#ThisorThatThusday Author Interview with J. C. Kenney

I’d like to welcome the wonderful J. C. Kenney to the blog today.

A few of your favorite things: My cat Maria, my electric scooter that I use to get around town, my recliner with power heat and massage functions. It is amazing!

Things you need to throw out: Well, I’ve lost 25 pounds so I have a lot of clothes I need to donate. Not quite ready to pull the trigger on that, though. I’m gonna miss some of those items!

Things you love about writing: I love being surprised by what my characters do when I’m writing. Even though I use an outline as a guide, the characters are always in control!

Things you hate about writing: The publication schedule. I’m super excited about a new series I’m writing, but the first book doesn’t come out until September of 2024. I don’t want to wait that long! lol

Things you never want to run out of: Caffeine! Give me all of it, as long as it comes in the form of tea or soda pop. I’ve tried but can’t seem to develop a taste for coffee.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Years ago, I bought a desk cycle. It’s a contraption that was supposed to let me pedal like a bicycle while working at my desk. I found out pretty quickly that I can’t work on my computer, aka write stories, and pedal at the same time. Darn the luck!

Favorite foods: Mexican food and pizza! Yeah, I love my carbs.

Things that make you want to gag: Not a fan of seafood. I can’t get past that fishy smell.

Favorite music or song: There are too many great ones to pick a single song. “One” by U2 is fantastic and took on such more meaning in the aftermath of 9-11. I also love “I’m Yours” from Jason Mraz. It helped me get through my wife’s cancer treatment in 2009. Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” is another one that I adore.

Music that drives you crazy: I’m not a big contemporary country music fan. Same with thrash metal.

Something you’re really good at: I excel at providing a warm lap for my cat Maria to nap on.

Something you’re really bad at: Golf. I’ve tried to learn about and get better at the game mutiple times but am simply awful and gave it up for good about ten years ago.

The last thing you ordered online: A copy of the “Orange Blossoms” CD by JJ Grey & Mofro. Nothing against streaming music, but I love having something I can hold.

The last thing you regret buying: Last December, I bought a Chromebook because it was on an insane sale price. I really didn’t need it. In retrospect, I should have saved my money, but it’s so hard to resist a sale!

Things you’d walk a mile for: A mojito. The combination of rum and fresh mint cannot be beat!

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Six-legged bugs. It’s weird, but spiders don’t freak me out. Creepie crawlies with only six legs make my skin crawl. Like I said, I’m weird.

Things you always put in your books: Cats. I’m a total cat dad.

Things you never put in your books: I to avoid profanity. It doesn’t fit with the tone of my books.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book” and/or “I just posted a review of your story that I loved.” The more positive reinforcement from readers, the better!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “No offense, but I only read serious literature” or “

Favorite places you’ve been: I’m in love with the sugar sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle. I go every chance I get. The sun is hot, the drinks are cold, and the atmosphere is great for research for a new series I’m writing.

Places you never want to go to again: Not so much a place, as a thing. When my wife and I were younger, we did a lot of camping. We still love nature, and tip our hats to folks who like to camp, but we’re old enough that we like our creature comforts like a real bed and a hot shower.

Favorite books (or genre): I love traditional mysteries and sci-fi.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not a big fan of non-fiction. I’ll read a biography evey now and then, but I will totally pass on true crime.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Asking my wife, Nancy, to marry me. We celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. And we still like each other!

Biggest mistake: That time I stood up in the back of a moving pick-up truck wasn’t my best move. I fell out of the truck (while it was still moving at 50 miles per hour), spent three days in the hospital, and the next ten weeks trying to save a finger that had snapped off during the fall. Like I said, not my best moment!

About J. C.:

J.C. Kenney is the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He's also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. His debut, A Literal Mess, was a finalist for a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association in mystery fiction. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.

Let’s Be Social:

You can find him at www.jckenney.com or by visiting his Linktree at https://linktr.ee/jckenney.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Ivanka Fear

I’d like to welcome Ivanka Fear to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: I love animals (especially cats), nature, summer, the beach (all bodies of water), and flower gardens. I enjoy reading books, watching movies, and looking at family photos. I cherish gifts and keepsakes given to me by family.

Things you need to throw out: Too much space is taken up in my house with old clothes and linens, old receipts, old electronics, knickknacks that serve no purpose, stuff I’ve bought over the years and been keeping for ages and can’t bear to part with but will never use.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I don’t need much. Ideas flow when I’m going for a walk, doing chores, lying in bed. For the actual writing, I need my laptop, a comfy chair, music for inspiration, some snacks, and peace and quiet.

Things that hamper your writing: My laptop is a necessity but a problem because I spend too much time on social media and scrolling, getting distracted. Also, the television needs to be turned off. Cats on my lap are welcome, but it’s hard to write with a cat on your laptop.

Things you love about writing: I love creating a setting, characters and problems, situations for my characters to work their way through and resolve. I enjoy all stages of the writing process, having ideas roll through my head, molding those ideas into sentences and paragraphs, and finishing a piece of writing. Great satisfaction comes from reading back what I’ve written, sharing it with others, and seeing my work in print.

Things you hate about writing: The dreaded writer’s block (which I didn’t believe in at one point) is a real downer, and getting stuck about what comes next in a storyline, is not fun. The editing (especially cutting out parts) is hard for me.

Hardest thing about being a writer: As an introvert, marketing myself is difficult. In-person events, on-line events – they all make me nervous. I’m not good at PR. Also, technology is not my forte. And accepting criticism, as well-intentioned as I know it is, is tough.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing. I just love to write.

Favorite foods: If it’s unhealthy, I’ll eat it. That means lasagna, pizza, chocolate, ice cream, cake, doughnuts, anything sweet. Salted snacks work, too.

Things that make you want to gag: I don’t like to see onions, peppers, and other spices in my food, but if they are well-hidden, I will tolerate them. Anything too spicy or greasy is a no for me. I’m also not a fan of seafood.

Favorite music or song: As I’ve grown older, I love to listen to the oldies and classics. Mostly I enjoy rock/pop/country music. My all-time favorite musical artists are Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.

Music that drives you crazy: I don’t listen to rap, and repetitive lyrics drive me up the wall.

Something you wish you could do: I wanted to take piano lessons when I was young. I would love to be able to play an instrument and to sing well.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I can’t think of anything. All learning is good. I should have learned more things. I guess that’s the teacher in me.

Things you always put in your books: My protagonist is usually a strong independent woman with issues. Cats and the lake (if I can fit them into the storyline) have a place in my books. A bit of romance and humor takes the edge off the darkness which is an inherent part of crime fiction.

Things you never put in your books: I don’t like to read or write excessive gore and violence.

Things to say to an author: I heard good things about this book. I couldn’t stop reading your book. I wish it had been longer. I can’t wait for your next book to come out.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I couldn’t relate to your main character. They seemed unrealistic. How much did you have to pay to get this published, anyway?

Favorite places you’ve been: I love Europe and the places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit -- Slovenia (which is where I was born) and Croatia, Venice, Vienna, Cote d’Azure, the Adriatic. In North America, I loved the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, and the Rocky Mountains in Canada. Mountains and lakes and oceans are my favorite places.

Places you never want to go to again: Any place that doesn’t have an easy escape or is up high is somewhere I don’t want to be. So narrow caves and gondolas, elevators and airplanes (although that is unrealistic) are out of the question.

Favorite books (or genre): I mostly read and write in the same genre. That means suspense, thriller, mystery, but also gothic, and romance. Some of my favorite authors (although there are so many) are Janet Evanovich, Linwood Barclay, and Shari Lapena. And I enjoy classics like Wuthering Heights and Little Women.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I don’t read fantasy and sci-fi, and not much non-fiction either..

Favorite things to do: The best thing is to spend time with my family. I love to go to the beach, and to travel. I enjoy reading, writing, and watching mysteries.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: No bugs, please, or spiders, or worms or snakes or other slithery skittery creatures.

Best thing you’ve ever done: I met and married my husband, became a mom, then grandma. My family is the best thing in my life.

Biggest mistake: I worked too hard at work, and took life too seriously, when I should have concentrated more on the fun things.

About Ivanka:

Ivanka Fear is Canadian writer, born in Slovenia. She earned her B.A. and B.Ed. in English and French at Western University. Prior to pursuing writing full time, she enjoyed a long career in education. Her debut novel, The Dead Lie, is the first in her Blue Water Mysteries series. Ivanka is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. She resides in Ontario, Canada, with her family and the stray cats that wandered in. When not reading and writing, Ivanka enjoys watching mystery series and romance movies, gardening, going for walks, and watching the waves roll in at the lake.

Let’s Be Social:

Visit her at www.ivankafear.com

Metrics? I'm a Writer

In my day life, I’m a Quality Assurance and Governance Manager. In Information Technology, we collect a lot of data and analyze it. We use it to see successes and to find gaps with our processes and systems.

Even though writers deal in words and paragraphs, data and metrics can be valuable tools. Checking out your metrics can help you see your progress and areas that may not be as profitable as you first thought. Here are a few ideas for ways you can use your analytics.

Word Counts - I need a way to track my progress when I’m working on the first draft of a book. I decided a few years back that if I’m going to do this as more than a hobby, I needed to be able to produce more than one book every five to seven years. I set some goals for days that I go to the day gig and for weekends. If I stay on track, I can usually have a completed first draft in a little over two months.

I keep a little sticky note on my desk with the date and the daily total. It’s a good motivator, and I can see the progress that I’m making. It also helps me get back on track if life gets in the way.

Over-used Words - There are certain words and phrases that I use over and over (and over) again. Sometimes, I don’t even realize I’m doing it. I keep a list of these (like just, that, in a minute, smiling, nodding,…). When I’m revising my draft, I use the word processor’s find and replace feature to seek these out. It also tells you how many times you use a word or phrase. It’s humbling, when you realize there are 438 justs in your manuscript.

Social Media and Website Analytics - Make sure that you periodically review the analytics pages on your social sites and your webpage. For Facebook and Instagram, you’ll need an author or fan page to have access to these features. The numbers on these sites show you who is visiting your site, where are they coming from, and when they visit. If you have more followers, you’ll get access to demographics such as gender, age groups, and countries of origin.

You can look at your individual posts and see the likes, comments, and how much attention your posts are getting. It will tell you the best time to post for your followers, and after a while, you’ll see what works best. (It’s usually posts with pictures and videos.) Make sure that you make your marketing posts public, so others can share them. Sharing and comments help you spread your information organically (without paying for an ad or a boost).

Sales and Expenses - It’s often difficult to see sales results from some types of marketing. I have a spreadsheet that shows costs and any sales or fees I receive. Not all of your marketing will lead to a book sale. Look at the number of new followers and newsletter subscribers you pick up after an event. I try to track these in my spreadsheet, too.

I always give a bookmark to anyone who stops by my booth or table. I have noticed an uptick in audio books and ebooks after an event. Some people prefer different formats.

You also make contacts at these events. It may not turn into a sale, but it could lead to another event or opportunity. I love meeting readers and other authors.

Yes, sales and expenses are important to track, but you may want to think about some of the other returns on investment for programs and online events, too. You’re networking, you may find out about book clubs, you may get new followers, and you never know when a chance encounter could turn into an opportunity.

What are some other ways you use metrics to help your writing?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jim Hepburn

I’d like to welcome Jim Hepburn to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite summer traditions: Love going up north to the family cottage on the lake whatever chance we get. We bring the dog and swim and play in the water, get a frisbee out, and just spend the days outside on the dock. Best time ever.

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again: Used to love mountain biking but the only problem was that I’m an absolutely horrid biker in general. I’ve no sense for it. All the worst accidents in my life have somehow happened on simple two-wheel bicycles. They don’t like me, and I stay away from them whenever I can, haha.

Favorite summer beverage: Cold and crisp Dark and Stormy, made with Goslings Ginger Beer and Rum, in a copper mug with ice and a lime. Fantastic.

A drink that gives you a pickle face: Anything with Gin. Not my favorite.

Best thing you ever grilled in spring: Fresh Italian sausages, cooking them low and slow until they’re splitting. Sausages on the frying pan just don’t ever come close.

Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster: Love eating it more than anything, but I’ve had several disasters making my own pizza at home. That dough loves to stick to the stone.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer: In the early morning up at the cottage. Everybody is still asleep, dawn is coming up through the window; best time to dig deep and write deep.

The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions: I’ve heard people say that they love hanging out on the dock and writing but I’ve never been able to find any peace in that. Too many boats going by, and too many things happening that friends and family want to fill the daytime hours with.

The thing you like most about being a writer: Editing. You get to take your rough drafts and ideas and formulate them into something that approaches the final finished product, and that that feels so invigorating!

The thing you like least about being a writer: The screen headaches!

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Pizza. Any day, any time.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Fruit

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: Waking up early in the morning at 4:30 to get writing done before I went to work. Some days went better than others but some days I was a complete zombie.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I’m very much near the beginning of the writing journey as I plan to do this for many years to come, but I do wish that I hadn’t used google docs (autosave feature) to then copy/paste into word to make the final PDF version of Hunted by Fire because of all the hours of format fixing I had to do! The two programs were not very friendly with each other and there was no end of things getting shrunken, enlarged, interspaced, etc.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Putting Hunted by Fire out into the world to be evaluated and judged. The first book very much feels like a piece of your soul, so that’s pretty tough!

Something you chickened out from doing: Doing anything with TikTok. Not a huge video guy, and I know there’s lots of folks out there who use it to spread the word about their book and find lots of success with it, but I just can’t bring myself to try to make goofy and hopefully entertaining videos of myself 3-4 times a day!

About Jim:

Like many young men in high school cursed with a dash of creativity, Jim found a love for writing, which everybody else thought was practically useless. Those folks urged him to get good at math and science instead, and so he worked at those, but he was never sure if he could hack them out at a university level. After he graduated said university with an arts degree (where he had to read an awful lot), he wondered what other young people had gone through the same thing. It's always been his dream to inspire young men and women to pursue STEM projects, as he thinks the world could use as many helping hands it can get and he thinks they are up to the challenge.

In other news, he grew up near Toronto, Canada and devoured any written adventure he could find, including many of the works written by Kenneth Oppel, D. J. MacHale, Christopher Paolini, and Rick Riordan. Later on, it was Jim Butcher, R.A. Salvator, Hajime Isayama, and Tsugumi Ohba who fueled him through his early adult years and to whom he associates much of his personal growth to.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Keith Saltojanes

I’d like to welcome author Keith Saltojanes to the blog for #WriterWednesday — summer edition!

Something crazy you did on vacation:

Accidently walked onto the grounds of President Emmanuel Macron’s estate while they were doing construction on his fence, leaving it wide open for someone to accidently walk in. He has great security as I now know what it’s like to be yelled at in French while having a machine gun pointed at me.

Something you’d never do again on vacation:

Walk near fencing that has signs reading “en cours de construction.”

Favorite summer beverage:

Unlimited refills on iced tea. I’m a three-tea minimum wherever I go.

A drink that gives you a pickle face:

Cucumbers that have been marinated in vinegar.

Your favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck:

The attention of the driver so they can serve me. Hey, I know I’m an adult but take my order too!

Some dessert that you wish you’d never bought:

Lamb ice cream with whipped cream tartar

Best summer vacation memory:

Swimming in a pool as a kid with my dogs running around it contemplating whether or not they should jump in or not.

A summer vacation disaster that you’d rather forget:

That one unforgettable summer that I forgot about.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer:

A quiet, empty coffee shop, instrumental music playing, and good iced tea options.

The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions.

On a raft in the middle of a public pool during open swim. Oh, and there’s a lot of bees around for some reason in this scenario.

The thing you like most about being a writer:

The freedom to write whenever I want and to see ideas that were in my head come alive, either from actors or from other people reading them.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

That freedom also comes with immense guilt at any moments that I’m not currently writing.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life:

All the ideas that I still haven’t written.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over:

Have a clone of me who could write out and complete all those ideas while I’m busy with other things.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Jumping onto a moving train in Bangkok.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Waiting a little bit longer for the train to be going even faster.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

“That really inspired me.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

“There once was a little walk to get the best answers for the next few months back” ….I think they wrote it to me using predictive text.

The best summer job you ever had:

Working at Dunkin' Donuts because of all the free unlimited donuts

The worst summer job you ever had:

Working at Dunkin' Donuts because of all the free unlimited donuts

About Keith:

Keith Saltojanes is the Founder of Improv-LA, the internationally known creative training center based in Los Angeles. He has taught improv techniques in over 10 countries and for executives at some of the biggest companies around (including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, IBM). He also has a Guinness World Record for the Longest Improv Show and was a writer National Lampoon and for comedians from SNL, MADtv, In Living Color, and Mr. Show. His first book The Improv Mindset releases June 2023.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.keithsaltojanes.com

The School: http://www.improv-la.com

Instagram: @keithsaltojanes

Why Mysteries?

I have been a fan on mysteries since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. I loved all the 70s Saturday morning cartoons where the amateur sleuths solved the crimes and capers…”The Funky Phantom,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Speed Buggy,” “The Pink Panther.” The list is long. These were definitely my gateway mysteries to my current habit.

I read lots of genres, but I always gravitate n to the mystery. It has so many interesting subgenres and has been a reading staple for so many for generations.

Here are my Top 10 reasons…

1. I love a good puzzle and the opportunity to solve it before the end of the book.

2. I want to see justice served in the end.

3. Mysteries are an escape from the craziness of normal life.

4. Cozy mystery sleuths always have interesting jobs and hobbies. I like to learn new things.

5. The locations are intriguing. I love take book vacations to all kinds of interesting places.

6. The amateur sleuths are fun. They prove that every-day people can solve crimes. (As a kid, I loved that Nancy Drew was a teenager with a car who could solve crimes before the adults did.)

7. The mystery genre has so many subgenres that there is something for every taste. I bounce around from sweet and cozy (but deadly) to dark thrillers that keep me up at night.

8. I love puns, double entendre, and other kinds of wordplay. Mystery writers are masters at multiple meanings, clues, and red herrings.

9. I am fascinated with technology, pop culture, and science, and they all appear everywhere in this genre.

10. The community of mystery writers is so amazingly kind and generous with their time and advice. It is such a fabulous group to be a part of. I just came back from the Malice Domestic Conference in Bethesda, MD, and it was a whirlwind weekend full of so many mystery writers and readers.

And that’s why I love mysteries. What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Leslie Karst

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Leslie Karst to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: My book collection, my grandmother’s cast-iron skillet, my mint green Bianchi road bike

Things you need to throw out: Numerous T-shirts I no longer wear, but which have tremendous sentimental value

Things you need for your writing sessions: Silence and warmth. Coffee helps, too.

Things that hamper your writing: Music, people talking

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing and publicity

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing dialogue—I love it!

Favorite foods: Triple-cream brie, steak Bèarnaise, crème brûlée (you sense a trend here?)

Things that make you want to gag: Kidneys. I’ll eat pretty much anything else!

Favorite beverage: A floral, perfumy gin served up, with a twist

Something that gives you a sour face: Not much; I’m pretty pucker-proof!

Favorite smell: Rain on hot pavement

Something that makes you hold your nose: Metro stations in Paris which men use as their personal pissoires (funny how close these two are, yet so very far away!)

Something you’re really good at: Perseverance and follow-through

Something you’re really bad at: Carpentry

Things you always put in your books: Food and cooking, fast-paced dialogue, a strong sense of place

Things you never put in your books: car chases (though I did once have a short chase scene involving a bicycle), sex scenes, ghosts

Things to say to an author: I bought your last book, loved it, and posted a review!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Can you loan me a copy of your book to read, so I don’t have to buy it?

Favorite things to do: Attending mystery writers conventions, being invited to dinner parties where someone else cooks, lying in bed and reading before it’s time to go to sleep

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Moving heavy furniture

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Lou Reed (whom I once saw at an LA sushi restaurant) looked even more haggard in real life than he did in photos

About Leslie:

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and JUSTICE IS SERVED: A TALE OF SCALLOPS, THE LAW, AND COOKING FOR RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School, then returned to school to study culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz, California and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Let’s Be Social:

http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leslie-karst

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14220589.Leslie_Karst

https://www.instagram.com/lesliekarst/

https://twitter.com/LeslieKarst

#WriterWednesday Interview with Zachary Rosenberg

I’d like to welcome author Zachary Rosenberg to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: All the books around

Things you need to throw out: Old CDs from when we still had CD players

Things you need for your writing sessions: Scented Candles

Things that hamper your writing: Loud music

Hardest thing about being a writer: Having to take the thoughts in your head and placing them into workable prose

Easiest thing about being a writer: Thinking of various ideas to begin with

Favorite foods: Pizza, Matzo ball soup, shakshouka, falafel

Things that make you want to gag: cocktail shrimp

Favorite beverage: Raspberry seltzer

Something that gives you a sour face: raw milk

The last thing you ordered online: Books. Lots of books.

The last thing you regret buying: Books without space to put them

Things to say to an author: “Loved your book!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Hey, can you write the next book faster?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Boston, NYC

Places you never want to go to again: Miami

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “You’ve inspired me to do more Jewish stuff in my next book.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Can you have less Jewish stuff in this?”

About Zachary:

Zach Rosenberg is a Jewish horror and SFF writer living in Florida who crafts horrifying tales by night and practices law by the day. The latter is even more  frightening. His works have been published in various magazines and anthologies, including Seize the Press, Dark Matter Magazine, and his upcoming books will be released with Brigids Gate Press, Darklit Press and OFf Limits Press.

Let’s Be Social:

Twitter: @ZachRoseWriter

Instagram: ZachRose32