What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
My debut book, Murder’s No Votive Confidence, came out in June. It was the first of
the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries, and I’m excited to share that Murder Makes Scents will be available starting February 25, 2020. I see this second book in the series as “cozy mystery” meets “action-adventure.” Stella will be tackling international espionage, entertaining her mother who is visiting, and puzzling over the odd behaviors of her boyfriend, Peter – all while keeping her candle business going strong.
For a review of Murder's No Votive Confidence, click here.
What was the most recent book you read?
I recently enjoyed Nancy Thayer’s Let It Snow. I love her Nantucket settings and cozy appeal.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
True confession: Writing about a character you admire, in a place you love, is a great way to spend your days!
It was easy to choose Nantucket as my location for a cozy series about a candle maker. A small island, thirty miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket is a gorgeous New England town, steeped in history and home to a strong community while also attracting thousands of tourists each year. Nantucket also has an inspiring legacy of successful women, so creating Stella Wright, a go-getter island native, was a seamless fit. She runs a business, is a master in the art of candle-making, knows everything about the comings-and-goings in town, and understands the heart of her island.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I enjoy the process of candle-making and the rich landscape of Nantucket, and have used both extensively in developing my books. It is fun to get lost in the details of each. Before I know it, I usually find a small nugget of information that can become a plot point. In Murder Makes Scents, for example, I became fascinated with scent extractions. I read up on extraction work in the Amazon, which I was able to incorporate into story.
What books did you read as a child?
My earliest favorites consisted of A Cricket in Times Square, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franwkeiler, The Pushcart Wars, the Moomin books, Mandy (I still want a fireplace covered in shells),The Westing Game, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Of course, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I started reading Agatha Christie in middle school, so it makes me very happy when a tween-ager buys a Nantucket Candle Maker mystery. I like that people of any age can enjoy the puzzle of a cozy mystery.
What drew you to writing?
Writing was a personal challenge I picked up as a young mother, and once I started, I found I could not stop. I love the process of juggling plot, tone, pace, and character to create a story. My best writing days are when the characters take over and I’m merely their scribe.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
W-R-I-T-E! Don’t worry if it is good – yet. The most important thing is to start, keep at it, seek constructive criticism from people you trust, and have fun.
Who is your favorite author?
Authors whose characters, narratives and worlds return to me well after I put the book down fall into my favorites list. Many of those authors are famous, but some are from the small writers’ groups I’ve joined.
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
I’m enjoying the holidays, and the family fun that goes along with it, so at this very moment in time I’d love to have my four grandparents back home for dinner. There are so many questions I’d like to ask them! You asked for five, so I’ll throw in Frank Sinatra as I think they’d all enjoy a song from Ole Blue Eyes with their supper.
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
After writing the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries, I think I’d be very happy to open a candle store in Nantucket. Maybe call it the Wick & Flame?
My debut book, Murder’s No Votive Confidence, came out in June. It was the first of
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| Christin Brecher |
For a review of Murder's No Votive Confidence, click here.
What was the most recent book you read?
I recently enjoyed Nancy Thayer’s Let It Snow. I love her Nantucket settings and cozy appeal.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
True confession: Writing about a character you admire, in a place you love, is a great way to spend your days!
It was easy to choose Nantucket as my location for a cozy series about a candle maker. A small island, thirty miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket is a gorgeous New England town, steeped in history and home to a strong community while also attracting thousands of tourists each year. Nantucket also has an inspiring legacy of successful women, so creating Stella Wright, a go-getter island native, was a seamless fit. She runs a business, is a master in the art of candle-making, knows everything about the comings-and-goings in town, and understands the heart of her island.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I enjoy the process of candle-making and the rich landscape of Nantucket, and have used both extensively in developing my books. It is fun to get lost in the details of each. Before I know it, I usually find a small nugget of information that can become a plot point. In Murder Makes Scents, for example, I became fascinated with scent extractions. I read up on extraction work in the Amazon, which I was able to incorporate into story.
What books did you read as a child?
My earliest favorites consisted of A Cricket in Times Square, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franwkeiler, The Pushcart Wars, the Moomin books, Mandy (I still want a fireplace covered in shells),The Westing Game, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Of course, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I started reading Agatha Christie in middle school, so it makes me very happy when a tween-ager buys a Nantucket Candle Maker mystery. I like that people of any age can enjoy the puzzle of a cozy mystery.
What drew you to writing?
Writing was a personal challenge I picked up as a young mother, and once I started, I found I could not stop. I love the process of juggling plot, tone, pace, and character to create a story. My best writing days are when the characters take over and I’m merely their scribe.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
W-R-I-T-E! Don’t worry if it is good – yet. The most important thing is to start, keep at it, seek constructive criticism from people you trust, and have fun.
Who is your favorite author?
Authors whose characters, narratives and worlds return to me well after I put the book down fall into my favorites list. Many of those authors are famous, but some are from the small writers’ groups I’ve joined.
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
I’m enjoying the holidays, and the family fun that goes along with it, so at this very moment in time I’d love to have my four grandparents back home for dinner. There are so many questions I’d like to ask them! You asked for five, so I’ll throw in Frank Sinatra as I think they’d all enjoy a song from Ole Blue Eyes with their supper.
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
After writing the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries, I think I’d be very happy to open a candle store in Nantucket. Maybe call it the Wick & Flame?
1 comment:
I think Frank would round out the dinner with grandparents very well!
Denise
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