#WriterWednesday Interview with K. T. Anglehart

I’d like to welcome K. T. Anglehart to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Treating it like a business, including marketing and putting yourself out there on social media.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Knowing there is nothing else you’d rather be doing.

Words that describe you: Strong-willed; organized; creative

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Anxious; self-deprecating; sensitive

Favorite music or song: Punk Rock

Music that drives you crazy: EDM. I don’t get it, and I never will.

Something you’re really good at: Eclectic décor! Tying a room together using unique pieces.

Something you’re really bad at: Directions. Spin me around once, and I won’t know which way I came from.

Things you’d walk a mile for: My grandmother’s lasagna; a thrift shop; my friends

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A centipede; reality dating shows; florescent lighting

Things you always put in your books: gorgeous landscapes; historically poignant events; life lessons

Things you never put in your books: one-dimensional villains; melodramatic dialogue; smut

Things to say to an author: “When is the TV adaptation coming out?!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I could write a book too…if I had the time.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Loch Lomond, Scotland and Connemara, Ireland

Places you never want to go to again: Paris

Favorite things to do: Antiquing; dreaming up original TV show ideas; hanging out at home, doing nothing in particular with my husband and pets

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Working in an office; going for a jog; laundry

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “You transported me back home to Ireland.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “You should be more sensitive about exploiting the idea of Twin Flames.” (I still have no words.)

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I love creative projects! I’ve had a podcast, I’ve refurbished furniture, and I’ve done some painting.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: When I first moved into my new home in Toronto, I was inspired by green and gold bathroom décor…suffice to say, the green I selected did not give off the chic vibe I was going for. My bathroom now looks like it belongs in a Thai Express.

About K. T.:

K.T. Anglehart is an award-winning author hailing from Montreal, known for her enchanting teen urban fantasy, The Wise One, book I of The Scottish Scrolls, inspired by the landscapes and folklore of Ireland and Scotland. The second installment, The Twin Flame, will be released this November. With a background in journalism, scriptwriting, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, she brings a unique blend of literary skill to her works. Outside of writing, Katrina is a passionate advocate for bunnies and enjoys hiking, antiquing, and Netflix binges with her husband in Toronto, where they share their home with three beloved pets.

Let’s Be Social:

https://www.ktanglehart.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kt_anglehart/

https://www.facebook.com/ktanglehart

https://twitter.com/kt_anglehart

#WriterWednesday Interview with H. M. Gooden

I’d like to welcome H. M. Gooden to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: I’m going through a little bit of a sticker and planner phase. I’m pretty sure it’s a procrastination technique, but it’s so pretty I can’t stop!

Things you need to throw out: I need to get rid of the things I keep saying “oh, but it’s too good to throw away, but not good enough to donate”. Clearly, if I don’t think it’s good enough to donate, it should go in the garbage, but…

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing about being a writer is finding the time to write. Between work, kids, health, life, etc., I feel I could get so much more done if I was able to be sequestered in a monastery away from all distractions.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The ideas. I have way more ideas than time, and I find opportunities everywhere.

Something you’re good at: Does procrastination count as a skill set? I amaze myself sometimes how could I am at procrastination. Then there are other times I’m remarkably good getting a multitude of things done all at once. This is a skill I call “procrastitasking”. In fact, there’s a high probability I’m doing it right now!

Something you’re bad at: Extremely bad at realistically estimating time a project will take, and/or the time available to complete it in. Most of the time I have found as an adult I build in extra time buffers as a result, but even then, it can be tight!

The last thing you ordered online: I think I ordered another pair of leggings from Amazon. The Satina brand ones are seriously comfortable, and less than 20$ Canadian, which is huge. I wear them pretty much anytime I’m not in scrubs or trying to make sure my jeans still fit.

The last thing you regret buying: I don’t regret the product, but I hate when I buy something online and I think I’ve paid for shipping already, then I get dinged with a second shipping charge before they’ll deliver it. The product I bought was a gorgeous writing box, but the shipping ended up being the same as the cost of the box itself, which was disappointing. Still love the box though, so that is good.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’m from rural Manitoba, so you must walk at least a mile to go anywhere unless you have a car or are riding your bike, and then it’s way over a mile.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: About 75% of the noises that my children emit. I know nature wants me to let them do things themselves, but why must they make so much noise? If I had a mute button my homelife would be perfect!

Things you always put in your books: All my books, both fiction and non-fiction, have elements of magic. I can’t help it—the world is so amazing and mysterious; I still haven’t found another way to explain most of what happens without falling back on the elements of fantasy.

Things you never put in your books: That is so tough! I don’t know the answer to this. I wouldn’t deliberately create a hero/heroine that was a terrible human, but otherwise I think anything is on the table.

Favorite places you’ve been: I love travelling, but haven’t had a chance to go anywhere since having children. The places I’ve really loved were Scotland and Wales, but I have a very, very long travel list.

Places you never want to go to again: Oh, another toughie! I’m not keen on going back to terrible places in my past but wouldn’t want to make someone who loved a place upset when I call their favorite corner of the world terrible. I don’t really have anywhere I hate, but I’m not big on anywhere crowded in general.

Favorite books (or genre): I love anything and everything with magic. Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Sci-fi- any genre with characters I can get behind.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m really not into military books of any kind- fictional or non-fiction. I did read many throughout my education, but they were always too painful to read. That much death and destruction is not my idea of entertainment, and I see plenty of death every day, so I’m looking for more love and light in my relaxing material.

Favorite things to do: I love to read, write, spend time in nature and snuggle my 4 cats and dog. And of course, spend time with family.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Do Brussel sprouts count? I have and would eat grasshoppers over those.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I have to go with trying out being a trapeze artist- I nearly died! (I mean I didn’t, but nearly had a heart attack trying to jump.)

Something you chickened out from doing: scuba diving. Still not sure if I couldn’t do it because of my ears, or because the feeling of claustrophobia I experienced in the bottom of the cage was very unexpected.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: HM Gooden Author – Author of the Rise of the Light trilogy

Books: Books – HM Gooden Author

#WriterWednesday Interview with Gretchen McCullough

I’d like to welcome Gretchen McCullough to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: During Ramadan, we are afraid we will run of booze! It is not sold during the entire month in Cairo.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I bought a used car in Tuscaloosa, Alabama because it was cheap. I should have spent more money because I almost replaced all the parts in one year! I sold it for five hundred bucks before I left Tuscaloosa.

A few of your favorite things: I love my mother’s paintings, my bathing suit and my tennis racquet.

Things you need to throw out: I have too many suitcases! Every time I go to Texas, I bring back another suitcase. I have suitcases under my bed, in my wardrobes and stacked against the wall. I even have the trunks I bought to Cairo in 2000!

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need big stretches of time when I am working on a novel. My desk faces the trees outside. This sense of openness helps me create.

Things that hamper your writing: Our cat Pepe who starts howling! He is hungry, wants to be petted or wants his litter box cleaned.

Hardest thing about being a writer: It’s tough having a manuscript rejected.

Easiest thing about being a writer: It’s great to have the freedom to create a world.

Words that describe you: I can be funny, clumsy, but also well-organized.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: I am a worrier. Sometimes, I call it too straight and could be described as tactless.

Favorite foods: I love raw oysters with cumin, olive oil and lemon. Nothing like it if they are fresh.

Things that make you want to gag: I can even eat liver, but I draw the line at brains.

Favorite beverage: I enjoy a Heineken beer on a hot day.

Something that gives you a sour face: I will never drink Gin or Tequila again after a few bad experiences in my twenties.

Favorite smell: I love the smell of jasmine blossoms.

Something that makes you hold your nose: When the drain is blocked and water backs up in our small bathroom, it smells like a sewer.

The last thing you ordered online: An E-book on Amazon by James McBride, Good Lord Bird. A wonderful novel!

The last thing you regret buying: I regret not trying on a swimsuit at Target before I bought it.

Favorite places you’ve been: I love Izmir, Turkey. There is nothing more glorious than sitting all afternoon by the sea eating fried calamari.

Places you never want to go to again: I didn’t enjoy living in Tokyo. I felt closed in.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I went to a isolated part of Syria on a Fulbright without knowing much Arabic.

Something you chickened out from doing: I never want to scuba-dive. I don’t want a mask over my face.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: There was a murder next to my parents’ second home in Ingram, Texas.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I wasn’t dragged off to a mental asylum in Cairo.

About Gretchen:

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999.

Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories from Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Most recently, her translation with Mohamed Metwalli of his poetry collection, A Song by the Aegean Sea was published by Laertes Press, 2022.

Currently, she is on the faculty at the American University in Cairo.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

Facebook

#WriterWednesday Interview with Catherine McCarthy

I’d like to welcome author Catherine McCarthy to the blog for #WriterWendesday!

Things you never want to run out of:

Mascara, moisturizer, and good old British tea!

Things you wish you’d never bought:

Several lipsticks that make me resemble a corpse.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Promoting one’s work is without doubt the hardest thing about being a writer.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Revision and editing. Not everyone enjoys this aspect, but I love it.

Words that describe you:

Dark sense of humour, empathetic, nature lover

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

At times pedantic, but also prone to time wasting

Favorite smell:

Woodsmoke

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Barbecued meat

Things you always put in your books:

Birds, especially robins and crows

Things you never put in your books:

Gratuitous violence

Favorite places you’ve been:

A secret chapel, hidden in a French gorge. Simply magical!

Places you never want to go to again:

Alcúdia, Majorca and most cities

Favorite books (or genre):

Magical realism and anything gothic

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Hard sci-fi or steamy romance

Favorite things to do:

Walk the Welsh coast path and visit ancient monuments

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

Holiday on a cruise ship

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

When reviewing my recently published Gothic novel, A Moonlit Path of Madness, a reader said: "...her writing would shine on plain paper bound with twine. She is that good."

I couldn’t wish for more.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Though my work can be said to fall under the umbrella of ‘horror,’ I don’t see myself as a horror writer in the sense of violence or gore, nor do I advertise myself as such. I’m more concerned with providing a sense of creeping dread. So when one reviewer referred to my short story collection, Mists and Megaliths, as "About as scary as finding a fly in your orange juice" it really made me smile.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done:

A few years back, I taught myself to sew. Since then, I’ve made everything from dresses to handbags.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it:

I recently attempted to make a jumpsuit. The trouser part ended up huge, while the top half was tiny, as in several inches too small. Such a waste!

About Catherine:

Catherine McCarthy weaves dark tales on an ancient loom from her farmhouse in West Wales.

Her published novellas and novels include Immortelle, Mosaic, A Moonlit Path of Madness, and The Wolf and the Favour. Her short fiction has been published in various anthologies and magazines, including those by Black Spot Books, Nosetouch Press, and Dark Matter Ink.

In 2020 she won the Aberystwyth University Prize for her short fiction.

Time away from the loom is spent hiking the Welsh coast path or huddled in an ancient graveyard reading Dylan Thomas or Poe.

Let’s Be Social:

Find her at https://www.catherine-mccarthy-author.com/

or at https://twitter.com/serialsemantic

#WriterWednesday Interview with Christina Romeril

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Christina Romeril back to the blog this week!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: You know those window sills that need to be repainted, or the baseboards that need touching up? That’s what goes to the bottom of my list until I just can’t stand looking at them anymore.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: A beverage. Coke would be my first choice, but I try to only drink it once a week. I usually end up with water in one form or another. I also need notebooks, colorful pens, whiteboard, and my timer for reading sprints.

Things that distract you from writing: Usually, it’s my phone. I only mean to look up a salient point about whatever I’m writing, and end up in a research rabbit hole or scrolling social media.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting through a first draft.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Working on revisions.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Nothing. I like my sleep too much to be up late for snacks.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Twix. Is it a cookie? Is it a chocolate bar? I can’t stand indecision.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: My blue computer keyboard. I love it!

The thing you wished you’d never bought. The Swell water bottle that leaks. By the time I got around to trying it and discovering it leaked, it was too late to return it.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: From the time I was six until I was seventeen I was going to be a nurse. I’m still fascinated by the medical profession and love to learn about drugs, illness, recovery, etc. I used to watch the surgery channel while I ate lunch.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Be a published author.

Last best thing you ate: Costco pizza, yup, one of my favorite things.

Last thing you regret eating: This is a tough one. I like food, and I don’t usually eat anything I think I’ll regret later. But I did drink a Diet Coke recently that I wish I hadn’t. I normally NEVER drink diet anything, but for some reason I got a Diet Coke and it was awful. Never again.

Things to say to an author: I love your book. Where can I leave a review?

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?

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Visited Egypt alone.

Something you chickened out from doing: Going to a singles dance.

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: About a year and a half ago my husband and I stayed in a house in Mexico that had first been occupied by my son-in-law’s parents. Upon our arrival they had moved into a different condo and we took over the house. Shortly before we would be moving out of the house (we’d been there about two weeks at this point), we were visiting with the in-laws and they asked if we’d seen the blood stain yet. What? They told us to strip off the sheets and the mattress cover on the master bedroom bed and check it out. You know we were yanking those sheets off as soon as we got back to the house. And, oh boy. There was the mother of all blood stains in the middle of one side of the bed that could not have been from anything normal. Someone lost a significant amount of blood in that spot. We are not talking about a cut finger. Maybe a severed hand, or worse. And yes, I did continue to sleep in the bed and we still laugh about it.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: This actually happened to my husband. I’m happy to say nothing particularly embarrassing has happened to me, knock on wood. Again in Mexico at a resort, my husband had just joined me on a path where I’d waited for him after he’d used a public rest room near one of the pools. As we began to walk I looked at him and noticed something white flapping against his calf, hanging down from the inside leg of his shorts. Of course, I stopped him and asked what it was. Well, he starts pulling at it. It’s toilet paper. He pulls, and pulls, and pulls. I promise it was at least five feet of the stuff he yanks out from the leg of his shorts as I’m busting a gut, laughing. He flings the accumulated toilet paper in a nearby garbage and practically runs away. Within minutes I’d texted the tale (no pun intended), to his sister with several appropriate gifs. It was some time before that story wasn’t shared at family gatherings.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: I get to make stuff up to entertain people. I can think up a hundred ways to kill someone and how to get away with it and no one thinks that’s weird.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I’d started writing sooner. I always claimed I was too busy, but I managed to find hours of time to watch TV. I wish I’d used that time to write.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Writers write. Get words on the page.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Start sooner.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Set a timer, write whatever comes into your head until the bell goes. Give yourself permission to write utter crap. Eventually, you’ll wrestle something good out of all that.

Things you do to avoid writing: Research. I’m always convinced I need to do the research up front, in the middle, and at the end.

About Christina:

Christina Romeril is the author of the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. Book two, A NUTCRACKER NIGHTMARE, will be out October 17. The series is set in Montana at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, one of her favorite places to visit. She and her husband live a few hours away in a small village in Southern Alberta. When Christina isn’t writing she loves to hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, or just hang out there eating gourmet hot dogs and ice cream. Christina is a former banker and the daughter of German immigrants. Any similarity between her family and her fictional characters is purely coincidental. You can find out more about her at https://christinaromeril.com/about/

 Let’s Be Social":

She is on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christinaromerilwriter/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaRomerilWriter  as ChristinaRomerilWriter.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Kristin Kisska

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Kristin Kisska, back to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Things you never want to run out of: Lip balm and coffee. Without either of these, you’d have to lock me up.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Specialty cooking tools. Once a long, long while ago, I had great aspirations to level up my cooking skills, which dissipated soon after acquiring dozens of accessories. Now they’re just clutter.

A few of your favorite things: books, cats, and my beach chairs (especially when I’m using them on the sand)

Things you need to throw out: most of the boxes in my overstuffed attic.

Things you need for your writing sessions: coffee, my computer, and complete silence

Things that hamper your writing: the internet (I’m easily distracted by social media) and family members who wander into my writer’s cave to interrupt me.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Imposter syndrome. No matter what you’ve already accomplished, it’ll ambush you at any moment for any reason.

Easiest thing about being a writer: My absolute favorite part—other than typing The End—is the research phase. I love getting lost in discovering fascinating details about whatever topic I’m learning about for my current work in progress.

Favorite foods: peaches, steamed crabs, caprese salad, & tiramisu

Things that make you want to gag: olives, liver

Favorite beverage: coffee, followed by Pinot Grigio for special occasions

Something that gives you a sour face: Kombucha.  For whatever reason, it tastes like vinegar to me, no matter how it’s flavored.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d drive around to find the last, last, last parking spot in the furthest away lot to spend a day at the beach.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Snakes. Sharks, too. Did I mention snakes?  I used to avoid flipping through National Geographic Magazine because inevitably, there was at least one photo of a snake in each issue.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book and just left a glowing review on Goodreads and Amazon!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Send me a signed copy. My address is…”

Favorite books (or genre): I love all things suspense, so all derivatives (legal, medical, domestic, psychological, romantic, etc) of suspense/thriller novels are my jam.

Books you wouldn’t buy: No more cookbooks (see my answer to Question #1) 😊

Best thing you’ve ever done: I bought a one-way ticket to Prague and ended up living there for 3 years

Biggest mistake: I accepted a promotion that required me to relocate to Chicago. I’ve regretted leaving San Francisco, because friends and lifestyle.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Madaleine Albright (before she became our Secretary of State)

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I sat next to movie actress, Regina Hall, on a flight. She was dressed down in sweats & Ugg boots, but I’d only ever seen her dressed to the nines in red carpet photographs.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I couldn’t stop thinking about your novel after I finished reading it. I even went back to reread a few scenes.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I have a great idea for a book. If you write it, I’ll share the profits.”

About Kristin:

Kristin Kisska is a native of Virginia, where she currently resides with her family and their moody tabby, Boom. She holds a BS in commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Northwestern University. She is the author of a dozen short stories published in anthologies. The Hint of Light is her debut novel. Kristin loves hearing from friends and readers at www.KristinKisska.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Website ~ www.KristinKisska.com

Instagram ~ @kristinkisskaauthor

Facebook ~ KristinKisskaAuthor

Twitter (a.k.a. X) ~ @KKMHOO

#WriterWednesday Interview with Zaida Alfaro

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

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/