#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Anna St. John
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I’d like to welcome the amazing Anna St. John to the blog for #WriterWednesday!
Things you need for your writing sessions:
I’ve found that I can write anywhere: on a plane flying to Bangkok, in a beach cabana overlooking the ocean, or cozy in my home office with the snow falling outside. All I need is a quiet space and a way to put words on paper—although it’s faster when my fingers fly across the keys of a computer, sometimes I mix it up and write the old-fashioned way with a pen and a yellow pad. When it’s possible, I surround myself with Jim Brickman piano music, soft lighting, and scented candles.
Things that hamper your writing:
Dirty laundry. When it’s piled too high, I can hear it calling to me.
Something you’re really good at:
I make potato soup that’s almost as good as my mother’s.
Something you’re really bad at:
Making beautiful music of any kind. I can’t carry a tune (which doesn’t stop me from singing, unfortunately). I don’t play any instruments. I can’t even whistle, although my grandson encourages me to “keep practicing, Grammy.”
Favorite music or song:
I have favorites for different occasions: music for singing, dancing, snoozing, and writing—not to mention cooking and holiday decorating. For listening at home, my favorites go back to the crooners when the melodies were beautifully orchestrated and the lyrics told a story: Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, I can’t resist songs like “Catch a Falling Star and Put it in your Pocket” and “Unforgettable.” I also love 60s rock and roll, and classic country songs. They are perfect for road-trip singalongs.
Music that drives you crazy:
Hip Hop and Rap: I can’t figure out the lyrics. Words matter to me.
Things you’d walk a mile for:
My Old English sheepdog, Oliver, who loves his daily walk.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room:
Spiders. Mice. Abrasive TV commercials that play at every program break.
Things you always put in your books:
Intelligent small-town characters I would like to know.
Things you never put in your books:
Politics, profanity, or gore.
Things to say to an author:
I love your books and always post 5-star reviews.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:
Cozy mysteries must be so easy to write.
Favorite things to do:
Travel to faraway places like Egypt or Singapore.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing:
Going into a cave. I had a panic attack the last time I tried.
The nicest thing a reader said to you:
I couldn’t stop reading your book; I read it straight through.
The craziest thing a reader said to you:
It must be nice to be a famous author and make all that money in royalties.
Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done:
When I was in college, I painted our large dorm window to look like a stained glass of The Three Wisemen for the holidays.
A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it:
I knitted a sweater for my husband before we married. The sleeves stretched and stretched until he had to push them up to his elbows to keep them from dragging to his knees. He married me anyway and we will celebrate our 56th Anniversary this year.
My favorite books as a child:
All the Nancy Drew Books, Little Women, and Gone with the Wind
A book I’ve read more than once:
Little Women
About Anna:
Anna St. John writes the Josie Posey Mystery Series, featuring a mature yet feisty former crime reporter as the amateur sleuth. CASHED OUT COLD is book four of the series. Others include Doomed by Blooms, 2023 (Winner, Kansas Notable Books, 2024), Clocked Out, 2024 (Finalist, Kansas Authors Club, Best Fiction, 2025), Dolled Up for Murder, 2025.
A former journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter and ad agency owner, Anna loves small towns and is married to her high school sweetheart. Their Old English Sheepdog, Oliver, inspired the character of “Moe” in the Josie Posey series.
In addition to her cozy mysteries, she is writing a narrative nonfiction book, They Gave All for Freedom: The powerful true story of one family’s quest for freedom, and the two countries they served. The book follows a Czechoslovakian family as they navigate life under the Nazis, Russian Communism, prisons, and displaced persons camps, before immigrating to the U.S. after WWII.
Anna is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and The Kansas Authors Club. She is represented by Cindy Bullard of Birch Literary Agency.
Let’s Be Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozyauthor/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/AuthorStJohn
Website: www.anna-stjohn.com
About Cashed out Cold
It's finally spring in English Village, and local reporter Josie Posey reluctantly agrees to write about the snooty Cleeve Hill Garden Society’s annual Garden Tour. When the tight-lipped socialites give her a chilly reception, Josie is determined to unlock the secrets behind their garden walls.
But before she can dig into the story, Josie takes on a cat-sitting job for her favorite bank teller, Maryann Penny, who has enlisted her help. Arriving at Maryann's to check on the cat, Josie is shocked to discover the young woman dead—lying peacefully on a suspicious bed of cash in the antique bathtub of her home.
Suddenly, Josie is a prime suspect in a puzzling murder with no weapon, no motive, and no cause of death. To clear her name, she and her Mahjong Maven buddies are on the trail of a killer again. With her Old English Sheepdog Moe and a fluffy cat named Johnny Depp in tow, Josie checks out a red-haired real estate agent, a handsome dentist, and a Peruvian professor in her search for suspects.
The police chief warns Josie to stay out of his case. The editor of The Village Gazette demands exclusive reports on the Garden Tour and Maryann's murder. And the meddling mavens are digging up dirt to figure out who's making a killing from counterfeit cash.
