Welcome to cozy mystery author Wendy Kendall!
Wendy Kendall has a passion for purses and stories of the women through history who carried them. Her cozy mystery Kat Out of the Bag introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth, investigating murder at her gala opening. The prequel novella Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash delves into a chilling cold case. Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For out November 2021, an intriguing tangle of mystery and love. Wendy enjoys the Pacific Northwest life and time with her two sons. She's a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, project manager, and syndicated columnist, while she works on the next of the In Purse-Suit Mysteries.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyKendallMysteries
Twitter: wendywrites1
Instagram: wendyekendall
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I'm very enthusiastic about what I'm
writing. The characters and the stories are so much fun for me, I'm motivated.
As a reader, I've always been a
great fan of mysteries. I enjoy writing them just as much, and adding the
element of romance to the stories is an exciting dynamic. I love the challenge
of it all, and although at times it can be overwhelming, I've found that
persistence is an important strength.
I'm also constantly learning and
improving at the craft. I'm never done learning. I learn from other authors,
especially my terrific critique group and beta readers, and from my brilliant
editor at The Wild Rose Press.
How often
do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I'm most productive when I work to
deadline. With that in mind, I set weekly and monthly goals for myself. It
really helps that my critique group meets weekly and one of my goals is always
to have a scene ready for them to review.
I don't have set days and times
during a week for writing, but I do have a couple of spots where I work. In
good weather I work outside on my balcony. In Seattle you have to plan for
indoor weather too, so I also have a room in my house called my studio. Both
rooms are my favorite rooms of the house. When I'm at one of these usual
writing places, and I have my cup of tea, with some of my favorite instrumental
music playing low, then I know I'm ready to get to work. My most creative, and
favorite time of day to write is at night.
Five
years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
In my intriguing dreams for 2026, my
In Purse-Suit Mysteries series will have grown to many books to follow the
first, Kat Out of the Bag. There will be more novellas too about the people
of my cozy mystery's town of Bayside. These will be gathered in an anthology
along with the prequel Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash published last year,
and the new romantic mystery Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For coming out
later this year.
In my romantic dreams for 2026, I
have a new series I'm working on that are romance stories.
In my post-pandemic dreams I'm
meeting lots of readers at appearances and book signings. How fun! And I'm
still presenting at speaking engagements and teaching writing workshops. In
these events I get to share what I've learned, and I also learn a lot from the
attendees.
If you
could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?
The joy is in the journey. Take the
time to relish every experience and every step of the way to your success.
There's no single time table to publication. Everyone arrives there at their
own time, and publication looks different for each person too.
Along the way I hope you meet as
many incredible people as I have. I hope you make as many great friends. I hope
you cherish every experience and every version of your story.
What
would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?
I couldn't put it down!
What are
you working on now?
Final edits for my romantic mystery
novella Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For are in process with my editor, and
it's expected to be available for readers later this year. Just when Bayside
Elementary school teacher Desiree Tucker is starting to believe in magic again,
she finds herself fighting for her life. Someone wants to teach her a deadly
lesson. Can love save her?
I'm finishing my first draft of the
sequel to Kat Out of the Bag. This is another exciting cozy mystery for
purse designer/amateur sleuth Katherine Watson. It's an intriguing adventure in
purse-suit of a killer, and her women's history purse museum adds a couple of
new exhibits. Favorite characters are back like Moonjava, Pam, the ladies of
the round table, officer Jason Holmes, and of course his K-9 partner Hobbs, and
Katherine's cat Purrada proudly waving her tail. There are some fun new
characters too.
The first draft of my newest work is
also well underway. This one is a wonderful romantic novel. I'm planning on it
being the first in my new romance series.
I'm so looking forward to these
books getting in readers hands. And I'd like to thank readers who have let me
know how much they've enjoyed reading my books.
And thank you for your invitation to
join you on an Escape with a Writer.
BUY LINKS - Kat Out of the Bag
When celebrated international purse designer, Katherine Watson, hosts a gala for her Purse-onality Museum, she never expected the next day's headline to read: 'Murder at the Gala Premiere.' But after a dead body is found during the event, that's exactly what happened. Working to solve the murder, Katherine matches wits with local cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 partner, Hobbs. Although Holmes and Watson disagree often, they discover an undeniable attraction building between them. But they'll have to put their feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer's next knock off.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/kat-out-of-the-bag-in-purse-suit-mystery-by-wendy-kendall
Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Wendy_Kendall_Kat_Out_of_the_Bag?id=dErbDwAAQBAJ
Kobo- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kat-out-of-the-bag
Designer Katherine Watson is enjoying a delectable frozen pistachio treat at Ginardo's beachside ice cream shop when her friend issues a playful dare. Katherine can't resist accepting the challenge and finds herself tasked with creating a designer purse out of pistachio shells. But the fun day takes a chilling turn when Katherine uncovers a clue in the ice cream store to a decades old missing persons case--and she suspects there may be a killer in their midst.
Katherine is soon up to her shoulder bag in danger, but she's determined to see that a murderer gets his just desserts.
BUY LINKS:
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/purse-stachio-makes-a-splash-by-wendy-kendall
Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Wendy_Kendall_Purse_Stachio_Makes_a_Splash?id=8gb5DwAAQBAJ
Kobo- Purse-Stachio Makes a Splash ebook by Wendy Kendall -
Rakuten Kobo
Thanks very much Diane, for your warm welcome on your blog. Such a fun interview.
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