What is the title of your newest book? How many books have
you published?
For a review of Rooted in Deceit, click here.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
A few years ago, my husband and I started our own small vegetable farm with the intention of developing it into an organic CSA (community supported agriculture). Unfortunately, things fell through with the land we were leasing and the farm never made it past its first season. During a book signing in a small town in North Carolina about a year later, I was moved by the interactions I witnessed between the shop owners, their children, and the townspeople. It dawned on me that a version of our small farm could live on in a fictional small town. Thereafter, Washington Acres Farm and the fictional town of Winsome, Pennsylvania were born.
In terms of the characters, I wanted to showcase smart, strong women. Megan Sawyer, my main character, is an environmental lawyer who left her law career to try her hand at organic farming on the family’s historic homestead. She’s joined by her grandmother, Bonnie “Bibi” Birch, and a host of eccentric townspeople. Growing up, I was blessed to have many intelligent, independent women in my life. My characters are inspired by their strength and creativity.
What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening?
I try to write every morning for at least an hour. I created the habit of writing first thing when I wrote my first novel, more than a decade ago. I work full-time, so writing time—and creative thinking time, frankly—is precious. As my writing commitments have increased, I’ve needed to expand that time, and now I take vacation days to write and/or I write on weekends. I prefer to write during long stretches of time, when possible (I call myself a binge writer!), so vacation time works well.
Do you belong to a writers group or are you in touch with other writers? How does that help your writing?
I don’t belong to any official writers’ groups, but I do have a strong network of authors. I write for International Thriller Writers’ two online magazines, The Thrill Begins and The Big Thrill, and I’ve developed friendships with many of my fellow columnists. In fact, we’ve even worked on an anthology together (The Night of the Flood from Down & Out Books) and have a second in the works. There is a strong sense of community amongst crime writers, and I’ve met and kept in touch with many through trade groups like Sisters in Crime and conferences like Malice Domestic and Bouchercon.
When I first started writing, I didn’t have a network. I basically wrote in a vacuum. It wasn’t until after my first novel came out that I really entered the crime writing community and realized how important fellowship is for everything from beta readers to emotional and marketing assistance. The friendship of other authors, bloggers, and readers has been invaluable.
Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
I think a little bit of me—good and bad—exists in every one of my characters. With Megan, there are the obvious things. We both garden, we’re both attorneys—she’s an environmental lawyer and I’m an ERISA attorney. We both have a deep love for animals and a strong belief in sustainable agriculture and real food. Both of us can become annoyingly single-minded when focused on something important to us. Megan is very organized and measured—much more so than I. She’s more reserved, too. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. You have to work a bit harder to gain Megan’s trust and friendship.
If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
I think Emma Stone would make an excellent Megan. And for Megan’s love interest, Dr. Denver Finn? Sam Heughan (of Outlander fame). (If you’re reading this, Sam, I wrote the part just for you!)
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite authors include Elizabeth George, Tess Gerritsen, Jonathan Kellerman, and so many other crime writers. Many other writers have influenced me as well, from Stephen King to Margaret Atwood to James Herriot.
How do you keep track of character details from book to book so they are consistent?
Great question! They live mostly in my head. I generally don’t have an issue keeping everyone straight. They are real people to me, and I have a clear image of their traits, likes and dislikes, habits, etc. Occasionally I need to double check something, and when that happens I refer to the earlier books.
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
My other job is an attorney, but growing up I wanted to become a veterinarian, a dolphin trainer, or an archaeologist. I love animals and would probably do something with a rescue or environmental group, I suppose. The one constant in my life has been being a writer—I always knew I would write.
No comments:
Post a Comment