stars!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Did you hire a ghost writer?”

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: My go-to writer’s block cure is going for a walk. If that doesn’t work, I ask myself, “How can I make the situation worse for my main character?” And if all else fails, I enjoy an adult beverage. That usually helps ease through the pain.

Things you do to avoid writing: I can tell if I’m procrastinating if I start cleaning my home. That is my S.O.S. call!

About Kristin:

KRISTIN KISSKA used to be a finance geek, complete with MBA and Wall Street pedigree, but now she is a self-proclaimed #SuspenseGirl. Kristin has contributed short suspense stories to a dozen anthologies, including her first locked room mystery, “Cruise to Nowhere” in the revenge fiction anthology, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.  Her debut novel, The Hint of Light, was an Agatha Award finalist for Best First Mystery Novel. Kristin is a member of International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime. Kristin lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family and their moody tabby cat, Boom. She loves hearing from friends, readers, and book clubs at www.KristinKisska.com

Let’s Be Social:

Instagram - @kristinkisskaauthor 

Twitter/X - @KKMHOO

Facebook - @KristinKisskaAuthor 

YouTube -  @KristinKisskaAuthor

Website - www.KristinKisska.com

Kristin’s short story, “Cruise to Nowhere” appears in the anthology, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Molly MacRae

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Molly MacRae to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop or a writing implement (pen, pencil, crayon, paintbrush, stick, gouging tool, pudding, spaghetti sauce, melted chocolate, etc., though preferably not blood) and one of my notebooks or any scrap of paper or surface.

Things that hamper your writing: Life – it’s a constant tussle between the two, but the tussle will continue because I don’t plan to give up on either one anytime soon.

A few of your favorite things: Books, my husband’s paintings, pictures of my family, office supplies, craft and art supplies, Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate chips,

Things you need to throw out: Old shoes at the bottom of the closet, cardboard boxes stacked in the basement (some of them for years) because they look so useful, some junk in the basement and the garage (and I’ve found a junk hauler – hooray!)

Favorite foods: Dishes with basil (including basil ice cream), ginger, chickpeas, cilantro, cheese, mango, avocado, and chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Rice Krispies treats, oatmeal raisin cookies, any kind of drink like Kool Aid, Hawaiian Punch, of Gatorade.

Something you’re really good at: Cat whispering

Something you’re really bad at: Dusting and weeding

Things you always put in your books: Places I’ve lived and don’t get to visit as often as I’d like.

Things you never put in your books: Characters I wouldn’t want to know (although I’m suspicious of the villains).

Things you’d walk a mile for: Almost anything (we live within a mile of the library, grocery stores, drugstore, ice cream shop, hair cutter, park, hardware store, bakery)

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: fun house mirrors (they give me vertigo)

Favorite places you’ve been: Ocracoke Island, Washington Island, Iona (another island), Scotland, upper east Tennessee.

Places you never want to go to again: That one lane track that petered out on the edge of Buffalo Mountain in Tennessee, with the sheer drop on the driver’s side and the solid rock of the mountain on the passenger side, in the stick shift with 4 kids in the back and no place – no place – to turn around. I’ll be happy to walk up the mountain, though. Nice place.

Favorite things to do: Read, read to the grandchildren, write, cook, work crossword puzzles, walk, relax in the screen tent in the backyard.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Dusting or weeding regularly.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Thank you for the honor of being part of your writing world. You are amazing!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Do you mention any antique dental equipment in your books?”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: When I managed a small independent bookstore an extremely frustrated parent came in looking for a book on their high school student’s summer reading list. They’d tried the library and the other bookstore and no one, NO ONE, had even heard of the author Evan Fromen. I went to a shelf and brought back a copy of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and they went away happy. That made it into Lawn Order, a mystery with Margaret Welch, who’s a bookseller, and her sister Bitsy, who’s annoying.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Knitting skill. My skill lies only in knitting flat rectangular things.

About Molly:

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” In addition to the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, Molly writes the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Molly’s short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.

Let’s Be Social: 

Website http://www.mollymacrae.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/molly.macrae.9/

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

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/MollyMacRae/

X https://x.com/MysteryMacRae

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sandra Murphy

I’d like to welcome Sandra Murphy to the blot for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting started. I’m easily distracted by memes and odd facts when researching.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas. See the comment about being easily distracted and odd facts—ideas come fast but the next one is apt to bump the current one and then…

Things you need for your writing sessions: My dog next to my desk. He’s my editor.

Things that hamper your writing: My dog. He’s a very particular editor and rewrites are his favorite edits. He also likes frequent breaks.  

A few of your favorite things: Being surrounded by bright colors, chocolate milk always available, a nice breeze, late night hours when it’s quiet.

Things you need to throw out: During Covid’s worst, cardboard boxes amassed. They need to move to another location. Recycled.

Favorite foods: Chocolate milk is an essential component of life, sweets of all kinds, blackberries, black cherries, chocolate anything.

Things that make you want to gag: oysters, escargot, peppers of all kinds, and anything that cooked, resembles how it looked in life.

Something you’re really good at: Staying up all night, starting to write at about midnight.
Something you’re really bad at: Going anywhere before one p.m. and that’s pushing it.

Things you always put in your books: Dogs, cats, strong women, clues and red herrings that start on page one and are explained in the twist at the end.
Things you never put in your books: Dogs and cats can be in jeopardy but are never killed or tortured.

Things to say to an author: That line you wrote? It’s going to be in my mind forever, such beautiful language.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: That’s a nice hobby. What do you do for a real job?

Favorite places you’ve been: Greece and Crete, I felt at home the instant I was on Crete. Greece has the friendliest people.
Places you never want to go to again: Through four airports to get there.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Get out of my ‘real’ job but still receive all the benefits that were promised and start writing instead.
Biggest mistake: Trusting a friend who betrayed me.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Traveled to Italy and Greece, alone, no itinerary.
Something you chickened out from doing: At a stage play, the actors came into the audience and wanted to dance with people in the audience at the end of the show. I didn’t dance. I wish I did.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: What happens next?

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Write more. How hard can it be?

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Make jewelry for drag queens.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: A pair of pillowcases. No one told me not to use the full width of the fabric folded over. I had about 18” of more fabric than pillow.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: A pet sitter finds the homeowner hasn’t left for her trip yet. In the story, the owner was dead. In real life, she was running late.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: My character went to a coffee shop with a cool theme. Someone asked where it was, they wanted to go too. Sorry, it’s only in my imagination.

About Sandra:

Sandra Murphy lives in St. Louis, Missouri, south of the Gateway Arch and Anheuser-Busch, near the mighty Mississippi River. On a hot summer day, the smell of hops awakens her imaginary friends. They spin tall tales and she submits them as her own. Her short story, ‘Lucy’s Tree’, won a Derringer award in 2020.  Her latest efforts include ‘Room Service’ for Monkey Business: Crime Stories Inspired by the Films of the Marx Brothers, and editing Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the 60s and Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore, a collection of quotes about dogs.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Eleanor Cawood Jones

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Eleanor Cawood Jones to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: My cat, talking about my cat, and taking pictures of my cat.

Things you need to throw out: 75% of everything I own. I just have to process that some of those clothes from the 80s may never be back in style, then I’m sure I’ll be able to move forward with this.

Favorite foods: Mom’s homemade beef stew, Italian anything, beautifully constructed club sandwiches with extra mayo.

Things that make you want to gag: Mushrooms, asparagus, eggplant, undercooked meat, rude people.

Something you’re really good at: Planning trips, making lists, and writing.

Something you’re really bad at: Trying to do too much when traveling, doing things on my lists, and making time to write.

Things you’d walk a mile for: That unlimited soup/salad bar/breadsticks thing at Olive Garden.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Loud television or music. Mold. Anything with multiple stick-like legs that looks inclined to bite me.

Things you always put in your books: Something that really happened to me or somewhere I’ve actually been. Usually both. I really did get lost on Easter Island at night, for example. (“Keep Calm and Love Moai” in Murder Most Geographical.)

Things you never put in your books: Politics and politically correct things, crimes against children, and trigger warnings.

Favorite places you’ve been: Besides Easter Island? Cabo San Lucas, the Land of Oz in North Carolina, my friend Jenni’s house in England, and every US National Park I’ve ever visited.

Places you never want to go to again: St. Lucia and back to work at my old job.

Favorite things to do: Travel, nap, dine out with my honey, and pet the kitty when she lets me.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Next year’s taxes. Fire—okay. But not bad enough to eat bugs.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Deciding I didn’t care what people thought of me.

Biggest mistake: Waiting so long to decide I didn’t care what people thought of me.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Appearing on Wheel of Fortune, traveling to Easter Island, Chile by myself and, equally exciting, publishing my first book.

Something you chickened out from doing: That big Gateway arch in St. Louis has these little egg/pod things you have to sit in to travel to the top of it. Took one look and turned right around. Claustrophobe’s nightmare!

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Eleanor makes murder fun again!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: See above.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Decorated, painted, and remodeled my dilapidated condo, which is now known as the Condo of Glory.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: The novel I started 15 years ago, and that time I painted the dining nook lavender.

About Eleanor:

Inspired by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine at a young age, Eleanor Cawood Jones grabbed a #2 pencil and began writing short mysteries starring her stuffed animals. Her more recent stories include “Batter, Batter, Swing!” (First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder), “The Importance of Being Urnest” (Black Cat Weekly), and 2021 Derringer Award-winning “The Great Bedbug Incident and the Invitation of Doom” (Chesapeake Crimes: Invitation to Murder). Her core group of characters travel together in the Destination Murders anthology series. A former newspaper reporter and reformed marketing director, Tennessee native Eleanor now works in airline customer service and splits her time between Virginia and California.

Let’s Be Social:

Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/eleanorauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.eleanor.cawood.jones

#ThisorThatThursday with Dan Flanigan

I’d like to welcome Dan Flanigan to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing a book.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Finishing a book.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Grit and extended periods (multiple successive days preferably) without other distractions or significant interruptions.

Things that hamper your writing: Almost everything.

Words that describe you: Dedicated, Hard-working, Visionary, Witty, Generous.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Irritable, Impatient, Temperamental, Moody, Somewhat Messy.

Something you’re really good at: The practice of law (I hope).

Something you’re really bad at: Anything mechanical, i.e. anything useful.

Favorite music or song: Bach, Sacred choral music, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, a lot of rock (especially 60s and early 70s)

Music that drives you crazy: Opera recitative (not the rest, just that part).

Things you always put in your books: Unattributed quotes from Wordsworth poems; one or more references to Bach’s music; references to Grail knights and blood brothers; the words “importunate” and “vouchsafe.”

Things you never put in your books: The words “journey,” “curate,” “iconic,” “game changer,” “cool” (unless spoken by a character I don’t like); “forever” when preceded by the verb “changed”; the word “chops” when referring to anything other than a cut of meat, especially “acting chops”; and any words that have become like invasive species, proliferating everywhere, whose original meanings have been so transformed that we are near forgetting what they really mean (e.g. “agency,” “existential”). And I could go on . . . and on . . .

Favorite books (or genre): Shakespeare, Dickens, 19th Century Russians, Yeats, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Robert Stone, E.L. Doctorow, Joseph Campbell

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything by Milton Friedman or his ilk.

Favorite things to do: Working, Whale Watching (Carefully), Kayaking, Tennis.

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

Best thing you’ve ever done: Neck and neck between (1) recovering from alcoholism a day at a time for 41 years now and (2) helping my daughter and grandchildren along in life—the occurrence of (1) having been a necessary condition to the occurrence of (2).

Biggest mistake: Not valuing my wife of more than 40 years as much as she deserved or letting her know how much I did value her. She died in 2011. It’s too late now.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: The creation of Sierra Tucson, alcohol and drug treatment/center in Tucson, Az.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: The creation of Sierra Tucson, alcohol and drug treatment/center in Tucson, Az.

About Dan:

Dan Flanigan is a novelist, playwright, poet, and practicing lawyer. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Rice University and J.D. from the University of Houston. He taught Jurisprudence at the University of Houston and American Legal History at the University of Virginia. His first published book was his Ph.D. dissertation, The Criminal Law of Slavery and Freedom, 1800-1868.

He moved on from academia to serve the civil rights cause as a school desegregation lawyer, followed by a long career as a finance attorney in private law practice. He became a name partner in the Polsinelli law firm in Kansas City, created its Financial Services practice, chaired its Real Estate & Financial Services Department for two decades, and established the firm’s New York City office and served as its managing partner until October 2022.  His legal bio may be viewed at https://www.polsinelli.com/professionals/dflanigan.

Taking a break from the law practice for two years, he and his wife, Candy, founded Sierra Tucson, a prominent alcohol and drug treatment center located in Tucson, Arizona. 

Recently, he has been able to turn his attention to his lifelong ambition—creative writing. In 2019 he released a literary trifecta including Mink Eyes, the first in what would become the Peter O’Keefe series, and 2023 Best Book Award Legacy Fiction Finalist, Dewdrops, a collection of shorter fiction, and Tenebrae: A Memoir of Love and Death.

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Fern Brady

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

Things you never want to run out of: Books. There’s no such thing as owning too many. One of my life goals is to die with books yet to be read on my bedside table.

Things you wish you’d never bought: House plants. I do not possess the gift of a green thumb. I have murdered so many unfortunate plants. I feel terrible about it.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding time to write. The truth is that most of us have full time jobs, families, and other obligations. Making your writing time a priority is a difficult thing, especially as so many of those who love us don’t see this as important. So it takes a lot of discipline and boundary setting to say to the world and all its demands: “This is my writing time and I will hold it sacred. No, you can’t take it for something else you deem more important.”

Easiest thing about being a writer: For me, the easiest thing is coming up with stories. I have a universe of planets and people in my head. Any prompt, whether words or pictures, can set off a story idea and it takes me no effort at all to place it in Thyrein’s Galactic Wall. The vast history of the universe I created lets me seamlessly weave random tales into it that later connect to larger novel sets.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Coffee and a good cigar. I love cigars. The ceremony and ritual of them helps place me in a zen space and the stop to puff makes me slow down and work my craft with greater care. There’s probably a healthier option, but we all die of something. I figure I’ll enjoy this vice and be happy it is not a worse one.

Things that hamper your writing: Obligations. Too often I still allow other things to seep into and take away from my writing time. I’m still working on setting boundaries and holding the space for my writing practice. But I’m getting better at it.

Favorite foods: Pizza. Fried Rice with sesame honey chicken. Cheese Enchiladas. Apple Cobbler with ice cream. Bread Pudding and Arroz con Leche

Things that make you want to gag: Sushi and other raw foods. Nope. Can’t do it. Oh, and oysters. Yuck!

Something you’re really good at: Time Management. I can partition time and block it out and use it very effectively and productively.

Something you’re really bad at: Math is my strongest weakness.

Favorite music or song: This is such a hard question. My taste in music is eclectic. I love Beethoven and the modern composers like Han Zimmer, John Williams, Howard Shore and others. I love music with a good beat to dance to as well as music with meaningful lyrics. I love music from around the world that expresses different cultures.

Music that drives you crazy: The two music styles I can’t stand are heavy metal and rap/hip-hop. I just can’t get into those.

The last thing you ordered online: I ordered some cute purple planters and miracle grow for succulent plants. My brother and his wife gave me two very cute cactus plants. I’m endeavoring not to murder them. Wish me luck.

The last thing you regret buying: Bought some sticky tack to use in my classroom and it actually didn’t work well at all.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Dogs. I love dogs. I would spend all my time hanging out with dogs if I could. Honestly, they are the best company.

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

Wasps. They are unrepentantly violent creatures.

Things you always put in your books: Love. No matter what the genre, stories are about people’s lives and without love life isn’t worth living. I always have relationships in my books and I enjoy building romance encounters.

Things you never put in your books: There’s really nothing I won’t put in a book. At the end of the day, I’m writing a reflection of the world, and I don’t shy away from making it real and raw. It’s important we think about and face the hard truths and fiction is a safe place for these discussions.

Things to say to an author: You don’t need anyone else to give their blessing to call yourself an author. You don’t need to have published work to call yourself an author. It doesn’t matter if you sell one copy or a million of your book. You have a voice and stories to tell and that’s what makes you an author.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: It’s you’re not your. (grammar police)

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Driving on Nurburg Ring. It is a wonderful experience and once is more than sufficient… for me.

Something you chickened out from doing: Rollercoasters. Yeah. No.

A few of your favorite things: Books. The beach. Dogs. Music. Dancing. Pens. Really Sharp Pencils. Swords, knives, daggers. Coloring. The sound of snow. The sound of the ocean waves. Rainy days.

Things you need to throw out: Old clothes that no longer fit. Clothes I bought hoping someday they would fit.

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, taught for fifteen years in Alief ISD, and is a full-time Realtor in Houston. 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. She also has volume one of her graphic novel/novella hybrid project, New Beginning. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She serves as co-host for two podcasts – Author Talk and The Hot Mess Express. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Follow Fern's writing at: http://fernbrady.com

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