#WriterWednesday Interview with Daniele Cybulskie

I’d like to welcome Daniele Cybulskie to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: A cup of tea, a glass of water, a clean desk, and a good notebook and pen to hand for catching stray ideas as I type.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise and clutter. Interruptions! I need a block of quiet time to deep think, whether I’m planning, editing, or crafting sentences.

Things you love about writing: I love that it’s a way of reaching out to people and connecting. For me, the flow state comes when I’m writing about something really interesting that I can’t wait to share. As a non-fiction writer, it’s all about showing people things and saying, “Look! Isn’t this cool?”

Things you hate about writing: It’s hard! It takes a lot of revision, and reading from different perspectives, and rethinking – but not overthinking. It also takes a thick skin, learning to accept feedback from editors, copyeditors, and then readers. But the benefits outweigh the pain.

Things you never want to run out of: Tea! Good pens, notebooks with the right line spacing, and Post-It Notes. Also time, but I frequently find myself running out of that….

Things you wish you’d never bought: Sometimes I impulse-buy lipstick, but I always regret the seriously pink ones.

Things you always put in your books: Jokes, and a sprinkling of sarcasm. History doesn’t need to be serious all the time. Some of the best-researched history books I’ve read have also made me laugh out loud at a well-timed joke.

Things you never put in your books: Insults. I want my books to be uplifting overall, so I avoid putting people (living or dead) down as much as possible.

Favorite places you’ve been: Scotland. Edinburgh is my favourite city. I’ve been to Scotland several times (lived there for a while), and every time I leave it’s heartrending. It’s just an absolutely beautiful, friendly, and historically rich country.

Places you never want to go to again: My old apartment. I honestly had a nightmare about it the other day.

Favorite books (or genre): I read a lot of books on positive psychology, so I was thrilled to be able to connect this scientific work to history in How to Live Like a Monk. These books give me a mood boost, and I’m really interested in the different ways we can test and challenge ourselves. I find human nature endlessly fascinating.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I don’t buy true crime. I would much rather investigate lives from long ago.

Things that make you happy: I’m a really simple person at heart. I live for sunshine, a cup of tea, and a good book. Time with family and friends. I love the physical challenge of Krav Maga, and the mental release of meditation. A quiet existence!

Things that drive you crazy: Unkindness. Casual rudeness – usually on the road! Injustice. Selfishness. Everyone is stressed these days, so it’s worth it to take two seconds to smile, wave, thank someone, or stand up for someone. Small gestures of kindness can change the world.

About Daniele:

As a writer, TEDx speaker, former college professor, and podcaster, Danièle has made medieval history fun, entertaining, and accessible for millions of people around the world. As well as introducing a general audience to the fascinating world of the Middle Ages, her books, articles, videos, and weekly podcast have been used as resources in schools and universities across North America. Danièle’s mission is to share the joy of history by highlighting our common humanity across time and space. When she’s not reading, writing, or recording, Danièle can be found drinking tea, doing Krav Maga, or sometimes building a backyard trebuchet.

Let’s Be Social:

Author/Podcaster/Historian

Website: www.danielecybulskie.com

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TedTalk:  History in Three Dimensions

#WriterWednesday Interview with Judith Copek

I’d like to welcome author Judith Copek to the blog today for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: Paintings, books, mid-century modern furniture

Things you need to throw out: Old memorabilia, junk, research for published novels

Things you need for your writing sessions: computer, thesaurus, list of characters, ideas, or plot points

Things that hamper your writing: interruptions, too many other tasks to do, reluctance to plant butt in chair

Things you love about writing: when the words are flowing

Things you hate about writing: when the words don’t come

Favorite foods: chicken, strawberries, home-grown tomatoes

Things that make you want to gag: runny eggs, low-fat anything, margarine

Favorite smell: lilacs, roses, meat roasting, bacon frying

Something that makes you hold your nose: cat barf, wet wool, rotting vegetables

Something you’re really good at: cooking, writing, gardening

Something you’re really bad at: ice skating, calculus, networking

Something you like to do: watch mystery programs on television

Something you wish you’d never done: sassed my mom so often

Last best thing you ate: cranberry-apple crisp

last thing you regret eating: second bowl of spicy chili

The last thing you ordered online: bread baskets

The last thing you regret buying: the wrong cat food

Things you always put in your books: food and romance

Things you never put in your books: graphic violence and graphic sex

Favorite places you’ve been: Yellowstone Park, San Francisco, Paris

Places you never want to go to again: Tijuana, Hospital, Aldi in Taunton, MA

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Attended Burning Man (3 times)

Something you chickened out from doing: downhill skiing

About Judith:

Such Stuff As Dreams is a leap into another genre for Judith, a historical novel set in the twenties. She discovered that bad guys and scary situations are not limited to mystery fiction. Judith belongs to The Historical Novel Society, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. In addition to five crime-fiction novels, she’s published memoir, poetry, and short stories.

Let’s Be Social:

Amazon link to author page. https://www.amazon.com/author/judithcopek

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

Blog: http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/judyinboston

Twitter: https://twitter.com/judyinboston

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

#WriterWednesday Interview with Joanna Vander Vlugt

I’d like to welcome Joanna Vander Vlugt to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite summer traditions: A gin and tonic is my summer drink. That I enjoy drinking on a hot summer evening.

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again: I’m afraid I live a sheltered life. I enjoy so much spending my time in the back yard reading a good book. I do more activities during the Fall and winter.

Favorite summer beverage: A gin and tonic.

A drink that gives you a pickle face: Beer. I’m one of few people who doesn’t like traditional beer. In BC, craft breweries are huge. I like the craft fruit flavored beers and ales, and having a flight of ales.

Best thing you ever grilled in spring: I don’t grill. My spouse does all the cooking, seriously. For the last 34 years of our marriage, he’s done all the cooking and grilling. I love when he grills corn, peppers, mushrooms, and of course, steak on the barbeque.

Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster: Well, the worst kitchen disaster would be not having an oven. We’ve just moved into a new home, and because of supply chain issues, we have been waiting since July 2021 to receive our oven. It’s brutal because although I don’t cook, I love baking.

Your favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck: I love Magnum ice cream bars.

Some dessert that you wish you’d never bought: I also love fruit pies, but I find the fruit pies in grocery stories are a bit of a disappointment. I want more fruit and less sugar.

Best summer vacation ever: Going to Niagara Falls as a teenager.

Somewhere where you don’t ever want to return: We’ve been to Las Vegas. I sound like a prude but we’re really not gamblers. We prefer to see natural landscapes. I do love cities though.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer: I am such a creature of habit. Whether its summer or winter, I love writing in the office at the front of the house. I’m not a real “summer” person. Writing early in the morning when it’s dark is a magic time.

The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions: In a park. There are just too many distractions, and I would want to enjoy the park, instead of writing.

The thing you like most about being a writer: When a revelation on how to fix a plot problem, hits me when I’m walking the dogs. Those moments of inspiration are golden.

The thing you like least about being a writer: My time is split between, writing, creating illustrations and podcasting, and I wish I had more time to write.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Nothing. I value my sleep far too much to leave the house.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Cereal. I never grew up eating cereal so I’ve never bought cereal or had cereal for breakfast.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: My mother’s support. She is no longer with us anymore, but I remember when I told her I wanted to be a writer (she remembered me writing as a teenager), that afternoon she went to a book store and brought back for me numerous Harlequin romances to help me become a better writer.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I always wrote as a child and teenager. When I took up writing again in my late twenties, I wish I hadn’t stopped writing after ten years. I wish I had kept going. Writing and becoming an author was my destiny, and as it happened when my mother passed, it was 4 months after her death, that I began writing again.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I once fell into a computer box.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I was waiting for an elevator in a Vancouver hotel, and the elevator doors opened and there was Jared Padalecki from Supernatural. One side of my brain stopped working, and the other side of my brain kept telling me to not act like an idiot. I must have asked him four times if the elevator was going up. In the end I was so embarrassed by my behavior, that I didn’t get on the elevator, and I told him I’d get the next one. When I told my teenage daughters what had happened, they both told me, “Mom, you get on the elevator, even if it’s going to the moon.”

The nicest thing a reader said to you: As authors, we’re supposed to get book reviews, right, well it was when a reader messaged me on FB and said, “geez, Joanna, I can’t put this book down.” I then asked her if I could use her comment as promotional material, she then responded, “yes, of course, now I want to read.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: A reader who really enjoyed my novel, asked me if my heroine, Jade, was ever going to eat. I never had scenes of her eating. So, in book 2, Jade is eating and stealing fries from a mysterious professor who has given her information about a drug dealer.

About Joanna

Joanna Vander Vlugt is an author and illustrator. As a teenager, she drew charcoal portraits and wrote mysteries. Her short mysteries Egyptian  Queen and The Parrot and Wild Mushroom Stuffing were published in Crime Writers of Canada mystery anthologies. Her essay, No Beatles Reunion was published in the Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle anthology.  Her thriller series features the sister duo, Jade and Sage. The Unravelling was a Canadian Book Club Awards finalists. Joanna is proud of her podcast JCVArtStudio and the many artists and authors she’s interviewed. Her motorcycle illustrations have been purchased world-wide.

Let’s Be Social

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082696385586

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/joannavandervlugt_author_art/

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-vander-vlugt/

 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joannavandervlugt_author?lang=en

#Writer Wednesday Interview with Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl

I’d like to welcome Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

The thing you like most about being a writer:

The thing we like most about being a writer is setting own schedules! When we feel inspired, we can write! If we’re not in the mood (and there’s no deadline approaching) we don’t have to write. Having a writing partner has been great because we can help each other with accountability and motivation.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

Sometimes being your own boss and setting your own schedule can be a curse!

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night:

We’ve been known to order some take-out food late at night! When you’re hungry, you’re hungry!

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Both of us are vegetarian so you won’t find any meat on our shopping lists and Meg hates mushrooms!

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

We always appreciate hearing from readers, and we just got a message telling us someone woke up with bags under their eyes because they stayed up late reading our latest book! Another reader told us this book is our best yet and that made us feel great.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Someone told us we don’t look like horror writers because we don’t dress gothic enough while another person told us we’re too gothic looking! We’re going to keep being ourselves.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:

Our favorite thing to do when we have free time is spend it with our families, reading, watching TV or movies, or attending the theatre.

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

Neither of us enjoy cleaning very much but we get it done! Folding laundry on a weekly basis would gladly be put off if it could.

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

Coffee! We like to have a space that’s as free from distractions as possible and is comfortable. We don’t need proper desks or chairs, just a comfy spot to plop and be inspired.

Things that distract you from writing:

Children and pets!

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

Meg always dreamed of being a writer and used to pretend to be interviewed about her horror novels. And Kelly wanted was obsessed with “Thriller” and wanted to be a special FX artist!

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

We never dreamed we’d be in front of crowds (in person and virtual) speaking on topics that are important to us!

Things to say to an author:

Hey! Thanks for all the work and effort you put into your book! I think it’s priced fairly, and I will share all about it on my social media!

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

Did you REALLY write this book? Can I get it for free somewhere?

Favorite places you’ve been:

We love historical places like Salem, MA, London and Paris!

Places you never want to go to again:

Tent camping…with Minnesota mosquitos and unpredictable weather.

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

Writers like Stephen King, Tananarive Due, Joe Hill. Hollywood icons like Clive Barker, Mike Flanagan, Mindy Kaling, Phoebe Waller Bridge.

People you’d cancel dinner on:

People who hate horror and intend on a giving us a long lecture on its unworthiness…

Best thing you’ve ever done:

The best thing we’ve ever done is to do the work, stay committed, and share our work with the world! We’ve been given opportunities and met so many great people because we reached out and believed in ourselves.

Biggest mistake:

The biggest mistake we’ve made are the times we had self-doubt and held back. We’re learning to trust our instincts and our talent to not be afraid to pursue our dreams!

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation:

We were staying at a hotel where a movie was filming so all the elevators got shut down! We took a back stairwell to try to exit the hotel but got caught in a labyrinth of “staff only” tunnels and doors. Finally, we found an exit and the alarm thankfully didn’t go off!

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation:

On that same trip, we were dropped off over two miles from our intended destination by our Uber driver. We figured we could walk it but soon discovered the route was not walking friendly! We ended up calling a second ride and headed back to our hotel without ever making it to the shop!

The thing you like most about being a writer:

The thing we like most about being a writer is setting own schedules! When we feel inspired, we can write! If we’re not in the mood (and there’s no deadline approaching) we don’t have to write. Having a writing partner has been great because we can help each other with accountability and motivation.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

Sometimes being your own boss and setting your own schedule can be a curse!

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night:

We’ve been known to order some take-out food late at night! When you’re hungry, you’re hungry!

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Both of us are vegetarian so you won’t find any meat on our shopping lists and Meg hates mushrooms!

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

We always appreciate hearing from readers, and we just got a message telling us someone woke up with bags under their eyes because they stayed up late reading our latest book! Another reader told us this book is our best yet and that made us feel great.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Someone told us we don’t look like horror writers because we don’t dress gothic enough while another person told us we’re too gothic looking! We’re going to keep being ourselves.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:

Our favorite thing to do when we have free time is spend it with our families, reading, watching TV or movies, or attending the theatre.

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

Neither of us enjoy cleaning very much but we get it done! Folding laundry on a weekly basis would gladly be put off if it could.

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

Coffee! We like to have a space that’s as free from distractions as possible and is comfortable. We don’t need proper desks or chairs, just a comfy spot to plop and be inspired.

Things that distract you from writing:

Children and pets!

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

Meg always dreamed of being a writer and used to pretend to be interviewed about her horror novels. And Kelly wanted was obsessed with “Thriller” and wanted to be a special FX artist!

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

We never dreamed we’d be in front of crowds (in person and virtual) speaking on topics that are important to us!

Things to say to an author:

Hey! Thanks for all the work and effort you put into your book! I think it’s priced fairly, and I will share all about it on my social media!

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

Did you REALLY write this book? Can I get it for free somewhere?

Favorite places you’ve been:

We love historical places like Salem, MA, London and Paris!

Places you never want to go to again:

Tent camping…with Minnesota mosquitos and unpredictable weather.

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

Writers like Stephen King, Tananarive Due, Joe Hill. Hollywood icons like Clive Barker, Mike Flanagan, Mindy Kaling, Phoebe Waller Bridge.

People you’d cancel dinner on:

People who hate horror and intend on a giving us a long lecture on its unworthiness…

Best thing you’ve ever done:

The best thing we’ve ever done is to do the work, stay committed, and share our work with the world! We’ve been given opportunities and met so many great people because we reached out and believed in ourselves.

Biggest mistake:

The biggest mistake we’ve made are the times we had self-doubt and held back. We’re learning to trust our instincts and our talent to not be afraid to pursue our dreams!

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation:

We were staying at a hotel where a movie was filming so all the elevators got shut down! We took a back stairwell to try to exit the hotel but got caught in a labyrinth of “staff only” tunnels and doors. Finally, we found an exit and the alarm thankfully didn’t go off!

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation:

On that same trip, we were dropped off over two miles from our intended destination by our Uber driver. We figured we could walk it but soon discovered the route was not walking friendly! We ended up calling a second ride and headed back to our hotel without ever making it to the shop!

About Kelly and Meg:

Kelly Florence is a communication instructor at Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota and is the creator and co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast as well as the producer and host of the podcast Be A Better Communicator.  She received her B.A. in theatre at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and got her M.A. in communicating arts at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. 

 Horror and suspense author Meg Hafdahl is the creator of numerous stories and books. Her fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Eve’s Requiem: Tales of Women, Mystery and Horror and Eclectically Criminal. Her work has been produced for audio by The Wicked Library and The Lift, and she is the author of two popular short story collections including Twisted Reveries: Thirteen Tales of the Macabre. Meg is also the author of the two novels; Daughters of Darkness and Her Dark Inheritance called “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and small town intrigue” by Horror Addicts and “every bit as page turning as any King novel” by RW Magazine. 

Let’s Be Social:

http://www.horrorrewind.com

http://www.meghafdahl.com

http://www.kellyflorence.com

#WriterWednesday Interview with Mally Becker

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Mally Becker to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite fall traditions: Baking fruit cobblers and bread once the weather cools off. Dressing up and decorating for Halloween. Rooting for the New York Mets to make the postseason.

Something autumn-related that you’ll never do again: This is the first time in years that we won’t be buying Costco’s 10-pound bag of candy for Halloween. The purchase was just our excuse to have eight pounds of leftover chocolate candy in the house. Time (for us) to grow up!

Favorite fall treat: Warm apple pie a la mode.

A fall treat that makes you gag: Pumpkin spice anything.

Favorite autumn beverage: Apple cider mimosas.

A drink that gives you a sour face: Pumpkin spice coffee.

Best fall memory: Taking our son to college football games when he was young.

Something you’d rather forget: The 10-day power outage following a freak October snow storm here in New Jersey.

A tradition you share with others: We place a scratch-off lottery ticket beneath everyone’s plate at Thanksgiving, then wait ‘til dessert for everyone to try their luck.

A tradition that can be retired: Aiming for perfection at holiday meals! It took me a long time to notice that everyone’s just grateful to be together with or without the “perfect” meal.

Best thing you ever cooked/baked in autumn: Chocolate chip apple cake.

Your worst kitchen disaster: I pulled the Thanksgiving turkey out of the oven and realized that I’d never removed the bag of giblets it came with.

Favorite place you spent a fall day: Paris.

The worst place to spend a fall day: At a football stadium during an icy late-November rainstorm.

Your best Halloween costume: I cut giant sheets of upholstery foam and used spray paint to create a human-sized ham-and-cheese sandwich costume. (Can you tell that Halloween’s my favorite holiday of the year?)

A Halloween costume that wasn’t quite what you imagined: A neighbor walked into a Halloween party wearing a hospital gown to which small cereal boxes had been stapled. A plastic knife stuck out of each small box. I was baffled and asked him about his costume. “I’m a cereal killer,” he said.

Best Halloween costume ever: A neighborhood friend purchased a full-sized gorilla costume for a costume party. He also wore it round the neighborhood that year on his usual morning walk, giving kids waiting for the school bus that day quite a start.

Worst Halloween costume disaster: Nope. We won’t be discussing the year I created a tutu that wouldn’t stay tied around my waist.

Best Halloween memory: My friend’s annual Halloween costume party was scheduled for the night of the October snowstorm I mentioned above. It was snowing, power was out, and trees were down all over the neighborhood. She held the party in the dark for the few of us crazy enough to walk to her house in the storm.

Worst Halloween experience: Traveling for business one year and missing Halloween entirely.

About Mally:

Mally Becker combines her love of history and crime fiction in mysteries that feature strong, independent heroines. Her debut novel, The Turncoat's Widow, was nominated for an Agatha Award in 2022. Kirkus Reviews called it, "A compelling tale ... with charming main characters.” The Turncoat's Widow was also named a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalist and a CIBA Mystery & Mayhem finalist.

The Counterfeit Wife, will be published on September 20, 2022 by Level Best Books, and she is at work on the third installment in her Revolutionary War mystery series.

A member of the board of MWA-NY, Mally was an attorney until becoming a full-time writer. She's also an instructor at The Writers Circle Workshops. She and her husband live in New Jersey, where they raised their wonderful son.

She thought she'd be clearing trails when she volunteered at the Morristown National Historical Park but found herself instead assigned to work with the Park's archival collection of letters. That's where she found a copy of an indictment for the Revolutionary War-era crime of traveling from New Jersey to New York City "without permission or passport." That document became the spark for The Turncoat's Widow and her Revolutionary War mystery series.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: The Turncoat's Widow | Mally Becker

#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Judy L. Murray

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Judy L. Murray to the blog for #WriterWednesday. I had the privilege of reading an early version of her latest mystery.

A few of your favorite things: My books, all of them. Antiques and prints I’ve collected over the years. I remember where I found each one of them. It’s fun to reminisce about the hunt for treasures.

Things you need to throw out: Clothes I never wear. I always think – maybe next year I’ll wear this. I’m usually delusional, either because it will never be back in style, or I’ll never fit into it again.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet, and my cats, Agatha and Dr. Watson.

Things that hamper your writing: Getting distracted by social media and the news. That’s a rabbit hole I still haven’t mastered.

Things you love about writing: Hearing from readers who love my people and all the twists and turns. That they relate to my characters. When someone asks me, “what will happen between Helen and Joe?” I smile. It means that they’re real people to my readers. Readers seem to love my Detection Club of famous sleuths in my series.

Things you hate about writing: Outlining. Hate it! Trying to improve my attitude but not being very successful.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Did I mention outlining?

Easiest thing about being a writer: Feeling good about giving yourself time alone with your thoughts. The excitement when I know my story is on a roll.

Things you never want to run out of: New ideas…and paper. Maybe pretzels. Chocolate to eat with the pretzels is nice too.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Any silly device for neck pain from working on my laptop. I think I’ve tried most everything. Heaven forbid, I force myself to exercise every day.

Words that describe you: People person, micromanager, persistent. I talk to anyone anywhere, especially in the grocery store. Yes, I’m one of THOSE.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Not enjoying the moment when I should. A worrier about things that may not ever happen, especially involving my children. I’ve improved over the years, but not enough.

Favorite foods: Cake, ice cream, twice-baked potatoes, red wine in the winter.

Things that make you want to gag: Beets and other odd vegetables. Give me the basics.

Something you’re really good at: Being creative. I’m usually a problem-solver. I’m also very good at seeing the potential in neglected houses. My husband and I have been rehabbing all our lives. It truly is an addiction.

Something you’re really bad at: Holding back on giving my advice to my grown children. I’m not sure about yours, but mine usually don’t want it!

Something you wish you could do: Speak a foreign language. I just can’t roll my r’s. I’m terrible at it. This is from someone whose maiden name is Casanova. I admire people who speak other languages.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Clean house.

Something you like to do: Jump in and help.

Something you wish you’d never done: Shovel plaster off old walls into dumpsters. You have to be young!

Things you’d walk a mile for: My family when they need me. I’d go through fire. Or, run through the woods in the dark, like my protagonist Helen in her first mystery.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A house with more visiting dogs than people after a long weekend. My cats will come with me. But please don’t tell my children.

Things you always put in your books: A little romance and a happy ending. Life should feel good at the end of a story.

Things you never put in your books: Sex. I’m too self-conscious and inhibited.

Things to say to an author: Keep writing, welcome feedback from your editors. Revise, revise, revise.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I can’t believe you wrote that!”

Favorite places you’ve been: The Adirondacks, the Chesapeake Bay, and Bath, England.

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas. It’s just not my scene.

Favorite books (or genre): Books by other mystery writers. Jane Austen’s books – I own multiple sets. I re-read Rosamunde Pilcher’s whenever I need to sooth my mind.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Books about serial killers and explicit thrillers. They’d keep me up at night and I’m already a poor sleeper.

Favorite things to do: Sailing and sleeping overnight on our boat, Persuasion which was named after Jane Austen’s book and my forty years in marketing. Spending time with my family. If I can do those together, even better.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Moving. Which is pretty funny coming from a Realtor of forty years. I get very attached to my surroundings. And doing taxes. I hate anything to do with accounting.

Things that make you happy: Meeting friendly people.

Things that drive you crazy: People who don’t smile. Smiling costs you nothing except the lines around your eyes. I have many.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Actually, a couple things: Teaching my children the importance of family. Also, I’m not sure if it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, but getting my first book, Murder in the Master, published.

Biggest mistake: Waiting so long to find time outside of work to write.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I love your mysteries. Brillant!” Ahhh.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Are you Helen?” “No. I’m not nearly so Nancy Drew brave!”

About Judy

An IPPY Silver Medalist, a Silver Falchion Award Winner, and Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Mystery. Judy L Murray’s debut novel, Murder in the Master – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery, came out in 2021. Her second in the series, Killer in the Kitchen, was released late September 2022.

The Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series Book One, Murder in the Master, introduced Helen Morrisey, a quick-tongued, gutsy, and mature woman long on loyalty and short on romance. A mystery story addict, Helen’s approach to solving problems was to call on the talents of her favorite, strong-minded female detectives within her own Detection Club, much like Agatha Christie formed in 1930. 

A real estate broker in the Philadelphia area and restoration addict, Judy has worked with enough delusional sellers, jittery buyers, testy contractors, and diva agents to fill her head with back-office insight and truth versus gossip. She lives atop a cliff on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband where she writes long after sunset. They're buffeted by winds in winter and invaded by family and dogs in summer.  Judy holds a newspaper journalism degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and an MBA concentrating on marketing with Penn State University. She began her writing career as a newspaper reporter and magazine columnist. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Judy is represented by the Blue Ridge Literary Agency and Level Best Books Publishers. Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Follow her at www.judylmurraymysteries.com with her newsletter and Judy L Murray Author on social media. She welcomes your conversations. You can also reach her directly at judylmurray@gmail.com She’d love to hear from you!

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#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Edward Willett

I’d like to welcome author, Edward Willett to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

The thing you like most about being a writer:

Readers telling me they enjoy my work!

The thing you like least about being a writer:

The extremely irregular and sometimes entirely lacking income.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night:

Coffee cream.

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Heart of palm.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

Antique champagne glasses with hollow stems that show the bubbles rising—found on eBay for my wife for an anniversary present.

The thing you wished you’d never bought.

Two wireless mics for my iPhone for livestreaming, when a cheap wired one works better.

Something you’re really good at:

Singing. I’ve sung in very good, national-level choirs, and have performed professionally in musical theatre and opera.

Something you never learned how to do:

Fly. Always kind of wanted to but it’s never happened.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

Astronaut.

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

Own a publishing company, and publish and edit internationally bestselling authors (in the Shapers of Worlds anthologies).

Things you always put in your books:

Almost always, there’s a little nod to Saskatchewan—it might be the landscape, or a place name, or a character name.

Things you never put in your books:

Explicit references to modern-day politics.

Things to say to an author:

I love your books!

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

When are you going to get a real job?

Favorite things to do:

Perform in a musical, preferably one where I’m onstage all the time and have all the best songs.

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

Attend the political convention of any party.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Skydive.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Skydive a second time.

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

Alan Doyle (former lead singer of Great Big Sea)

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

Pierre Eliot Trudeau (way shorter than I thought).

The best job you ever had:

Musical theatre performer.

The worst job you ever had:

Manual laborer at the Weyburn Inland Grain Terminal.

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish:

Enchilada casserole, a recipe my mother picked up when we lived in New Mexico that remains my favorite food ever.

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

A chocolate cake that fell so badly I took it to work and passed it off as brownies.

About Edward
Edward Willett is the award-winning author of more than sixty books of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction for readers of all ages. His twelfth novel for DAW Books, THE TANGLED STARS, comes out October 18. In 2018, he founded Shadowpaw Press (www.shadowpawpress.com) which publishes new work by emerging and established authors and new editions of notable, previously published work. Among its releases are the SHAPERS OF WORLDS anthologies, featuring authors, many of them international bestsellers and award-winners, who were guests of The Worldshapers podcast (www.theworldshapers.com), which Ed hosts and which won an Aurora Award for best fan-related work in 2019. SHAPERS OF WORLDS VOLUME III also comes out in October. In addition to writing, editing, and publishing, Ed is a professional actor and singer who has performed in numerous plays, operas, and musicals. Ed lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife, Margaret Anne Hodges, P.Eng., a past-president of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

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#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Roger Leslie

I’d like to welcome Roger Leslie to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: I love dachshunds, classic movies, and compelling books.

Things you need to throw out: I have multiple copies of several drafts of books published years ago. Either I need to save them for The Roger Leslie Museum, or it’s time to trash them.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I’m at my creative best when I open a clear channel to my subconscious and I exercise the courage to bare my soul in my writing. Oh, a computer and a comfortable chair help, too.

Things that hamper your writing: The misguided thought that I can’t do something. Of course, we can do whatever we’re inspired to do. We wouldn’t get the inspiration if we weren’t already equipped to fulfill it.

Things you love about writing: It’s an adventure into the subconscious. I not only learn about my own psyche when I write, but every time I also rediscover my connection to the realm of creativity.

Things you hate about writing: Nothing. My goal is to love everything about any endeavor I’m committed to.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Real-world time suggests I couldn’t possibly write all the books my creative mind wants to write. My goal is to use time so effectively I write every book stirring inside me.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The creative process is solely dependent on me. To generate new books, I must only be true to my own vision and maintain the discipline to write every day.

Words that describe you: I’m exuberant, creative, organized, and disciplined.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: A nurse friend told me I’m obsessive-compulsive, stuck in the anal stage. (I thought I was just conscientious and neat.)

Something you’re really good at: I am an expert at assembling jigsaw puzzles. Sometimes I’ll put together six or seven 1,000-piece puzzles in a single day.

Something you’re really bad at: I didn’t know until my mother-in-law told me, but apparently I’m a terrible singer. (I don’t care. I sing anyway—just not around people with nice voices.)

Something you wish you could do: I’d love to play the piano beautifully.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Every time I learned to fix anything in my house or car, I became more convinced I’d rather work more hours and pay somebody else to do it.

Last best thing you ate: A friend brought me a box of Dutch chocolates from Europe. Each bite warranted a celebration.

Last thing you regret eating: I ate leftovers that had been in my fridge for five days only because I refuse to waste food. After I finished eating, I spent the next hour worrying I’d have food poisoning.

The last thing you ordered online: A ring light, green screen, and microphone for a virtual interview on a national television show.

The last thing you regret buying: I bought a less expensive name brand dish soap that comes out thinner than the water from my faucet. Who knew?!

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk that far for a great double-dip ice cream cone, the opportunity to watch my dog walking through a park he loves, or a reunion with a loved one.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: I’m thrilled to stay away from incessant complainers and political discussions. Complainers want me to agree with them. I won’t. Political enthusiasts want me to argue with them. I don’t.

Things you always put in your books: Hope and positivity, and usually a subtle reference to a friend or family member who will be the only one to recognize it.

Things you never put in your books: One-dimensional antagonists who are mean for no reason. I don’t believe people are ever mean for no reason. Mean people get that way to protect themselves from hurt.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your book changed my life.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: A parent picked up a copy of my book, Success Express for Teens and asked, “Would this book be good for my teenagers?”

About Roger

Award-winning author, publisher, editor, and writing coach Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of education and success. His bestselling works cover multiple genres of nonfiction and fiction. A lifelong teacher, Leslie leads courses (RogerLeslie.com) on writing and on living the life you dream. 

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