#WriterWednesday Interview with Zaida Alfaro

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I’d like to welcome Zaida Alfaro to the blog for #WriterWedsday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I love sitting my living room, with a glass of red wine, and playing my guitar and learning new songs (that’s when I don’t have a gig!)

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Without a question of a doubt, laundry!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing 60,000 words of dialogue between the characters.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Creating the outline: who, what, when, and why.

Favorite snacks: Spicy Peanut and Wasabi Mix

Things that make you want to gag: Mayonnaise

Something you’re really good at: Singing

Something you’re really bad at: Mathematics

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

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: become a published mystery author, and being a Grammy Considered Artist

Something you wish you could do: Play the violin

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Play the flute

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Zipline

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving

The most exciting thing about your writing life: meeting fans at the book signings.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Having more time to focus on the novel, so that I can complete it sooner. I think I would have four books out by now, if my time-management skills were better.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “It’s very impressive that you published a book and have also released three records. You inspire me to reach for my goals no matter how far away they seem.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: When I was at a book signing, my sister was there (backstory: one of my characters is based on her), and they asked if they could have her autograph instead of mine!

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: “Whatever you do, don’t give up. Your book may get rejected 100 times, but whatever you do, keep pushing it, send out 100 more query letters, and never self-publish.”

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Follow the silhouette of your life through your writing, and you will have a best seller!

About Zaida:

The Miami Music Mystery series’ main backdrop, the amazing city of Miami, Florida, is beloved and well-known to me.  I was born and raised in Miami, and like the novel’s main character Vy, I am a singer/songwriter, Grammy considered, independent artist.  All things relating to music or literature are my passion.  

Many years ago, I became an avid reader of cozy mysteries.  The story lines were intriguing, engaging, and funny at the same time.  I was so inspired by the authors, that I then decided to take my musical experiences, and put it on paper.  I published my first novel, The Last Note, a Miami Music Mystery.  Now, I have brought my characters back to life, in the sequel, In the Key of Dead, a Miami Music Mystery.  The phobia's, the dream sequences, and the quirkiness of the main characters, are all based on facts.  I hope that I was able to, once again, show the readers of my novels, the love I have for Miami, the Cuban culture, my family, and music.

 Let’s Be Social:

http://www.zaidamusic.com

http://www.instragram.com/zaidamusic 

http://www.facebook.com/zaidaauthor

http://www.twitter.com.zaidamusic

IN THE KEY OF DEAD: A Miami Music Mystery

In her debut mystery, The Last Note, vibrant, lead singer Vy proved that when it comes to singing, not even a murder at the venue can deter her from her performance.  Now, her killer songs and killer voice lands Vy in yet another melodic murder mystery.  Interlude Records signs Vy to a long-anticipated record deal after a lifetime of rejections and a fatal gig; but they never thought that murder was part of the deal.  Vy finds herself, yet again, at the center of a murder investigation that may change the course of her music career.  

Someone does not want Vy to record her album, and is doing everything to sabotage the release date, including murdering a key member of the production team.  Vy and her sister Alexia, are back at it again. This time they are using their quick-witted banter, and super sleuthing skills to ensure that Vy’s record makes it to the Top Billboard 100 list before the murderer makes it to the Miami Beach Police Department’s most wanted list.  

They say the music industry is cutthroat, but Vy has never taken that statement literally.  Could this be the strum of Vy’s guitar playing the last note in the key of dead?

#WriterWednesday Interview with Gerald Elias

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I’d like to welcome Gerald Elias to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: Patience, coffee, and Mozart.

Things you wish you’d never bought: My first car, a 1975 Fiat, and my second car, a 1977 Plymouth Volare. After that, I learned my lesson and have driven Subarus ever since.

A few of your favorite things: Parmigiano Reggiano, travel just about anywhere, and those really comfortable jeans that have more holes than fabric.

Things you need to throw out: Those really comfortable jeans that have more holes than fabric; and the anchovies in the back of the fridge that are turning an unnatural shade of green.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding a publisher, self-promotion, and the dreaded social media.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing

Favorite foods: Umbrian porchetta, Japanese tempura soba, Peruvian ceviche, Southern fried chicken, and a Hebrew National frank with hot sauerkraut and deli mustard.

Things that make you want to gag: Sea cucumbers, Japanese natto, and Vegemite.

Favorite music or song: Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, Schubert’s String Quintet, and Verdi’s Otello.

Music that drives you crazy: Music at restaurants. Why? So unnecessary and distracting! Isn’t good food and good conversation enough?

Things you’d walk a mile for: Good coffee and just the enjoyment of being outdoors.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: People talking about their health issues.

Things you always put in your books: Real-life experiences, multi-dimensional yet quirky characters, and plot twists.

Things you never put in your books: Gore and high-tech nonsense.

Things to say to an author: Have a paying job so that you can write what you want.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “My grandchild in kindergarten can write better than you.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Tokyo, Japan; Umbria, Italy; Cuzco, Peru; Sydney, Australia; East Anglia, England; Lucerne, Switzerland; Iceland. Ah, the list goes on…

Places you never want to go to again: Texas, Florida, fast food chain restaurants.

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries/thrillers: Anything by Donna Leon, Walter Mosley, John LeCarre, and Dick Francis.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Do Your Own Taxes and The Art of the Deal.

Favorite things to do: Play music, travel, cook, outdoor activities, watch sports, and make sand castles with the grandchildren.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Calling a doctor’s office to try to get an appointment and going to a performance of a Bruckner symphony.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Trying to get my first book, Devil’s Trill, published. (It took 12 years and I had no idea what the hell I was doing.)

Something you chickened out from doing: Climbing ancient cliffside stone steps (no railing) to get to the archeological ruins of the Sun Temple, thousands of feet above Pisac, Peru. No way!

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: The intense, grueling, harrowing pressure of auditioning for a major symphony orchestra I wrote about in Death and Transfiguration.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: My protagonist and amateur sleuth extraordinaire, Daniel Jacobus, is a blind, curmudgeonly, reclusive violin teacher. I once did a book event –– I think it was in Tucson or Albuquerque –– and the bookstore manager said, “So, Jerry, does that mean your books are autobiographical?” (Laughter from the crowd.) Before I had a chance to reply, he added, “Of course not, you’re not blind.” So while I do share a lot of Jacobus’s points of view, I’m not nearly the hardass that he is (I hope).

About Gerald:

Gerald Elias leads a double life as a critically acclaimed author and internationally recognized musician.

His gripping Daniel Jacobus mystery series, debuting with Devil’s Trill (a Barnes & Noble: Discover Great New Writers selection) takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world. Murder at the Royal Albert, the eighth and most recent installment of the series, received high praise from Publisher’s Weekly, which wrote: “The plot skates off in surprising directions and, as always, offers readers fascinating glimpses into the working life of a musician. One needn’t be a classical music aficionado to appreciate this clever, pacey entry.” Murder at the Royal Albert is currently being made into a unique audiobook with spellbinding performances by the Boston Symphony, renowned musicians, and Elias himself woven into the fabric of the narration.

 Elias has also penned two standalone novels: Roundtree Days, a 2023 finalist for Killer Nashville’s coveted Silver Falchion Award for best Western; and The Beethoven Sequence, a chilling political thriller.

Elias has published collection of eclectic short mysteries, It’s a Crime!  His essays and short stories have also been featured in prestigious journals and anthologies, ranging from The Strad magazine to Coolest American Stories 2023.

His prize-winning essay, “War & Peace. And Music,” excerpted from his self-published musical memoir, Symphonies & Scorpions, was the subject of a compelling 2019 TEDx presentation.

As a performer, conductor, composer, teacher, and former violinist with the Boston Symphony, Elias has performed on five continents and has been the conductor of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series since 2004. In 2022, he released the first, highly regarded complete recording of the Opus 1 violin sonatas of the Baroque virtuoso-composer, Pietro Castrucci, on Centaur Records.

A native New Yorker, Elias now divides his time on the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle and the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts, savoring the outdoors and maintaining a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons. He particularly enjoys winter, coffee, cooking, travel, watching sports, and most of all, being a hands-on grandparent.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://geraldeliasmanofmystery.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerald.elias

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldelias504/


#WriterWednesday Interview with Rebecca Saltzer

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I’d like to welcome Rebecca Saltzer to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Things you always put in your books: Independent, smart women. They’re fun to read about and are the type of people I choose as friends.

Things you never put in your books: Sex and gratuitous violence. For me, the interesting part of a murder mystery is understanding the motivation behind the crime and solving the puzzle of who did it.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Murder Over Broken Bonds is loosely based on a real fraud I investigated when I worked as a bond analyst at a NY City investment bank. And, a drunk trader really did throw up after a company party, all over my coat and shoes.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I’m occasionally asked if someone actually got murdered because of the fraud. (Not that I know of.)

Hardest thing about being a writer: It’s solitary. You work for long periods of time, alone. To make sure I’m not writing in a vacuum, I link up with fellow authors through various writing organizations and belong to a critique group. It’s a great place to get candid feedback about which parts of the narrative work and, more importantly, which parts don’t.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Rewriting the story. You can’t do that in real life.

Things to say to an author: Did the stuff you write about really happen when you worked on Wall Street?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Have you read (fill-in-the-blank-with-a-completely-different genre)…? Maybe you could write something more like that.

Favorite books (or genre): I love clever mysteries and ghost stories, both long and short, but I don’t limit myself to just those types of books. I like to read widely to expand my view of the world. It’s one of the reasons I belong to several book clubs—often, I find myself enjoying something I never would have picked up on my own.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Noir is fine, but I absolutely hate slice & dice horror stories or novels about serial murderers. Too grisly and disturbing.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A laptop & thesaurus. I’m always trying to find a better word to describe what’s happening in the story and the computer allows me to quickly make revisions (something I spend a lot of time doing).

Things that hamper your writing: Noise & distractions. First thing in the morning I try to clear my desk (bills, email, etc) so that I can have a large chunk of uninterrupted time to focus on just my writing. Occasionally, I even turn off notifications (email, texts, etc) because I find the occasional bing is surprisingly disruptive. It can take a long time (and significant mental effort!) to get back on track again.

Favorite places you’ve been: Iceland, Australia, and New Zealand. The dramatic landscapes are breathtaking and the people few and far between. It’s the opposite of where I’ve tended to live (large cities with people crowded into small spaces). But those same city-folk provide lots of ideas for fun and intriguing characters (plus motives!) that can be woven together to create interesting murder mysteries.

Places you never want to go to again: Crawling into a tight lava tube. When I was a teenager, a couple of us went spelunking and almost got stuck. I still shudder when I think about how it felt to be surrounded by solid rock in all directions, akin (I’m guessing), to someone being buried alive. Horrifying!!!

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “It kept me guessing the entire time and I loved that final twist.” It’s incredibly satisfying to be told that you kept your reader wondering up until the final pages.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I never thought it would be so interesting to read about working on Wall Street. I couldn’t put your book down.” But, of course it’s fascinating! It’s the place where big money meets greets and temptation… and all sorts of things can go wrong.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Saltzer worked as a bond analyst on the trading floor at Lehman Brothers in New York City in the financial heyday of the eighties. Like the protagonist in her novel, she sometimes encountered fraud and other questionable business practices, except in real life, none of it led to murder. In 2021, Rebecca received the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for unpublished writers. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hiking with her two rescue dogs and exploring the great outdoors.

Let’s Be Social:

Author Website: http://www.saltzerbooks.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/rebecca.saltzer.14/

Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/RebeccaSaltzer



#WriterWednesday Interview with Meg Halfdahl and Kelly Florence

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

Things you never want to run out of:

Kelly: Hopefully my house will never run out of coffee and I certainly don’t want to run out of ideas! I believe staying curious and wanting to always learn will keep me motivated, creative, and getting inspired to write.

Meg: Books to read! If that happens then I must be stranded on a desert island. I also need my pugs, if I run out of cuddles from my pugs, Muffin and Sunny I get very cranky.

Things you wish you’d never bought:

Kelly: There have been way too many impulsive clothing purchases because of a good sale. Just because something is discounted doesn’t mean it’s worth purchasing.

Meg: Oh, wow. Probably anything related to fad dieting. It never works, and I just end up feeling like a failure! Don’t buy diet plans, apps, shakes, or books, friends!

A few of your favorite things:

Kelly: My house is filled with movie memorabilia (mainly horror, of course) and my favorite piece is a vintage Stephen King poster from when he spoke in 1983 in New Mexico.

Meg: I have a soft spot for stuffed animals. I can’t seem to get rid of them, and they make me happy! I have kept my favorite childhood teddy, Mama Bear, who is fragile and needs to sit high on a shelf now. She was well-loved.

Things you need to throw out:

Kelly: As a fan of the show Hoarders, I’ve been inspired to throw a lot out recently. It’s just stuff!

Meg: Haha, probably a lot of books I didn’t like or am never going to read. Like stuffed animals, it’s tough for me to get rid of books. Even bad ones!

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Kelly: A comfy spot to sit, some caffeine, and a set aside period of time are all I need to write.

Meg: The aforementioned pugs by my side, silence, and some green tea with honey!

Things that hamper your writing:

Kelly: My ten-year-old daughter recently adopted a cat who likes to walk across my keyboard or sit in my lap while I’m writing. That definitely slows my progress!

Meg: Getting distracted by my phone, the piles of laundry, wanting to keep reading a great novel instead of writing one!

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Kelly: The hardest part of being a writer is having deadlines when life gets in the way. When it rains, it pours and several things tend to be due at once.

Meg: I’d say that editing can be a challenge for me, especially the developmental side of things. When you fix one thing then it causes a domino effect that makes things more complicated, especially in novels.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Kelly: Writing with my best friend is the easiest part of being a writer because we can share the journey with each other, encourage one another, and get inspired by the other.

Meg: Ahh! Thanks Kelly! I’d say that when I get into the groove and I’m so excited about the words I’m putting down that time flies.

Words that describe you:

Kelly: I would describe myself as kind, sensitive, and thoughtful.

Meg: I agree that Kelly is all those things! And I’d say I’m funny, patient, and smart.

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

Kelly: The same three words can also be my downfall: kind to a fault, too sensitive, and sometimes overthinking.

Meg: Ooooh, probably anxious and easily overwhelmed.

Favorite foods:

Kelly: Give me pizza or pasta any day and I’m happy but I will never turn down tacos, soba, or the Minnesota staple tater tot hot dish.

Meg: What don’t I like? I’m a huge carb fan, give me bread in any form, and my treat is salmon once or twice a month. I also love fried eggs, rice, and tofu. All the food.

Things that make you want to gag:

Kelly: I used to like mushrooms but one bad experience later I can’t eat them anymore.

Meg: I also hate mushrooms. And Bloody Marys. Those are nasty!

Favorite smell:

Kelly: Fresh cut grass in the summer reminds me of childhood and happiness.

Meg: Coffee is such a bright scent that wakes me up. I’m also a sucker for lavender and eucalyptus, those are my go-to candles.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Kelly: Any cologne or perfume that is worn heavily because the person applying it is nose blind to it is tough to take.

Meg: I’m not a big fan of super sweet scents in candles like frosted cupcake or caramel brownie, it’s too much!

Something you’re really good at:

Kelly: I feel like I’m very good at organizing and planning my time especially when it comes cooking, teaching, and writing.

Meg: I hope writing! Also word games, yoga, and guessing what time it is!

Something you’re really bad at:

Kelly: Sports or anything athletic are my weakest area in life so I tend to avoid them!

Meg: I can’t draw anything. And I’m not the most devoted cook. I’d much prefer letting Kelly cook!

Things you’d walk a mile for:

Kelly: I’d walk a mile for a lot of things including a movie premiere, a great restaurant, or anything involving my family.

Meg: I try to walk a couple miles every week, so just being out in nature and time to think or listen to an audio book is worth it for me!

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

Kelly: I’m not one who enjoys rodents or spiders, especially in my house, so I definitely don’t stick around long when I encounter one.

Meg: Awkward social interactions?

Favorite things to do:

Kelly: My favorite pastimes include watching TV and movies, reading, traveling, and attending live theatre.

Meg: Reading, yoga, traveling, puzzles, TV and movies, eating.

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

Kelly: I don’t know about eating bugs to avoid these but I don’t enjoy waking up excessively early, fixing technological issues with devices, and filling out mundane paperwork.

Meg: Tent camping or running a marathon. I love walking but hate running.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

Kelly: We have met so many amazing readers over the years and are always thrilled when we connect with someone. A woman told us recently we inspired her to watch more horror movies because our books were a gateway into the genre for her.

Meg: When a character of mine resonates with a reader that really makes me feel fulfilled. I want my characters to feel real and to make sense to readers, maybe on a close, personal level for some, so that really has warmed my heart to hear!

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Kelly: You never know who you’re going to meet and a reader told us last month she personally knows one of the Grady girls from The Shining film!

Meg: Haha, oh probably when they ask did you REALLY write this book?

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books:

Kelly: We include many personal stories in our books and readers often connect to that and appreciate our candor. For example, I’ve shared personal stories about past relationships as well as childhood memories that contributed to who I am today.

Meg: Oh yes, we share a lot of ourselves, like how I came to be enamored of the true-crime genre because of an Ed Gein biography I bought as a middle-schooler.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not:

Kelly: Oftentimes, people will assume because we’re horror fans and write about horror that we ourselves are dark, macabre, and scary. We’re approachable and kind, I promise!

Meg: Yes, to echo Kelly, I was just told the other day that I was “too nice” to be a horror writer. We can like horror and still smile!

#WriterWednesday Interview with Ashley Earley

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I’d like to welcome Ashley Earley to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things to say to an author: honestly, anything nice. We like criticism, but we also eat up compliments.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “being an author isn’t that hard” or “get a real job.”

Favorite books (or genre): A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not a huge historical fiction or sci-fi girlie.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need coffee/tea, true crime podcasts, and some kind of chocolatey snack.

Things that hamper your writing: loud noises or anyone who chit-chats on the phone nearby while I’m trying to get into my writing groove (aka my boyfriend).

The last thing you ordered online: custom box tape for my author PR boxes.

Words that describe you: goofy, creative, loyal, hard-working, and dedicated.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: workaholic and hyper-stressed.

Favorite smell: It’s a tie between freshly popped popcorn and rain.

Something that makes you hold your nose: cinnamon. While autumn is my favorite season, I do everything I can to avoid cinnamon-scented anything.

Hardest thing about being a writer: avoiding negative book reviews that could hurt your feelings.

Easiest thing about being a writer: being creative when it comes to putting together your book launch.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I started my own business right out of college.

Something you chickened out from doing: I tend to chicken out of riding crazy rollercoasters because of my fear of heights.

Favorite things to do: I enjoy snowboarding, cozy gaming, cooking, and hiking with my dog.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: I’d do anything to avoid going out in any scenario. I’m a stay at home and watch a movie with my dog kind of girl.

Something you’re really good at: talking myself into buying more books when I have plenty of books to read at home.

Something you’re really bad at: dancing. Can’t do it.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I can’t reveal my secrets, but some personality traits of mine and from others in my life have ended up in Heart of Skulls.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: most readers might be convinced that I’m a serial killer after reading Heart of Skulls. I pinky promise I’m not. I just watch a lot of true crime.

About Ashley:

Ashley grew up in Georgia, but, today, she lives in Colorado with her dog and spends her time devouring any book she can get her hands on, writing, and editing for her clients at Earley Editing, LLC.

Her love of reading and writing began at a young age, which led her to graduate with distinction from the University of Colorado Boulder, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. She also enjoys snowboarding, exploring, annoying her dog, constantly eating chocolate, and sharing her writing adventures on Instagram. 

Let’s Be Social:

Connect with her on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms as @ashley_earley and on her website www.ashleyearley.com or reach out at www.earleyediting.com if you’re interested in her editing services! 


#WriterWednesday Interview with Joyce Woollcott

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I’d like to welcome Joyce Woollcott to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: An old cashmere sweater in a lovely shade of peachy orange. A pale grey linen dressing gown. A lovely red Ted Baker evening dress that’s a bit too small for me and too short but I love it anyway. (Never worn.)

Things you need to throw out: Most of my clothes. But, you know, you think… wait, I might wear that again.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Silence, warmth and coffee.

Things that hamper your writing: Music, TV or chat, being cold, uncomfortable chair…

Hardest thing about being a writer: Always having something to do.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Always having something to do.

Favorite foods: Rare roast beef, pasta, most seafood. Sticky toffee pudding, Banoffe Pie.

Things that make you want to gag: Beetroot, turnip, and… liver––obviously.

Favorite music or song: Van Morrison, Astral Weeks. I know it’s sixties, but it’s not the same…

Music that drives you crazy: Country music, and fifties, sixties and seventies commercial pop. (Sorry).

Something you’re really good at: Someone told me once that I have perfect pitch, a statement my husband vigorously disagrees with.

Something you’re really bad at: Singing, which is strange considering my last statement…

Last best thing you ate: Eggplant Parmesan.

Last thing you regret eating: Three mini KitKats from last Halloween. Yes, really.

The last thing you ordered online: A Belstaff Jacket for my husband.

The last thing you regret buying: One of those little square automatic floor washing robots––but not the Rhoomba, I love that.

Favorite books (or genre): I love mysteries, especially stories set in dark rainy places, or Nordic countries.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Not keen on romance, science fiction, fantasy, true crime, heart-wrenching drama.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Kate Atkinson, David Hockney, Bill Nighy, Brendan Gleeson.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Bill Cosby, Jeremy Clarkson.

Favorite things to do: Sitting in a quiet, sunny garden with a nice glass of wine, reading a good mystery.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Root canal––obviously.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Denise Mina, lovely, friendly and chatty, swore like a trooper. Oh, and Lee Child and Ian Rankin too. And Oprah Winfrey was really nice.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Anderson Cooper wasn’t as tall as I had expected. He seemed very shy.

About Her Latest:

BLOOD RELATIONS

Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride and his partner DS Billy Lamont are called to his desolate country home to investigate. In their inquiry, they discover a man whose career was overshadowed by violence and corruption. Is the killer someone from Mullan’s past, or his present? And who hated the man enough to kill him twice?

Belfast, Northern Ireland: early spring 2017. Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride and his partner Detective Sergeant Billy Lamont are called to his desolate country home to investigate. In their inquiry, they discover a man whose career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland was overshadowed by violence and corruption. Is the killer someone from Mullan’s past, or his present? And who hated the man enough to kill him twice? Is it one of Patrick Mullan’s own family, all of them hiding a history of abuse and lies? Or a vengeful crime boss and his psychopathic new employee? Or could it be a recently released prisoner desperate to protect his family and flee the country? Ryan and Billy once again face a complex investigation with wit and intelligence, all set in Belfast and the richly atmospheric countryside around it.

About Joyce:

J. Woollcott is a Canadian writer born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers and BCAD, University of Ulster. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers and Crime Writers of Canada. In 2019 her first novel, A Nice Place to Die,  won the Romance Writers of America Daphne du Maurier Award for Unpublished Mystery and Suspense. In 2021 she was short-listed in the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence. This year, A Nice Place to Die is a finalist in the Killer Nashville 2023 Silver Falchion Awards.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.jwoollcott.com

Twitter: @JoyceWoollcott

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3CGIzi0

Book Link: https://tinyurl.com/mtzxx9dy

#WriterWednesday Interview with Mo Moshaty

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I’d like to welcome Mo Moshaty to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: Making travel plans, writing when it’s rainy ( I get best horror ideas when it’s gloomy)

Things you need to throw out: The half-written in notebooks and journals I know I’m not going to use.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need to be better at giving myself time to think. G2 Pens, orange highlighter, a hot tea, a wine or martini

Things that hamper your writing: my cellphone ☹

Hardest thing about being a writer: having far too many ideas to get down, I’m big on world-building so its difficult to make that concise

Easiest thing about being a writer: having far too many ideas to get down – it’s a blessing and a curse

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: helped create a film challenge via Zoom and post pandemic that has been featured on Shudder with three of my colleagues, that recently won a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for 2022

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: created a dark science fiction horror podcast that was pitched to major studios that deflated in production

Something you’re really good at: Napping 😊

Something you’re really bad at: Getting distracted, and then berating myself for procrastination

Words that describe you: Charming, Inquisitive, Passionate

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Self-deprecating, overly sensitive

Favorite places you’ve been: London, England

Places you never want to go to again: The ER in Virginia Beach

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Performed my own original music in London acapella

Something you chickened out from doing: bungee jumping…..a second time!

The funniest thing to happen to you: at my fourth birthday party, I wanted Wonder Woman underoos so badly, and I received them! In my zeal to get them, I tore into my room and put them on, but I stuck myself in one of the leg holes instead of the waistband, I was cutting off my circulation and blacked out.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That my writing made them cry from it’s beautiful construction

The craziest thing a reader said to you: usually only men write brutal stories like this

Favorite music or song: 80’s and 90s hip hop and dance music

Music that drives you crazy: modern country

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Scenes of a past relationship and the disposition of an ex made it into my book, Love the Sinner. Of course, I killed the character. 😊

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Such a tough one. I’ve had someone recently equate me with a character from a short story I had written titled, The Marriage. As Much as I want it to be it isn’t, lol.

About Mo:

Mo Moshaty is a horror writer, lecturer and producer. Flexing her horror acumen, coupled with her additional vocation as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Mo has lectured with Prairie View A&M in Texas as a keynote speaker for Nightmares of Monkeypaw: A Jordan Peele Symposium, with Horror Studies BAFSS Sig for No Return: A Yellowjackets Symposium, with Centre for the History of the Gothic at the University of Sheffield and the University of California for The Whole Damn Swarm: Celebrating 30 Years of Candyman and Final Girls Berlin Film Festival's Brain Binge on Women's Trauma Within Horror Cinema. 

Let’s Be Social: Mo Moshaty

#WriterWednesday Interview with Luna Rey Hall

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I’d like to welcome Luna Rey Hall to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: my dogs, my dogs, my dogs

Things you need to throw out: not my dogs.

Things you need for your writing sessions: either my phone or computer— i don’t write on paper anymore.

Things that hamper your writing: any type of talking, so i go someplace quiet or try to put on music without lyrics.

Favorite music or song: i lean towards indie rock/pop, hip-hop, hyperpop.

Music that drives you crazy: generic stadium country music… like really corporate brewed type stuff.

Favorite beverage: water is the best and always will be.

Something that gives you a sour face: cream soda

Something you’re really good at: writing

Something you’re really bad at: also writing

The last thing you ordered online: probably books... unless food from an app counts

The last thing you regret buying: merchandise from a since cancelled musician

Things you always put in your books: queerness

Things you never put in your books: a happy ending

Favorite places you’ve been: Seaside, Oregon— specifically with all of my friends

Places you never want to go to again: NYC during a busy time of the year

Favorite books (or genre): my all-time favorite books is Black Aperture by Matt Rasmussen and Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith

Books you wouldn’t buy: not a big fan of historical non-fiction? books by bad people. Harry Potter.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: there’s been an endless amount of very generous and pleasant, kind, warm things that readers have said to me over the years but i think the biggest one would be hearing my book is someone’s favorite or that they are grateful i’m in the world.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “the main character is annoying” — well yeah they are going through a very traumatic experience, and nobody is perfect so accurate.

About Luna:

luna rey hall is a trans non-binary writer. they are the author of four books including "the patient routine". their poems have appeared in The Florida Review, The Rumpus, and Raleigh Review, among others.

Let’s Be Social:

lunareyhall.com