Interview with Kylie Logan

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
The newest book is The Scent of Murder. It’s book #58 for me. Click here for a review of The Scent of Murder. 

How did you develop your character and choose your location?
Location was easy. I’ve lived in Cleveland all my life and I knew I wanted to highlight the area and

Kylie Logan

all it has to offer. There are so many interesting neighborhoods in the city and I chose Tremont (a neighborhood just south of downtown) because it’s got an amazing history and lots of old and interesting buildings. As for developing Jazz Ramsey’s character. . . I knew from the get-go that I wanted to write a book centered around cadaver dogs. So my first question to myself was, who would work with cadaver dogs? I knew I needed someone young and energetic (the work can be grueling). I also needed someone who would be looked on as the alpha by the dog she trains. So Jazz is no-nonsense, to the point, all business. Especially when it comes to the dogs. Another question I grappled with was what kind of profession to give her. I was tempted by plenty of interesting jobs, but in the end, decided to give her a pretty mundane one—she’s the administrative assistant at an all-girls school. I gave her a fairly “ordinary” job so that Jazz would have plenty of free time to work with the dogs.

What do you enjoy about the author’s lifestyle? What do you not enjoy?
It’s great being your own boss, but that’s the downside, too. I’ve got to be disciplined to sit at my desk all day when so many other adventures are calling (the park, the community garden, walks with my own dogs). It takes a great deal of focus to put butt in chair and get to work!

Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
No, but that being said, I think all authors’ characters are composites of the people we meet. We take one person’s personality, pair it with another person’s looks, another’s phobias, etc., to create unique characters.

How do you get yourself out of a writing rut?
Keep writing. Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? But really, the only way to push through is to keep writing. Often when I think I’m writing garbage, I go back the next day, read it, and realize it’s not so bad. And if it is as bad as I fear? I can always edit.

If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
Wish I had the answer, but I’m not familiar enough with young actors to be able to choose.

Who is your favorite author?
Too many to name! I love the mysteries of Elizabeth Peters, and the historical fiction of Dorothy Dunnett. Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle. The list goes on and on.

If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
First of all, they wouldn’t want to eat my cooking, so that has to be some consideration. But a mystery dinner would be great fun. Christie, Doyle, Peters (all mentioned above) and we’ll throw in Alan Bradley (he writes the Flavia DeLuce novels) and then just for fun, my dad who was a Cleveland cop and would love talking to all of them!

If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
I’ve love to be a librarian/archivist. It appeals to my love of words as well as my respect for and interest in history.