Sunday, June 24, 2012

Getting to know Lorraine Bartlett


Today, we have mystery author, Lorraine Bartlett, with us. I’ve read her Victoria Square mysteries and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Now, let’s get to know Lorraine. 
 
Lorraine, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer? If so, how?
I grew up in Rochester, NY. My childhood was pretty boring. I watched a lot of television, but often was dissatisfied with the stories of the day. I remember lying in bed at night and rethinking whatever episode of whatever show I’d watched that day that disappointed me and wondered how it could have been “fixed” to be more entertaining.
Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?
I still live in Rochester (about 2 miles from where I grew up). One of my series, The Victoria Square Mysteries, is sort of set in this area. I picked a town a little farther west than my own, but have mentioned the suburb where I grew up. (In fact, I let my protagonist graduate from the same high school I did.) It’s much easier to write about a locale you know intimately.
Why do you write under three different names?
My first published series, The Jeff Resnick Mysteries, came out with a small press. My agent at the time believe that men wouldn’t buy books written by women. (She appears to have been partially right) and suggested I should write under my initials. When it came time to write the Booktown Mysteries, my publisher requested I write it under a pseudonym (Lorna Barrett). I now write both series, plus a third: The Victoria Square Mysteries, which has come out under my own name.
How do you create the characters in your books?
Most of my characters just appear on the page. I might think of someone’s face or mannerisms, but generally my characters are pretty much original, and I like it that way. (I wouldn’t want to be sued because someone thought I’d captured them a little too clearly.)
Did you plan your series before or after you wrote the first book?
I guess I figured each of my three series would be a series from the get-go. In fact, I wrote the first three Jeff Resnick books simultaneously. (Not that I’d recommend that.) But as I wrote something in book three, I thought I’d best go back to book one to lay the groundwork. In the end, it worked out well.
Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery genre.
Do I have to limit it to three? I love and still reread several of Barbara Michaels books. In fact, I recently reread “The Dancing Floor.”  I’m a big fan of Dick Francis and have reread “Straight” at least a dozen times. I love the work of Ellery Adams (Jennifer Stanley) and Leann Sweeney, too.
What are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?
I’m a “junker.”  I used to have a booth in an antiques arcade (for 12 years). You can take the girl out of the business, but not the business out of the girl  I still go junking most every weekends. My plan is to open an Etsy store for “girly” stuff (mostly hand painted dishware and old linens) one day.
Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go?
I like to go on a cruise. On my last one, I wrote for six to eight hours every day (for three weeks), longhand. I got a LOT of work done. So much so, that I’m planning on going on another cruise. It wasn’t so much the ports of call, it was being at sea and being away from the internet. I didn’t have to cook or clean or worry about the bills. I just sat on the shady side of the deck and wrote. Then I’d have gourmet meals three times a day and didn’t have to wash any dishes or clean up. It was heaven.
How would you finish this sentence? If I won a million dollars, I would ------
Have the cleaning lady come every week, not every two weeks. Let someone else do the laundry. I’d update my kitchen …  I’d buy a mini van with stow-and-go seats. My aspirations aren’t all that high, I guess.
What’s your favorite color? Why?
Blue. It’s the color of the sky.
Describe yourself – not physically – but personality wise.
Ambitious. I never thought of myself as that way until I became a full-time author. I have a lot of goals I’d still like to make, and I wonder if I ever will. But I know for sure that I’m going to keep working at attaining them.
Thanks for spending time with us today, Lorraine. It’s been fun getting to know you.
Lorraine Bartlett writes the New York Times bestselling Victoria Square Mysteries. She's done it all--from drilling holes for NASA to typing scripts in Hollywood.
She also writes the Jeff Resnick Mysteries as L.L. Bartlett, and the New York Times Bestselling, Agatha-nominated Booktown Mysteries as Lorna Barrett. Murder On The Half Shelf, Book #6 in the Booktown Mystery series, will be released on July 3rd.

For more information and a list of other available titles, visit 

12 comments:

  1. Pat,
    You interviewed one of my favorite authors today. I enjoyed your interview tremendously. Lorraine is a superb writer and I manage to get lost in all of her series. I also enjoy antiquing (junking) too. My thing is to collect trunks, camel back, odd shaped and just plain interestingly painted ones. I have added a couple to my stories. Definitely let me know when you open your ETSY store. Keep writing .

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    1. Kat,
      I love Lorraine's Victoria Square Series. I'll have to check out her other books too.

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  2. Terrific interview, and I enjoyed reading about you, Lorraine. I believe I'm going to have to try the Victoria Square series. I haven't read any of those yet. I'm also a Leanne Sweeney fan.

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  4. Hi, Kat -- isn't junking the most fun. (Although this past weekend was the PITS! I spent a whopping $1.55.) I'll make an announcement whenever I get around to opening my Etsy shop. Now, to find the time to actually do it!

    Hi, Marja, I hope you will try my Katie Bonner/Victoria Square Mysteries. Isn't Leann the best? She's one of my closest friends.

    Thank you both for commenting on my interview. It was a blast to do.

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  5. Patricia I loved the interview with Lorraine, her books are what I love to read. Another coin worth the pay. Augie

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  6. Patricia, this was a delightful introduction to Lorraine. I haven't read any of her books but I hope to. Thanks so much for the interview.

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    1. Eileen,
      I'm glad you enjoyed the interview and I know you'll enjoy reading Lorraine's novels.

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  7. just happened upon your blog. would you like to meet thr"real" jeff resnick? visit jeffresnick.blogspot.com. ans say hi. Born and raised in Rochester, too. Hmmmm . . . more than a mystery here?

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  8. Jeff,
    I'm glad you "happened" upon my blog. I'm sure Lorraine will be thrilled to see you here. I know I am!
    I'll definitely check out your blog. :)

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  9. Eileen, I hope you'll take a chance on one or more of my series.

    Wow--what a coincidence, eh Jeff? My Jeff was named after Jeff Randall in the British TV show Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased). (Known in the US as My Partner The Ghost.) I picked Resnick out of the phone book. And I also know there's an author called Jeffrey Resnick. It is indeed a small world!

    Thanks again for interviewing me, Pat!

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