Sunday, January 5, 2014

Getting to know Sandi Webster

Welcome to the first post in my "Getting to know your character" series. We have with us today Sandi Webster, the main character in Marja McGraw's Sandi Webster Mystery series and one of my favorite "people." Let's get to know her.

Patricia: Sandi, where did you grow up and where do you live now?
Sandi: I grew up in southern California, and currently live and work in Los Angeles. There are a lot of people and lots of stories in a city this large. I’ve seen more than my share of crimes and heartbreak, but there’s always an up-side, too. A guy we called The Bogey Man comes to mind (a dead ringer for Humphrey Bogart who wanted to learn the biz from me).
Patricia: What’s your occupation and how did you come to choose it?
Sandi: I’m a private investigator, and I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how that came about. I grew up watching old mystery movies with my mother on TV. I loved the private eyes that always got their man. I’d been working in a government job, in the court system, and I knew I needed a change. I wanted more excitement in my life, and I sure got it. I apprenticed with an agency and eventually quit my job and started my own investigative firm.
Patricia: Tell us about one of your most memorable “adventures.” What drew you into the mystery?
Sandi: There’ve been so many, and they’re all memorable, but I had the most fun when my partner, Pete, and I became stranded in an old ghost town where we discovered records of murders that took place around 1880. Being on vacation and stranded in a ghost town with the old sheriff’s records, what else would a P.I. do but try and figure out what happened? Oh, and there was a mysterious cowboy there who really caused problems for us. I realized then that Old Murders Never Die – not really.
Patricia: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not working?
Sandi: It seems like I’m usually working, but in my free time I enjoy reading and old movies. Pete and I take trips from time to time, too, as evidenced by Wolf Creek, the ghost town. We’ve developed more than just a working relationship. Can you tell? We also have friends, Felicity and Stanley, whom we enjoy spending time with when we can. Stanley also works for me.
Patricia: What are your favorite TV shows and/or movies? What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
Sandi: I enjoy anything mysterious, and I particularly like mystery movies that include humor. Music? I enjoy oldies, big band, and easy listening. My menopausal mother tells me she sometimes thinks I was born into the wrong generation. But then, she says a lot of things, and they don’t always make sense.
Patricia: Are you married or involved in a serious relationship? Tell us about that.
Sandi: I mentioned my relationship with my partner, Pete, in an earlier question. We’ll be getting married one of these days. After the debacle in the ghost town, and circumstances we discovered there, he asked me to set a date. We realized that putting things off for too long can change your whole life. I’m thinking about it. I keep telling him I have some wild oats to sow. He just laughs. I’ve had to spend a long time making him realize I can take care of myself if I need to.
Patricia: How would you describe yourself, physically and personality wise? How do you think others see you?
Sandi: I asked my friend, Felicity, how she would describe me. I’m about five foot three with dark brown hair, and she says I’m as cute as a button. (Ha! Cute as a button doesn’t help my image.) I’m tenacious, according to her, and I have a strong sense of right and wrong. I love things that make me laugh, because I realize if you take life too seriously, it can drag you down. I frustrate easily, and I sigh a lot. I’m kind of a contradiction, if you really think about it.
Patricia: What’s your favorite color and why? 
Sandi: Yellow, definitely yellow. It’s so cheerful. I see crime and death more often than I’d like, and I need things around me to keep me upbeat. That includes my dog, Bubba, who’s kind of a yellow color, if you squint and don’t look too closely at him. He’s huge and hard to miss though. 
Patricia: Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go and/or what was your favorite vacation? Have any of your travels involved solving a mystery?
Sandi: Most of my travels have included a mystery. Pete’s friend, homicide detective Rick Mason, calls me a dead body magnet. I can’t really deny his description. I love to travel, but work doesn’t allow me to do it very often. I’d love to see Australia one day, and of course, Hawaii and maybe Scotland. We’ll see how it goes. Pete and I haven’t made honeymoon plans yet.
Patricia: What are your plans for the future?
Sandi: My plans are to just keep on keepin’ on. I don’t have the kind of job which leaves room to make too many definite plans. I never know what’s going to happen next. Barring any problems, Pete and I will marry one day. Other than that, I’m keeping my options open.

Thank you so much for talking to me and letting me explain a little about myself. (My author thanks you, too. Now where did that come from? What author? Huh?)
Marja McGraw 





Coming soon: "Death Comes in Threes."




29 comments:

  1. Pat, Thank you for having me on your blog today. It was a lot of fun and I hope readers might follow my cases one of these days. : )
    Sandi Webster

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    1. My pleasure, Sandi! I've followed all of your cases to date and I can't wait to read "Death Comes In Threes" to see what you're up to next.

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  2. Pleased to meet you, Sandi. I look forward to getting to know you better. Give my regards to Marja. Pat, I like your new interview format!

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  3. I hope to meet you, too, John. Thank you for stopping in, and Marja says, "Hi!".
    Sandi Webster

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  4. I loved this! Looking forward to reading the new book!

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    1. Thank you, Marilyn. I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully it will be out within the next month and you'll find out what my latest exploits were.
      Sandi Webster

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  5. Nice interview, Patricia (and Marja). Always good to know a bit more about Sandi and the protagonists of mysteries. Having read Old Murders Never Die, I can attest to the fact that Sandi is all of those things she says she is. But with this interview, I've learned so much more about her. Thanks to both - or all three - of you.

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    1. Thank you, Jim. Pete and I had a wonderful time in Wolf Creek. I'm smiling when I say there's more to me than meets the eye.
      Sandi Webster

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  6. You can't have story without characters and Sandi definitely sounds like a character. I mean that in the best sense of the term. Got to get to know this girl better.

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  7. Thank you, John. I do my best to entertain my characters with my cases. Sometimes my cases actually entertain me.
    Sandi Webster

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  8. Very creative interview! Nice to meet you, Sandi.

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    1. Thank you for stopping in, Jacqueline. It's nice to meet you, too.
      Sandi Webster

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  9. Hi, Patricia and Sandi,
    What a great idea for a blog and what a fun interview! It's great to get to know Sandi a little better. Thanks for brightening my day!

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    1. Thank you, Amy! It's great to be meeting so many new people!
      Sandi Webster

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  10. This was very cool. Thanks for sharing it! Loved the concept. I hope both of you have a terrific 2014!

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    1. Wishing the same for you, Chris! I'm hoping my 2014 will be busy and prosperous.
      Sandi Webster

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  11. I love the series, Sandy (and marja), as well as the color yellow. That's for sharing this, Pat.

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    1. I'm so pleased you enjoy my cases, Jean. And yellow keeps us all cheerful?
      Sandi Webster

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  12. It's wonderful to get up close and personal with Sandi. She sounds like my kind of gal. Woulldn't it be fun to have a roundtable discussion with a nymber of female protagonists participating? This Q and A is a great idea, Pat.

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    1. Excellent idea, Lesley! I know I'd love to participate in something like that, and I'd like to meet your characters, too.
      Sandi Webster

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  13. I loved reading this, Marja, Pat and Sandi. What a great idea -- interviewing the characters. I like Lesley's idea, too. Have a group discussion with the female protagonists. Separately, the male protagonists, as well. Happy New Year!

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  14. Thank you, Eileen! Pat had a unique idea, and so did Lesley. Happy New Year to you, too.
    Sandi Webster

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  15. Great the way you make your characters seem like real people. Enjoyed your interview.

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    1. Thank you, Jake! But I AM real, in some ways. : )
      Sandi Webster

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  16. Great hearing from Sandi (Marja) and Patricia. Loved the interview. augie

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    1. Thank you, Augie! I loved having the opportunity to toot my own horn and I appreciate the opportunity Patricia gave me.
      Sandi Webster

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  17. I loved getting to know Sandi a bit better! Thanks, Marja and Patricia!

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    1. Thank you, Theresa! It was fun having the opportunity to share a little about myself.
      Sandi Webster

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