I’d like to
welcome mystery author, Chris Redding.
Patricia:
Chris,
where did you grow up? Did your
childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?
Chris: I grew up in an affluent suburb of Philadelphia. We weren’t affluent, but lots of others were. My mother was mentally ill, so yes I think most artists have dysfunction in their past. Yes, my childhood indeed let me to be a writer.
Chris: I grew up in an affluent suburb of Philadelphia. We weren’t affluent, but lots of others were. My mother was mentally ill, so yes I think most artists have dysfunction in their past. Yes, my childhood indeed let me to be a writer.
Patricia:
Where
do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?
Chris:
I
live in New Jersey and I use the area I live in in most of my novels. I make
them fictional places so I can rearrange things how I like them.
Patricia:
What
inspired you to write your most recent novel?
Chris:
Incendiary
was the most recently published. Someone
once had the idea for a story where the arsonist is a police photographer. If there is a series of arsons, the cops take
pictures of the crowds to see if there is anyone they can spot in all the
pictures. If the police photographer is the arsonist, he wouldn’t be in the
picture. Incendiary is my take on it.
Patricia:
When
did you “know” that you wanted to be a writer?
Chris:
In
fifth grade, we had to write a short story. I wrote about an old lady with
cats. I received an “A” and was allowed to read it in front of the class. When
I was done the whole class looked at me in a different light. Suddenly I wasn’t
the bespectacled, buck toothed socially awkward. I had moved them. That was powerful.
Patricia:
Name
three of your favorite authors in the mystery/suspense genre. What makes them
your favorites?
Chris:
Lisa
Gardner because she just writes great stuff. And she’s a lovely person.
Stephanie Bond because she writes with humor. I once
heard her speak and she has a lot of wisdom to give new writers.
Anyone who writes funny cozy mysteries. I love them.
Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two sons, one
dog and three rabbits. She graduated
from Penn State with a degree in journalism. When
she isn’t writing, she works for her local hospital. You can find her at: http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
and www.chrisreddingauthor.com.
Her books are filled with romance, suspense and thrills.
A View to a Kilt
Omnilit:
http://tinyurl.com/cr-vtak-omni
Smashwords:
http://tinyurl.com/cr-vtak-Smash
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/44sbydm
Nook Store:
http://tinyurl.com/3tlk2nh
Blonde
Demolition
Amazon in print: http://tinyurl.com/87qdaam
Incendiary
Paperback http://tinyurl.com/9k62wze
e-book http://tinyurl.com/9ty32j6
An arsonist who is the arson photographer. Sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteWaving madly. I Chris, I feel like I know you, you've visited me on my blog too. It was interesting learning more abut you.
ReplyDeleteInteresting concept, Chris. Arson is also central to my next Sticks Hetrick novel, but from a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you, Chris. Your literary triumph in fifth grade is a touching story of a turning point in your life: you discovered you could do magic with words, and it made all the difference.
ReplyDeleteThanks every one for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteI bet every writer has that turning point in their life. Mine just happened early on.
cmr
Thanks for being my guest this week, Chris!
DeleteMy "turning point" came at any early age too. I was ten years old and a poem I'd written, "The Night," was published in my Sunday school magazine. The second I saw my byline, that was IT for me.
Interesting interview, and interesting plot line for Incendiary. (Wish I'd thought of it.) I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteMarja McGraw
Hey chickie. Nice post. You have the best titles and covers. Mega sales to you girlfriend
ReplyDeleteThanks Marja! That's a high compliment.
ReplyDeleteKathyeq, thanks for stopping by.
cmr
It's a pleasure to meet Chris Redding and to read about her plotting idea for Incendiary. Hot, yet very cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks Eileen.
ReplyDelete