#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Frances Aylor

I’d like to welcome Frances Aylor back to the blog for this week’s #ThisorThatThursday interview!

Things you never want to run out of: Coffee, clean underwear, gas for my car

Things you wish you’d never bought: The 4 boxes of instant mashed potatoes that are still in my pantry 2 years later – I couldn’t resist a sale, but I don’t really like instant mashed potatoes.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Staying focused and not getting distracted by things on the internet

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking with book clubs

Favorite foods: Fried chicken, pepperoni pizza, cookie dough ice cream

Things that make you want to gag: Really spicy foods, jalapeno peppers, raw oysters

Favorite music or song: Motown and beach music

Music that drives you crazy: Twangy country music

Things you’d walk a mile for: A medieval village, a beautiful sunset, a college football game

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

Favorite places you’ve been: Greek Isles, Frasassi Caves in Italy, the Amazon

Places you never want to go to again: overcrowded airports; grocery stores with long lines and surly cashiers

Favorite books (or genre): mysteries and biographies

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror stories or anything with too much violence, blood, and gore

Favorite things to do: Travel with friends, try out new restaurants, attend plays and concerts

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cleaning poison ivy from my shrubbery. If only I had remembered the line “Leaves of 3, let it be.”

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: White water rafting in Costa Rica

Something you chickened out from doing: Riding the Dominator roller coaster at Kings Dominion

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My paragliding experience in the Swiss Alps inspired the opening scene of my novel Choosing Guilt.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Scuba diving in the Caribbean for my story “Death in the Deep.” I interviewed several divers for this story, but I have never been scuba diving myself.

About Frances:

Frances Aylor is an avid traveler who has paraglided in Switzerland, climbed the Great Wall of China, gone white-water rafting in Costa Rica, and fished for piranha in the Amazon. Her most recent adventures include cruising the Greek Isles and exploring the amazing Frasassi Caves in Italy. Formerly an investment analyst, she now focuses on volunteering in her community, spending time with family and friends, and writing. A member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, she won the Ingram Spark “Rising Star” award for her thriller Money Grab and was first runner up for the 2021 Claymore Award for Choosing Guilt. Her most recent short story, “Death in the Deep,” was published in June 2024 in the anthology First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.

Let’s Be Social:

Website:    https://francesaylor.com/

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

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

#WriterWednesday Interview with Maggie King

I’d like to welcome mystery writer, Maggie King, back to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Walking, listening to music, getting lost in a great story.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Organizing files on my computer.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Pen, paper, computer, good light, cat (but not on the keyboard!), and QUIET.

Things that distract you from writing: Just about anything! Noise especially, whether from mowers, leaf blowers, loud conversations, or screaming children. I don’t work in coffee shops or other public places.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Developing and maintaining the discipline necessary to complete a story worth telling.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The writing that happens in my head. Getting it out of my head and on paper/computer is the hard part.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: My Samsung Galaxy watch. Love it!

The thing you wished you’d never bought: A magazine subscription that took months to cancel.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: An actor, then a nurse, then an English teacher. I did none of those things. I was a retail sales manager, a customer service supervisor, a programmer analyst, a computer trainer, a non-profit administrator, and, at last--a writer!

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I’ve volunteered to be a poll worker on November 5.

Favorite places you’ve been: Greece, Spain, Ireland, Costa Rica, New York City, New Mexico, Alaska.

Places you never want to go to again: This is a tough one, as even the least pleasing places can have some appeal. But here’s one: my husband and I got lost in an unfriendly, non-touristy section of Istanbul. If we go back, we’ll steer clear.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Meeting readers, especially at book clubs. I always love talking about books, my own and others.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: When I first published, writers were advised to engage on several social media platforms 24/7. This mistake was later recognized and advice amended to focus on one or two platforms. Much more doable and writer-friendly.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I LOVED your book! Such great characters, and I never guessed who the killer was!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Why do you write mysteries? Why not literary or historical fiction? Write about nice people.”

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Your best promotion is your next book.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Make writing your priority. Schedule time to write, even if it’s very little time---it will add up. Find a schedule that works for you (which isn’t necessarily one that works for other writers).

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Keep writing, even if it’s gibberish. Gems are born from gibberish. Go for a walk, listen to music, do yard work, any activity that frees your creative expression.

Things you do to avoid writing: Watch YouTube videos and read blogs about writing.

About Maggie:

Maggie King is the author of the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, Death by Cupcake, Murder by the Glass, Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery, and First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.

Maggie is a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, International Thriller Writers, and is a founding member of Sisters in Crime Central Virginia. Maggie graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology and has worked as a software developer, retail sales manager, computer trainer, and customer service supervisor. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, Glen, and cat, Olive.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.maggieking.com

Blog: https://thewritersinresidence.com/

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

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

Newsletter Content Ideas

New writers often ask me what they should include in their newsletters. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.

• Announcements and What’s New with You

• Give-aways and Do Shout outs to Previous Winners

• Invitation to Join Your Street Team

• Ask for Reviews/References (e.g. book clubs, speaking events, etc.)

• Highlight One of Your Interesting Blog Posts

• Recipes

• Craft Projects

• Your Hobbies

• Your Pets

• Your Favorite Things

• Feature What You’re Reading or Watching

• Interview Other Authors

• Pictures of Where You’ve Been Recently

• Highlights of Blogs, Take-overs, Podcasts, and Interviews That You’ve Done Recently

• Where You’ll Be Next

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Grace Topping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite smell: Natural fragrances like lavender and sandalwood.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Heavy perfumes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Grace:

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

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

Let’s Be Social:

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

Ways to Expand Your Facebook Presence

It takes some time and a lot of care and feeding to build a steady following on social media. Here are some ideas of things you can do to expand your social media presence.

• There are lots of specialized Facebook groups for books, reading, and all genre imaginable. Find these and join them.

• Join in discussions.

• Many book groups on Facebook offer author take-overs. This is a chance for you to meet new readers in that genre and to introduce them to your books.

• Post interesting/entertaining content on your site. This keeps people coming back.

• Make sure your posts have some sort of picture, graphic, or video. Avoid huge blogs of text. Facebook often only shows the first few lines, make sure the important information is first in your sentence.

• Follow the 80/20 rule. Only about 20% of your posts should be about your books. Readers want to know about you and your interests.

• Be social. Don’t just post and run. Make sure you respond to comments.

• Spend some time scrolling your newsfeed and comment on others’ posts.

• Celebrate others’ accomplishments on your site.

• Put your key social media links in your email signature, website, and newsletter.

• Use your Search button. Look for topics that interest you for ideas of people or groups to follow. You can also search by key words for subjects like librarians, book bloggers, cozy mystery, etc. to see what is available.

• When you meet new people, check out their social sites and follow them.

• When you post group or event photos, make sure to tag the other folks who are with you. Your audience expands when they share it with their readers.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Leah St. James

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something you’re really bad at: Public speaking.

Favorite music or song: Country rock or contemporary Christian.

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

Favorite smell: The ocean.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror and fantasy.

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

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

About Leah:

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

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

Let’s Be Social:

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

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

20 Ideas for Blog Posts

Does your blogging ever get in a rut or do you have trouble coming up with new ideas? Here’s my go-to list of ideas.

1. Interview Other Authors

2. Make Playlists for Your Books

3. Write about What You’re Doing

4. Write about Your Pets and Include Lots of Pictures

5. Talk about Your Hobbies

6. Look for Nonfiction Hooks in Your Books

   1. Delanie Fitzgerald lives is a Sears Catalog House, so I did some research and shared information about these types of houses.

7. Talk about What You’re Reading

8. Write Posts for Special “Holidays” or This Day in History

9. Share a Recipe and Photos and Videos of you Creating it

10. Show Pictures of Your Desk or Office, and Talk about Your Writing Space

11. Talk about Things You’ve Learned Recently

12. Go for a Walk and Document it in a Video or Pictures

13. Play Tourist in Your Own Town and Share Your Adventures

14. Share What You’ve Watched or Binged Lately

15. Share Your Favorite Inspirational Quotes

16. Go to Places in Your Stories and Write about What Inspired You to Use it as a Setting

17. Describe Your Writing Process

18. Do a Blog Swap or Blog Take-over with a Writer Friend — You write a post for her site, and she is a guest on yours.

19. Pick a Favorite Movie or Book and Write a Post about What You Learned from It (e.g. What I Learned from Nancy Drew)

20. Blog about What You Wished You Had Known as a New Writer

#WriterWednesday Interview with Annie McEwen

This week, I’m excited to feature the fabulous Annie McEwen for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Caffeine in any way, shape, or form and a comfy chair

Things that hamper your writing: Getting distracted by my phone and my three dogs. They think they’re my editors, especially Chappy. Since he’s in my books, he always wants to sit on my lap and watch me type. I guess he’s making sure I make him look good.

A few of your favorite things: Photos of my kids when they were little, my late grandmother’s wedding ring (which was part of her mother’s wedding ring), and my piano I taught myself to play on as a kid. It was my mom’s when she was a little girl.

Things you need to throw out: Those jeans I keep telling myself I’ll get back into, the load of scrapbooking supplies I swear I’m going to make beautiful albums with, and my high heels. Plantar fasciitis is a jerk.

Words that describe you: Friendly, compassionate, loving, funny (or so I’ve been told!)

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Clumsy, self-conscious, scatter-brained (I’m blaming being in my fifties on that one!)

Favorite foods: Seafood, pasta, cheese, any pastries my daughter makes (she has a side bakery business)

Things that make you want to gag: Onions, avocados, and jalapenos

Something you’re really good at: Being a Gigi – this grandma thing is fabulous!

Something you’re really bad at: sports…I try, but I need to be honest with myself, I stink.

Favorite music or song: Hard to pick! I love country, pop, southern gospel (I wanted to be a southern gospel piano player when I was younger).

Music that drives you crazy: hip-hop and rap

Things you’d walk a mile for: My family and friends… and a sweet tea from Puckett’s in Franklin, Tennessee.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: a mouse…I will kill any bug for you, but a mouse will put me in complete panic mode.

Things you always put in your books: Good friends, red herrings, a dash of humor, and, of course, a mystery!

Things you never put in your books: Crimes against a child or animal, sexual assault

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book!” “I got all the cozy feels!” “I can’t wait for your next book!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “So, you just type it up and send it to a publisher, and they print it, right?” “Why can’t you give me a book? You get them for free, don’t you?”

Favorite books (or genre): Cozy mysteries, historical fiction, sweet romance

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything with crimes against children or dark stories. Between my husband’s job as a police lieutenant and my job in radiology, I see and hear so much real-life sadness that I don’t want to read about it. The mysteries we write have a totally different vibe.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: She said my book felt like being wrapped in a warm hug. (cue the tears!)

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One reader/reviewer said my main character, Emmy, was cliched. She listed all the reasons why. I texted my writing bestie, Paula Charles, aka Janna Rollins, and told her, “Well, I guess I’m a cliché because everything she didn’t like about Emmy is all me!” We shared a laugh since Paula knows me so well and also knows that Emmy is mostly based on my personality. Oh well, you can’t please everyone. (sigh)

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: There’s a story about a tetherball in Resort to Murder. It is exactly what happened to me when I was about thirteen. My dad still has the now-deflated tetherball. LOL.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Many people think that Dean, Emmy’s crush, is based on how my husband Brian and I met. It’s not. We actually met through his mom! I worked with her and she set us up.

About Annie:

Annie McEwen, author of the Northwoods Mysteries Series, finds inspiration in the tall pines and sparkling lakes of northern Wisconsin, where she spent her childhood vacations. Nowadays, she visits her family, who resides in the area she writes about.

A former farm kid, Annie, along with her husband, are empty nesters enjoying the country life in rural Indiana. With their children and two young grandsons living nearby, they cherish frequent family time. Annie believes being a grandparent is the best role ever! Their household is completed by four fur babies, one of whom is a significant character in her books.

When Annie isn’t immersed in writing, she loves taking on trash-to-treasure projects, tending to her garden, and working as a radiological technologist. She's a member of Sisters in Crime and enjoys attending mystery conventions, as well as connecting with readers and fellow authors in person and on social media.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.anniemcewenauthor.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064688271296