Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
SC: I’ve been a mystery reader since I was a kid. I used to love the Nancy Drew and Boxcar Children mystery books. As I got older I consumed Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes books and loved Murder She Wrote on TV and Hercule Poirot movies. So it’s a natural progression for me, as a writer, to write mysteries.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
SC: I actually started my writing career with paranormal, adding romantic suspense to my repertoire a couple of years later, and fleshing out my resume with a few contemporary romances. I’ve only recently morphed into a cozy mystery writer.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
SC: Yesterday’s Mysteries begin with an event in history, and are discovered and solved by a contemporary woman who deals in antiques. I thought adding a couple of ghosts as sidekicks made sense because we all know spirits are tied to things from their era. #:0) And the sexy ex-cop who works for Anna Yesterday and helps her solve her crimes is just icing on the cake!
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
SC: I love Joss, the sexy cowboy ghost who sees himself as Anna’s protector. Joss haunts Yesterday’s Antiques because Anna has his gun belt and holster—dug up by workers when she was renovating the store. He has an interesting personality. He’s everything you’d expect a cowboy from the 1800s to be—gruff, opinionated, and sexy as hell. But he has a gooey center where Anna’s concerned, and he’s also the peace-keeper between Anna and her other cranky spirit, Bess. Bess was a saloon girl when she lived a couple of centuries ago, and Anna hasn’t figured out what ties her to the shop yet.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
SC: I’ve been an author for over a decade, with a few dozen books published in paranormal/fantasy and romantic suspense/mystery. Adding cozy mysteries to my list of published works was an easy decision. I’m very pleased to finally be doing what I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
SC: Agatha Christie, because I consider her a phenomenal mystery writer.
Charlaine Harris, because I’d love to ask her how having her popular Sookie Stackhouse series turned into a wildly admired television series has affected her as a writer.
Diana Gabaldon, because I’d love to talk to her about how her fiction brought America’s early years to life for me.
Edgar Allen Poe, because, I mean, who wouldn’t want a glimpse into that dude’s mind. LOL
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
SC: I am currently eyebrow-deep in historical romance novels. I’m actually judging for a contest. #:0)
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
SC: Absolutely! Something readers might not know about me is that I have 13 dogs. Nope, that wasn’t a typo. My husband and I rescue dogs (and sometimes just adopt them because they’re cute!) and we live on a small hobby farm so we have room to keep lots of them. Needless to say that keeps me pretty busy in my spare time.
I also have 2 horses, though I have to admit I don’t have much time to ride anymore. I have plans to change that in the near future…as soon as I get my writing projects under control. LOL
When I’m not caring for my critters I like to do power yoga, go out to dinner with my husband, and go to movies with my daughters. And of course I read whenever I have the chance.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
SC: Juice. Ice cream. Chicken. Protein bars.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
SC: Yes!!! I’ll keep writing Yesterday’s Mysteries as long as readers are interested in reading them. I also write a romantic suspense series about 8 brothers named Honeybun, and I always weave a mystery into those stories, along with the romance and exciting suspense! In fact, I actually weave some kind of mystery into most of my books. I just can’t seem to help myself. #:0)
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
SC: Control and challenge. I’m slowly putting more and more of my work and energy into creating unique works under my own imprint, Electric Prose Publications, because I like being able to manage every aspect of the books, from cover design to marketing. I enjoy making adjustments to my strategy when something doesn’t work and I’m always looking for new ways to do things. In a sea of authors and books, it’s a challenge getting your work noticed and requires constant vigilance and management to build an audience. I love that challenge.
Kathy: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
SC: I’m so pleased to visit, Kathy! I love cozy mystery aficionados because we’re a delightfully thoughtful and investigative group! Thanks so much for letting me stop by.
Sam, that dinner party would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Especially Poe. He'd have to be interesting to talk to. LOL
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Sara!
Wonderful interview, Sam. I love learning more about you and you're fantastic books. Glad to hear you have more in the works.:)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sloane!
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