Day 6: Mystery We Write Tour with Jackie King

It’s day 6 of the second 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. We’re fifteen mystery authors on a virtual two-week tour of interviews, excerpts and of course, giveaways. (Rules may vary author to author. Details posted on our blogs.) About those giveaways - sixty (yes, 60!) free books are up for grabs, so let’s get started and talk writing!

My guest today is Jackie King. Jackie loves books, words, and writing tall tales. She especially enjoys murdering the people she dislikes on paper.

She is a full time writer who sometimes teaches writing at Tulsa Community College.

Her latest novel, THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE is a traditional mystery.

Jackie has also written five novellas as co-author of the Foxy Hens Series. Warm Love on Cold Streets is her latest novella and is included in the anthology THE FOXY HENS MEET A ROMANTIC ADVENTURER. Her only nonfiction book is DEVOTED TO COOKING.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Oklahoma Writers Federation, and Tulsa Night Writers.

Anne – Welcome back, Jackie. It’s always a treat when you drop by. Before we begin, I’d like to mention readers will find your initial Mystery We Write interview HERE.

Jackie - Hello Anne, thanks for organizing this Holiday Blog Tour and for hosting me today. It’s great that you were able to collect 15 of the best mystery writers around for this fun event.

Anne – It is wonderful, isn’t it, getting to rub elbows with such talent?! Tell us about The Inconvenient Corpse.

Jackie - If Grace Cassidy had known she was going to find a naked corpse in her hotel bed, lose every penny she had in the world, and encounter zany characters straight from the Mad Hatter’s tea party, she might have kept her usual poise when she spotted husband Charlie’s mistress at their business convention in San Francisco. She wouldn’t have left in a temper to drive up the northern California coast. For sure she wouldn’t have stopped at the obscure Bed and Breakfast called Wimberly Place where she’s suddenly the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Grace learns that she is made of a tougher fiber than she had thought. With the help of some zany strangers she hires on as the temporary inn sitter, where she bakes, cleans, and entertains as she works her way through the maze of conflicting stories told by the eccentric guests. Her detecting doesn’t go quite as she plans, but she muddles her way through and solves the crime.

Anne - I understand you were a little less enthusiastic about my request of a photo of your home office.

Jackie – Yes, when you asked me to provide you with two things; the first and, for me, the scariest, was a snapshot of our work area, warts and all.

You’ve never seen warts (and piles of junk and chaos) until you’ve seen my desk. The mystery to my family and friends, is how I create anything in such a clutter. But it sort of suits me. I keep my house reasonably tidy, but my office is a place where I let everything hang out. I close myself off from the mess and enter my own magic world where I create playmates called characters, and put them into a mess of trouble. But the good guys always win in the end. (I think mystery readers long for justice in the real world, that’s why we read about murder and mayhem.)

No one gets to see my office, not even my cleaning woman. So I decided that since you are  forcing me to humiliate myself, I might as well go whole-hog (as we Okies say) and send a picture of me in my work clothes: pajamas and no makeup. So take a steadying breath and take a look.

Anne – Bless you! It’s reassuring to know I’m not the only one who drags herself out of bed each morning and heads directly to the computer! Oh, and if you’re worried about who is messier, you should see my desk!  Now, about my next question…

Jackie - Your second request was a piece of cake:  either page 69 or page 96 of one of my mysteries. How fun is that?

I’ve chosen page 69 of my cozy mystery THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE:

...........

 “I didn’t mean to startle you,” Theodora said in a tone spun from silk. She glanced at the tray and her face registered approval. “Ah, the cookies that our Sergeant Harper so admired look lovely on that platter. It’s evident that you’re a woman who entertains with flair.” She moved closer and her eyes sparkled. “Yummy, the strawberries look so luscious they seem decadent.”

Silver-tipped fingernails swept over the tea tray and a fluttering of teal and rose chiffon floated through the air. Theodora had found time to again change. The woman was a clothes horse.

Grace smoothed her ivory T-shirt. Why were so many of her clothes in neutral colors? Theodora made her feel as if she were a wren entertaining a South American cockatiel.

“I knew you’d appreciate the strawberries,” Grace said. “I brought them especially for you since I’ve heard you mention that you don’t care for pastry.” She grinned knowingly. “I’m surprised you could pull yourself away from the charming Walter.”

“My dear! Leaving Walter is always a sacrifice but very necessary. I adore romance, but I consider marriage a disease, and was long ago immunized by one serious and painful bout. However, if I hang around Walter too long, I sometimes find myself forgetting my vow to stay single.”

“Maybe you should let go and just enjoy the romance-ride.” Grace slipped her list out from under the Town and Country magazine and folded it into a small square, her gaze on Theodora. “If you find yourself reaching for the gold ring, call me and I’ll tell you war stories that would scare even a veteran like yourself.” She slipped the paper into her pocket.

Theodora smiled but said nothing. She reached down for a berry and bit into it, uttering a sensual groan.

“Delicious. Absolutely wonderful. Let me get my cup of tea and we can visit."

“I have a pot ready to brew,” Grace said. “I was just waiting for everyone to gather.” She rose to her feet and stepped toward the sink.

...........

Anne – I can’t wait to read more of THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE. (It’s downloaded onto my Kindle, btw. I just need more time to read it!)Where can readers reach you online?

Jackie – At my website, http://www.jacqking.com/ My blog: Cozy Mysteries and Other Madness can be found at: http://bnbmysteries.blogspot.com

I’d love to have readers ‘friend’ me on Facebook. I’m listed as Jacqueline King http://www.facebook.com/Jacqking

Anne – tell us about your giveaway for the Mystery We Write Blog Tour.

Jackie - Hi Readers, be sure and leave a comment on today’s post and your name will go into a drawing to be held at the end of our tour for FREE BOOKS. I’m giving away a signed copy of my cozy mystery THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE and another signed copy of the anthology THE STATEHOOD FOXY HENS AND MURDER MOST FOWL containing my novella The Spinster, the Pig and the Orphan. The book celebrates a Land Run in 1889 Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory. Names will be drawn at random from those who take time to leave a comment.

Anne – Thank you so much for stopping by on the second Mystery We Write Blog Tour, Jackie. It’s been a blast, and I’m looking forward to next year’s version!

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AKA Update: I’m visiting Wendy Gager today. Please drop by her blog, and leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel,  book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Tomorrow on Day 7 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest is TimothyHallinan.

Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and happy reading!

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Day 5: Mystery We Write Tour with Jean Henry Mead

It’s day 5 of the second 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. We’re fifteen mystery authors on a virtual two-week tour of interviews, excerpts and of course, giveaways. (Rules may vary author to author. Details posted on our blogs.) About those giveaways - sixty (yes, 60!) free books are up for grabs, so let’s get started and talk writing!

My guest today is Jean Henry Mead. Jean is the author of 15 books, half of them mystery/suspense and historical novels. She’s also an award-winning photojournalist and children’s author. Murder on the Interstate is the third novel in the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series. http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/

Jean is also an original member of the first 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. You can read her interview HERE, or visit my Muriel Reeves Mysteries blog where Jean and I chatted about her juvenile novel, Mystery of Spider Mountain.

Anne – Welcome back, Jean. It’s always a treat to visit with you. Before we chat about Murder on the Interstate, I’d like to say how much I’m enjoying reading it. J Tell us about it.

Jean - While traveling a northern Arizona highway, Senior Sleuths Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty watch in horror as a pick up truck chases a Mercedes convertible past their motorhome, ultimately forcing the car off the roadway and into a ravine. Dana applies the brakes and pulls over to offer aid.

She discovers the body of a beautiful young woman in the Mercedes when gunshots ring out. Stunned, she and Sarah realize they're the targets! The bullets disable their motorhome and a long-haul driver comes to their rescue, giving them a lift into Flagstaff, where they can arrange for repairs to their RV. The idea of resuming their trip home is back-burnered, however, when the first person they spot at the truckstop is their shooter. Coincidence? Dana thinks not. Quickly, the women scheme to turn the tables on the woman's killer, and the chase is on...

Sometimes hunters, sometimes the hunted, Dana and Sarah delve into the shooter s identity and activities. They find more than a few surprises, and soon realize they have stumbled into a plot that not only endangers them, but puts national security in the crosshairs.Show More

Show Less

Anne - Would you share an excerpt with us? Let’s just flip open the book and read page 69 of Murder on the Interstate.

Jean – Certainly!

"So you think I'm paranoid?"

"I didn't say that. Believe me, I understand what you've gone through."

"I don't think you do." She jerked her arm away when he reached across the console to comfort her. "I’ve been stalked by a killer but I’ve never had to crash a motorhome to escape from one. And then the flash flood."

Sarah leaned from the backseat to hug her. "My fault. We should have taken a plane."

"That would have been even worse. [The killer] could have planted a bomb."

Walter appeared concerned. "A doctor should take a look at you, Dana. You could be suffering from shock."

"Oh, you think? What about Sarah? She's the excitable one." Dana bit her tongue. She knew she’d hurt Sarah's feelings. Opening the door, she slammed it and walked down the roadway. A moment later she felt his arms around her. Pulling her close he stroked her hair and murmured something she couldn’t understand.

Holding her at arm's length, he said, "Vegas awaits. I can't think of a better place to take your mind off your worries. And Sarah will enjoy herself there."

"She is a slot machine junkie."

"Then it's settled." Taking her hand, he led her back to the SUV.

Sarah was ecstatic when told of the change in plans. "Las Vegas is one of my favorite places."

The sheriff frowned. "Why didn't you go that way to begin with."

"Cousin Tilly. If I hadn't insisted on visiting her, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"We're going to leave the mess behind, ladies. The GPS is routing us through Vegas, Salt Lake City and Wyoming. That's country I've never seen. I'm sure it's beautiful."

"You're right," Dana said. "We should enjoy the rest of the trip."

"Good girl." He reached to pat her shoulder.

"Remember our discussion in the airport, Walter?"

"Vaguely."

"Let's keep this trip on a friends only basis. . . The three musketeers."

Sighing, he turned the key in the ignition. "If that's the way you want it. By the way, which musketeer am I?"

"Actually, you should be D'Artagnan. He guarded his friends Athos, Porthos and Aramis."

"So now I'm not even one of the musketeers?"

Sarah leaned to pat his shoulder. "You're better than that, dear. If you were a fictional character, you'd be Rhett Butler."

Dana groaned. Oh, my, Sarah. You have got it bad.

Anne – Love it. I’d love to see a photo of your home office. Show us where all of this creativity begins!

Jean – This is it!

Anne – Whoa. My desk is a mess compared to that. Sad, huh?! Where can readers reach you online?

Jean – At my website, blogs:  Mysterious Writers, Murderous Musings, and Make Mine Mystery. I'm also on Facebook and

Twitter.

Anne - Tell us about your Mystery We Write Blog Tour giveaways.

Jean - I’m giving away an ebook edition of my mystery novels at each of my 14 appearances, plus three print books at the conclusion of the tour. Leave a comment to be eligible to win one of my novels. My tour schedule is listed at http://jeansblogtour.blogspot.com/

Anne – Thank you, Jean. It’s always a joy to chat with you.

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AKA Update: I’m visiting Alice Duncan today. Please drop by her blog,  and leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank,Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Tomorrow on Day 6 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest is Jackie King.

Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and happy reading!

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Day 4: Mystery We Write Tour with Marilyn Meredith

It’s day 4 of the second 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. We’re fifteen mystery authors on a virtual two-week tour of interviews, excerpts and of course, giveaways. (Rules may vary author to author. Details posted on our blogs.) About those giveaways - sixty (yes, 60!) free books are up for grabs, so let’s get started and talk writing!

My guest today is the prolific Marilyn Meredith.

Author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Bears With Us  from Mundania Press, Marilyn also writes as F. M. Meredith. F.M.’s latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America.

Marilyn is an original member of the first 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. She’s also its inspiration. Without her this tour would be possible, so thank you, Marilyn!

If you’d like to read my first interview with Marilyn, click HERE. For an excerpt of Angel Lost, click HERE.

Anne – Welcome back, Marilyn! It’s a pleasure to feature you today. Before we chat about Bears With Us, I’d like to tell you how much I enjoyed it. A fabulous read from cover to cover. I’d also like to encourage readers to watch the Youtube book trailer below.

Okay, Marilyn, now it’s your turn. Tell us a little more about Bears With Us!

Marilyn - Deputy Tempe Crabtree has her hands full when bears turn up in and around Bear Creek, a young teen commits suicide and his parents’ actions are suspicious, a prominent woman files a complaint against Tempe and her preacher husband Hutch, a love affair from long ago comes to light, and a woman suffering from dementia disappears.

Anne –Usually when an author is asked to share an excerpt, they select the passage. I thought I’d try something a little different. Let’s go with a random page! How about page 99 of Bears With Us?

Marilyn – Why not?!

“By sensible precautions, you mean what exactly?” Deborah Tingsley moved closer to her husband.            

“I take it you weren’t at the Community Club meeting on Monday,” Tempe said. If she belonged to the Women’s Club no doubt she’d joined the Community Club too.    

“No, I couldn’t make it. We both had doctor’s appointments in Dennison.”         

Tempe recited a shortened version of the litany about preventing bear encounters she’d given at the meeting.

“You mean bears have been known to open doors and climb through windows around here?” Bryce Tingsley’s white eyebrows had shot up.

“Bears are strong animals, but remember, they’re only looking for food. If your doors and windows are locked, you shouldn’t have a problem.”

Vivian Hampton pulled on Tempe’s arm.

“I’ve got to go. If you have a problem call 911. If you see a bear, get away from it.”

Deborah Tingsley leaned against her husband. “Maybe we shouldn’t have moved up here.”

He patted his wife’s hand. “We’ll do exactly what the deputy said and we’ll be fine, I’m sure.” He didn’t appear convinced.

Tempe led Vivian back through the house and to the front door.

Vivian said, “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you home to Ben.”

Bryce Tingsley followed along behind. As soon as Tempe and Vivian were outside, he shut the door and Tempe heard the lock click.

Once she seat belted Vivian into the front seat and they began driving up the hill, the woman said, “I know you. I’ve ridden in your truck before.”

“Yes, you have,” Tempe said.

As they drove past the entrance to Farrel Sparks property, she sighed. “You came and got me from Farrel’s. Ben must never know about Farrel and me. It would break his heart to know his wife and best friend are having an affair.”

Fascinating how Vivian jumped about in time. Tempe had no idea how to respond to that remark so she said nothing.

Anne – I really enjoyed that scene. Thank you! Next on my wish list for today. I’d love to see a photo of your home office. Show us where all of this creativity begins, Marilyn!

Marilyn – Here you go.

Anne – Thank you. It's great to see just a little clutter, but honestly, you've got nothing on me. ;-) Where can readers reach you online?

Marilyn – At my website,  blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Anne - Tell us about your Mystery We Write Blog Tour giveaway.

Marilyn - I’ll be picking a winner for a copy of Bears With Us from one of the people who comments on my posts during this blog tour.

Anne – Thank you so much, Marilyn. It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.  Happy writing!

* * *

AKA Update: I’m visiting John M. Daniel today. Please drop by his blog, and leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Tomorrow on Day 5 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest is Jean Henry Mead.

Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and happy reading!

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Day 3: Mystery We Write Tour with Mike Orenduff

It’s day 3 of the second 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. We’re fifteen mystery authors on a virtual two-week tour of interviews, excerpts and of course, giveaways. (Rules may vary author to author. Details posted on our blogs.) About those giveaways - sixty (yes, 60!) free books are up for grabs, so let’s get started and talk writing!

My guest today is Mike Orenduff.

Mike grew up in a house so close to the Rio Grande that he could Frisbee a tortilla into Mexico. He came by his love of pueblo pottery during weekends, buying small pots from the pueblos his family visited and – in one case – acquiring one when his sister traded chocolate chip cookies for it. His love of pottery expanded to a general interest in archaeology which he studied as an undergraduate.

While in graduate school at the University of New Mexico, Mike worked during the summer as a volunteer teacher at one of the nearby pueblos. He went on to serve as President of New Mexico State University and as a visiting faculty member at West Point and President of Bermuda College. After retiring from higher education, he rekindled his love of the Southwest by writing his award-winning Pot Thief murder mysteries which combine archaeology and philosophy with humor and mystery. Among his many awards are the New Mexico Book of the Year, the “Lefty” national award for best humorous mystery and two “Eppies” for the best eBook mysteries.

His first book ‘The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras’ was described by The Baltimore Sun as, “funny at a very high intellectual level and deliciously delightful,” and his latest, ‘The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier’ was called "the perfect fusion of murder, mayhem and margaritas” by The El Paso Times.

Anne – Welcome to my little corner of cyberspace, Mike. Tell us about your most recent release.

Mike - The most recent and fourth in the series is The Pot Thief Who StudiedEscoffier. It was the most fun to write because of its farcical premise. My potter protagonist, Hubie, is hired to design and create special plates for a new Austrian restaurant in Santa Fe. When the restaurant goes broke, Hubie is prevailed upon by the staff to help them save their jobs by changing the restaurant’s name from Schnitzel to Chile Schnitzel and its cuisine to Austrian/New Mexican fusion.

Anne - Is there a message in The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier you want readers to grasp?

Mike - Although my books are light and humorous, there is an important message in all of them; namely, that the things all cultures share are much more important than the few ways in which they differ. That is why Hubie says about the anonymous 10th Century woman who made some pots he illegally dug up:

She and I are alike in many ways. We were born under the same desert sky and looked up at the same starscape. We both enjoyed the feel of wet clay between our fingers. We both experienced the disappointment of discovering a fissure in a pot when the firing temperature fluctuated too much. Neither of us ever had much interest in living anywhere else. 

We are from different tribes from different original continents. But we are both human, and like all members of our species, we need shelter, food, drink, and companionship to live. We laugh and cry. We fail and feel pain and exasperation. We overcome and experience triumph and joy. 

I don’t know any of the details of her life, but I know she was a potter, and that’s enough for me. She could distinguish a beautiful well-made pot from an ugly ill-formed one. She took pride in her work. I take pride in mine. But I also take pride in the three pots of hers I found. Though I didn’t make them, I’m proud to share membership with her in the potters’ clan of the human tribe.

Anne - How long does it take you to write a book?

Mike - I can write a first draft in thirty days, but because activities other than writing make claims on my time, those thirty days usually are strewn along a three-month period. I spend much more time re-writing than writing. I go through the manuscripts making changes until I finally get to the point of not seeing anything else to change. I’d guess that averages about twenty times through the manuscript.

Anne - Do you belong to any writer's organizations, critique groups, and/or depend on beta readers?

Mike - I belong to several writer's organizations but no critique groups. I depend on two groups of readers whom I call alpha and beta. There are about two dozen alpha readers. Some are writers, some are fans who have volunteered, and some are friends. After I rewrite to take into account their input, I send the new manuscript to my beta readers. Then I go over it another half dozen times. Mind you, this is primarily about content, not typos. I try to catch as many as possible, of course, but I am not an excellent proof-reader and depend on others who are more skilled at that craft.

Anne - What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Mike - The hardest thing is when I want to write and can’t. Nothing about writing itself is hard for me. I absolutely love to write.

Anne - What is the most surprising thing you've learned about yourself from your writing?

Mike - I think writing has made me a better person. I used to be somewhat driven and impatient. But the longer I write, the more mellow I become. I suspect it may be because I can control the world I create in my fiction, but it also may be that writing is a naturally empathic activity. You have to listen to your characters and care about them.

Anne – How true! Where can readers find you online?

Mike – At my website and blog.

Anne – You’re offering a giveaway to readers. Tell us about.

Mike – I’m giving away a print copy of The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy. One name from today’s comments will be selected at random.

Anne – Thanks so much for dropping by today, Mike, and good luck to everyone on ThePot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy giveaway.

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AKA Update: I’m visiting Pat Browning today. Please drop by her blog, and leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Tomorrow on Day 4 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest is Marilyn Meredith.

Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and happy reading!

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Day 2: Mystery We Write Tour with Jinx Schwartz

It’s day 2 of the second 2011 Mystery We Write Blog Tour. We’re fifteen mystery authors on a virtual two-week tour of interviews, excerpts and of course, giveaways. (Rules may vary author to author. Details posted on our blogs.) About those giveaways - sixty (yes, 60!) free books are up for grabs, so let’s get started and talk writing!

My guest today is Jinx Schwartz. Raised in the jungles of Haiti and Thailand, with visits to Texas in-between, Jinx followed her father's steel-toed footsteps into the Construction and Engineering industry in hopes of building dams. Finding all the good rivers taken, she traveled the world and built mega-projects in Alaska, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Like the protagonist in her mystery series, Hetta Coffey, Jinx was a woman with a yacht—and she wasn't afraid to use it—when she met her husband, Mad Dog Schwartz. They opted to become cash-poor cruisers rather than continue with the rat race. They sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, turned left, and headed for Mexico. They now divide their time between Arizona and Mexico's Sea of Cortez.

Jinx's seventh book in her award-winning series, Just Deserts: Book Four of the Hetta Coffey mystery series, was recently released. Her other books include a YA fictography of her childhood in Haiti (Land of Mountains), an adventure in the Sea of Cortez (Troubled Sea) and an epic novel of the 30 years leading to the fall of the Alamo (The Texicans).

It’s a pleasure to chat with you today, Jinx. Let’s talk writing!

Anne - When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?

Jinx - I did not set out to be a writer. Not once, even though I have been an avid reader my entire life, did it occur to me to write a book until I found myself afloat with no television, no job, no phone, nada.

Over twenty years ago, my new hubby and I decided to take our boat from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on a three-month voyage. Much like the crew of the Minnow, we never returned. No, we were not shipwrecked, we just decided we liked Mexico and since all we owned was the boat, we would opt out for awhile. It turned out to be a very long while.

During the summers, when the Sea of Cortez is hotter than the hinges of Hell, we returned to Texas, my native state. Okay, so it wasn’t any cooler there, but we have fantastic air conditioning.

As a ninth-generation Texan, I knew some of the family history, but that first summer back home I spent many hours in frigid libraries, putting faces to that boring genealogy chart. Of course, I had to make up my own faces, as many were around before photography and not rich enough for portraits. Why, oh why, hadn’t someone, when I was slogging through those same history books back in school, tell me these people were my relatives?

I made my own charts, wrote small stories about each of these people with information gleaned from Texana sections all over the state, and finally focused on one couple I found especially interesting. Next thing I knew, I had written The Texicans. Actually, it took three years of research and another year of writing and rewriting and editing before I had to pull on my big girl panties and search for a publisher. Like that was going to happen.

With spectacular naiveté, I sent a copy of the manuscript, unsolicited, to Elmer Kelton, the premier Texas writer, and since God protects fools, he actually answered and gave me great advice. (SHOW, DON’T TELL, being the best.) Still unable to find a publisher for my GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL, I dug into the coffers and self-published The Texicans. In hard cover. I do not recommend this.

Again, someone was watching over my shoulder. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) Books in Motion picked it up as an audio book, which they rented out at truck stops all over the U.S.. I was written up in Trucker Digest!

Finally, I found an Indie publisher for the paperback. Since 2002, I have published six more books with the same publisher. Most are in audio and print, and all are in some e-book format.

Anne – What an incredible journey! Tell us about your most recent release.

Jinx - Just Deserts, is book 4 in the Hetta Coffey Mystery series. This award-winning series features a woman with a yacht, and she’s not afraid to use it. Hetta Coffey is single, pushing forty, and runs a one-woman engineering consulting firm, Hetta Coffey, S.I. LLC. The S.I. is a little phonetic joke, her acronym for Civil Engineer.

With a penchant for high-paying but odd-ball projects (read: somewhat unethical and politically incorrect) she earns enough to keep her floating home afloat. Just Deserts finds her high and dry on the tumultuous Arizona/Mexico border while her boat is in dry dock in Mexico. All hell is breaking loose, even before she gets there.

Anne - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Jinx - HETTA COFFEY is my favorite character. She’s a woman with a yacht, and she’s not afraid to use it. The problem with Hetta though, is that no matter how hard I try, I cannot keep that Texan out of trouble. Just Deserts is no exception.

Some folks think this series is autobiographical. I call them fictography, a word I blatantly lifted from a John Grisham book back blurb. Just Add Water, first in the series, won an EPPIE award in 2007 for Best Mystery, and Just Add Trouble, was a finalist.  Just Add Salt, second in the series, takes Hetta into hot Mexican waters.

Anne - I often write while sitting in my car. Parked. In my driveway! I call it my “cone of silence”. My very own writer’s cocoon, if you will. Do you have a unique place to write?

Jinx - I do most of my research and storyline work during the summer, where my desk faces a vista comprised of the mountains of Mexico and Arizona, and a golf course. Then, during the winter months, I do the actually writing aboard our boat, away from distractions like television and telephones.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Jinx - Write the best book you can, get a really good editor (no, not your mother, even if she is an English teacher), find another editor to check the first editor, then re-edit the whole thing yourself, about a hundred times. Did I mention EDIT? It is the most important thing you can do for your book. Rushing into publication, which is easy these days, with grammatical and spelling errors is disastrous. Don’t do it.

Anne – Where can readers find you online?

Jinx – At my website, blog, and facebook.

Anne – You’re offering a giveaway to Mystery We Write Blog Tour readers. Tell us about it.

Jinx - To introduce readers to the hilarious adventures of Hetta Coffey, I am offering a copy of Just Add Water, first in the series, to the first person to respond to this blog with answers to the following questions:

-Where in the world is the Mar de Cortez?

-What makes a boat a yacht?

-Do you have to have a license to drive a boat?

Anne – Thanks so much, Jinx, and good luck to readers on her Just Add Water giveaway.

* * *

AKA Update: I’m visiting Ron Benrey today. Please drop by his blog, and leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Tomorrow on Day 3 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest will be Mike Orenduff.

Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and happy reading!

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