Guest Blogger - Alice Duncan

Daisy’s Bag of Tricks

Writing a cozy mystery series set in the 1920s in Pasadena, California, requires a good deal of research. Since I love both research and my old home town (Pasadena, of course), I don’t find the historical research burdensome.

What I do find burdensome is Daisy’s job as a spiritualist-medium. As someone who has absolutely no talent for spiritualistic things, I need to scramble a good deal in order to figure out what the heck the lines on a palm mean or a tarot layout says. Forget the crystal ball altogether. I’m pretty good with the Ouija board because I’ve had lots of practice, thanks to my daughter, Robin, who bought an old Ouija board at a yard sale one day maybe twenty-five years ago.

When Robin brought the board to my house, she was frustrated because when she and her boyfriend had used it at her apartment, the stupid board kept spelling out MOMMOMMOMMOM and nothing else. When she and I fiddled with it, we discovered (this is a true story, even if it is rather odd) Rolly! I gave Rolly to Daisy, who seems to make much better use of him than I ever did. His background story is correct, however. According to the Ouija board that long-ago day, Rolly and I had been married in Scotland in 1055 or thereabouts and had five sons together. Sounds like heck to me, but he claimed we were soul mates and he’d followed me through all my various lives. Ooooookay. If you say so, Rolly. Anyway, about fifteen years or so ago, I had my very own “channeling board” made by a woman recommended by a writer friend of mine (Stobie Piel). I think it’s lovely. Neither Stobie nor I can remember the woman’s name, so I fear I can’t pass along the information if you’d like to have one of your own made by her. She does great work.

At any rate, the Ouija board presents no problems. The tarot and the palms, however, are a whole ’nother kettle of fish. In order to attempt to do them justice, I got myself a Rider Waite tarot deck and some reference materials: two books on the tarot and one book on palmistry. I still can’t figure out the tarot without a great deal of reading, no matter which pattern I have Daisy deal out, generally for the fictitious Mrs. Pinkerton, her best client and one of the dimmer and wealthier of Pasadena’s denizens during the period. Fortunately, I have a dear friend, Elizabeth Delisi (http://elizabethdelisi@blogspot.com ) who does read tarot cards. Mind you, Liz and I have never met in person, but she got me a job teaching for Writer’s Digest once, and she helps me understand (vaguely) tarot cards. Very useful source of information, is Liz, bless her.

As to palmistry, here’s a picture of my old, wrinkled right palm. Pay no attention to the Band-Aid on my finger. I wrap a Band-Aid around that joint every day because it’s so painfully arthritic. When I first got my palmistry book, I attempted to read my own palm. That didn’t work out too well. For some reason, my Mount of Apollo, which is supposed to be connected to a person’s artistic nature, seemed to have vanished. That came as a little bit (but not much) of a surprise to me. Mind you, I have no artistic capabilities if we’re talking about drawing, painting, sculpting or anything else along those lines, but I do like to think I have at least a little bit of a leaning toward the literary. Or, if not precisely literary, at least … well, writing. You know? Anyhow, somebody told me the various mounts tend to blend together in some folks. Whatever. I have no reason to doubt whoever it was who told me that.

The palm-reading book has come in handy a time or two, but Liz and my tarot-card books are even more helpful, even if it takes forever for me to figure out what the heck the cards mean, especially when they’re laid out in any specific pattern.
While Daisy herself has a crystal ball and actually sees unusual things in it from time to time, I don’t. So I had to find a crystal ball like that Daisy might have used on Google. Daisy doesn’t take it with her all the time, because the stupid thing’s heavy. However, Daisy is no shirker, and if someone wants a crystal-ball reading, she’ll gladly tell them anything she believes they want to hear.

As for the rest of Daisy’s tricks, Spike, her late husband’s beloved dachshund, is patterned directly after my very first dachshund, whose name was Hansel Schnitzel Fritzel von Poncho Pooh Puddle Monsieur la Puppy Stink Duncan. Really. I took him to dog-obedience school at the Pasanita Dog Obedience Club at Brookside Park in Pasadena, California, during the summer between fourth and fifth grade, worked with him every single day, and took him for walks that went on for miles and miles. What’s more, he really could add, subtract, multiply and divide, at least as well as I could (which wasn’t very). All it takes is time and patience. Mind you, I have neither any longer, but when I was a kid I had a lot of both that summer, and I spent all of each commodity on Hansel. All the dachshunds I’ve had since Hansel have trained me. Darn it.

Also, unlike Daisy, I love to cook. So Daisy’s Aunt Vi is kind of me, only she prepares much fancier meals than I ever have. I’ve never even attempted to fix beef Wellington, for instance. I have, however, prepared floating island. Both my mother and my father were excellent cooks. Good thing I don’t like to eat as much as I like to cook, or I’d weigh approximately as much as Mrs. Bissel’s house. By the way, that house used to belong to my very own aunt, Maren Fulton. Ah, life. I tell you, there’s a whole lot of me in my Daisy books!

I’ll be in touch with the winners of November’s contest. Bam-Bam will proceed to pick wieners this very evening.

If you’re interested in visiting my sort of, kind of out-of-date web site, please do so at: http://aliceduncan.net/ . And if you’d like to be Facebook friends, just go to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alice.duncan.925

Thank you!

An Interview with Sally Berneathy

By Pamela James

MM: Sally tell us how many books you have written? Give us the backstory on your writing career?

     I have published 24 books. We won’t talk about how many I’ve written. Those first couple will forever be a secret between my trash can and me.

     I began writing fiction in the third grade. We had to do book reports every six weeks. I hated those book reports! We had to take a living, breathing book and tear it down to bare bones then analyze the skeleton. So I decided to write my own story. The teacher loved it and said anyone who wanted could write a story instead of a book report. I was hooked!

      As I wended my way through college (18-1/2 years of night school, over 200 credit hours, lots of diversions into various fields), I could usually convince a teacher to let me do a piece of fiction instead of a boring analytical report or research paper.

     I made my first attempt at writing a book in 1988. That’s one of the ones we don’t talk about. But I found a local writing group, Mid-America Romance Writers, and got involved in a critique group…and learned that writing a book is a lot different from writing short fiction!

     I sold my first book in 1991, a romantic comedy, to Meteor Kismet. They published my book and went out of business.

     I sold my second book in 1992, a romantic suspense, to Silhouette Shadows. They published my book and shut down the line.

     I sold three romantic suspense novels to Robinson Publishing in England. Yeah, they published my books and went out of business.

     I sold a paranormal romance to Berkley’s Haunting Hearts. They published my book and shut down the line.

     But I sold 8 books to Silhouette Romance and 1 to Harlequin Intrigue, and they’re still in business!

     I left the world of writing in 2001 and went to work as a computer programmer for a decade.

   When I returned to writing in 2011, I decided to write mysteries instead of romance. Writers are admonished to write about what we know, and after three divorces, it became quite clear I don’t know squat about romance! But I do know a lot about chocolate and I’ve fantasized a lot about murder. So the Death by Chocolate series was born.

     I wrote that first book and decided to try the new phenomenon of self-publishing. I knew as much about self-publishing as I knew about romance. So the first book sat there selling a few copies but doing nothing spectacular.

   I decided perhaps I should try a different premise for a series. I was sitting at my desk, trying to come up with an idea for that series, when my phone rang. My ex. After nine years he was still harassing me. I felt he was never going to leave me alone. And he was never going to die. And if he did die, he’d come back and haunt me. And The Ex Who Wouldn’t Die series was born.

    I have now written 5 books in the Death by Chocolate series and four in The Ex Who Wouldn’t Die series. I am happy to report that readers have found them and seem to like them, and in May when I moved in with the boyfriend, the ex stopped stalking me!

MM: Give us  little background on who you are and why you became an author?

I have always been an avid reader and a story teller. The idea of creating one of those books that transported me to another world and held my attention for hours was both intimidating and alluring. Now that I’ve done it a few times, it’s still intimidating and alluring. I’m always a bit astonished when I finish a book and realize it actually is a book and not just a bunch of my ramblings.

MM: What is your writing schedule? Where do you write best and if it's your office do you have a picture we can see?

This is my schedule for a typical day:

7:00 ish – Get up.

7:00 to 7:30 ish – Check email.

7:30 ish – Yoga workout

8:00 ish – Free weight or elliptical workout

9:00 ish Shower

9:30 ish Breakfast

10:00 ish Get to work

Now that I’m living with the boyfriend, I stop writing (sometimes I just stop trying to write) around 6:00 for dinner. Even when I lived alone, I had to stop around that time. If I write too late, I can’t sleep. The characters and plot spin round and round in my brain. I have to turn them off and read or watch TV or do something to disconnect until the next day.

I do have an office. In my former house my office was in a sunroom on the second floor up among the trees. It was amazing. In the winter I froze since the sunroom was built over a storage room. But it didn’t matter. I would rather freeze in that sunroom than be comfortable somewhere else in the house. When the boyfriend and I decided to get a place together, my office was a primary concern! The place we chose has a large formal living room with one wall of windows. That’s my office. It’s only one wall and I miss the sunroom, but I sit facing the windows, so it works. The good part is that I have a wall to put some of my bookcases. I’ll take a picture of that wall.

MM: They say it takes a village to write a book. Who is in your village?

And they are so right, though “village” may not be the right term. “Country” may be closer. I belong to two local writing groups and a couple of national groups, and I belong to a critique group which meets every week. This group is the most important part of my writing. Nothing goes into one of my books that hasn’t been critiqued by my critique buddies. They keep me straight, point out when something isn’t working, when it is, when a character is out of character….hundreds of things. Then I have a couple of readers who will read the first draft and give me feedback. Then I turn the book over to my free lance editor. She was my first mentor when I joined MARA back in 1988, and she is amazing. We’ve remained friends through the years, and her editorial comments on my books are invaluable.

The writing groups provide articles and workshops on improving my craft, and I can always use those. Even though I’m no longer writing romance, the national RWA conference is a must for me. I go, attend workshops, get copies of all the workshops, and play them in my car and when I’m doing my yoga workout.

MM: Tell us how you plot your cozy mysteries? What comes first setting, character, background, plot?

I’m a “pantser” writer. I start with one element (which may be any of the above) then let the others develop around it. I try to have a vague notion of the crime and the murderer when I start writing, but most of the plot and characters evolve on a day to day basis.

MM: If you were going to have a dinner party what authors would you invite. Now here is where we suspend disbelief the author can be dead or alive. Who would you invite? What would the menu be and what would you ask the other authors?

The menu would be pizza, chocolate chip cookies, Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake, chocolate chip pecan pie, a couple of varieties of chocolate cake, and Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream. That’s easy. As for the authors………

J.K. Rowling

Lisa Gardner

Alafair Burke

James Burke

Margaret Mitchell

George R.R. Martin

Steig Larsson

Patricia Cornwell

William Falkner

James Joyce (but only if he promised to bring the brownies; that man was on something really strange!)

Agatha Christie

Jeffery Deaver

James Michener

Mary Stewart

Arthur C. Clarke

Isaac Asimov

Robert Heinlein

Ray Bradbury

The list could go on and on and on. I have read so many wonderful books through the years. I’ll have to be sure I have enough chocolate for everybody.

As for what I’d ask them, I’d simply ask that they talk and let me listen.

MM: Do you have pets and if so tell us about them?

I have not had a pet since 2012 when my cat Leo died. My dog Cricket died in 2011. You don’t even want to let me get started on pet stories! I have had the most awesome pets in the world. And that’s why I don’t have a pet now. It hurts too much to lose them. I said I wasn’t going to have another animal in 1994 after losing one dog in 1993 and the second in 1994. But then a large white cat wandered into the back yard. I petted him and told him to go home. He looked up at me with big blue eyes then turned and ran inside the door I’d left open. I followed him and found him sitting on the sofa, looking quite comfortable and at home. A couple of months later I got him a Yorkie, Cricket, to raise. They were best buddies. King Henry in my Chocolate books is Leo. Every time I write one of those books, he lives for me again.

MM: What life lesson has writing taught you?

The value of helping others. I’ve had a lot of careers, but writing is the only one where everybody helps everybody else. We share craft knowledge, we offer critiques, we share publicity opportunities, we share the availability of friends’ books with our readers. Writers are the best.

MM: Here are some fun questions. Where would you like to vacation that you haven't already visited? Tell us why you like living where you live and be our tour guide, what is there to see and visit? What shows/movies do you like to binge watch?

I hope to visit Europe one day and see England, France, Ireland…all those countries with castles and centuries of heritage.

I like living in the Kansas City area because my boyfriend and my friends are here.

Love Rizzoli & Isles, the older episodes of Castle (not thrilled with this season), Person of Interest, the Blacklist, the Sopranos, Downton Abbey, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy.

MM: What is your favorite way to de-stress?

Reading a book, of course. As far as my favorite way to distress…thinking about the ex!

MM: Will you be attending Malice Domestic this year?

No. I try to limit myself to 3 conferences a year and I’ve already committed to Bouchercon, RWA and Writers’ Police Academy. I wish I could go to all of them! I always learn so much and have a great time doing it!

MM: Is there a humorous story you can share with us that happened at a book signing or conference?

My best friend and critique partner, Madonna, and I attend most conferences together. A couple of years ago we were flying from KC to San Antonio for the RWA conference. We had a short layover in Dallas and were to arrive in San Antonio around 5:00. Our flights, both departing and connecting, were delayed, cancelled, full, and a total mess. Long story short, we got to San Antonio around 9:00, and our luggage was due to arrive around 10:30. We took a taxi to the hotel so we could check in. Our driver was wonderful. She was a reader, and we talked books. She agreed to pick us up at the hotel and take us to the airport to get our luggage. When we got there, she parked and took us to the right area to collect our bags. They were delayed, and she waited with us, no extra charge. Said she didn’t have a lot of fares at that hour. Of course we gave her a huge tip. Things were great until about ten minutes before we got back to our hotel. I have two kinds of business cards…one with just my website url and one with my address and phone number. The latter is for friends, agents, editors. And this woman had become my friend! So I gave her my card and told her to stay in touch, to send me an email. She said she couldn’t use email, couldn’t get on the Internet. Okay, some people don’t. But then she went on to explain that the government had her blocked from the Internet because they considered her a dangerous person. They send people to get in her cab and check on her regularly. She’s tried to sue them but no lawyer will take her case because they’re afraid of the government. But she has a plan to get them. Fortunately, that plan was a secret she didn’t want to share! Now that we’ve ridden in her taxi, we would probably be on the list, and don’t be surprised if the government comes after us. And it went on until we reached the hotel.

We stood on the curb and watched her drive away. Madonna turned to me and said, “The conference hasn’t even started and you’ve just given your card to a crazy person. Maybe you should let me have custody of those cards for the rest of the conference.”

Fortunately, apparently the lady was right about not getting on the Internet! And apparently the government has her phone shut down too! I haven’t heard from her!!!

MM: Is there someone that you would like to give a huge thank you to who has been one of your favorite supporters or a loyal mentor?

There are so many. Talk about that village….

I’d have to give a list….a  long list.

MM: Lastly, tell us what is in store for readers in 2016 and please add anything I have missed asking you today.

I will soon have the 4^th Ex book available, The Ex Who Saw a Ghost, and will then begin work on the 6^th Chocolate book. I hope I give my readers fun and entertainment in 2016!

An Interview with Carola Dunn

An Interview by Pamela James

MM: Carola, where do you write your books?

My first I wrote at the kitchen table. I've had dedicated office in the house for decades now. I have a big window looking down the garden and a good view of the bird feeders—without which I might write faster...

MM: Why, when, where and how did you begin writing your books?

I'd had lots of part-time and temp jobs while my son was small and we were moving often. When at last we settled down, in 1979, my (now ex) husband wanted me to get a "proper" job. At the same time, I'd read and reread Georgette Heyer's books so many times I knew what was coming on the next page; I read some  newly published Regencies and decided I could do at least as well, and trying would postpone the job hunt.

I wrote longhand. Having to my surprise actually finished a manuscript, I thought I might as well try to get it published. Once I'd typed it up, I sent out queries with 3 chapters (not the first 3; the how-to book I consulted just said 3 so I picked what I considered the best). A couple of rejections and three requests for the rest of the ms—and I got an offer remarkably quickly.

Having sold one, of course I had to write another... In the end I wrote 32 full-length Regencies and about a dozen novellas, all now available as ebooks. Then I turned to mystery. The Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, set in England in the 1920s, now number 22, and there are 3 Cornish mysteries out.

MM: 2016 is here what are your writing plans?

I finished my 4th Cornish Mystery, Buried in the Country, in December and I've already started on the next Daisy mystery.

MM: On a personal note. Be our tour guide and tell us about the attractions of where you live and why you like living there?

After growing up in England and living in Southern California for many years, I moved to Eugene, Oregon, nearly 25 years ago, the longest I've ever lived anywhere.

Oregon is a beautiful state with a stunning coastline, mountains, rivers, lakes, and high desert all easily accessible from Eugene. Some special places are Crater Lake, Mount Hood, the Columbia Gorge, the Painted Hills, the John Day Fossil Beds, and extraordinary lava formations. Most of the time, though, I'm quite satisfied with my daily walk (with dog) by the Willamette River in Eugene.

It's not true that "old Oregonians never die, they only rust away," but we do have high rainfall in winter. The climate is quite like England's. That's what keeps it so green.

For a mid-size city, Eugene supports an excellent symphony orchestra and classical music station, essentials to my life. The city library is good—another necessity. The presence of the University of Oregon is another plus.

Eugene is a friendly, laid-back place. After 20 years in ever-more-crowded Southern California (and more sun than I, as a redhead, can cope with) , I love it here.

MM: Do you ever binge watch some of your favorite shows, movies or read some of your favorite series? If so which ones do you watch and read?

I don't have a TV so no shows or movies. I like to reread books, especially mysteries, written in the periods I write about. A first reading is for the story and characters. On rereading, I'm more interested in the period details and "zeitgeist", and the way the mystery is constructed.

Apart from those, books I regularly reread are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Lord of the Rings, and all of Jane Austen.

MM: What is one of your favorite meals and dessert?

Top meal: Indian restaurant buffet. Top dessert: my mother's hazelnut torte, which is a hazelnut meringue sandwiched with raspberries and whipped cream. Neither for frequent consumption!

MM: Do you like to cook or bake?

Not much into cooking. I like baking but do it infrequently as I also like to eat the products.

MM: What is your favorite part of being an author?

Hearing from happy readers! I especially like letters/messages/whatever from people who have found escape from their troubles in my books.

MM: Do you belong to any writer's groups? What are some of your favorite conventions? How about bookstores and places to autograph your books?

I belong to Sisters in Crime. My favourite convention is Left Coast Crime, smaller and friendlier than Bouchercon.

I pretty much stick to the West Coast for signings: Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Mystery Ink, Mysterious Galaxy, and Bob's Beach Books on the Oregon Coast. So many favourites have closed, alas.

MM: What is the strangest writing question you were ever asked?

I don't remember any particularly strange questions. The strangest letter I've ever received was from a woman who was all het up about one of my Regencies, saying she'd never read another because of the degenerate morals of the hero of that book. Further correspondence elicited that she hadn't actually read the book (A Susceptible Gentleman). She was basing her opinion on the description on the back cover, which I hadn't written. Back cover blurbs are notoriously inaccurate and hyped up. At that point I gave up trying to explain.

MM: They say it takes a village to become a published author. Who is in your village?

For the first book, a supportive husband, a friend who offered to type the manuscript, and another friend who had a book about how to submit to publishers and  what to expect of a contract. (I didn't have a typewriter and I'd never taken any creative writing classes nor read any how-to books.)

Since then, I've had loads of help from all sorts of people. I find as soon as I say I'm researching for a mystery/crime fiction, most are happy to answer questions on their area of expertise.

MM: What was your most perfect writing day?

The most perfect day is the day my editor tells me the "delivery and acceptance" cheque is on the way!

MM: Leave us with some words of wisdom by your protagonist?

Both Daisy and Eleanor would say, "If you expect to like the people you meet and treat them that way, most people will turn out to be likable."

Website: www.CarolaDunn.weebly.com

Facebook: personal page + Carola Dunn Author, Daisy Dalrymple, Cornish Mysteries, and RegenciesByCarolaDunn.

An Interview with Steven Saylor

Interview With Steven Saylor:

By Pamela James

MM: Steven tell us about the genres you write?

SS: I write historical whodunits. My “Roma Sub Rosa” series features Gordianus the Finder, sleuth of ancient Rome. Most recently, a trio of prequels has taken readers back to Gordianus’s younger days; those books are mystery-driven, but also feature romance, high adventure, daring heists, and international intrigue.

MM: Tell us about your writing schedule?

SS: The best thing about being a writer is sleeping late and setting my own schedule. My books begin with a months-long research phase, which is all about reading, taking notes, and tracking down obscure sources. Once I start the actual writing, I’m good for a six-hour day; after a certain point, the writing gets sloppy, so I have an excuse to knock off early. The only time I work long hours is when I’m designing the maps for my books. It’s so long between maps, I have to relearn Adobe Photoshop every time out, and I get totally lost in the joy of creating the graphics, like being a caffeine-crazed student again.

MM: Your favorite place to write ?

SS: I’m a swimmer, and I love nothing better than going to my favorite pool in the summer (nearby Clarke Swim Center in Walnut Creek, California), swimming a mile, then relaxing for a couple of hours in the shade while writing on my laptop. I feel like a Hollywood star writing his memoirs.

MM: Give us the backstory on your writing career?

SS: I loved books as a child and I always wanted to be an author, from the very first time I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I also loved the ancient world, from all the movies that were big when I was kid, like Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Cleopatra, and all those Italian gladiator movies with Steve Reeves. When I went to college, I majored in history, which felt terribly self-indulgent, I enjoyed it so. After doing this and that (newspaper and magazine writing, reviewing, etc.), in my late twenties my love of crime fiction and my love of history combined when I read Cicero’s oration for Sextus Roscius, accused of parricide, and saw the potential for a mystery novel. After Roman Blood came out in 1991, the publisher invited me to write a sequel, and the “Roma Sub Rosa” series was born.

MM: Do you ever reread your favorite books?

SS: I used to do this when I was younger, but it’s been a long time since I reread a favorite book. The last instance was Lord of the Rings for the third time, long before the movies came out. I was more impressed than ever by the poignance and majesty of Tolkien’s achievement.

MM: Is there an author or writer who had influence on your chosen career?

SS: Tolkien. But I didn’t become a fantasy writer, precisely because it seemed to me that Tolkien had reached the pinnacle, and I didn’t care to be a copycat. But the world-building I’ve done over the course of the 15 volumes of novels and short stories in the “Roma Sub Rosa” series is very much influenced by Tolkien; it’s just that I don’t have to make up the back-story, it’s there in the ancient sources.

I should also name Mary Renault, whose novels about ancient Greece were hugely popular when I was young and set a standard for historical fiction. She also presented the sexuality of the ancient world in a true light, making it clear that sex and love between men was an essential part of the culture, and that was a great comfort to a gay boy growing up in Texas in the 1970s.

 

Steven signing Roman Blood Houston 1992

MM: What comes first: the plot, setting, characters or a conflicting situation?

SS: I’d say a combination of setting and conflict. For example, my first novel, Roman Blood, was inspired by Cicero’s first big murder case, defending a man accused of murdering his father. That drew me into researching everything that was going on in Rome in 80 B.C., and then, to explore the mystery, I created Gordianus the Finder. Subsequent novels have always been built around some real event. The ancient sources never fail to give me juicy material and larger-than-life characters, whether it’s Cleopatra or a corrupt politician or a radical conspirator plotting the downfall of the Roman Republic.

MM: Breakdown how you write your books?

SS: First, the germ: the historical event in which I see the inspiration for a novel. Then the research, where I get to play detective, uncovering all sorts of clues and connections. Then the actual writing, which works off all the notes I’ve made regarding the historical details, the character traits, and the crucial plot points. I always discover new connections and motives during the writing; it’s as if I’m on a therapist’s couch, uncovering subconscious links. Once I finish the novel, I let it lie for a while and then do a complete read-through, which usually entails only minimal rewrite. Then the book goes off to my editor.

MM: What comes next in 2016 and tell us about your latest books?

SS: My latest is Wrath of the Furies, which takes place in 88 B.C. Young Gordianus is lured to the city of Ephesus, even as the conquering King Mithridates is plotting to kill every Roman in Asia Minor—every man, woman, and child—in a single day. It’s turned out to be the timeliest novel I’ve ever written, dealing as it does with history’s first massive ethnic cleansing, and with tens of thousands of desperate refugees (Romans) streaming out of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). History repeats.

Next I’ll return to the older Gordianus, with a novel I’ve long been plotting, set against a huge event: the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 B.C. There’s another murder that took place at the very same time, and that’s where the mystery lies.

MM: If you were going to sit down with five authors (dead or alive) what would you ask them?

SS: Tolstoy: Did you ever fall in love with another man, as I suspect? Lawrence Durrell: Did you commit incest with your daughter Sappho, as some people think? E.M. Forster: Can we hang out? Homer: Did you create both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and were you really blind? Sophocles: How did you come to write the world’s first murder mystery, Oedipus the King?

MM: Are there any TV shows that you binge watch?

SS: I’m a huge fan of crime dramas from the UK, Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe. Many can now be seen via a new service called MHz Choice, which I very much hope succeeds. I’d say the original Scandinavian series The Bridge is about the most brilliant thing ever on TV, both seasons one and two, and now there’s a third season.

MM: Be our tour guide and tell us about where you live?

SS: I live mostly in Berkeley, California, a college town with great food and amazing cultural resources, from the renowned local theater to the UC Berkeley libraries. There are also miles of running trails up in the hills. My husband Rick and I also have a condo in Austin, Texas, where we met long ago when I was a history major at UT. I loved the summer swimming holes and the slacker lifestyle so much that I’ve never been able to give them up, and that draws me back several times a year. Another town with great food and liberal culture.

MM: Do you have favorite conventions or conferences that you endorse?

SS: I’ll give a shout-out to Left Coast Crime, which takes place in the western half of the US every year. I’ve also had a great time at the Texas Book Festival in Austin, and at Saints & Sinners, a GLBT conference in New Orleans. I’ve also attended many an academic conference over the years, mostly as a guest speaker to a room full of Classics scholars or history teachers, who love the ancient world as much as I do. They really get what I do.

MM: What ways do you have to eliminate stress?

SS: Running, swimming, working out with weights. That’s when I do some of my best thinking, when I’m hardly aware that I’m thinking.

MM: Do you have a favorite place to vacation?

SS: London! All the allure of foreign travel, and they speak English, so I can take full advantage of all the great theater and other cultural riches. I love that town.

MM: What would your characters tell us about you?

SS: All my books are an act of autobiography done with mirrors, dealing with my own preoccupations and stumbling blocks; all the characters in the books, good and bad, come from my own psyche, and Gordianus is very much my alter ego, an idealized moral version of myself. I think this sort of thing is true of almost every writer.

MM: When you're not writing what do you like to read?

SS: I am greatly saddened by the death of Ruth Rendell, because that means there is only one more of her books for me to read, published posthumously. We had dinner in London once, and she’s long been a favorite of mine. I also read a great deal of ancient literature, purely for pleasure, such as the novels written by the ancient Greeks themselves, of which only five survive intact.

MM: Lastly, leave us with what you want your readers to take away with them about your books? What would you like to say to your readers?

SS: Be skeptical of sources—that was one of the most fundamental principles I learned from my history profs, and it has served me well in every aspect of life. Always look for the subversive reading of the accepted text, as Gordianus does when he confronts a mystery. He never takes things at face value; there’s always more going on than meets the eye. The overarching theme is there in the name of the series, “Roma Sub Rosa”—a secret history of Rome, or a history of Rome’s secrets, as seen through the eyes of Gordianus.

Can you leave us with a favorite writing quote?

SS: My favorite, because it makes me laugh—and because it totally demystifies the process—is from Gore Vidal: “First coffee, then a bowel movement. Then the Muse joins me.”

An Interview with Lois Winston

MM: Lois, give us the backstory on your writing career?

Unlike many authors, I didn’t grow up wanting to write books. Illustrating them, maybe. I went to art school and have a degree in graphic design and illustration. After a brief stint working in advertising, I began designing needlework and crafts for magazines, book publishers, and kit manufacturers.

One day about 20 years ago, a story popped into my head, and much like the song that becomes an earworm, this story wouldn’t go away. I finally decided to write it down. The next thing I knew, I’d written a 50,000 word manuscript. That book, after 10 years and many revisions, became the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception, my second published novel.

Eventually, I segued from romance and romantic suspense into humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, publishing the first of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series in 2011. There are currently five full-length novels in the series, which include Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, Death by Killer Mop Doll, Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, Decoupage Can Be Deadly, and the recently released A Stitch to Die For, as well as three mini-mysteries: Crewel Intentions, Mosaic Mayhem, and Patchwork Peril. I’ve also started a second amateur sleuth series, the Empty Nest Mysteries. Definitely Dead is the first book in the series. I’m currently working on the second.

MM: What comes first person, plot, place or idea?

Usually idea. Then I decide on characters to fit the idea and formulate a plot. Place is always a given because I prefer to set my stories in real locations that I know very well. So most of my stories are set in either the NY metro area or the Philadelphia metro area.

MM: Is there a mentor or other people you would like to thank for their help?

I had a critique partner for several years who really pushed me to be the best writer I could be. I owe a lot to her, both for her editorial skills and her friendship. Sadly, she died suddenly, shortly after my second book was released. Sadder still, we never actually met. She had lived overseas for years. She was about to move back to the States when she died. We were looking forward to being able to meet in person finally. She was a huge believer in Anastasia and would have been thrilled when I sold the series.

MM: What are you looking forward to in 2016?

World peace? Writing more books and having more readers discover my work would also be nice.

MM: Where is your favorite place to write? Do you have a writing schedule?

I have a dedicated office where I do the bulk of my writing, but since I have a laptop, I can write anywhere. I need silence, though. I’ve never understood how some people can write in a noisy coffee shop. I’d find all that noise far too distracting.

MM: You write a hobby mystery series. Do you have a hobby?

Not any more. I don’t have time for hobbies. My life revolves around my writing and my family. I do occasionally drag my husband to the theater. I love Broadway musicals, and living close to New York City means I can indulge my passion—when we can afford tickets.

MM: If you could sit down with five authors to a wonderful meal. What would the meal be? Who would you invite and what would you want to know from them?

Do they all have to be alive? Agatha Christie, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Mark Twain (minus his stinky cigar!), and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Pretty eclectic, right? And I’d just sit back and soak it all in. Although, I would try to wheedle out of Agatha where she disappeared to and why for those 11 days back in 1926.

As for the meal, I’d choose some of my favorites: lobster, asparagus, twice-baked potatoes, and crème brûlee for dessert. And wine, of course.

 

MM: Do you ever binge watch movies, or television series? If so, which ones?

Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. Everything else I watch on a weekly basis, usually a day or two after it airs so I can fast-forward through the commercials.

MM: What is your favorite dessert, song, movie, place to vacation and season?

Crème brûlee, “Rhapsody in Blue”, Shakespeare in Love, anywhere my grandchildren are currently living, and autumn.

MM: Be our tour guide and tell us about where you live?

I live in what’s called a “bridge and tunnel” community of New York City. I’m on the New Jersey side, about 18 miles from Lower Manhattan. Most people who have never been to New Jersey have a negative opinion of the state, but I love living here. Within little more than half an hour I can be in Manhattan, up in the mountains, or down the shore, depending on the direction I travel. My town is often used for the backdrop of television shows and movies because of it’s quaint downtown and many Victorian homes.

MM: What would you like to say to your readers?

Word-of-mouth is so very important for a book’s success. If you’ve enjoyed one of my books (or any other authors’ books, for that matter,) please tell your friends and family. Also posting honest, thoughtful reviews online is always appreciated.

MM: What would you like to say to your friends?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

MM: Lastly, what would your characters tell us about you? Leave us with a quote that is strictly invented by you or your character?

Anastasia Pollack: “Lois Winston? What does that woman have against me? I was living a typical middleclass suburban life with a loving husband, two fabulous kids, and a great job until she came along and mucked it all up. Now I’m a widow who’s got debt up the wazoo, and I’m permanently saddled with my communist mother-in-law and her devil incarnate dog. And if that weren’t enough, Winston keeps writing me into situations where I’m constantly stumbling over dead bodies! What did I ever do to her?”

BIO:

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Follow everyone on Tsu at www.tsu.co/loiswinston, on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/anasleuth, and onTwitter at https://twitter.com/Anasleuth. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.MyAuthorBiz.com/ENewsletter.php?acct=LW2467152513