I’d like to welcome the fabulous Jen Collins Moore to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!
The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Reading your book made me feel just like I was back in Italy.” I hear it all the time, and it never fails to make my day, because that’s what my books are about: transporting and entertaining readers with a great puzzle.
The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I hate reading, but I loved your book.” Who hates reading? Either way, I’m so glad that I could bring some fiction joy to someone who didn’t realize it was out there.
Favorite places you’ve been: Rome, of course. It’s where I set my series, A Roman Holiday Mystery. But really, I’m a sucker for European coastlines: the Côte d'Azur, Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Crete, and the Costa del Sol are all favorites of mine. My greatest recent discovery is the Azores, a chain of islands smack in the middle of the Atlantic. I waxed rhapsodic about the place in my September 2022 newsletter and a reader planned a trip there and reported back that it was her family’s favorite trip yet. Seriously, it’s amazing.
Places you never want to go to again: I truly believe a good traveler can have fun anywhere. My problem is there are so many places in the world I want to see, it’s hard to decide whether to return to a favorite or explore someplace new.
Favorite foods: Anything Italian! I’ve always been a foodie, and I worked for several years at Barilla, the Italian food company, in marketing. Spending hours debating the right ingredients for a new pasta sauce and tasting different tortellini options were regular parts of my daily routine. Needless to say, I was in heaven.
Things that make you want to gag: I resent overcooked pasta. Always, always check it two minutes less than the recommended time.
Things you always put in your books: Food! Characters need to be doing something when they are in a scene, and there’s nothing I like better than having them bite into a flaky sfogliatella, catch a wiff of delicious pizza as they pass a Pizza al Taglio window, or lick a cone of gelato.
Things you never put in your books: Sex and violence. I write about murder because I’m interested in the solution to the puzzle, but I don’t want to linger on the act itself. And sex, well, my kids will read my books someday.
Hardest thing about being a writer: The blank page. There are so many stories to tell, and I struggle to stay focused. I do much better when I’ve figured out a story and have a specific idea of what needs to happen in a specific scene. Once I have that, I can roll along.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Twiddling with words all day. I used to drive my coworkers crazy editing their work for corporate presentations and meetings. In writing, word choice matters, and I get to play with a sentence or a paragraph until I think it’s perfect.
Things you need for your writing sessions: A plan. If I sit at my desk without knowing what I want to write, I don’t accomplish much of anything. I need to start each session with my own personal marching orders.
Things that hamper your writing: Distraction! Writing is hard, and if there’s even a single chirp from my inbox or web page available to pop over to, I lose my focus. I need to turn off my internet for my writing sessions.
Favorite beverage: I’m one of those always-cold people, and I always have a cup of tea, hot chocolate, chai latte, or even plain old hot water, at my side.
Something that gives you a sour face: Coffee. I love the smell, hate the taste. I don’t even like coffee ice cream.
Something you’re really good at: Making plans. I love researching trips and planning out the hotels and activities. For me, the planning is almost as fun as the trip itself. I’ve made some great discoveries, and I write about travel in my newsletter. I hope you’ll subscribe.
Something you’re really bad at: Spontaneity. It’s the flip side of being a planner. It’s hard for me to sit back and just dive into a situation without looking at all the angles.
Favorite books (or genre): I’m a mystery fan through and through, but I read widely. There are just so many great books out there, but my all-time favorite childhood book is Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game. I’ve yet to meet a single person who didn’t love it. If you haven’t read it yet, run out right now and get a copy.
Books you wouldn’t buy: I’ll read dark, but I’m not a sex and violence person.
Favorite things to do: Travel. There’s nothing I love more than researching a trip, packing up the family, and discovering a new part of the world.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: An all-inclusive resort vacation. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t run through a fire to avoid it, but it’s not the type of trip I seek out. There are all kinds of people in the world, and I’m more of a “I’ll rest when I get back home” traveler than a “I can’t wait to read by the pool” traveler.
