#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Anna St. John

I’d like to welcome Anna St. John to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

I like books, turtles, Madeline dolls and the beach.

Things I need to throw out:

Anything that’s been hanging in my closet more than five years, and half of my cookbooks.

Things I love about writing: When the characters take control of the scene and dictate their own dialogue. When the plot falls into place. When the first printed samples arrive at my door.

Things I hate about writing: When I write myself into a box and must figure a way out.

Favorite foods: My mother’s potato soup, ice cream, and anything chocolate.

Things that make me want to gag: I’m not a fan of turnips.

Favorite music or song: Jim Brickman piano music for writing. Sixties music for dancing. Country music for fun.

Music that drives me crazy: Anything with lyrics that are too fast to understand, or too rude to repeat in front of my grandchildren.

Favorite smell: Fresh-cut grass or blooming lilacs. Both take me back to my childhood.

Something that makes me hold my nose: The pungent odor of skunk spray on a wet dog. (Don’t ask me how I know this.)

Things you’d walk a mile for: My Old English Sheepdog, Oliver. (We do this almost every day.) I’d also walk a mile for a hug from either of my grandchildren.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Waiting “on hold” for customer support people.

Things you always put in your books: Strong, smart women. Small town charm. A few names of real people. Recipes.

Things you never put in your books: Profanity. Explicit sex scenes. Violence (Except for the murder.)

Things to say to an author: I love your writing and always write a five-star review. I can’t wait for your next book. Will you autograph this for me?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I hate to read. It must be nice to get paid for doing something that easy. Are you rich?

Favorite places you’ve been:

This is a hard one, but my top five cities would include: Amsterdam, Budapest, Oxford, Prague and Venice. Top five countries: Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Thailand.

Places you never want to go to again: A cave we visited near the floating villages In Phang Nga Bay, not far from Phuket, Thailand. I had an anxiety attack when I learned we had to wade through knee-high water and duck under the low-ceilinged cave to get through a narrow passageway. I hyperventilated and chickened out.

Favorite things to do: Write, travel, spend time with my grandchildren.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Serve on a committee where the meetings drone on for hours.

Things that make you happy: I love to drive my little red convertible. It’s a Triumph Herald that my dad bought new in 1965. When I sit behind the wheel, I feel like I’m sixteen again.

Things that drive you crazy: Rude customer service. People who are intentionally unkind to others.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Signed with my agent Cindy Bullard, at Birch Literary. She is amazing.

Biggest mistake: Waiting too long to get started as an author.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I emceed a prayer breakfast with 600 in attendance. When it was time for the closing song, I introduced former Dixie Chick singer Robin Macy. As I handed her the microphone to walk off-stage, she wrapped her arm around me and pulled me closer. “Sing with me,” she said. (Note: I am not a singer.) I tried to escape, but she kept a strong grasp on my arm, and I gave up the struggle. Fortunately, the song was a familiar one. The entire audience rose to their feet and raised their voices “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” From that moment on, I claimed that I’d sung a duet on stage with a Dixie Chick—to a standing ovation.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: After I completed chemo treatments, a friend took me to lunch to celebrate. A mutual business associate approached our table. Although he and I had worked together on several projects, the man ignored me and spoke only to my friend. I smiled and said, “It’s good to see you again.” He did a double-take and stammered. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you without your hair.”

The coolest person you’ve ever met: My sorority friend, Magi Watson. She lived to be 102, and never worried about anything. She said worry was a waste of time. “Either fix what’s bothering you, or let it go.” It was great advice.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Susan Dey, most known for her roles on The Partridge Family and LA Law. She looked reserved and glamorous in pictures. Working with our ad agency on a nonprofit video, Susan was warm and funny, with a huge heart for kids.

Josie Posey, a mature yet ever-feisty big city crime reporter turned crime solver, has officially retired to a small, touristy town in middle America where she and her posse of friends “unofficially” have their noses in everything.

Josie loves her new life, but a weekly game of mahjong isn’t enough: she itches to get back into the action. She gets more than she bargained for when The Village Gazette asks her to interview their local celebrity, a former NYC prima ballerina.

Then, the ballerina’s husband is discovered dead -- face down in the couple’s beloved field of flowers. Now, Josie has the inside track on solving the murder, with her quirky Mahjong Mavens as useful sidekicks.

And if a killer in their midst wasn’t enough distraction, Josie’s matchmaking friends are pushing her to date again—particularly, to pursue an attraction toward a certain local blacksmith, with whom sparks fly.

About Anna:

Anna St. John is a former newspaper journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter, and ad agency owner. She lives in a small Kansas town with a working blacksmith shop, much like the one in this story.

Anna is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Kansas Authors Club and the National Mah Jongg League.

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Website: https://www.anna-stjohn.com/

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Jackie Layton

I’m so excited to have the fabulous Jackie Layton on the blog today for #WriterWednesday. I love this series!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Go on a walk or watch a mystery on TV.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Cleaning the bathroom.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Coffee or water, because I’m trying to drink more water.

Things that distract you from writing: The ding of text messages. I’m learning to leave my phone in another room on silent.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas

Favorite snacks: Brooks Dark Chocolate Acai & Blueberry flavored snacks

Things that make you want to gag: Collared greens.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: An author

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write books

Favorite places you’ve been: I’ve enjoyed so many places I’ve traveled to. I dreamed of visiting France for most of my life and I loved every minute of that trip. Other top places on my list are Maine, Newport, RI, Kentucky, Tybee Island, Charleston, Savannah, and Waco, TX.

Places you never want to go to again: I’m usually a positive person and can’t think of a place I don’t want to visit again. I could name a specific hotel or Air B&B, but I don’t want to offend anyone.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with family and friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Giving a political speech.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I moved to Georgia to attend pharmacy school when I really didn’t know anyone there.

Something you chickened out from doing: I don’t usually chicken out of big things, but I’ve been known to chicken out of a book club meeting where I barely know the people.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Besides my husband, I met Vince Gill. He was so nice and the coolest person I ever met.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Seeing Luke Bryan in real life surprised me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I can’t wait for your next book to come out. I think of your characters as my friends.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One lady nicely told me people in South Carolina only drink Pepsi. Most of my friends in South Carolina drink Coke. So, that confused me.

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: My husband and I went to Seville, Spain to visit our son who was there for school. We barely know any English, and we took a bus from the airport to the town. I thought I knew what our stop was called, and I thought the driver called it. My husband wasn’t sure that’s what the man said. Before we could quickly decide, the man drove away. Pulling off, I saw our son walk up to the stop. For some reason, our phones didn’t work, it was over 90 degrees, and I tried waving to Scott so he’d know we were on the bus. The next stop wasn’t like a block away. No, we turned a few times before he stopped again. So we hopped off with our luggage and trudged along the streets hoping for a miracle. Boy, were we happy to see Scott’s smiling face. He had a grin like only a child can give you when you mess up.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: I cracked my ribs wake boarding with the kids in the ocean. Ouch.

Book Blurb:

When a client’s dog turns up missing and her husband turns up dead, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott will have to rely on dogged determination to track down a killer . . .  

When a frantic client calls, worried about her dog, Andi Grace is happy to drop by the woman’s home and check in on her beloved pet. She’s initially concerned when she discovers the dog’s not in the house, but she’s out-and-out shocked to discover that the woman’s husband is—strangled to death in his office chair. On top of that, she soon finds a ransom note demanding a hefty sum for the dog’s safe return. Andi Grace knows better than to meddle in a murder investigation, but there’s no way she’s going to let a dognapper get away with it.

Unsure of whether the killer took the dog or if they were unrelated crimes, Andi Grace finds herself confounded from the start. More puzzling still is that the dog’s owner seems more upset about her missing pooch than her dead husband. Could the whole thing have been a setup? Did the woman murder her own husband and send Andi Grace to the house under false pretenses to discover the body? As sinister as that possibility may be, the trail of clues leads Andi Grace to uncover an even more nefarious scheme, and she knows she’ll have to tie up all the loose ends fast before the whole case goes to the dogs . . .

About Jackie:

Jackie Layton is the author of A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. She loves her life on the coast of South Carolina, and it inspired the setting for her series. Jackie also works as a compounding pharmacist. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys golf cart rides along the marsh and walks on the beach. She also enjoys traveling, especially to visit family in Kentucky and Texas.

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The Emergency Bag - Why Authors Need One

You never know when you’re going to need something. Over the years, I’ve learned to pack a supply or an emergency bag for the just in case. Here are some things I’ve learned to have handy:

• A bottle (or two) of water and a snack (I have been to some venues where there were no snacks or drinks.)

• Tissues

• A box of books in the trunk of my car (You never know if the order was delayed. Or what happens if you sell out!)

• Extra pens (At my very first book signing, I didn’t want to carry my purse inside. I grabbed my keys and pen. The pen died, and I had to borrow one from my mom.)

• Paperclips, scissors, and a marker

• An extra tent card with my name (Sometimes, they’re not provided.)

• A roll of painters’ tape (You never know when you’ll need to hang something, and this kind of tape doesn’t stick to the walls.)

• My name tag (in case one isn’t provided)

• A tablecloth

• A small candy dish for candy or give-aways

• Bandages or a small first aid kit (You never know.)

• A phone charger

• Extra business cards (You never know when you’ll make a contact.)

I wrote about some of my oopsies at events over the years in an article for the Sisters in Crime anthology, Promophobia. This is a great collection of over sixty articles on book marketing. Check it out. And many thanks to Diane Vallere for organizing and editing the project.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Michelle Hillen Klump

I’m so excited to welcome Michelle Hillen Klump to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: I love chai tea, old books, fat cats, wildflowers, chocolate, my family, newspapers and my Kitchen-Aid mixer.

Things you need to throw out: I need to throw out the five pairs of old running shoes collecting dust at the back of my closet.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need a comfy couch, my laptop computer and my cat for company.

Things that hamper your writing: I can’t listen to music, television or any other sounds while I’m trying to write.

Things you love about writing: I love coming up with an inventive solution to a plot problem, and playing around with language to make a piece more lyrical or descriptive.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the process of trying to start writing when I am feeling particularly stuck. I try to write at least 500 words a day, and if I’m stuck on something, that can feel like torture.

Favorite foods: Anything Tex-Mex, fruits of all kinds, pasta and chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Olives and hardboiled eggs.

Favorite smell: The combination of mint and rosemary.

Something that makes you hold your nose: fish fertilizer – my garden loves it, but the smell is so awful!

Something you’re really good at: I am pretty great at Scrabble and Upwards. My family groans when I ask to play!

Something you’re really bad at: I am so bad at decorating baked goods. I’m pretty sure I would fit right in on the Netflix show Nailed It.

Favorite things to do: I love reading, swimming, biking, baking, writing, traveling, hanging out with my kid and husband.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: While I generally enjoy cooking, I hate the weekly task of planning out dinner menus with the fire of a thousand suns! I get so tired of trying to figure out new recipes to make, and how to throw in healthier options among all the family favorites.

Things to say to an author: I loved your book! I left a review for you on Amazon! I requested your book at the library!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Would I have ever heard of you or your book? Anyone can write and publish a book these days.

Words that describe you: Kind, smart, driven, creative.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Stubborn, shy, tired, impatient.

Things you always put in your books: I always include strong, capable women who aren’t afraid to ask for help, but who also aren’t afraid to find their own way when necessary.

Things you never put in your books: While it is hard to avoid any violence in a murder mystery, I don’t like gratuitous violence or graphic depictions of violence, and don’t put those in my books.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I try to walk at least a couple of miles a day, so I’m pretty willing to walk a mile for just about anything. But I would walk an extra mile for an interesting ice cream shop or a really cool craft cocktail bar or speakeasy.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Roaches and the Baby Shark song.

About Michelle:

Michelle Hillen Klump is a former newspaper reporter who covered government, courts and crime throughout Arkansas and Central Texas. Now living in Houston with her husband and daughter, she is still a working journalist and is also a member of Sisters in Crime. Her short fiction has appeared in Crimson Streets and Tales of Texas, Volume II, a Houston short story anthology. MURDER SERVED NEAT is her second novel.

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My webpage: https://michelleklump.com/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21600853.Michelle_Hillen_Klump

#WriterWednesday Interview with Sue Minix

I’m so excited to welcome Sue Minix to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: I love chocolate in all forms, puppies, old movies, and reading mysteries.

Things you need to throw out: I need to throw out my VCR, the exercise bike I never use, and all the expired stuff in my medicine cabinet.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need my laptop, coffee or herbal tea depending on the time of day, and my dog Sadie by my side in order to write anything at all.

Things that hamper your writing: Not having any of the above, forgetting to turn my phone off, somebody working in the yard.

Things you love about writing: I love creating the story and characters, plotting, and editing.

Things you hate about writing: I hate writing!!! It can take me an hour to come up with one good sentence. And then my editor makes me take it out.

Things you never want to run out of: Honestly, I hate to run out of anything. I keep backups of my backups.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The exercise bike I need to get rid of!

Favorite music or song: I love light rock and anything from the 60s or 70s.

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy metal because I can never understand the words.

Favorite beverage: It’s a tie between coffee and Mountain Dew Code Red

Something that gives you a sour face: Ginger tea

Favorite smell: My dogs paws. They smell like corn chips.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Blue cheese and gin. I can’t get past the smell to try either one of them.

The last thing you ordered online: I ordered a selfie tripod so I can take my own author photos.

The last thing you regret buying: That stupid exercise bike!!!

Favorite books (or genre): I love mysteries of all kinds.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Super heavy literary novels

Favorite things to do: I love to go hiking. It doesn’t matter where.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cleaning my house. I can always think of something better to do.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I drove my car into my empty driveway one day and thought, “Oh my God! My car’s been stolen!!!”

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I once spent two hours searching a mall parking lot for the car I traded in the day before.

About Sue:

I'm a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and when I'm not writing, you can find me reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert with my furry best friend.

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Another Writing Secret

Persistence is a trait you need to develop for your writing journey.

The Brittanica Dictionary Online defines this as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something, even though it is difficult” (Brittanica Dictionary, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Accessed January 2023).

Writing for publication is difficult, all-consuming, and often overwhelming. Each phase: researching, planning, plotting, writing, revising (and revising) takes a lot of time and energy.

It also takes a lot of courage to show others your work and to ask for feedback. The natural inclination is to want praise and accolades for your beautiful manuscript that you’ve sweated and bled over for months (or years). While praise is awesome, uplifting, and reassuring, you need the feedback that will help you get your work published. Publishing is a business. Agents and publishers are looking to represent projects that they can sell. It’s a crowded market out there. Your work has to be the best it can possibly be because you may get only one chance with an agent or editor. It takes a lot of work to get a manuscript to that point. Don’t give up.

Here are some ideas that may help you along your writing journey:

1. When you think your manuscript is done, print it out and proofread it again.

2. Check all the details like names, physical descriptions, and the story’s timeline for consistency.

3. Run your word processor’s spellcheck after each major round of editing to catch any booboos you may have made correcting other things.

4. Find a writing partner or a critique group and exchange pages or manuscripts. It’s best to find someone who writes and understands your genre.

5. Know what’s out there in your genre. Sometimes, a manuscript can be rejected because an agent or publisher already represents a similar one.

6. Make sure that you read your genre regularly to understand the trends and conventions. Read the acknowledgments page to see what agents and publishing houses produce books you like.

7. Find an independent editor, especially if this is your first manuscript. They can be pricey. I asked my writer friends for a recommendation, and I found an editor who specialized in mysteries. If it’s not in the budget, seek out a middle or high school English teacher in your area. Often many will do side-work at an affordable price, and they can help you with basic edits and proofreading.

When your manuscript is the best you can make it, then it’s time to do your homework and target agents/publishers that represent your genre. Follow all submission instructions.

Now, the wait begins. Sometimes, you’ll get a quick response, but others could take weeks or months. Use that time to write your next book and to build your author platform.

Persistence is key. Writing is a tough job with lots of feedback and rejections.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jacob Sahms

I’d like to welcome the very inspiring author and speaker (and fellow UR Spider fan) Rev. Jacob Sahms to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you love about writing: self-expression, ability to touch someone else’s heart

Things you hate about writing: deadlines, editing myself

Hardest thing about being a writer: criticism

Easiest thing about being a writer: content

Favorite music or song: Christian rap

Music that drives you crazy: techno

Something you’re really good at: coaching sports

Something you’re really bad at: assembling furniture

Something you wish you could do: play the guitar

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: drive a church bus

Something you like to do: go to the beach

Something you wish you’d never done: climb on a roof

Things you’d walk a mile for: family, a sporting event, ice cream

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: politics, extreme opinions, cruelty

Favorite places you’ve been: Boston, MA; the beach (anywhere); home

Places you never want to go to again: Kentucky; St. Louis, MO

Favorite books (or genre): thrillers

Books you wouldn’t buy: diet guides

Favorite things to do: play sports or board games, watch sports live or on TV, read a book

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: root canals

Things that make you happy: time with my family, reading, building LEGO sets, playing sports

Things that drive you crazy: bullying, lack of respect, judgmental attitudes, my own mistakes

Most embarrassing moment: Playing the piano in church without practicing

Proudest moment: Watching my children succeed

About Jacob:

Rev. Jacob Sahms (or just Jacob to everyone he meets) is a son, husband, dad, coach, pastor, and film critic. Originally from Rhode Island, he and his wife Joanne met at the University of Richmond, where he later served as a campus minister and then associate chaplain, before being appointed to local churches in central Virginia through the United Methodist Church. He helped found ScreenFish.net, a site that looks at media from a Christian perspective, and has written for HollywoodJesus.com, Dove.org, and others, interviewing creators of popular media for film and television, including David Oyelowo, Kurt Russell, and Dude Perfect. While that all sounds reasonably similar, he has also flipped burgers at McDonalds, offered advice as a fantasy football guru for an app, made drinks and desserts as a barista, saved lives as a lifeguard, taught English at a junior college, and provided various unmentionable services for local water and sewer. Now, outside of pastoring a church, he coaches his sons in soccer for the Richmond Kickers, where he received the distinction of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association’s Boys Recreational Coach of the Year for 2021-22. When time allows, he’s rooting avidly for the Duke Blue Devils, Boston Red Sox, and Richmond Spiders.

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Jenna Greene

I’d like to welcome author Jenna Greene to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Well, I am a teacher, writer, mother, coach.... therefore, I love a good nap. (Honestly). But I also love a lot of creative endeavors. I dance. I sing. I color. I’m a horrible artist but I still like drawing. And coloring can’t be done wrong. Who doesn’t love to color.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Mostly all the chores. I’m so busy that there’s little time in the day and I am not going to waste it cleaning. As long as things are tidy, that’s good enough.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I need to be surrounded by books, for inspiration and just a pleasant feeling. And I can’t write without a cup of tea nearby.

Things that distract you from writing: Pretty much everything. I love writing but it has its challenges. Writing is wondrously hard. So I have to make time to write and set my own goals to make sure I actually get to work.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Editing. It’s hard letting things go or making everything ‘just perfect’.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Creating places, people, cultures, lands, magical systems, conflicts, everything!

Favorite snacks: Every single flavor of potato chip. (Top three: regular, ketchup, sour cream n’ onion)

Things that make you want to gag:  Coffee, iced tea, and root beer. (I know, right?)

Something you’re really good at: Texting quickly with proper grammar and sentence structure.
Something you’re really bad at: Walking without falling.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A figure skater.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Have an impact on the world in little ways each and every day.

Things to say to an author: I’m proud of you. Look what you accomplished.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Movies are better.

Favorite places you’ve been: London, England. What’s better than that? It has history and literature and really amazing people. I love visiting castles and manors and seeing the verdant countryside.

Places you never want to go to again: Chicago in the winter when my luggage doesn’t arrive, meaning I don’t have a coat. Brr. (But it’s probably a nice place if you’re dressed properly).

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks. I feel they have stories to tell.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone if the supper is planned for after 9 p.m.

Favorite things to do: Nap.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Go skiing. (No, really. It’s cold. It’s too fast. Clumsy people should have to weave around trees).

Most embarrassing moment: Well, there are so many. It’s hard to choose just one. I fall down a lot. I walk into things. Sometimes I wear two different shoes to work.
Proudest moment: My daughter. Her existence and her growth each day.

About Jenna:

Jenna Greene is a YA/ Children’s author from Alberta, Canada. When she isn’t writing, she is dancing, coaching dragonboat paddlers, or taking a well-deserved nap. She is known for her award-winning Reborn Marks series. Follow her on social media at www.jennagreene.ca or @jgreenewrites