A Visit with Peg Brantley

Peg Brantley spent over 25 years in corporate America, many of them running her own businesses. At any given time she could have helped you finance real estate or sold you a bag of popcorn or tube of lipstick. She says she's unabashedly happy to leave those years behind. The Colorado native is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She and her husband live southeast of Denver, and have shared their place with an occasional pair of mallard ducks, snapping turtles, peacocks, assorted other birds, foxes, a deer named Cedric and a bichon named McKenzie.

Peg, tell us about your debut novel and the one which follows.

RED TIDE: When both old and new secrets are uncovered at a burial site, the timetable of a madman moves up. Jamie Taylor and her human remains detection dog set out to find some bodies buried for more than a decade. They found them—and some new surprises as well. 

ROUGH WATERS: Money may not be able to buy love, but enough of it can buy a new heart. Detective Chase Waters finds himself working the most interesting case of his career—one that comes closer to home than he could ever imagine. Are the mutilated bodies of young men and women the result of cult… or commerce?

 Why did you choose the mystery genre?

A lot of mothers in my generation raised their daughters to cook. Not mine. She raised my sister and I to read. Agatha Christie and Phyllis Whitney were staples in our house. I think it was somewhere in the Nancy Drew series that the idea of one day writing my own books settled itself in my heart.

 Which novelist(s) most influenced your own writing and why?

What a great question! In addition to the classic writers, I used to pick up a Mary Higgins Clark book the minute it came out. I loved her pacing and the short chapters. Dean Koontz can take eight words and paint a scene. Tim Hallinan can make you feel the humidity of Bangkok. There are many more but I try not to write so much that readers begin to skim.

How important have organizations such as Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime been to your writing career?

Writing organizations begin by welcoming and mentoring. They make dreamers believe it’s possible. They offer classes and information and most of all… friendships. Writing is a solitary business. Writing organizations and their online presence are like the water coolers in a traditional business: a place to gather and relax and be understood.

Has your business career influenced your writing in any way?

In RED TIDE, Jamie Taylor’s real job is as a mortgage loan officer for a bank. I used that career to counter the passion she feels as a Search and Rescue volunteer. Other than that, my business background helps me manage the business side of my writing career. Too bad my previous careers didn’t involve heavy-duty marketing.

 What’s the best part of writing and the very worst?

There are so many “best parts” for me: When a story comes together; characters who reveal themselves to me at a very deep level; those days when the words flow like honey but not quite so sticky. Now that I’m published, there have been a lot of firsts. My first review was from someone I don’t know. The first time my book was checked out of the Kindle Owners Lending Library. When I got the paper version of my book and placed it on my bookshelf. I know there are more to come.

The worst? Right now I’m going through the initial self-edits of ROUGH WATERS, which I actually wrote prior to RED TIDE. I’ve learned a lot since then and these edits are making me crazy. I’m not exactly a patient person.

 How have you promoted your book?

Now that’s the million-dollar question! Since no one knows who Peg Brantley is, I offered my first book for free for a few days. I consider the free book program to be a little like the sample download feature. If someone hates the story or the writing or anything else, they can delete my book. But there’s no way I would have gotten over 10,000 sample downloads as a new author out of the gate.

Currently I have three books available as a giveaway on Goodreads and have a targeted ad running in conjunction with that giveaway.

My friends and family did not escape. I pulled out my Christmas card list and sent almost everyone an announcement. So far, the responses have all been positive.

I’m active on Facebook and Twitter, have a personal blog and am proud to be part of Crime Fiction Collective with authors L.J. Sellers, Andrew E. Kaufman, Gayle Carline and C.J. West, along with librarian and reviewer Marlyn Beebe and formatter extraordinaire, Kimberly Hitchens.

Within the last couple of days it was my honor to be asked to become a member of Indie Chicks, a group of phenomenal women who are serious—and have some serious traction to back them up. Before they could rescind their invitation, I told them I was in!

Advice to fledgling writers?

You’ve heard it all before. Read. Study. Write. What I would add is to find the courage to keep pursuing your dream. Be brave. Believe. Find a way to put a jolt of creativity in your life every day. Trust the process. It really does work. Really.

 Anything you’d like to add?

Learning to write (and I will always be learning to write) is a humbling experience. But even more awesome is picturing someone escaping into your words for a while during their day. It’s surreal. Those readers who have enjoyed my first book will certainly make decisions about me based on my second. My responsibility to them is enormous and I don’t want to let them down.

Jean, thank you for allowing me this tremendous opportunity. You have touched the lives of so many writers and readers, mine included. I was the lucky winner of THE QUEEN OF PATPONG by Timothy Hallinan from your site ages ago. Surprise!

Thank you, Peg. And speaking of winning a book, Peg is giving away a copy of RED TIDE to a lucky visitor who leaves a comment here.

A Visit with Betty Webb

Betty Webb is the author of the popular Lena Jones mystery series: Desert Cut, Desert Run, Desert Shadows, Desert Wives,  Desert Noir and Desert Wind. She also shows her softer and more humorous side in a series set in a fictional  California zoo. The first book in the Gunn Zoo series, The Anteater of Death, was  released in November 2008.

Betty, you’ve received some great reviews for your latest release, Desert Wind, including a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Why did you decide to write about the uranium mining which led to the deaths of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and many others?

Here in Arizona the newspapers have been full of articles about people protesting the uranium mining at the Grand Canyon. One part of the Canyon is already radioactive, which I consider an outrage – and as you know, the feeling of outrage is what leads to all the Lena Jones novels (as in “Desert Wives,” where the treatment of women and children in the polygamy compounds had me frothing at the mouth).  After doing some research, I realized that the uranium mining problem also connected up with the nuclear testing program in Nevada, and then – horribly enough – to the filming of “The Conqueror,” which starred John Wayne. Almost half of the film’s stars, extras (including around 150 Paiute Indians) died of cancer after they’d been exposed to concentrated nuclear fallout during one of those tests.

Tell us about your writing background and the presidents you’ve interviewed.

I wrote my first novel when I was 14. It was called “Desert Mane” and was about a horse. Although it was too amateurish to get published, it taught me that even if you only write one page a day, in a year you’ll have completed 365 pages – an entire book! Many years later I became a reporter, which I absolutely loved, and some of the stories I covered made me want to start writing novels again. Reporters uncover a lot of scandals involving the rich and powerful, and that material is simply too rich to confine to a short newspaper article.

Over the course of my newspaper career I was able to interview many powerful people: actors, rock stars, comedians, and politicians (odd, isn’t it, that I mentioned politicians right after comedians). Among the rich and famous were presidents Richard Nixon (surprisingly genial), Jimmy Carter, and once even (for a brief couple of minutes) Bill Clinton. Other big “gets” were Newt Gingrich (highly articulate), John McCain (the guy’s a hoot, a side of him most people don’t get to see), astronaut Buzz Aldrin (I was so impressed I slobbered all over him), Bob Hope, Charlton Heston (very gallant), Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Walter Cronkite, Patrick Swayze (he kissed me!), Norman Mailer (every bit as irascible as you’d think), Tony Bennett (major charmer), the great Joan Baez, and just about every rock star out there. 

You’ve tackled some serious social issues in your desert series. Did the plots originate from stories you covered as a journalist?

 I either covered those stories or some of my reporter friends did and I went chasing after them for more information. That was the case with “Desert Cut,” which exposed the fact that our goofy immigration policies have brought the horrific practice of female genital amputation to America. One of my friends on another paper let me know about that one, then I followed up with my own research. Same with “Desert Run.” I heard the reporter in the cubicle next to mine interview one of the prison guards at a German Prisoner of War camp that existed here in Arizona. The rest of the books emerged from my own reportage.

Do you ever worry about repercussions from local and federal authorities when you expose crimes they would prefer to keep under wraps?

Let’s put it this way – since “Desert Wind” came out, my computer keeps crashing. And my phone is making clicking noises. Call me paranoid, but…

Something similar happened to me,  Betty. Soon after my book, Murder on the Interstate, was released (concerning homegrown terrorists in Arizona), my computer crashed three days in a row, for no apparent reason. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Why did you decide to write a light-hearted series about zoo animals?

I needed the comic relief. Plus, my volunteer work at the Phoenix Zoo was just too interesting not to use. The animals I feature in those books (“The Anteater of Death” and “The Koala of Death” and now “The Llama of Death,” which comes out next January) are animals I have personally known.

Which of your awards means the most to you and why?

I’ll have to go with the Silver Medal for “Desert Wives” which I received from Women Writing the West. The gifted Barbara Seranella and I both shared that one, and since I’ve always greatly respected her work (“No Human Involved,” etc), it was an honor to for one brief moment, to have my book judged equal to hers. 

How do you feel about the e-book revolution? Has it helped your own book sales or simply decreased print sales?

 I have mixed feelings about it. I love bookstore and libraries, and there’s little doubt that e-books are hurting them. However, I also love to see people get published; everyone has a story to tell – some just tell it better than others. As far as sales go, my hardbacks and paperbacks are still outselling my downloads, but I have noticed from recent royalty statements that sales of downloads are increasing. So we’ll have to wait and see on that.

Advice for fledgling writers.

Write. Every. Day. Creativity is a muscle – and like all muscles, use it or lose it. And whatever you do, don’t wait around for “inspiration.” Inspiration only happens when you’re already hard at work writing.

Thank you, Betty.


You can visit Betty Webb at: her website www.bettywebb-mystery.com
and  bettywebb-zoomystery.com  Her blog site and writing tips: http://blogglingwebb.blogspot.com

A Visit with Judy Alter

Judy Alter is the author of the Kelly O’Connell mysteries, Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, and Trouble in a Big Box, which will be released in August. An award-winning novelist, she has written fiction for adults and young adults, primarily about women of the American West, and turned her attention to cozy mysteries in the last few years with admirable success.

Judy, tell us briefly about No Neighborhood for Old Women?

No Neighborhood for Old Women is the second in my Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, following Skeleton in a Dead Space. I have no idea why I came up with the idea of a serial killer, because it’s totally unlike me. I have refused to see Silence of the Lambs, don’t like that kind of blood, gore, and violence at all. But this serial killer is different—he or she targets older women, apparently at random. The title is of course a play on Cormac McCarthy’s  No Country for Old Men, but he stole that from William Butler Yeats’ poem, “Sailing to Byzantium.” It’s the first line of that poem.

 How did the story evolve?

I’m a pantser. I have a general idea of what’s going to happen, get the first line, and go from there, letting the characters tell me. Actually the first line of this one almost takes the novel in another direction because it involves Claire Guthrie shooting her husband in the derriere. A friend of mine told me, when her husband of many years left her for another woman, that someone said she should shoot him in the ass. That tickled me so I wanted to work it into a novel, so that’s how the Claire Guthrie plot (which is more women’s fiction than mystery) got into the novel. But I did want to focus on the death of Kelly’s elderly former neighbor—the police dismiss it as an accident, an old lady falling, but Kelly’s intuition tells her it was murder.

Why did you decide to feature amateur sleuth Kelly O’Connell, a realtor/renovator?

I was trying to think out of the box. We have lots of craft mysteries and culinary mysteries, though I’d love to do a culinary mystery and will probably have one out next January that has to do with a small café. But meantime I was searching for a character with an interesting but different passion. I love old houses, and I live near a neighborhood with many 1930s Craftsman houses. So Kelly’s specialty is renovation—and she’s good at authenticity, and at spotting houses with potential and those beyond help.

You’ve written more than 60 western genre books. When and why did you decide to write mysteries?

The market for my kind of westerns seemed to peter out. My agent died, Bantam discontinued its western program, and I kind of lost my zeal for it, after years of writing about women of the West. For a few years, I wrote young/adult nonfiction on assignment. But a part of me always wanted to write a mystery. I’m an avid reader of cozies, and I kept thinking if these other women can do it, so can I. I had no idea how many other writers are out there thinking the same thing. I don’t find it competitive—indeed the writers I know are supportive—but it’s easy to get lost in the throng of authors seeking publication.

Tell us about your position as director of Texas University Press.

I loved that job! I thought I had the ideal world because my two hats—publishing and writing—went together so well. I met lots of authors, got to know other publishers, and one career seemed to boost the other. But after thirty years (I am not getting younger!) I realized I was tired of the 8-5 routine. Only when I retired did I realize how stressful the job was. I still feel very attached to TCU Press and proud of the program I developed there.

You’ve had some terrific reviews by the Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, Literary Times and other publications. Do reviews, good or bad, affect book sales, in your opinion?

Yes, I think they do a great deal, and one of the troubles of being with a small, indie publisher is the difficulty of getting reviews. My publisher has only recently started sending out advance review copies. Otherwise I have to say I absolutely love being with Turquoise Morning Press. A wonderful group of people and the nicest authors ever. But I was disappointed not to get more reviews of Skeleton in a Dead Space and am hoping to do better this time.

Which of your books was the most difficult to research and write and which was your favorite?

Oh, you can’t ask which is my favorite. That’s like asking which of my four children is my favorite.  But I think perhaps Libbie about Elizabeth Bacon Custer’s years on the frontier with General George Armstrong Custer took the most research. Libbie left three books, but I read a lot of Custer material, tried to figure out the intricacies of who did what at Little Big Horn, and tried to sort out the material that wanted to make a god of Custer. I finally wrote with books and notes spread all over my desk. But I do like the book and am delighted it’s once again available as an e-book.

Your awards are many, including being inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. Which one means the most to you and why?

No question about it: The Owen Wister Lifetime Achievement Award from Western Writers of America, Inc. It means a lot because of the words “lifetime achievement” and because I devoted a lot of energy to that group for many years, made many dear friends, and learned a lot.

What are you currently working on now?

I just finished edits for the third Kelly O’Connell Mystery, Trouble in a Big Box, due out in August and also am almost finished with my own final revisions of what I hope will be the first in a second series called Blue Plate Mysteries. The first one is tentatively titled Murder at the Blue Plate Café, for lack of better inspiration. The Blue Plate Café is in a small East Texas town and is modeled on a café where I enjoyed many happy meals with my kids and dear family friends. Now I need to start n the fourth Kelly O’Connell—I have a few ideas but nothing firm.

Advice to fledgling authors?

Only write if you have a passion for it, and then, if you do, persist. I worked on Skeleton in a Dead Space, both writing and trying to market, for about six years. And join a writers group for whatever genre you write in. I have found Sisters in Crime and the Guppies subgroup invaluable—it was like learning all that I did for a Ph.D. but just different information. An intense education.

Anything you’d like to add?

Writing has given me a great life. I can’t imagine not writing. And women of the American West have been very good to me. I hope Kelly O’Connell and Kate Chambers (the Blue Plate Series) will be as good. I couldn’t ask for more than my current writing life—I love it.

 Thank you, Judy. You can visit Judy's website at: http://www.judyalter.com and her blog sites:

http://www.judys-stew.blgospot.com,  http://potluckwithjudy.blogspot.com Also

Pinterest: Judy Alter, Facebook: Judy Alter, Fort Worth and Twitter: @judyalter

A Visit with Barbara D'Amato

Barbara D'Amato served as 1999-2000 president of Mystery Writers of America and is a past president of Sisters in Crime International. She writes a mystery series starring Chicago freelance investigative reporter Cat Marsala, a series starring Chicago patrol cops Suze Figueroa and Norm Bennis, and standalone novels. Her thriller Foolproof, co-written with Jeanne M. Dams and Mark Richard Zubro, was published in December 2009. Her latest release is Other Eyes.

Barbara, You've held a number of unusual jobs, from assistant tiger handler to teaching mystery writing to Chicago police officers. When and why did you decide to become a writer?

For years, my idea of a perfect day was work all day, make dinner, then read a mystery. Like almost all the mystery writers I know, I finally thought "This looks like fun. I should write one." It's MUCH harder than it looks.

What does the job of crime researcher entail? And how do you conduct research?

I no longer do active crime research for legal cases. Searching old paper files, interviewing police officers and running after witness, videotaping possible routes of fleeing felons--all that is a young person's job. For my fiction, though, I do visit possible crime scenes. Plus, thank goodness for the Internet and Google Earth.

What was the result of your research of the Dr. John Branion murder case?

Dr. John Branion had been convicted of the murder of his wife and was in prison in Illinois when I first met him. His second wife, Shirley, whom he had married while out on bond pending appeal, had seen an article about my husband, Northwestern law professor Tony D'Amato, securing the freedom of a man imprisoned in Mexico. But Tony is an international law specialist, not a criminal law specialist. I looked at the facts of the crime and could see no way for Dr. Branion to have gone home at lunch, shot his wife, then picked up his son at school, visited a friend, and gone back home to discover the body. Let alone the fact that the neighbor in the adjacent apartment heard shots while Dr. Branion was still at the hospital. While new appeal briefs were being written, I started working on what I thought would be a short article on a time alibi that might help the case. It turned into a book that took five years to write--The Doctor, The Murder, The Mystery, published by Noble Press. Dr. Branion was never freed by the system, but I am glad he and his family could know as a result of the research that went into the book that he was innocent.


Tell us about your latest book, Other Eyes. 

Blue Eriksen is a forensic archaeologist who became famous, much to her amazement, when her book Goddess became a bestseller. It was scholarly, it had footnotes! She has recently seen evidence that the hallucinogen psilocybin can prevent or cure addiction to many illegal drugs. She is now testing ancient mummies for evidence of the use of hallucinogens in the development of religions. Other Eyes takes her to Peru and to Catalhuyuk in central Turkey, considered the first city in human history. Unknown to her, someone is following her to kill her.

Have you used the research you've conducted for law enforcement agencies as background for your books?

The research I've done on crimes, and the police officers' wonderful stories, get used in my fiction constantly. I wouldn't want to waste such riches.

Are your son and husband involved in your work?

My husband has a wealth of law tales and also keeps me from making mistakes in legal processes. My son Brian has read my stuff since he was in middle school. It was good to have somebody a generation younger to look at it. He would find phrases I thought were the latest thing and draw cornbobs in the margins, meaning "Mom, this is corny." He is now a published author-- Beauty [Delacorte] and In the Courts of the Sun [Dutton]. A wise writer friend once told me that he thought the reason children of writers often became writers was that they know it isn't easy.

How has writing changed your life?

Writing has made it possible for me to go places, meet people, and see processes I never would have otherwise. [Never would have had the nerve otherwise]. It's enriched my life.

Who most influenced your own writing?

Agatha Christie. Nobody else has plotted so cleanly, so crisply, so fairly, and yet so deceptively.

Advice to aspiring writers?

Don't try to jump on a trend. If it takes a year to write a book, then however long to find a publisher, then a year or so to go through editing, copy editing, and so on, the trend may be gone. In any case, your best asset is your own voice.

Thanks for the visit, Barbara.

You can visit Barbara at her website: http://www.barbaradamato.com/ where you can read the first chapter of Other Eyes. She doesn't Tweet but shares a blog site with other Chicago-area writers titled: The Outfit, a Collective.

A Visit with L.F. Crawford

L.F. Crawford holds an M.A. in Psychology – handy in developing characters and their murderous motivations. She started writing 16 years ago and is an award-winning author of over 14 books. One of the things she enjoys most about her job is the research – which recently included a helicopter ride in a Robinson-22. Beverly Hills Voodoo, featuring Detectives Murry and Kidman – and a touch of the supernatural – was the first book in her current suspense series. The sequel, Fortune Cookie Karma followed and, Bad Moon Rising, the third book in the series is now out in hardcover. Three of her books were nominated for the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers Choice award for Best Mystery. ). Two have been on the publisher’s bestseller list. Her books have won the Eppie for Best Mystery and been a finalist for Best Mystery three times.

Louise, why are your novels referred to as smart, sexy suspense?

I used the word SMART because I get irritated when a character does something stupid in order for the plot to work. So, I hope I never get that complaint from a reader. SEXY because I've written some romantic suspense novels (like Blaze of Glory, Hat Trick, and 12 Jagged Steps), and SUSPENSE because that's primarily what I've been writing for the last 10 years.

Some of your books involve voodoo. How long have you been interested in the occult?

I actually had a dream about two detectives talking about a homicide case where a woman had been beheaded and her head was missing. That was the beginning of Beverly Hills Voodoo. Then I needed to figure out why the woman had been beheaded and after tons of research, decided voodoo would be the most interesting to delve into and would also allow me to create some great characters.

How much research do you conduct before you actually begin writing? And what’s the most unusual thing you’ve done in the name of research?

Sometimes I leave the setting/location research until last. Usually I research as I write, and rewrite. When I started writing Beverly Hills Voodoo, Detective Murry didn't have a twin brother. But he showed up and I loved him. He was a famous opera star and Murry got ribbed to death at work because of it. I then researched opera and how much training it takes for someone to become an opera singer. I did a lot of research on Haiti's history for my Haitian characters and my voodoo sorcerer. Readers have told me they learned a lot about voodoo that they didn't know--in a fun way.

Tell us about your latest novel.

Bad Moon Rising, my third Murry/Kidman novel deals with the aftermath of the previous book. You don't have to have read the second book, but in the third book, Murry is separated, hurting, and Billy Kidman and Murry's brother take him on a getaway, get-over-her cruise. Only there's a Jamaican werewolf on board who's taught his psychopathic girlfriend his family's secret of shapeshifting. This leads to murder and to Billy becoming a prime suspect while the ship is docked in New Orleans. Murry must rise from his depression and drinking to prove his partner's innocence. Ultimately, Murry ends up on Jamaica, hunted by werewolves determined to keep their secret hidden. I'd wanted to write this book ever since I had a Jamaican woman tell me a story about how fathers pass on shapeshifting ability to their sons--at least there's a legend about it.

Have you ever been so frustrated with marketing your work that you considered giving up writing?

All the time. I've decided to do what I can. I have a day job as we writers like to say--that isn't writing. And I'm not someone who enjoys being in a spotlight. I am a good speaker, I've been told, and I actually enjoy speaking to groups about writing or my experiences in the business, but I don't do as much as I see others doing--and it does effect sales.

You’ve won a number of awards. Which means the most to you?

I think the Eppie for Best Mystery (for Hat Trick) because even though Hat Trick and Beverly Hills Voodoo were both finalists I had little confidence in my writing. I remember the first award I ever won, I discounted it as a fluke. And when I won an award for Hat Trick I began to think that maybe I could do this crazy thing called writing.

Have any of your characters ever refused to do what you want them to do? And have you ever painted yourself into a corner?

Yes, I've had characters not do what I wanted them to do. Usually because I was having problems with the plot, like painting my character into a corner with no way out, and I've wanted the character to do something he/she wouldn't do, in order to solve the problem. I ended up either revising and/or rewriting the entire book, or my character found a way out that I had no notion of until I got stuck.

How difficult was it for you to “hire” an agent?

It was much more difficult to find one who didn't leave the business before selling my book. I ended up selling my first two books myself. Right now I'm looking for an agent for my latest suspense novel about a female helicopter pilot whose childhood memories start to return, causing her to nearly crash in a helicopter stunt, and a whole slew of problems emerge as she tries NOT to remember and get on with her life.

Advice to aspiring suspense novelists?

Write what you know or would love to learn about. If you're bored, your reader will be, too. Don't give up. If you enjoy writing then it's worth the time and effort. If you want feedback on your writing and support, find a good critique group that can give you both.

Thanks, Louise.

You can visit Louise Crawford at her web and blog site: http://www.lfcrawford.com/ and my blog is posted there. My Facebook url: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000260742615&sk=wall and my twitter url: www.twitter.com/lfcrawford.

A Visit with Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna, do you think that free group  book giveaways are a good promotional event?

Since I personally love to read, and I know I’m always looking for new authors, it’s reasonable to think that by offering a taste of our work, we’ll find new readers. Heck, when they give away free samples in the grocery store, I never can resist buying the product!

 Has the Kindle Select Program had an effect on your book sales?

My new book—Ready, Scrap, Shoot—just came out this month, so I don’t have figures at hand to compare. And you have to understand, I’ve been selling short stories featuring my protagonist, so those are not book sale

Which of your various jobs has contributed most to your fiction writing?

Probably working in the public relations department at Illinois Farm Bureau. I wrote every day, I had a good boss who edited my stuff, and I learned a lot about promotion, which is a key to selling your work.

You have an impressive background, including being named “one of the top 25 speakers in the world” by Sharing Ideas Magazine. Which subjects do you speak about?

I’m a humorist. I talk about how weird life is, and make people laugh.

What did your Chicken Soup for the Soul series stories concern?

One was about the scar on my face. Another was about being a mother. They are all personal essays, a reflection of the life of one woman.

 How important is humor in a mystery novel?

There’s a saying in the public speaking world, “You don’t have to be funny to speak; you just have to be funny if you want to get paid.” I think humor is a great way to lighten up a book, to add balance to grim subjects, and to reveal character. Whether we can laugh at ourselves or not is a sign of maturity, I think.

What prompted your Kiki Lowenstein series?

Two words: Emilie Richards.

I wanted to write a mystery series. She and I were sitting next to each other at a conference. We’d just met, and we were in another author’s session. She passed me a note (just like high school!), and it said, “Why not write about a scrapbooker?” The rest, as they say, is history!

 How did your new Jane Eyre series come about?

Jane Eyre saved my life. I grew up in a home with an alcoholic father, who was abusive. I wanted my life to turn out differently but I didn’t know how to make that happen. I started reading Jane Eyre, and as you know, the subtitle is “An Autobiography.” I didn’t know it was fiction. From it, I saw how an insignificant person with few prospects could change her life through education. “Wow,” I thought, “this is it!” So I followed the formula. I guess I decided to write Jane Eyre because I can’t let go of the novel!

Advice for novice writers.

1. Join a writers’ organization like Sisters in Crime or Romance Writers of America.

2. Welcome criticism from sources who have earned the right to critique your work.

3 . Write as much as you can for as many venues as you can.

Thanks, Joanna.


You can learn more about Joanna Campbell Slan at her website: www.JoannaSlan.com as well as her Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbellSlan

A visit with Axel Brand (aka Richard S. Wheeler)

Award-winning novelist Richard Wheeler has published more than 70 books, among them westerns, historicals, biographies and nonfiction. But few know that he's also Axel Brand, mystery writer. He kept his identity secret from critics since his debut mystery, Hotel Dick, hit the bookstores. That is until now. Next in his series is The Dead Genius.

Richard, why, after publishing 70 books of various genres, did you decide to write a mystery series?

 I love mysteries. These would be a change of pace for me. I'm always looking for new worlds to conquer.

Your pseudonym, Axel Brand, sounds more like a Western author. How did you come up with it?

It's at the top of the alphabet. That means the books will probably be shelved at eye level in any alpha-organized collection, which means they are more likely to be seen and read.

Why did you set your series in the 1940s as opposed to the present time?

There are few mysteries set in that period. Also, it allowed me to employ gumshoe detection without dealing with modern forensic sciences. The series is set in 1940s Milwaukee, where I grew up, a big industrial city I remember well, and one little resembling cities now. In my stories the cops sometimes catch streetcars to get where they're going.

How difficult was it to make the switch to the mystery genre? And did you read a lot of mystery novels before you began writing them?

It wasn't difficult at all. I had to begin with an apparent crime, and let my hero work on it. I've read mysteries much of my life, and have no idea how many. The thing is, mysteries are stories like other fiction, so one starts by spinning a story.

Briefly tell us about your protagonist, Lieutenant Joe Sonntag, and your debut novel, The Hotel Dick.

Well, I loved Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday when I was growing up, so I wanted a low-key detective who used shoe-leather to get down to the facts. I proposed calling my guy Joe Sunday, and the publishers axed that idea, but they bought Joe Sonntag, which amused everyone, and fit Milwaukee perfectly.

What kind of predicament did you get Sonntag into in your forthcoming novel, due to be released in July?

The novel is called The Dead Genius, and the dilemma is whether there was a crime at all. The victim seems to have died a natural death, but Sonntag's superior, Captain Ackerman, has a hunch it was not natural, and sends Sonntag out on a fruitless, dumb investigation that consumes a lot of the resources of the police. Sonntag, meanwhile, is annoyed to be on a case based only on a lousy hunch.

You mention a number of former Hollywood stars in your debut mystery novel. Was that the result of your years in Hollywood as an aspiring actor and screenwriter?

Not really. One of the things that intrigued me about the forties was the look-alike contests that were popular then. People who looked like Shirley Temple or Alan Ladd or Dorothy Lamour could compete, and win prizes for looking the most like the star. Sometimes they would get a trip to Hollywood and a studio tour as the prize, and get a signed picture of the person they resembled. All that, transplanted to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was intriguing, and I built on it. The victim, the hotel detective J. Adam Bark, was involved in the look-alike contests.

Which of your varied genres do you enjoy researching and writing most?

I probably enjoy my biographical novels the most. These require that I remain true to history and true to the character I am depicting, so there is much more challenge to them, and it is also easier to slip up. And because lives are not continuously dramatic, it is harder to place real people in a story. But the mysteries are giving me new challenges. I have to decide on a crime, and work toward its solution, which is entertaining.

Advice to aspiring writers?

Give the stories meaning and make what happens consequential. I keep reading stories in which everything that happens is meaningless and has no impact, which makes a weak story. If it's a murder mystery, remember that death is consequential. People grieve. Families are upset. There are consequences in law, and upon society. I come across murder mysteries where no one cares, there are no funerals, it doesn't seem to matter, all of which undermine the story.

Which mystery writer's work most influenced your own?

Actually, none. There are many mystery writers I enjoy, including Tony Hillerman, Elmore Leonard, Craig Johnson, and Margaret Coel, but these didn't apply to 1940s. Milwaukee and the sort of cop story I had in mind, so I had to feel my way along on my own.

Thanks, Richard.

Thank you for including me in your thoughtful interviews.

You can visit Richard at his blog site: http://richardswheeler.blogspot.com/