Due to a sudden opening in the Escape With a Writer Schedule, I decided to fill it in myself and feature my Glitter Bay Mysteries! The questions are an amalgamation of answers to questions from a variety of interviews I've done over the past couple months. There are a couple of fun surprises if you keep reading to the bottom. I hope you enjoy!
What made you decide you wanted to
write mysteries?
I’ve always loved to read them but never actually thought about
writing them until I took part in a contest called Mystery in Ink put on by a
small publisher in North Bay, Ontario. We had to use a murder mystery party
game and write 10 chapters, each from the perspective of a different character.
I loved it! And I won! My very first published book was that little novella
called Murder on Manitou, which I plan to re-release one day soon. I was
hooked!
Do you have a special place you
like to write?
I used to love to write in a local coffee shop but I have written
practically everywhere! Trying to write with three kids around, I learned to
summon the muse wherever I stopped for a minute. Even while I was cooking
dinner!
Where do the ideas for your books
come from?
Anywhere and everywhere. I’ve had ideas come from dreams, from
conversations, from seeing photographs or memes, you name it. My latest play
idea hit me while I walked from my office ten feet down the hall to my
livingroom. I had it outlined fifteen minutes later. It doesn’t always happen
that fast, but when inspiration hits it can be like a runaway train!
What is the first book you
remember reading?
I remember having lots of Little Golden books as a kid. Aside from
every Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mystery I could get my hands on, I read a Sidney
Sheldon novel, I think it was The Other Side of Midnight, that I was totally
absorbed in until the ending. Someone had torn out the last few pages and I was
livid!!
If you were friends with a
character in this book, what kinds of things would you do together?
Sage loves yoga as well as being active when she’s not working in
her vintage boutique. Hanging out with her would involve some sort of outdoor
activity. I’d love to walk on the beach and chat with her and ride the trails
along the ocean that she’s likely discovered.
What does it mean to you to be called an author?
Even as I write more books, I always find it a thrill to think of myself as an author. For so long, I’ve only ever said “I write books.” With 11 novels published and a lot more social media presence, I’m starting to feel more like an author. That I actually know a little something about writing.
How do you define success as an author?
Deep down, a part of me won’t feel successful until I can write all day and quit my day job! The dream we all dream of! The other part of success is getting letters and reviews from readers who loved a character or a storyline and it made some sort of impact on them.
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ALL THAT SHINES, Glitter Bay Mysteries, Book 2
Sage Miller is knee deep in fashion designers—whether she wants
them in her new vintage boutique or not.
One winds up dead.
Another isn’t what he seems.
A third is treasure hunting.
Sage is stuck in the middle trying to solve a murder before the
grand opening of Vintage Sage, which involves a fashion show she’d rather not
be part of.
Excerpt:
“Sebastian
helped to me get away from my ex.” Laken joined me. “Actually, not so much my
ex as the paparazzi. Those guys are like wasps. They can hunt you down and
swarm like heat-seeking missiles. I couldn’t have escaped Hollywood and settled
here with you without his help.”
Only half
convinced, I turned on the kettle.
Laken
switched it off then opened the fridge. She handed me a well-chilled, half-full
bottle of pinot grigio. “You’ll probably want this instead.”
“There’s
more?” I gasped as I leaned against the cupboard. While my migraine would
prefer the chamomile, my nerves won out. Pinot it was. I couldn’t take any more
of Laken’s surprises without a little support.
My sister
wasn’t stingy when she filled my glass. It seemed I was in for more
revelations. Since she no longer drank alcohol, she filled her glass with
sparkling water.
I took a
large gulp before I dared to ask, “What’s going on?”
“We need to
sit.” Laken half-dragged me back to the living room. She turned off her laptop
before we sat in front of the fireplace. “I’m sorry I bought everything without
showing you first.” She winced. “Sebastian is… Well, he’s…”
“He’s what?”
Laken chugged
her sparkling water then sighed. “He’s part of the package.”
My eye
twitched. I grasped my glass with both hands before I did something silly like
drop it. “Who is Sebastian and what package is he a part of?”
“He’s a
fashion designer who owns House of Hayward. That thirty thousand dollars
includes his expertise to help set up Vintage Sage like a shop on Rodeo Drive.”
“Oh no.” I
stared at her in the hope she would crack a smile or tell me she was joking.
When neither came, I shook my head. “No, no, no, no, no. Send it all back. The
cases, the dummies, the snooty designer…especially the snooty designer. We
don’t need this, Laken. I’ve done perfectly well without Hollywood intruding.”
ALL THAT SPARKLES, Glitter Bay Mysteries Book 1
What do a trunk full of vintage clothes, a handsome land
developer, and a fifty year old diamond heist have in common?
Laken Miller receives a trunk full of expensive vintage clothing
and a stack of newspaper clippings about a fifty-year old diamond heist. Now
all she has to do is figure out who murdered Tilly San Vicente before the
killer silences her as well.
Buy links:
To hear more I dropped by the House of Mystery not too long ago and made
it Shine!
