#WriterWednesday Interview with Mandy Eve-Barrett

I’d like to welcome Mandy Eve-Barrett to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding time to write around full time work, and other commitments.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Letting the words flow just like a movie in my head. I follow my characters lead, enjoying the unexpected twists, turns and surprising tangents.

Things you never want to run out of: Tea – I’m English it is an essential and vital part of everyday. (Black tea with milk – no other kinds. Not flavoured stuff.)

Things you wish you’d never bought: What I can only describe as ‘fake’ cheese – rubbery and bendy blocks in Canadian stores. (Sorry) It’s not cheese as I know it!

Favorite places you’ve been: Apart from home – England, I have a longing to go back to Rome. My soul connected to the place in such a profound way, I am certain I lived there in another life.

Places you never want to go to again: This is a hard question as I enjoy visiting and exploring new places. However, I would not want to revisit losing my father – it was the hardest thing I have ever endured – my heart literally broke into a thousand pieces.

Favorite books (or genre): Goodness, as I constantly read multiple genres, there is always a new favorite. However, I always buy the latest Stephen King as he is my hero. And I reread Ferney by James Long on quite a regular basis, as it is the quintessential reincarnation story.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything about politics.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Stephen King, Viggo Mortensen, Diane Keaton, Dame Judi Dench, Michele Morrone and the Princess of Wales – Kate as we are both from Bucklebury.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Any and all politicians, Elon Musk, Kayne West, and any Kardashian.

Things that make you happy: Time with my grown kids, my writing friends and writing group, and my little rescue dog, Sammie. Exploring on road trips, walking in nature and holidays in England.

Things that drive you crazy: The fakeness of social media, many ’I am famous for being famous’ celebrities and self-serving politicians.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: The most ‘famous’ person, I have met is Princess Anne. Such a wonderfully down to earth woman. Also, on my list is Davy Jones (The Monkees), David Essex (UK pop singer), George Young, Baron Young of Cookham, Nigel Havers (actor), and Groot! Yep, the movie launch had characters in major cities, and he was in Edmonton. I ran down Whyte Avenue to cuddle him, much to my offspring’s embarrassment.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: George Harrison (The Beatles) - much older than my teenage memories, but still a thrill.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I checked out every one of your books from the library.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Several readers contacted me asking for a sequel to my fantasy series. I wrote it as a standalone – then found myself writing a sequel to make my readers happy. I am now in the midst of a prequel. Never say never!

Things you always put in your books: Strong, independent women and unexpected and unusual viewpoints.

Things you never put in your books: Child or animal abuse. Violence for the sake of it.

Favorite smell: There are several – Brut aftershave that reminds me of my Father, Obsession perfume by Calvin Klein ( I found it in my early twenties and have not worn any other perfume since), cut grass, ocean and mountain air.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Inner city smells. (a country girl at heart)

About Mandy:

Mandy Eve-Barnett is a multi-genre author writing children’s, YA and adult books. Every story has a basis of love, nature, magic and mystery. Her passion for writing emerged later in life and she is making up for lost time. With nine books published since 2011 and another five awaiting the editing process, she indulges her Muse in creative as well as freelance writing.  Mandy regularly blogs at http://www.mandyevebarnett.com, where she encourages, supports for networking for writers and readers alike.  She is also prolific on social media. Mandy is currently the Secretary of her local writers’ group, the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County, she hosts the monthly meetings and creates weekly writing prompts for the website. She is past Secretary of the Alberta Authors Cooperative and past President of the Arts & Culture Council of Strathcona County Council. Mandy Eve-Barnett lives her creative life to the fullest.

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Publisher:  Dream Write Publishing. www.dreamwritepublishing.ca

#WriterWednesday Interview with Mary Ann Miller

I’d like to welcome Mary Ann Miller to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of my favorite things: Julie Andrews, ice tea with more lemon than tea, gardening.

Things I need to throw out: expired food in the pantry, old frying pans with no non-stick left.

Things I need for writing sessions: reading glasses, view out my window.

Things that hamper my writing: my husband, music with words because I end up humming along with the songs and not writing.

Things I love about writing: putting pen to paper. I’m very old-fashioned that way.

Things I hate about writing: all of the non-writing aspects. I am getting used to doing something with social media every day.

Favorite foods: strawberries, ice cream, fruit.

Food that makes me want to gag: sushi.

Favorite music: 60s and 70s.

Music that drives me crazy: music from another vehicle when my windows are rolled up.

Favorite smells: lilacs in the spring, sawdust, coffee (love the smell, hate the taste).

Something that makes me hold my nose: skunks, water treatment plant.

Something I wish I could do: fly an airplane.

Something I wish I’d never learn to do: housework.

Something I’d love to do: skydiving.

Something I wish I’d never done: slicing my thumb while doing the dishes. Ended having surgery and ten years later, I still can’t feel half of my right thumb.

Something I’d walk a mile for: ice cream.

Something I run screaming from the room: cooking, cleaning the refrigerator.

Favorite genre: mystery, thriller.

Books I wouldn’t buy: sci-fi.

Favorite things to do: watch sports on tv, sit by the pool and read.

Things I’d like to get out of: cooking, dentist.

Things that make me happy: my three baby granddaughters

Things that drive me crazy: mispronouncing words. Especially. It’s not ekspecially.

About Mary Ann:

Mary Ann Miller is a debut author, currently living in Florida with her husband, where she is working on the second novel in the series. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University and earned a paralegal certificate with Roosevelt University. Miller is a member of MWA, ITW, and Sisters in Crime and when not writing, can be found reading poolside or hosting family and friends fleeing the cold winters of the north.

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#WriterWednesday with Author Michelle Bennington

I’d like to welcome author Michelle Bennington to the blog this week for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Revision, marketing, and social media.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas and the first draft.

Favorite foods: (this is a list that could on forever) Fresh baked scone, bacon, chocolate truffles, anything with caramel, my mom’s fried chicken, cold watermelon on a hot summer day, my grandma’s fried apple pies and homemade apple butter, apple pie, and spice cake.

Things that make you want to gag: I like a lot of ethnic and sea foods, but sea urchin and sashimi are two things I’ll never eat again. Oysters in any form, hominy, and okra. Chocolate above 70% dark.

Favorite music or song: (This is a list that could on forever, too). I like a wide range of pop, rock, hip hop, blues, some rap, wide array of international music, country, some punk, bluegrass, metal, classical, and religious hymns. My tastes are really eclectic. I think above all these is Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. One of the most beautiful pieces ever written. And I love anything played on the cello.

Music that drives you crazy: anything that I feel lacks artistry, meaning, or soul.

Favorite beverage: coffee, Earl Grey tea, Ale-8 (a Kentucky citrus-ginger soda), chai.

Something that gives you a sour face: black coffee. I have to have a little cream. Buttermilk. Plain Kefir.

Favorite smell: honeysuckle on a warm summer night, cooking bacon, brewing coffee, sandalwood, lavender.

Something that makes you hold your nose: the smell of gasoline, diesel, mildew, car exhaust, mold, cigarette smoke.

Something you’re really good at: Though I’m pretty good at cooking and baking in general, I’m best at making scones and bourbon balls and other holiday treats.

Something you’re really bad at: math

Something you like to do: Dance. I’m a member of a Middle Eastern dance troupe and I teach Bollywood dance. Play board and card games with my friends. It’s one of the most special things I do all year.

Something you wish you’d never done: Procrastinating on writing that first novel and launching my writing career. But I felt like there was so much I didn’t know and didn’t know how to find out. It’s been a journey for sure.

Favorite places you’ve been: Scotland

Places you never want to go to again: I can’t say there’s no place I’d want to revisit because even the rough, unsavory, or “bad” places were a learning experience that taught me something very valuable about life, the world, and myself. However, there have been some rough hotels/motels/B&Bs I’m happy to never step foot in again.

Favorite books (or genre): (another list that could go on forever). I like a wide variety of genres and books but tend to stay around mystery, historical fiction, biography, non-fiction history, poetry, thrillers, true crime. Occasionally, I’ll stray into horror, fantasy, romance, or paranormal.

Books you wouldn’t buy: YA, Sci-fi, erotica, children’s, most fantasy, most paranormal, most horror, most poetry, sports-based fiction and non-fiction.

Favorite things to do: Try new things, go to new places. I like to dance, travel, do historical tours, have afternoon tea, read in a bubble bath, go to the beach or lake, hang out with friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: taxes, deal with an insurance issue or technological / appliance issues.

Things that make you happy: My family, my dog (Maple), writing, reading, traveling (as long as I’m not driving), dancing, art, crafts.

Things that drive you crazy: Traffic. Computers. Spam. Noisy neighbors. People who lack intellectual curiosity or intellectual humility. Laziness.

About Michelle:

Born and raised in the beautiful Bluegrass state of Kentucky, Michelle Bennington developed a passion for books early on that has since progressed into a mild hoarding situation and an ever-growing to-read pile. She delights in transporting readers into worlds of mystery, both contemporary and historical.

In rare moments of spare time, she can be found engaging in a wide array of arts and crafts, reading, dance, traveling, and attending tours involving ghosts, historical homes, or distilleries.

Find out more about her series at www.michellebennington.com

The Small-Batch Mysteries: set in contemporary Kentucky, in the bourbon community (Level Best Books).

The Hazardous Hoarder Mysteries: set in contemporary Kentucky, featuring amateur hoarder-turned-sleuth, Birdie Harper.

The Widows & Shadows series: a historical mystery series set in late Georgian England to release October 2023 (Level Best Books).

A Sampling of Sleuths: Discover A New Binge-Worthy Mystery Series Anthology to release June 20, 2023 (Thalia Press).

Michelle loves talking about books, reading, writing, and history so y’all stop by for a visit anytime!

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#WriterWednesday Interview with B. J. Bowen

I’d like to welcome author B. J. Bowen to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer. I can’t imagine how it is possible to create (my mind goes faster than longhand) or revise without one!

Things that hamper your writing: Emails! Facebook! Computer glitches!

Things you love about writing: I can keep editing until I’m happy with what I’ve written.

Things you hate about writing: Marketing! Self-promotion! Ughh!!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Coming up with fresh ideas.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Once you’ve had an idea, writing a scene, especially one with characters you love.

Things you never want to run out of: toilet paper, ideas, direction

Things you wish you’d never bought: CDs I only like one song on; clothes that are cute, but the wrong color; another book!

Words that describe you: tenacious, friendly, soothing

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: tenacious, tactless, unconnected

Favorite music or song: Any Bach, Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings

Music that drives you crazy: rap

Favorite smell: Lilies of the Valley—my grandmother used to have that perfume.

Something that makes you hold your nose: the smell of bad animal shelters—urine, feces, & pain

Something you wish you could do: Technology

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Shhhhh! Grant writing—everybody wants a grant writer, but what if you fail and a deserving program goes without funds? It’s never happened to me, but it’s nerve-racking and stressful.

Something you like to do: Writing.

Something you wish you’d never done: Gone to the amusement park with my (at the time) seven-year-old daughter. I got nauseated from the whirling around and around rides, and the roller coaster was scary!

The last thing you ordered online: A book! What else?

The last thing you regret buying: ANOTHER book. It wasn’t very good, and it was expensive.

Things you always put in your books: The symphony.

Things you never put in your books: Violence (sounds odd for a murder mystery, but it’s true), and dead dogs/cats/other animals.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book. It made me laugh. I posted reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Why did that character act this way or that? I would have…”

Favorite places you’ve been: Utah Grand Canyon/Best Friends Animal Shelter, Costa Rica

Places you never want to go to again: A big city.

Favorite books (or genre): Cozies, women’s fiction

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror novels, books where the dog dies

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Marianne Williamson, Jane Goodall, Margaret Atwood

People you’d cancel dinner on: They’re all politicians, and even thinking of them makes me angry.

Favorite things to do: Lunch with a friend

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Fighting with the computer.

Things that make you happy: Beautiful colors, beautiful landscapes, my daughter, my dogs, not necessarily in that order.

Things that drive you crazy: Crowds, people who ignore the facts because their mind’s already made up.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Give birth to my daughter.

Biggest mistake: Expect people in my life to make me happy.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Hot air balloon ride.

Something you chickened out from doing: Attending a séance.

The funniest thing to happen to you: In 8th grade I measured myself for a dressmaking pattern. My mother was surprised that the measurements were so large, and insisted she had a 24-inch waist. She took the tape measure to show me. As I recall, she started at 32, then began pulling the tape measure on the way to 24. At around 26.5, the tape measure broke! (Maybe you had to be there).

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: My daughter and I were visiting a wild mustang shelter. We were given a bus tour of the horse area. I asked what that thing hanging down between the horse’s legs was. In my defense, he was a small colt, it was HUGE, and I’m a city girl. As I recall, the tour guide’s answer was, “That’s the way we tell if it’s a boy or a girl.”

The coolest person you’ve ever met: a minister who accepted everyone, wasn’t afraid to play like a kid, and spoke eloquently.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I’ve never met a celebrity in person.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I’m sad the book had to end. I loved the characters.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I wouldn’t have spent my money the way that character did.”

About B. J.:

Barbara (B. J.) Bowen is a freelance writer. She was a finalist and Honorable Mention in the 2018 Focus: Eddy Awards for her article, “Letting Go with Grace,” published in Unity Magazine. Ms. Bowen is also an accomplished professional oboist who played with the Colorado Springs Symphony for nineteen years.

Drawing on her quirky fellow musicians and orchestral experiences, she created the mystery series, "Musical Murders.” The first is "Music is Murder" (Release date, 6-9-21). The second is "Ballistics at the Ballet" (Release date 9-14-2022) The third is "Fireworks on the Fourth" (Release date 5-8-2023).

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, lives in Colorado with two canine friends, and has a stock of musical puns and a song for any occasion.

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Jackie Layton

I’m so excited to have the fabulous Jackie Layton on the blog today for #WriterWednesday. I love this series!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Go on a walk or watch a mystery on TV.

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

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Coffee or water, because I’m trying to drink more water.

Things that distract you from writing: The ding of text messages. I’m learning to leave my phone in another room on silent.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas

Favorite snacks: Brooks Dark Chocolate Acai & Blueberry flavored snacks

Things that make you want to gag: Collared greens.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: An author

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

Favorite places you’ve been: I’ve enjoyed so many places I’ve traveled to. I dreamed of visiting France for most of my life and I loved every minute of that trip. Other top places on my list are Maine, Newport, RI, Kentucky, Tybee Island, Charleston, Savannah, and Waco, TX.

Places you never want to go to again: I’m usually a positive person and can’t think of a place I don’t want to visit again. I could name a specific hotel or Air B&B, but I don’t want to offend anyone.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with family and friends.

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

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I moved to Georgia to attend pharmacy school when I really didn’t know anyone there.

Something you chickened out from doing: I don’t usually chicken out of big things, but I’ve been known to chicken out of a book club meeting where I barely know the people.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Besides my husband, I met Vince Gill. He was so nice and the coolest person I ever met.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Seeing Luke Bryan in real life surprised me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I can’t wait for your next book to come out. I think of your characters as my friends.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One lady nicely told me people in South Carolina only drink Pepsi. Most of my friends in South Carolina drink Coke. So, that confused me.

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: My husband and I went to Seville, Spain to visit our son who was there for school. We barely know any English, and we took a bus from the airport to the town. I thought I knew what our stop was called, and I thought the driver called it. My husband wasn’t sure that’s what the man said. Before we could quickly decide, the man drove away. Pulling off, I saw our son walk up to the stop. For some reason, our phones didn’t work, it was over 90 degrees, and I tried waving to Scott so he’d know we were on the bus. The next stop wasn’t like a block away. No, we turned a few times before he stopped again. So we hopped off with our luggage and trudged along the streets hoping for a miracle. Boy, were we happy to see Scott’s smiling face. He had a grin like only a child can give you when you mess up.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: I cracked my ribs wake boarding with the kids in the ocean. Ouch.

Book Blurb:

When a client’s dog turns up missing and her husband turns up dead, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott will have to rely on dogged determination to track down a killer . . .  

When a frantic client calls, worried about her dog, Andi Grace is happy to drop by the woman’s home and check in on her beloved pet. She’s initially concerned when she discovers the dog’s not in the house, but she’s out-and-out shocked to discover that the woman’s husband is—strangled to death in his office chair. On top of that, she soon finds a ransom note demanding a hefty sum for the dog’s safe return. Andi Grace knows better than to meddle in a murder investigation, but there’s no way she’s going to let a dognapper get away with it.

Unsure of whether the killer took the dog or if they were unrelated crimes, Andi Grace finds herself confounded from the start. More puzzling still is that the dog’s owner seems more upset about her missing pooch than her dead husband. Could the whole thing have been a setup? Did the woman murder her own husband and send Andi Grace to the house under false pretenses to discover the body? As sinister as that possibility may be, the trail of clues leads Andi Grace to uncover an even more nefarious scheme, and she knows she’ll have to tie up all the loose ends fast before the whole case goes to the dogs . . .

About Jackie:

Jackie Layton is the author of A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. She loves her life on the coast of South Carolina, and it inspired the setting for her series. Jackie also works as a compounding pharmacist. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys golf cart rides along the marsh and walks on the beach. She also enjoys traveling, especially to visit family in Kentucky and Texas.

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Sue Minix

I’m so excited to welcome Sue Minix to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: I love chocolate in all forms, puppies, old movies, and reading mysteries.

Things you need to throw out: I need to throw out my VCR, the exercise bike I never use, and all the expired stuff in my medicine cabinet.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need my laptop, coffee or herbal tea depending on the time of day, and my dog Sadie by my side in order to write anything at all.

Things that hamper your writing: Not having any of the above, forgetting to turn my phone off, somebody working in the yard.

Things you love about writing: I love creating the story and characters, plotting, and editing.

Things you hate about writing: I hate writing!!! It can take me an hour to come up with one good sentence. And then my editor makes me take it out.

Things you never want to run out of: Honestly, I hate to run out of anything. I keep backups of my backups.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The exercise bike I need to get rid of!

Favorite music or song: I love light rock and anything from the 60s or 70s.

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy metal because I can never understand the words.

Favorite beverage: It’s a tie between coffee and Mountain Dew Code Red

Something that gives you a sour face: Ginger tea

Favorite smell: My dogs paws. They smell like corn chips.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Blue cheese and gin. I can’t get past the smell to try either one of them.

The last thing you ordered online: I ordered a selfie tripod so I can take my own author photos.

The last thing you regret buying: That stupid exercise bike!!!

Favorite books (or genre): I love mysteries of all kinds.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Super heavy literary novels

Favorite things to do: I love to go hiking. It doesn’t matter where.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cleaning my house. I can always think of something better to do.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I drove my car into my empty driveway one day and thought, “Oh my God! My car’s been stolen!!!”

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I once spent two hours searching a mall parking lot for the car I traded in the day before.

About Sue:

I'm a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and when I'm not writing, you can find me reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert with my furry best friend.

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Jenna Greene

I’d like to welcome author Jenna Greene to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Well, I am a teacher, writer, mother, coach.... therefore, I love a good nap. (Honestly). But I also love a lot of creative endeavors. I dance. I sing. I color. I’m a horrible artist but I still like drawing. And coloring can’t be done wrong. Who doesn’t love to color.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Mostly all the chores. I’m so busy that there’s little time in the day and I am not going to waste it cleaning. As long as things are tidy, that’s good enough.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I need to be surrounded by books, for inspiration and just a pleasant feeling. And I can’t write without a cup of tea nearby.

Things that distract you from writing: Pretty much everything. I love writing but it has its challenges. Writing is wondrously hard. So I have to make time to write and set my own goals to make sure I actually get to work.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Editing. It’s hard letting things go or making everything ‘just perfect’.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Creating places, people, cultures, lands, magical systems, conflicts, everything!

Favorite snacks: Every single flavor of potato chip. (Top three: regular, ketchup, sour cream n’ onion)

Things that make you want to gag:  Coffee, iced tea, and root beer. (I know, right?)

Something you’re really good at: Texting quickly with proper grammar and sentence structure.
Something you’re really bad at: Walking without falling.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A figure skater.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Have an impact on the world in little ways each and every day.

Things to say to an author: I’m proud of you. Look what you accomplished.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Movies are better.

Favorite places you’ve been: London, England. What’s better than that? It has history and literature and really amazing people. I love visiting castles and manors and seeing the verdant countryside.

Places you never want to go to again: Chicago in the winter when my luggage doesn’t arrive, meaning I don’t have a coat. Brr. (But it’s probably a nice place if you’re dressed properly).

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks. I feel they have stories to tell.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone if the supper is planned for after 9 p.m.

Favorite things to do: Nap.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Go skiing. (No, really. It’s cold. It’s too fast. Clumsy people should have to weave around trees).

Most embarrassing moment: Well, there are so many. It’s hard to choose just one. I fall down a lot. I walk into things. Sometimes I wear two different shoes to work.
Proudest moment: My daughter. Her existence and her growth each day.

About Jenna:

Jenna Greene is a YA/ Children’s author from Alberta, Canada. When she isn’t writing, she is dancing, coaching dragonboat paddlers, or taking a well-deserved nap. She is known for her award-winning Reborn Marks series. Follow her on social media at www.jennagreene.ca or @jgreenewrites

#WriterWednesday Interview with K. C. Grifant

I’d like to welcome author K. C. Grifant to the blog today!

A few of your favorite things: I love Back to the Future paraphernalia, new coffee beans, interesting stone pendants.

Things you need to throw out: My high heels – after becoming a parent and getting used to a work-from-home lifestyle, I hope to never wear them again.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Coffee, sugar, and music.

Things that hamper your writing: Leaf-blowers outside the window, doorbells.

Things you love about writing: The opportunity to create entirely new worlds and realities.

Things you hate about writing: How typos and errors are as persistent as cockroaches, even in final drafts.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Fighting off imposter syndrome.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Recommending books and authors.

Words that describe you: Creative and thoughtful

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

Favorite foods: Tacos

Things that make you want to gag: Licorice

Favorite beverage: A creative latte

Something that gives you a sour face: sour beer

Favorite smell: Amber, lilacs and jasmine

Something that makes you hold your nose: overpowering candles

Favorite books (or genre): Anything with a speculative and creative twist, so ideally something in the sci-fi, fantasy or horror genres.

Books you wouldn’t buy: A series that doesn’t have any speculative elements.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The kindness and support of friends, family and strangers when my debut book came out.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I wish I had learned how to ignore imposter syndrome much earlier.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Riding in a hot air balloon. It seems tranquil and peaceful until you think about how you’re floating hundreds of feet in the air in essentially a giant wicker basket beneath a huge flame and balloon.

Something you chickened out from doing: Sky diving. Growing up it always sounded like fun, but now I’ve hit an age where the thought is more terrifying than appealing.

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 short stories 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.

 For details, please visit www.KCGrifant.com or @kcgrifant on the social sites.

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