Today, I’m delighted to have mystery author, Anne K. Albert visiting with us. I recently read Frank, Incense and Muriel and I loved it! I’m looking forward to reading more books in her Muriel Reeves Mystery series.
Let’s get to know Anne.
Patricia: Where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?
Anne: For a child growing up on the outskirts of a small town on the east coast in the 1950s (please don’t snicker, I really am that old!) it was a lonely existence. I looked forward to attending public school, and never once complained about the 1.5 mile walk there and back, even during the dead of winter. When I discovered the one-room public library was on route, and that I could have my very own library card, it was akin to fireworks going off on the Fourth of July! Books became my friends, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Until I reached a ‘certain’ age, however, I never imagined ordinary people could be writers. It seemed like such an incredible occupation--this ability to create worlds with words!
Patricia: What inspired you to write a novel?
Anne: In the late 1980s, working as a display advertising sales representative for a small weekly newspaper, I came face-to-face with a computer. I fell in love with the music of fingertips flying across the keyboard, and wanted to create my own symphony!
Four manuscripts later, Frank, Incense And Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries, received the 2011 Holt Medallion Award of Merit. I’m extremely proud of this story. As you may have guessed from the title, it takes place the week before Christmas when the holiday season is enough to frazzle anyone’s nerves. Add a missing woman, kidnapper, Muriel’s eccentric family, and it’s seasonal mayhem tied up in a luscious red and green bow!
Patricia: Did you plan to write a series before or after you wrote the first book?
Anne: Like so many readers, I enjoy revisiting intriguing characters and following their continued escapades. There’s something heartwarming about a series, and I knew instinctively Frankie and Muriel were destined to share more than a single adventure.
Patricia: Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go?
Anne: I love to travel. Absolutely L-O-V-E to travel! I’ve been to the British Isles, Eastern Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and toured across America and Canada on numerous occasions. There are still many states and provinces I have yet to see, and Ireland and Paris are also on my bucket list.
Patricia: What’s your answer to this question – If I won a million dollars, I would ------
Anne: If I won a million dollars, I would pretty much carry on living as I am now, except I’d travel more. (Big surprise, huh?!) I’d also give our daughter the cash to repay her student loans.
Thanks so much for featuring me today, Patricia. It’s been such fun.
I’ve enjoyed it, Anne. Thank you! Oh, and by the way, I grew up in the 1950s too but I try to never use the “O” word. :)
Bio: Anne K. Albert’s award winning stories chill the spine, warm the heart and soothe the soul…all with a delightful touch of humor. A member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she credits Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden for nurturing her love affair with a good mystery. When not writing the Muriel Reeves Mysteries series Anne loves to travel, visit friends and family, and of course, read using ‘Threegio’ her cherished and much beloved Kindle 3G.
Here’s the link to read more about and/or to purchase a copy of Frank, Incense and Muriel.
Readers can find Anne online
at her website: www.AnneKAlbert.com,
Anne K. Albert blog: http://anne-k-albert.blogspot.com,
Muriel Reeves Mysteries blog: http://muriel-reeves-mysteries.blogspot.com,
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/annekalbert,
Twitter: @annekalbert
and Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/727vgs6
It's always a pleasure to chat with you, Patricia. Someday we'll have to do it face-to-face...maybe with a glass of wine. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan! And, let's invite Marilyn. :)
DeleteHi, Pat and Anne. It's always nice to get to know more about someone you consider a friend--even if we've never met face-to-face.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
We definitely need to address that, Marilyn...and soon. I have a feeling it would be a blast!
DeleteGood interview, Pat, and very interesting to learn more about you, Anne. It's amazing how many people who read mysteries in their youth grew up to write them. Someone should create a new award and call it a "Nancy." If you two ever get together for that glass of wine, I'd love to join you. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, Earl. "The Nancy" does have a certain ring to it!
DeleteOh Anne, can just see you with your million dollars traveling all over the world! Hope you get there. And Earl, like the "Nancy." Alas, Agatha I think is already taken... Loved hearing from you, Pat and Anne, always, great interview!
ReplyDeleteMadeline
Thanks so much, Mad. As for traveling, well, I'm itching to travel Route 66 again!
DeleteThanks for sharing your dreams with us, Anne, and thank you, Pat, for your fine interview series. As always, it's a pleasure spending time with both of you.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, John. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteAnne,
ReplyDeleteI was delighted to learn more about you and your books because you are one of my on-line friends. I, too, love to travel. As always, Pat has given us a great interview.
Agreed, Marilyn. I really enjoyed Pat's interview questions. I'm also delighted you're my on-line friend. Happy writing and happy reading!
DeleteSo many writers start off their writing careers with stories like yours. It just goes to show how powerful and beautiful books can be. They add grace to our world and now so are you!
ReplyDeleteBooks are powerful, John. That explains why so many regimes and individuals try to censor them. They can burn print copies, but I have a feeling they'll be more hard pressed to track down ecopies as this new technology travels the globe. And while I write books that are meant to entertain, I believe my characters know the meaning of respect and true love and that they are necessary for a good life!
DeleteWould that one day my writing would be so great as to earn a Nancy. Maybe I'll need to create the prize first, then sneak in my prize-winning entry a few years later!
ReplyDeleteSo nice reading about someone who feels like a "sister under the skin". Count me in on some chat time with a glass of wine or a cup of tea or whatever...
Glass of wine and a Nancy nomination coming your way, Marta. Happy writing!
DeleteEnjoyed learning more about Anne. Pat's interviews are always interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes they are! So glad you enjoyed it. :)
DeleteAnne, As usual I enjoyed your interview. I know a lot about the fifties, too, and between you and Pat I feel like I'm in good company. I honestly can't wait for your next book, although I guess I'll have to. Hurry up, wouldya?
ReplyDeleteLOL, Marja. I'll try my best to accommodate you. I have the title picked out (Val and Tyne Day's Murder)...does that count?!
DeleteEnjoyed the interview. It's interesting to hear what people are doing with their $1 million these days. Travel is always the first choice, and a million could go a long way. I'd roam the earth for a few years, but I'd also give each person in my family $75 just to spread it around.
ReplyDeleteHi William. Fortunately, I don't have to stay in the best hotels or visit the "must see" recommended places. I have my own bucket list and often choose desolate destinations where I can just soak up the fresh air, spectacular scenery and enjoy the peace and quiet. (Gosh, does that make me OLD or what?!)
DeleteThanks to everyone who commented on Anne's post today. I took the afternoon off to go to the Florence Antique Mall with my mom, my best friend. We had a great time! I actually didn't buy anything - good thing it wasn't a bookstore!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a great day, Patricia. Sounds like you had FUN!
DeleteGood job, ladies.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, it's always a pleasure to hear from a Mystery We Write blog tour participant!
DeleteA delightful interview, Patricia and Anne. I love how you discovered the one-room library and, therefore, a whole new world.
ReplyDeleteIt's rather fascinating to me, Eileen, that I can remember that little library in such detail because (A) it was a long time ago, and (B) I tend to have a 2-second brain when it comes to details.
DeleteAs an author, I can write something and literally forget about it the following day. That makes the editing process fairly easy because I don't feel a connection to the words and can slice and dice with ease! But during the writing process, that short term memory is a hindrance. I have to repeatedly go back and read what I've written, and that just makes the process all that much longer. Which probably explains why it takes me so long!
That line- 'I never imagined that ordinary people could become writers' really stands out for me. That is where the magic is- ordinary people do extraordinary things with committment, steadfastness and a little nerve to seem different while knowing ultimately we aren't at all. Thanks for this wonderful interview, Patricia and Anne.
ReplyDeleteThere are days I still have to pinch myself, Theresa. I also love your line about us having the nerve to appear different, when we're not! Great line...I may have to steal it! :)
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