#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kat Jorgensen

I’d like to welcome author Kat Jorgensen to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Absolute quiet! My laptop. And my mystery wheel for plotting and keeping me on track.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise. My sweet cats tussling and running through the house chasing one another. My mind when it’s working overtime and too busy. Hunger or thirst.

Things you love about writing: The satisfaction of creating. Getting to know my characters. And typing “the end.”

Things you hate about writing: Writer’s block. The blank page – especially when starting a new project. When your characters don’t follow the plot and go rogue on you.

Words that describe you: Kind, loyal, trustworthy, responsible, smart, good sense of humor.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Somewhat disorganized. Overweight (yuck), and out of shape.

Favorite music or song: Classic rock and alternative music.

Music that drives you crazy: I like just about all music, but rap and opera are my least favorites.

Something you’re really good at: Knitting. I’d say I was an advanced knitter.

Something you’re really bad at: Staying on budget sometimes and resisting a really good sale.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Family or friends if they needed me.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Arguments or loud voices. I love a peaceful and tranquil environment.

Things you always put in your books: Cats, especially a black or tuxedo cat. And some levity or humor. Things you never put in your books: Gratuitous violence or abuse of any sort.

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries, Thrillers. General fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Book about vampires or anything where animals are abused or killed off

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Friends and family – they make the best guests.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Politicians!

Things that make you happy: Spending time with the people I love. Sunny days and blue skies. The beach. Things that drive you crazy: Taxes.

Most embarrassing moment: I have so many to choose from. But one sticks out in a long line of embarrassing moments. The afternoon I closed on a house. I was downtown. It was raining. Hard. I slipped and fell crossing 9th and Main Streets wearing a white dress and carrying a congratulatory bottle of wine. Landed in the gutter with yucky water all over my dress and legs. Didn’t break the bottle of wine. But I couldn’t get up because I was laughing so hard due to a bad case of nervous laughter. A kind gentleman helped me to my feet. That memory is etched in my memory banks.

Proudest moment: Seeing my children succeed in life.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Fall in love and marry my second husband. He was a great guy and I’m so lucky to have had the years together with him. Sadly, he passed away in 2012 after a very brief illness. Biggest mistake: Marrying the first husband. It was a disastrous marriage, and we were both better off when we divorced.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: It doesn’t sound like a daring adventure, but it was. Going up in the St. Louis Arch. I’m very claustrophobic. My husband didn’t enjoy heights. He knew how much I wanted to go to the top of the Arch. While I was in the Ladies’ Room, he got our tickets and answered the questions about claustrophobia and heights. Without my knowledge. He told them we were fine with both! No, not so much. Those little pods to the top are tight, confined spaces. But I did it, and so did he. And we had a good time. But had I known ahead of time, how we’d have to travel to the top, I wouldn’t have done it.

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That I made then laugh and smile while reading my book.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Why not write romances instead of killing off people in books? I enjoy my murder mysteries and they do have some romantic moments. But I am just not cut out to write straight romance. I’ll stick to mysteries.

About Kat:

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Kat still lives in River City.  Her handsome black cats, Sam and Milo, amuse her and keep her company.  You can reach Kat through her website at https://katjorgensenauthor.com.

Your Eight O’clock is Dead

Becca Reynolds is having a bad day. Her grandfather’s lecture (#405: Eat a Healthy Diet or Die Not Trying) makes her late for her job at Daley & Palmer, the psychiatric group where she works as office manager – her title not theirs. But she knows her day has taken a really bad turn when she finds the firm’s eight o’clock patient dead with Dr. Daley’s letter opener opening the patient instead of the mail.

With the fledgling firm in danger of an early demise, Becca appoints herself the unofficial investigator since the police seem to be looking in all the wrong places.

The case takes Becca from the sordid depths of the Russian mafia to the upscale West End of Richmond, Virginia (known locally as River City), and even to her own back yard. In the course of the investigation, she finds herself in hot water, hot danger, and with dreams of hot men.

Let’s Be Social:

Website:  https://katjorgensenauthor.com

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

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/katjorgensen  

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kat%20Jorgensen

Preparing for Your Next Book Launch

For each book launch, I pull together a giant spreadsheet of marketing ideas. The previous one always gives me a good place to start. I also build a calendar that shows three months before the launch date and three months after. This helps me keep track of deadlines and marketing items.

I’ve expanded my spreadsheet over the years. Here are the key areas that I’ve added:

Media Outlets: I send press releases to local radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines.

Online Announcements/Calendars: Many of the local TV channels and websites here offer free event calendars. When I have book events, I post them on these sites.

Bloggers and Podcasts: I keep a long list of mystery book bloggers. Their calendars fill up fast. You may want to reach out to them 3-6 months ahead of your launch.

Blog Tours: There are lots of companies that do blog tours and marketing events. I keep a list of my favorites. If there is a date that you’re interested in, you may want to get on their calendars early. (As soon as you post that you’re an author, you’ll get bombarded with offers to increase your followers and promote your books. Do your homework. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.)

Other Blogs: I keep a list of friends and favorite blogs who offer blog spots to authors. I reach out about 3 months ahead of time to see if they have availability. Many do interviews, and other ask for a guest blog post. I do author interviews here on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Message me if you’re interested. My calendar books up quickly. Right now, I have dates open for December and January.

Your Contacts: Make a list of all your contacts that will help you share your book information. Think about your book clubs, church, alumni associations, writing groups, neighborhood news, professional organizations, etc. This is a great way to spread the word.

Facebook Groups: I keep a list of FB groups. These are great places to post announcements/sales.

Hashtags: You can tell that I’m a list maker, right? I keep a list of hashtags by topics for Twitter and Instagram for promotional posts.

Book Clubs: Make a list of all the book groups/clubs that you visit with their contact information.

Libraries and Indie Bookstores: I send my contacts emails or a postcard when a new book releases.

What else would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Michele Drier

I’d like to welcome Michele Drier to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: Chocolate, my daughters and grandchildren, books.

Things you need to throw out: My business suits and high heels, clothes older than 20 years, divorce papers from my first husband.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet, atlases from around the world, that Great Card Catalog in the cloud (Google.)

Things that hamper your writing: Meetings, marketing, other things I’ve said yes to (political campaigns, National Women’s Political Caucus).

Things you love about writing: Creating stories, giving characters those strengths I lack (organization!), figuring out the puzzle, righting the wrongs, research (I’m a frustrated historian!).

Things you hate about writing: Finding the best word, going too far down the rabbit hole of description, proofreading.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Consistency, developing a schedule and sticking to it, carving out three-hour time blocks.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Making stuff up! (I spent years as a newspaper editor and everything had to be fully-fact-checked!).

Writing characters who have interesting and quirky habits which wouldn’t go in real life.

Things you never want to run out of: Printer ink, copy paper, butter, chocolate, coffee.

Things you wish you’d never bought: An old printer, a small bedside lamp (too low to read by), a book on knitting.

Favorite foods: Indian, Thai, Mexican, French, salmon, salads, French bread.

Things that make you want to gag: Liver, escargots, okra.

Favorite smell: The air after a rain, cut grass on a summer evening.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Diesel fumes, pulp mills, fermenting grapes (but, afterwards…yum!).

Last best thing you ate: Chicken Caesar salad.

Last thing you regret eating: The brownies I made last night.

Things you always put in your books: Strong women, some true information (my WIP is based on a horde of Medieval stained glass they discovered in the attic of Westminster Abbey in 2017.) My paranormal romances, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, always have some current political information about the Eastern European bloc.

Things you never put in your books: On the page violence, shootings, stabbings, dismemberment, explicit sex, mass murderers preying on women.

Favorite places you’ve been: Oh God. France, Greece, Italy, England…pretty much anywhere in Europe.

Places you never want to go to again: Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho.

Things that make you happy: Sun, soft rain, cats, my garden, the beach, opera, museums.

Things that drive you crazy: Bad drivers (the ones who buy cars with no turn signals!), people who talk in jargon, people who believe conspiracy theories and never learn to check facts.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: When a cousin and I drive a rented car into Hungary. We only had one map and didn’t speak or read the language. Great adventure!

Something you chickened out from doing: Climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower (and I backed down half-way up to the rotunda of the Florence Cathedral. Got cussed out by all the people going up!).

About Michele:

Michele Drier is a fifth generation Californian. During her career in journalism she won awards for investigative series. She is the past president of Capitol Crimes, the Sacramento chapter of Sisters in Crime, the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime and co-chair for Bouchercon 2020.

Her Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries, set in the California Delta area, are Edited for Death, (called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review), Labeled for Death and Delta for Death. A stand-alone, Ashes of Memories was published May 2017.

Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, named the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by PRG, continues with book ten, SNAP: Red Bear Rising released 2018.

The first book of her new series, Stained Glass Mysteries, Stain on the Soul, was released in 2019 and she is currently working on the second book in the series, Tapestry of Tears

Let’s Be Social:

Visit her webpage, www.MicheleDrier.me

Or her facebook page, ,http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier

Or find her on her author page at http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/

#WriterWednesday Interview with Author Tosca Lee

I’d like to welcome author Tosca Lee to the blog and congratulate her on all her recent award nominations!

A few of your favorite things: Movie buttered popcorn, bacon, watching people who are excellent at what they do, movies, and traveling!

Things you need to throw out: Anything I possibly can. I’m pretty much the opposite of a hoarder.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Beverage and silence.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise.

Things you love about writing: Rewriting and editing.

Things you hate about writing: First drafts.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Hugging readers.

Hardest thing about being a writer during a pandemic: Not being able to hug readers.

Something you’re really good at: Organizing closets and drawers.

Something you’re really bad at: Drawing.

Last best thing you ate: French fries dipped in honey mustard.

Last thing you regret eating: I regret eating nothing.

The last thing you ordered online: A book.

The last thing you regret buying: Every single thing I’ve had to cart off to a UPS Store to return.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Movie buttered popcorn, to spend time with my family and friends.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Talking on the phone.

Things to say to an author: “Your stories sound fascinating. Here, take my money.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I’d write a book if I had enough free time.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Anywhere with my hubby.

Places you never want to go to again: The hospital.

Favorite things to do: Travel, watch TV, laugh with my kids, sleep in.

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

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Entered a beauty pageant.

Something you chickened out from doing: Riding the Hulk roller coaster at Universal Studios.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “This book changed my life.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I know you don’t know me, but we’re supposed to be together.”

About Tosca:

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels including A SINGLE LIGHT, THE LINE BETWEEN, THE PROGENY, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, ISCARIOT, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film. A notorious night-owl, she loves movies, playing football with her kids, and sending cheesy texts to her husband. 

You can find Tosca on social media or hanging around the snack table. To learn more, please visit toscalee.com.

Let’s Be Social:

My website: www.toscalee.com

Facebook: @AuthorToscaLee

Twitter: @ToscaLee

Instagram: @ToscaLee

Links for all my books: https://toscalee.com/store/

#TBRTuesday - Steve Berry's WARSAW PROTOCOL

I enjoy Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone novels (and his stand-alones). The suspense, mixed with interesting history and worldwide adventures, make for a good read. And it doesn’t hurt that Cotton owns a bookstore, too.

WARSAW PROTOCOL, the latest in the series, is set in present day with nods to present-day politics. I enjoyed Berry’s details about Poland’s history and culture. And he does a good job of depicting the tumultuous history of the region. His descriptions are detailed, and I felt like I was walking the streets of Warsaw or Krakow. And now I have to try a Dame Blanche.

Add Steve Berry to your TBR pile.

What’s up Next

I’m going read Kathy Reichs next. I’ve heard her speak twice, and I look forward to her Bones stories.

For more book ideas, follow me on Goodreads and BookBub.

What are you reading on #TBRTuesday?

It's All About Balance

Everybody’s world has been upended with the pandemic and all the changes it has caused. I work from home four days a week, and I report into the office on Mondays. In my new routine, I’m at my home office desk most days, starting about 5:30 AM. And I’m usually there until 5:00 or 6:00 PM. I really like that I can attend readings, workshops, and other events virtually, but that means I’m at my desk later in the evening or on weekends. The new normal requires some balance. Here are some ideas to help.

• You need to stand up and move around throughout the day. I miss my stand-up desk at work. I try to stand during conference calls, so I’m not sitting all day. I tend to stay stationary too long. I also bought a desk bike. I can pedal while I’m sitting. (The mute button is my friend when I’m pedaling.)

• Routines are important. If you can stick to a routine as much as possible, it helps. What works for me is to set my normal wake-up alarm for work days. I don’t set an alarm on days that I’m off or weekends unless there is something I need to do. This helps me separate the work and non-work days. They all tend to run together sometimes.

• Try to get outside when you can. Walks, jogging, hikes, and bike riding are all good ways to change the scenery.

• Many conferences and workshops have been cancelled, but a lot were moved online. There have been so many opportunities for virtual classes, readings, workshops, and conferences. Many of the Sisters in Crime chapters have opened their meetings to guests, and I have attended some really good presentations. I was able to hear presentation by Kathy Reichs (of Bones fame) recently which was outstanding, and I was able to attend the Murder and Mayhem Conference (normally based in Chicago).

• Many dance, yoga, and exercise classes have moved online. Our neighborhood dance studio offered free lessons via Zoom.

• My critique group has moved online, and I really like it. I miss hanging out and having lunch with everyone, but I find that I’m more productive. We usually meet in area libraries, and often it’s about a 30-40 minute ride for me (both ways). Now on critique group days, I have more time to do other things because there’s no commute.

• I’ve talked to a lot of folks who have said that they snack too much when working from home. The kitchen is just too convenient. I try to limit the junk I keep in the house (though there is always a stash of dark chocolate — I need that for writing days). I also try to keep meals on a regular schedule, if possible.

• I have binge-watched or streamed more TV/movies than I ever have. I’ve found a lot of interesting shows that I wouldn’t have watched otherwise.

What ideas would you add to my list? What’s been working for you lately? And have you purchased any equipment or tools for this work-at-home, stay-at-home time?

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with C. A. Rowland

I’m so excited to have author, C. A. Rowland, as my guest today for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A quiet place where I can outside or if I am writing something atmospheric, music that fits the mood. That and my computer.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions and paying too much attention to what is going in the world so that I am distracted.

Favorite foods: I grew up in Texas and love having a cheesy plate of enchiladas.

Things that make you want to gag: I have never liked licorice.

Favorite smell: I love the smell of the ocean – the saltiness and the spray. Between that and the motion of the waves, it is so relaxing and soothing.

Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of oil rigs in Texas. I never got used to that smell. Something you like to do: I love sitting down to a meal with family and friends. The luxury of being able to just listen and talk is something I wish I did more often.

Something you wish you’d never done: My cousins and I have a competition where when we visit we try to outdo each other for extravagance. The last one was a huge plate of ten scoops ice cream, toppings and whipped cream, where you received a t-shirt and your picture on the wall if you could eat it all. It took several days to recover from that, but I got my t-shirt.

Things you always put in your books: I love cats. They all have their own personality and they can really show not only their character but their owner’s.

Things you never put in your books: I don’t know that I could ever write a really gruesome death scene. I think the reason I gravitate to amateur sleuth and cozy mysteries is that I just don’t like all the gore and what it takes for someone to commit such a crime.

Favorite places you’ve been: This has to be Easter Island. It is the most wonderful place. So unique with the Moai statutes. The people are wonderful. And the food was excellent. I had fish that had been caught in the morning, the boat brought it to the dock and they walked it across the street to the restaurant for the noon meal.

Places you never want to go to again: I love Mexico and the Mayan ruins but there is so much turmoil that I don’t know I will ever go back. I met so many wonderful people when I was there but now I would think twice.

Favorite books (or genre): I love books that manage to pull me into a new world and let me experience it. It can be mysteries, fantasy and science fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I don’t buy a lot of non-fiction. If I am interested, I’ll usually borrow it from the library rather than own it. Except for books that I use as reference for my writing.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She’s had such an amazing life. I’d love to just sit and talk.

People you’d cancel dinner on: A serial killer. I can’t imagine ever wanting to spend any time with someone who values other people so little.

Favorite things to do: I love to scuba dive. There is something about being under the water and seeing the fish as the swim by or being in a lava tube or seeing a tiny seahorse holding onto an undersea plant. The quiet is amazing and having to concentrate on breathing makes you leave all the other stress behind.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: I hate dusting. That was my chore growing up and now I’d rather eat bugs than have to do it.

Things that make you happy: Watching my cat chase her tail. Knowing the rescue kitty has a good home now.

Things that drive you crazy: Traffic on I-95 heading into the District of Columbia.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I am afraid of heights to the most daring thing was jumping out of a plane. I didn’t manage to do it the first time, so I chickened out on this as well. It took me a week to get my anxiety under control, but then I went back and jumped. It was one of the most amazing and scariest things I’ve ever done.

Something you chickened out from doing: Parachuting the first time after my class.

About C.A.:

C.A. Rowland’s novel, The Meter’s Always Running, is the first in the Haunted City Mystery series. She has always loved traveling and exploring new places, from neighborhood empty houses to foreign lands with rich histories that draw her. She comes by her interest in ghosts, myths and legends and the paranormal naturally, having spent hours in cemeteries with her grandmother. Her work can also be seen in several upcoming volumes of Fiction River, Pulphouse Magazine and other short story anthologies.

Let’s Be Social:

website:  www.carowland.com

FB Author Page: https://bit.ly/carowlandFB

Twitter:  @carowlandauthor

Amazon page: https://bit.ly/themeter

#WriterWednesday Interview with Kathrin Hutson

I’d like to welcome author Kathrin Hutson to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My 48-ounce water bottle, headphones playing genre-appropriate music without lyrics, a snack (usually a protein bar), and complete isolation in a room with a closed door.

Things that hamper your writing: Outside noise I can hear over my headphones, an empty water bottle, my kid knocking on my door (my husband’s a stay-at-home-dad, so she at least has supervision LOL), and the internet in general.

Things you love about writing: It comes so easily and naturally to me. Building characters. Getting into the flow. Supporting my family full-time on writing. The literal act of writing.

Things you hate about writing: Research. Something you wish you could do: Take care of more than one plant without somehow letting everything die.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Procrastinate.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A library, live music, the best sushi in the world.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Loud chewing and being interrupted when I’m talking (I always forget what I was saying…).

Things you always put in your books: Darkness LOL. And death, humor, romantic streaks, violence, some kind of magic/ability, not-quite-happy-any-way-you-put-it endings.

Things you never put in your books: HEA. Characters losing themselves to love triangles. Romantic love being literally more important than everything else. Hate.

Things to say to an author: “I can’t wait to read your next book.” “I read [insert series name] last week and loved it!” “I’ve been listening to all your interviews.” “Found my new favorite author. It’s you!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I don’t really read.” “I just hope you care about spending as much time with your family as you do writing books.” (Yeah… << That one was a doozey.)

Favorite places you’ve been: Mexico. San Francisco. Nevada City, CA. Any aspen grove in the spring and summer.

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas, New Mexico (I know, not Nevada). Kanorado, KA.

Favorite things to do: Reading. Sit around outside during the summer and chat with friends. Dancing. Eating sushi. Discovering amazing whiskey. Date night at gourmet restaurants.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Pull weeds LOL. Lie about my beliefs. Scrub shower tiles. Drive during rush-hour (haven’t done that in years).

Things that make you happy: Sunshine and breeze. The perfect cup of tea. Snuggling my kid. The smell of rain. A clean house. Playing music with other people. Anyone who laughs at my awful jokes.

Things that drive you crazy: People not using a turn signal. Online deliveries that don’t arrive when they’re scheduled LOL. My two 80-pound dogs literally barking at leaves blowing down the street. Folding laundry and finding everyone else’s clothes scattered all over the place the next morning.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Make the decision to forgive myself and move forward.

Biggest mistake: Taking as long as I did to forgive myself and not writing anything for four years. Then again, I wouldn’t really change anything, because it’s all brought me to where I am right now. So that might not even be a mistake.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Move across the country with my husband (not yet married, then) after we’d known each other for four months—no plan, no jobs, everything we owned packed into a Nissan Altima.

Something you chickened out from doing: I’m more the kind of person who knows my limits and says “absolutely not” the first time around… so I’m never really in a chickening-out position in the first place. I did one time agree to go skydiving with a friend. That definitely never happened.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Thank you for writing what you write. The world needs to hear it the exact way you’re saying it.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I’m so disgusted, and I’ve lost all the escape I read fiction to find in the first place.”

About Kathrin:

International Bestselling Author Kathrin Hutson has been writing Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and LGBTQ Speculative Fiction since 2000. With her wildly messed-up heroes, excruciating circumstances, impossible decisions, and Happily Never Afters, she’s a firm believer in piling on the intense action, showing a little character skin, and never skimping on violent means to bloody ends. In addition to writing her own dark and enchanting fiction, Kathrin spends the other half of her time as a fiction ghostwriter of almost every genre, as Fiction Co-Editor for Burlington’s Mud Season Review, and as Director of TopShelf Interviews for TopShelf Magazine.

She is a member of both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association. Kathrin lives in Colorado with her husband, their young daughter, and their two dogs, Sadie and Brucewillis. For updates on new releases, exclusive deals, and dark surprises you won’t find anywhere else, sign up to Kathrin’s newsletter at kathrinhutsonfiction.com/subscribe.

Let’s Be Social:

http://kathrinhutsonfiction.com

http://facebook.com/kathrinhutsonfiction

http://instagram.com/kathrinhutsonfiction

http://twitter.com/exquisitelydark

 http://books2read.com/sleepwaterstatic