Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Interview with Elizabeth Penney

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
Hems and Homicide is my newest book—and the first in the Apron Shop Series. I’ve
Elizabeth Penney
written over two dozen mysteries and women’s fiction novels.

What was the most recent book you read?
An Inquiry into Love and Death, by Simone St. James, a ghost story, mystery, and romance all in one. I loved it, as I do all of this author’s books.

How did you develop your character and choose your location?
I wanted to set a series in Maine, where I spent most of my childhood. It makes a great setting with its beautiful coastal scenery, sweet small towns, and quirky way of life. Next, I decided on my premise, an apron shop. Aprons are enjoying a renaissance of late and they’re also an iconic part of American history. Featuring vintage aprons from different eras in my series gives me a lot of plot ideas to work with.

As for my main character, she came to me while brainstorming. Iris is a former fabric designer and she loves vintage aprons and linens. She often wears aprons over the 1950s dresses she sews for herself. These outfits suit her curvy figure and mid-century modern sensibility. Iris is a little nerdy, kind, bright, and inquisitive.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? 
Since Hems and Homicide is the first in a series, I spent some time developing the cast of characters and the setting. Blueberry Cove is a fictional town so I needed to map out the whole place. Iris has a grandmother, a cat, and lots of friends. All of them needed names, occupations, and relationships of their own. Once I start writing, I often pause to do more research as questions and the need for more information arise.



What books did you read as a child?
The short answer is everything. I’m from a family of voracious readers. I started reading Nancy Drew books at age seven, I remember, because we had just moved to Maine and I checked one out at the library. The libraries I went to had a wonderful collection of classic books, so I read every color of fairy tale book, all the Raggedy Anne stories, the original Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins books, and so forth. I also enjoyed other mystery series like Trixie Belden and The Three Investigators.

What drew you to writing?
Because of my love of books, it was always a desire. But, busy with a career and raising a family, I was well into adulthood before I started writing. Then I found I couldn’t stop. About ten years ago, I left the banking and business development world and began to write full-time.


If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Keep going, you will get there! For most new writers, there’s a time when you wonder if your writing is any good, if you’re ever going to get an agent, get published, etc. It can be a long haul.

Who is your favorite author?
I have many favorites, so like a parent with a big family, I don’t want to pick just one. My reading tastes are eclectic. I’ve read the classics plus a lot of twentieth century authors my parents had on their shelves. For example, my father had a lot of 1950s science fiction and I read it all. I enjoy mysteries both cozy and dark, suspense, women’s fiction, and literary fiction.

If you could not be an author, what would you like to do as a career?
I’d be a flower farmer. I dabble in that now and I love it.

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