Interview with Isis Crawford

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
My latest book is A Catered Cat Wedding. I’ve written 14 books under the name of Isis Crawford

and 10 books under the name of Barbara Block.

How did you develop your character and choose your location?
I’m an only child, but growing up I spent my weekends with my three cousins. They were always either arguing or plotting adventures. Being there was always the highlight of my week which is why I thought it would be fun to write a book about two sisters who see things differently. Sometimes they agree and sometimes not so much, but they are always there for each other when it counts.

The Catered series is set in the imaginary town of Longely, which is located in Westchester. The town is based on a number of towns I’ve visited over the years. It’s hovering on the brink of gentrification, but it isn’t quite there yet. I liked the concept of a small town because everyone knows everyone or if they don’t, they know someone who does.

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 usually write in the morning because that’s when I do my best work. For some reason, if I start later in the day I’m distracted by my to-do list. I wake up, eat breakfast, walk my dogs, then grab a cup of coffee and spend a little time chatting with the group of people who hangout the diner in the a.m. I’m at my office around nine (a room in a house I rent from a friend of mine)), work until two when I go back home, feed and walk the dogs, go to the gym, or do errands. In the evening, I stay home or meet friends for dinner and a movie. Usually I’m in bed somewhere between eleven and twelve.

Do you belong to a writers group or are you in touch with other writers? How does that help your writing?
I belonged to a writer’s group for a number of years. I don’t anymore, but it certainly helped when I did. In fact, I miss it. I found that reading my material to other people and seeing their reactions helped me figure out whether what I was writing worked or not. It also helped to be with people who had the same focus I did.

Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
There are bits and pieces of myself, my family, and my friends in my main characters. For example, I like clothes (Bernie) but one of my best friends couldn’t care less about them (Libby). I’ve always had an interest in food, as have several of my friends. In fact, I ran a catering business that specialized in deserts for two years. That said, those bits and pieces have come together into a different whole. Bernie and Libby are definitely their own people now.

If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
I think I’d like to see Anna Kendrick as Libby and Amy Adams as Bernie.

Who is my favorite author? 

That’s a tough one, but if I had to pick I’d say I love Ross Macdonald and John MacDonald and always will. Currently, I look forward to reading Donna Leon, Michael Connelly, and John Le Carrè.

How do you keep track of character details from book to book so they are consistent?
Keeping track of my character’s foibles is an interesting exercise, one that would be easier if I were more organized. I usually write important things down in a notebook and then go frantically paging through it to find what I need. Of course, I could organize the information on my computer - I keep on saying I will – but somehow that hasn’t happened yet.

If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
If I couldn’t be an author what would I be? That’s simple. I would run an animal sanctuary.