#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jeanne Adams

Please join me in welcoming author Jeanne Adams to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: I love dogs of all shapes and sizes, Constant Comment tea, and a good joke.

Things you need to throw out: OMGosh…so much. Marie Kondo would have a fit in my house. Old Southern Living magazines (I need to just pull out the recipe and throw the rest away!), duplicate photos, old electronics that no longer work (but that I need to pull the hard drives from…), stuff like that. Ha!

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need to have walked and seen people, or at least talked to the clerks at my coffee shop prior to sitting down to write because I’m an extrovert. If I can get a little “people time” first thing, then I can happily sit down to write!

 Things you love about writing: I LOVE creating worlds, I love putting my characters in jeopardy then getting them out again, I love setting the clues then helping my characters figure them out. I also like a lot of BOOM! Going on, so I love writing a good explosion.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing is that I’m an extrovert and very bouncy, so sitting still not talking to the “real humans” is kinda challenging for me!

Things you never want to run out of: Oh, the simple things in life – toilet paper, milk/cream for coffee, clean water, clean air… But for the other stuff, I never want to run out of pecans, tea or great books to read! (I don’t think I’m in too much danger of that!)

Things you wish you’d never bought: A stationary bike – I ride it occasionally, but not enough to justify it’s expense!

Words that describe you: Adaptable, energetic, goofy, blonde, driven.

Favorite foods: Pumpkin pie, Ham, Bacon, Diet Coke (That’s a food group, right?), Biscuits with honey or gravy, Steak, Fresh green beans…I could go on and on.  I like food!

Things that make you want to gag:  Brussel Sprouts. Beets. Frog legs.

Favorite Music or song: Oh, I love so many… The Band Perry’s Better Dig Two; Burn It To The Ground by Nickleback is a fav; Loggins and Messina Celebrate Me Home.

Music that drives you crazy: Alas, Opera. There are a few I love, but most makes me cringe. I’d LIKE to like it, but I just don’t.

Favorite beverage: Coffee for hot, iced tea or Diet Coke for cold

Favorite smell: Cooking turkey.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Cooking Brussel sprouts.

Something you wish you could do: I wish I could paint.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Pull/set chain link fence. Ugh. Never want to do that again!

Something you like to do: Sing

Last best thing you ate: An amazing gluten-free pumkin custard at Cedric’s Tavern on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. OMGosh, heaven on a spoon!

Last thing you regret eating: A mushroom risotto that, unbeknownst to me, had bell peppers in it. (I’m allergic to peppers) Why would mushroom risotto have peppers, you ask? No idea. “For color” is the usual answer when chefs put peppers in things that shouldn’t have it…Sick as a dog.

The last thing you ordered online: A converter plug for my trip to Iceland!

The last thing you regret buying: A leather bracelet/band for my FitBit Alta. It was not “as advertised."

Things you’d walk a mile for:  My family, my dogs, and coffee ice cream

Things you always put in your books: Pets!

Things you never put in your books: Pets dying, animal cruelty, and a certain c-word.

Things to say to an author: Of course we all want to hear: “I LOVED your book and recommended it to ten people!” but I also love to have people ask me why I write suspense, or what’s my favorite author to read when I’m not writing.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

“I don’t ready those trashy romantic books, even the mysteries with some romance are too trashy for me.”

“I have a book idea. Hey, I know what! I’ll tell you, you can write it and we’ll split the money!”

“Can you hook me up with your editor/publisher?”

 Favorite places you’ve been: Edinburgh, London, and Guethary France outside the US. Here in the US, Western NC, Chicago, San Francisco… So many places!

Places you never want to go to again: Downtown LA because I got SO lost!

 Favorite books (or genre): Love so many! One of my current favs is a hot historical from Anna Campbell, The Highlander’s Defiant Captive. Also love suspense – especially Nora Roberts/JD Robb and KJ Howe. My fav genre though is probably Science Fiction/Fantasy and Nancy Northcott, Nalini Singh and Ilona Andrews are favorites there!

Books you wouldn’t buy: Authors who’ve been mean to readers. I’ve seen it happen and I won’t ever buy that author again.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Omgosh! There are so many here too! President and Mrs. Obama, President and Mrs. Carter, President and Mrs. Bush, Greta Thunberg. Rachel Maddow, Chris Fischer from OCEARCH…

Favorite things to do: Predictably, my fav thing is to read and/or to write. Show dogs. Play with the dogs. Watch my eldest play baseball. Play videogames with my youngest. Go to any kind of football game from peewee to professional

Things that make you happy: My family and pets. Writing THE END. Friends. Travel…you know, the usual!  Ha!

Proudest moment: Oh, there are so many because I try to celebrate victories large and small, but one of the most recent proud moments was when the book my co-author Nancy Northcott and I wrote, WELCOME TO OUTCAST STATION (a space-based mystery), was compared to the work of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Gone to the party where I was introduced to my beloved husband.

Biggest mistake: Getting married the first time. I knew better….Ha! Ah, well, corrected that mistake!

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Walked on 40’ of fire at a Tony Robbins event.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “You kept me up half the night because I couldn’t put your book down.” Swoon!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Have you tried all the sexy stuff out with your husband before you write it?”

About Jeanne:

Jeanne Adams writes award-winning suspense, fantasy/paranormal, Urban Fantasy and space adventure and she knows all about getting rid of the evidence. Both traditionally and indie published, Jeanne has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine & her books have been hailed as “Best Suspense Books of the Year!” She teaches highly sought after classes on Body Disposal for Writers, Plotting for those who hate to Plot, as well as How to Write a Fight Scene with her pal Nancy Northcott www.JeanneAdams.com Twitter: @JeanneAdams Instagram: @JPAGryphon www.Facebook.com/JeanneAdamsAuthor

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Colleen Shogan

Please join me in welcoming author Colleen Shogan to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday. Happy Thanksgiving!

A few of your favorite things:  I love pizza, swimming, and dogs. All dogs.

Things you need to throw out:  My old t-shirts from college and graduate school. I can’t bear to part with them since they represent good memories.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My dog Conan, my trusty iPad Pro, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, and a pleasant breeze (if I’m writing outside).

Things that hamper your writing: Constant interruptions, loud music, and television. I can’t multi-task and write well.

Things you love about writing:  Creating characters! Talking to readers about them!

Things you hate about writing: Constant promotions. I feel as though it takes away from my writing time, which is scarce.

Things you never want to run out of: Wifi, coffee, and clean running shorts.

Things you wish you’d never bought:  Those three chocolate bars I bought on my birthday. Sigh.

Words that describe you: Fun, hardworking, intellectually minded.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Political, guilt-ridden, impatient.

Favorite foods: Pizza, Indian, and Italian.

Things that make you want to gag:  Korean, beets, and olives.

Favorite beverage: Gin and tonic with Bombay Sapphire and lime.
Something that gives you a sour face:  Whiskey

Something you’re really good at:  Talking. If you put a microphone in front of my face, I will talk.
Something you’re really bad at:  Singing. I’m tone deaf!

Last best thing you ate:  Palak Paneer (Indian).
Last thing you regret eating:  Buffalo wings.

Things you’d walk a mile for:  Good friends, good company, good food.

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

Things you always put in your books:  Happy hours!
Things you never put in your books:  Gratuitous violence or sad storylines concerning animals

 Favorite places you’ve been:  London, Florence, and the Outer Banks
Places you never want to go to again:  Iowa (sorry!)

Favorite books (or genre):  Definitely traditional mystery or cozy mystery.
Books you wouldn’t buy:  Westerns or explicit romance

The coolest person you’ve ever met:  Stephen King

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: RBG

The nicest thing a reader said to you: A blind reader said she really enjoyed listening to my books from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. That was great!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: You should put more sex in your books.

 About Colleen:

Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. She conceived of the plot of her first novel one morning while taking a walk in her suburban Washington, D.C. neighborhood. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at numerous universities. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate. She’s currently the Assistant Deputy Librarian for Collections and Services at the Library of Congress. “Stabbing in the Senate” won the “Next Generation Indie Prize” for best mystery in 2016. Her subsequent books have been finalists for the RONE award and Killer Nashville. She lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and beagle mutt, Conan.

Let’s Be Social:
www.colleenshogan.com

 https://twitter.com/cshogan276

 https://www.facebook.com/washingtonwhodunit/

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1269678.Colleen_J_Shogan?from_search=true

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Charlotte Stuart

I’d like to welcome author, Charlottes Stuart, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: I collect small boxes made of a variety of materials, but especially wood. I particularly value ones given to me by friends and family. And I love my orange Subaru Crosstrek, mainly because it’s orange.

Things you need to throw out: We downsized a few years ago, but I still have too many clothes, especially jackets. And shoes that I never wear. And old family pictures of relatives I’ve never met and couldn’t name if my life depended on it.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing!
Easiest thing about being a writer: Getting enthused about an idea and having fun exploring ways to bring it to life. I love doing research.

Words that describe you: Friendly. Opinionated. Stubborn. Sense of humor.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Short. Opinionated. Stubborn.

Favorite foods: Blackberry pie. Tomatoes. Almost any cheese. Prawns and scallops.

 Things that make you want to gag: Oysters. Sushi. Undercooked steak. People eating undercooked steak.

 Favorite smell: A saltwater beach.
Something that makes you hold your nose: Vomit. Not only does it make me hold my nose – I run away! It’s either that or throw up alongside the person throwing up.

Something you wish you could do: Play the piano.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Work with fiberglass. My husband and I built a fiberglass boat, and I was, unfortunately, good at fiberglassing. I always wore a mask, but that didn’t keep the resin stink from penetrating my psyche.

Things you’d walk a mile for: To go swimming in a freshwater lake.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Frequently of late, the nightly news. And, still another update for my computer or cell phone.

Things to say to an author: I read your book and really enjoyed it. I’m planning on reading your book soon. I like the cover of your book. Congratulations.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I knew who did it in the first 10 pages. I found 3 typos. Comment: I just don’t read mysteries. What the mystery writer hears: I only read REAL literature.

Favorite places you’ve been: Greece. Italy. Vashon Island.
Places you never want to go to again: The O’Hare Airport. Minneapolis in the winter. D.C. in the summer.

Favorite things to do: Swim. Walk in the woods. Read.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Not sure about eating bugs…but I hate cleaning the house, especially dusting, doing the floors, scrubbing the tub/toilet/sink…just about anything that involves using cleaning products.

 Things that make you happy: Being with people I enjoy. Swimming. Reading.
Things that drive you crazy: Snooty people. People who give you the stink-eye over things such as a dirty car, Velcro sneakers, or an overgrown yard. TV mysteries where someone discovers a body and kneels down to look without considering that there may be someone behind them.

The funniest thing to happen to you: Giving a finger to a slow driver on the way to an interview only to discover he was a board member at the college where I was interviewing. When introduced, he said, “We’ve already met.”

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Falling down on stage at my high school graduation after playing a saxophone solo. I fell like a tree with my arms wrapped around my instrument to protect it. And I didn’t get up right away; I just lay there laughing but with tears rolling down my face. When I returned to my seat, I had to walk all the way to the back of the graduating class because we were seated alphabetically, and my last name began with ZY. So many murmured “Poor Charlotte’s….” And a few snickers.

About Charlotte:

In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and survived being the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.

Let’s Be Social:

 cs.charlottestuart@gmail.com

Website: www.charlottestuart.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quirkymysteries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.stuart.mysterywriter

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Thomas Burns

I’d like to welcome author, Thomas Burns, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: I love my wife and kids, cats, dogs, my garden, and Tai chi.

Things you need to throw out: Nothing. You always need it after you throw it out!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Scrivener, the Internet, my PC

Things that hamper your writing: People, phone calls, errands

Things you love about writing: I create people and worlds, and I learn something new every day.

Things you hate about writing: Nothing.

Things you never want to run out of: Coffee, ammo, or enthusiasm.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The Samsung refrigerator in my kitchen.

Favorite foods: Eggplant, chili peppers, sushi.

Things that make you want to gag: Not much. I haven’t tried Icelandic rotten shark, though.

Favorite music or song: Classical music. Wagner is my favorite composer, and the violin is my favorite instrument.

Music that drives you crazy: A few popular songs that you hear on tapes played in public places. I don’t know their names, but I know them when I hear them.

Something you’re really good at: Writing, science, cooking.

Something you’re really bad at: Dancing, fixing things, suffering fools gladly.

Something you wish you could do: Fly a plane.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Nothing. Any skill can be useful at some time.

Things you always put in your books: Love, honor, family,

Things you never put in your books: I’ll put anything necessary to the story, even if it’s distasteful. I even killed the cat once.

Favorite places you’ve been: France, Ireland, New York City.

Places you never want to go to again: Catholic school.

Favorite books (or genre): Atlas Shrugged, Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’ll read just about anything.

Favorite things to do: Read, write, eat.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Talking to people in the morning before I’ve had my coffee, meetings, arguing with an idiot

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Readers talk to you?

The craziest thing a reader said to you: See above.

About Thomas:

Thomas A. Burns, Jr. is the author of the Natalie McMasters Mysteries. He was born and grew up in New Jersey, attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, earned B.S degrees in Zoology and Microbiology at Michigan State University and a M.S. in Microbiology at North Carolina State University. He currently resides in Wendell, North Carolina. As a kid, Tom started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys, Ken Holt and Rick Brant, and graduated to the classic stories by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout, to name a few. Tom has written fiction as a hobby all of his life, starting with Man from U.N.C.L.E. stories in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He built a career as technical, science and medical writer and editor for nearly thirty years in industry and government. Now that he's truly on his own as a novelist, he's excited to publish his own mystery series, as well as to contribute stories about his second most favorite detective to the MX Books of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.3mdetectiveagency.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/541595279667727/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/3Mdetective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3mdetective/?hl=en

Tumblr: https://nataliemcmasters.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17956517.Thomas_A_Burns_Jr_

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/thomas-a-burns-jr

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Debra H. Goldstein

I would like to welcome author, Debra H. Goldstein, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: I like dark chocolate, quiet time to read, and hanging with family and friends.

Things you need to throw out: Three dressy dresses I bought six years and twenty less pounds ago.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A comfortable chair and show music blaring.

Things that hamper your writing: My husband, who recently retired, being home during my writing time – he keeps the TV louder than my show music.

Things you love about writing: I love the creative process.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the creative process.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing is not letting distractions keep me from sitting and writing.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas.

Favorite foods: I love pizza, ice cream, and dark chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Cottage cheese and tuna fish.

Favorite music or song: Show tunes – I love Broadway shows.

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy metal music drives me crazy.

Favorite beverage: Coca-cola
Something that gives you a sour face: Water

 Favorite smell: The fragrance of roses (especially yellow ones simply because I like the look of them)
Something that makes you hold your nose: My husband’s gym clothing after he’s exercised.

The last thing you ordered online: A copy of Damned if you Do Damned if you Don’t by Marjorie K. Osterman

The last thing you regret buying: a hand scale from Magellan’s to weigh luggage

Things you always put in your books: Humor
Things you never put in your books: My family

Favorite places you’ve been: Barcelona, San Francisco, and New York
Places you never want to go to again: Underground in a coal mine where the seam is only three feet high.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with family and friends; going out to eat; reading; and writing.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cooking --- my Sarah Blair character comes by her fear of cooking from scratch naturally

About Debra:

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two Bites Too Many). She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. Debra serves on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and is president of the Southeast Chapter of MWA and past president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

 Let’s Be Social:

https://www.amazon.com/Bites-Many-Sarah-Blair-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07MB4779P

 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-bites-too-many-debra-h-goldstein/1130055243

 Website – www.DebraHGoldstein.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/

Twitter - @DebraHGoldstein

Instagram – debra.h.goldstein

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debra-h-goldstein.   Debra

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Lois Winston

I’d like to welcome author, Lois Winston, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Complete silence.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise from leaf blowers, snow throwers, lawn mowers, and the incessant barking of the three dogs that live next door.

Things you love about writing: Getting lost in a world of my own creation.

Things you hate about writing: When the words and ideas just don’t come.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Planting my butt in a chair for hours and hours each day.

Easiest thing about being a writer:  You have an excuse for listening to the voices in your head.

Favorite foods: Crème brûlée, chocolate anything, macarons (I once dragged my husband all over Nice, France in search of a patisserie that sold them.

Things that make you want to gag: Peanut butter (I used to have to hold my breath when I made PB&J sandwiches for my kids when they were little.

Favorite music or song: Most Broadway musicals. Right now I’m obsessed with the music from Hamilton.

Music that drives you crazy: If I told you, I’d probably alienate a portion of my readership, which I’d never want to do. Can I lie and say I love all musical genres?

Favorite beverage: Coffee.

Something that gives you a sour face: Beer. I’ve never been able to develop a taste for the stuff.

Favorite smell: Vanilla.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Cigarette and cigar smoke (and peanut butter.)

Something you’re really good at: Getting my protagonist into trouble.

Something you’re really bad at: Speaking French.

Something you like to do: Go to the theater.

Something you wish you’d never done: Gone skiing.

Things you always put in your books: Humor.

Things you never put in your books: Anything of a political nature (I don’t want to alienate readers on either side of the aisle.)

Things that make you happy: Certain members of my family.

Things that drive you crazy: Certain other members of my family.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I’ve had several readers write to tell me they were going through a very difficult time in their lives, and my books made them laugh when they really needed a good laugh.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: She didn’t like my book because it was nothing like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. Huh? Why would she think it would be? I write humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, not hardcore thrillers!

About Lois’s Latest…

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

Two and a half weeks ago magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack arrived home to find Ira Pollack, her half-brother-in-law, had blinged out her home with enough Christmas lights to rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

 In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

Buy Links

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VG2QZXV/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=Handmade+Ho-Ho+Homicide&qid=1563673299&s=gateway&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=loiswins-20&linkId=cbd92af3c45b1134cb5408cc8450e3b4&language=en_US

 Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/handmade-ho-ho-homicide

 Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handmade-ho-ho-homicide-lois-winston/1132607263?ean=2940163093748

 iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/handmade-ho-ho-homicide/id1473711082

About Lois:

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 a former literary agent and 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.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.loiswinston.com

Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5

Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Frances Aylor

I would like to welcome author, Frances Aylor to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Pictures of my family & friends, my travels, fun things I’ve done. These connect me with past and present and inspire me to plan interesting experiences for the future.

Things you need to throw out: Old textbooks. I keep thinking I’ll reread them some day to keep my mind sharp, but the odds of revisiting Latin or intermediate accounting or my Spanish-language version of Don Quixote are pretty slim.

Things you love about writing: Talking to book clubs, having them discuss my characters as real people and not just something I molded together from imagination and memories.

Things you hate about writing: Struggling to get my ideas on paper, working much too long to get a sentence, a paragraph or an image just right.

Favorite music or song: Anything by Jason Mraz. He’s from my hometown and sings upbeat songs about happiness and love. I especially like “Have It All.”

Music that drives you crazy: When rock song I’ve loved get turned into the background for TV commercials. They’re messing up good memories!

Something you’re really good at:  Music. I play the piano and organ and was even a church organist many years ago.

Something you’re really bad at: Singing. I can’t hit high notes anymore. I’m always singing an octave below everyone else.

Last best thing you ate: Salted caramel ice cream. Terrific mix of sweet and salty.

Last thing you regret eating: Escargot in a restaurant in a Mexican airport. I was trying to be adventurous. My stomach rebelled.

The last thing you ordered online: Dryer sheets. I now have enough to last ten years.

The last thing you regret buying: An online rug. It looked bright and crisp on the website, but was a muddy burgundy when I rolled it out in my den. Really heavy and awkward to roll back up and return.

Things you always put in your books: I like happy endings: for the good guys to win and the bad guys to receive justice.

Things you never put in your books: Excessive violence.

Favorite books (or genre): I love mysteries, suspense and thrillers. In the Woods by Tana French is a favorite. Books you wouldn’t buy:  Books that are too scary, violent or gory.

Things that make you happy: Being with my family, traveling to new places, meeting fun people.

Things that drive you crazy: People who are so focused on their own opinions that they won’t listen to other points of view.

Best thing you’ve ever done:  Marry my high-school sweetheart. He’s kind, supportive of all the crazy things I do, and even after all these years still tells me how much he loves me.

Biggest mistake: Investing in rental property. It seemed so easy when we read the book. We bought 3 houses and sold them within a year when collecting from tenants became too much of a hassle.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:  Jumping off a 4,000 foot mountain in Switzerland to go paragliding.

Something you chickened out from doing: Scuba diving. The thought of being hundreds of feet underwater and getting nudged by a shark terrifies me.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website and blog: https://francesaylor.com/

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

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Frances-Aylor

About Frances:

Frances Aylor, CFA combines her investing experience and love of travel (she has visited over 30 countries) in her financial thrillers. Money Grab is her first novel. She has also written several short stories, including "The Girl in the Airport" in the Deadly Southern Charm anthology. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and is currently the president of Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with K. L. Murphy

I’d like to welcome author, K. L. Murphy to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Summer, the beach, reading (I know that’s every author), tea, and wine!

Things you need to throw out: Clutter! Clutter! Clutter!

Things you need for your writing sessions: All I really need is my computer and time.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Making it the priority I would like to.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Doing something I love.

Things you never want to run out of: peanut butter, English muffins, tea, wine, BOOKS!

Things you wish you’d never bought: Fashion faux pas I will never wear.

Favorite smell: I love the smell of fresh herbs.
Something that makes you hold your nose: Too much perfume (any kind)

The last thing you ordered online: A book, of course!

The last thing you regret buying: A staple gun that wasn’t electric.

Things that make you happy: Being with family and friends. And an all-time favorite is reading a book on the beach with a cold glass of wine.
Most embarrassing moment: My first attempt at an Instastory had my children rolling on the floor laughing. Worse, they saved it so that it can be replayed for laughs on a regular basis. (It was really bad!)
Proudest moment: After my children, writing and publishing my Detective Cancini Mystery series. I’m also really proud of the my current work which is historical suspense.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I love Cancini! Also, I can’t wait to read your next book (always a winner!).

The craziest thing a reader said to you: For your next book, you should write the story of my life…um, I write fiction????

 About K. L:

K.L. Murphy is a freelance writer and the author of the Detective Cancini Mystery Series: A GUILTY MIND, STAY OF EXECUTION, and THE LAST SIN. Her short story, BURN, is featured in the anthology DEADLY SOUTHERN CHARM. A member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, James River Writers, and Historical Writers of America, she lives in Richmond, VA, with her husband, children, and two amazing dogs.