Getting to know Madeline Gornell

Madeline, I’m pleased to have you with us today. I’ve read your novel, Reticence of Ravens, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to reading more of your books.

Patricia, interestingly, your questions—where I grew up, where I live now, and what inspired me to write my latest novel—are apropos to the back-story of Lies of Convenience.

So far, my inspiration and first kernel of an idea—for all my novels—has come from a location that has reached out, grabbed me, and wouldn’t let go. Sounds a bit silly, and it’s not the whole story, but truly, so far, I’ve been inspired to start a story because a location said, “Me! Me! Write about me!” With that in mind, I was born and raised in Chicago, and still have relatives living there. One wonderful cousin and her husband live in a flat on a high-up floor in a Michigan Avenue high-rise. From the first moment I looked out their picture windows, touched the glass, took in their view—Lies of Convenience started percolating in my brain.

Later in time, when we (husband and a bunch of canines) landed in California’s Mojave—the desert and Route 66 also captured my imagination. So, my latest novel, as always, a murder mystery—connects the locations and cultures between Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, near the beginning of Route 66 —with the Mojave, almost at the end of The Mother Road.

Your questions on my favorite authors and my plans for writing a series are also intertwined. I love reading mysteries that have a strong sense of “place,” with characters I like, and a tricky plot I can’t figure out (but makes sense at the end). I also like reading work that has a good sense of language—don’t even mind long sentences, or being sent to the dictionary a couple times. P.D. James is my favorite author—for all the reasons I just mentioned. And like my “rock star” guiding light, I decided to use only my first initials (M.M.), and planned on writing a series with a male protagonist. Ha! So far, I’ve written all standalones, mostly female protagonists, and pretty much go by my first name. Best laid plans. I guess you have to go where your muse takes you!

Thank you Patricia, for giving me the opportunity to “spout off” about myself and my writing. Love your “Getting to Know You” series, and I’m honored to participate. 

  

Thank you, Madeline. It was my pleasure.

Madeline (M.M.) Gornell has four published mystery novels: PSWA awarding winning Uncle Si’s Secret (2008); Death of a Perfect Man (2009); Reticence of Ravens (2010—her first Route 66 mystery, and an Eric Hoffer Fiction finalist, Honorary Mention winner, da Vinci Eye finalist, and Montaigne Medalist finalist); and Lies of Convenience (2012).

Her latest, Lies of Convenience is a tale that fictionally connects murder, truths untold, and Chicago’s Lake Michigan with California’s high desert on the opposite end of The Mother Road. Her next tale and first sequel adventure, Counsel of Ravens, takes Hubert James Champion III one step forward in his quest for peace and solitude in the Mojave.

Madeline is also a potter with a fondness for stoneware and reduction firing. She lives with her husband and assorted canines in the Mojave in a town on internationally revered Route 66.

         Her books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Smashwords, in paper and e-book formats. You can visit her:

online at her website http://www.mmgornell.com,

or on her BLOG http://www.mmgornell.wordpress.com,

or email her directly at mmgornell@earthlink.net

Getting to know Susan Whitfield

Today we have mystery author, Susan Whitfield, with us. I recently read her novel, Sin Creek, and it was sensational. I’m looking forward to reading many more of her books. In the meantime, let’s get to know Susan.

Susan, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?  

I grew up in eastern North Carolina and I’m still there. My parents loved to read and I always met the Bookmobile with my arms full of books to turn in so that I could get more. Little Women was my favorite. I suppose the fact that my parents kept books accessible had something to do with my desire to write. The seed was planted early and I actually wrote a 40-page outline while I was in high school. It’s still around here somewhere even though I never picked it up and went with it. Once I finally started, I started fresh.

Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?

My Logan Hunter series is scattered around North Carolina, the first novel, Genesis Beach, along the Crystal Coast. The second mystery in what became a series is Just North of Luck, set in The Smoky Mountains. I went back to my childhood home in Atkinson to set Hell Swamp at The Black River Plantation I’ve loved since I was a child. The fourth mystery, Sin Creek, is set in Wilmington where I lived for too short a time, but my love for that city will never diminish. I’m working on the fifth mystery now and it’s set along the Inner Banks. I just completed my first women’s fiction and it’s set in Wayne County where my husband and I have lived for 44 years.

What inspired you to write your most recent novel?

Slightly Cracked is about two lifelong friends enduring hot flashes, marital tiffs, and concerns about sagging and aging. I was so full of feelings about these issues that it seemed the right thing to do. I’m blessed to have some wonderful friends and we’ve been through good, bad, and ugly together. Now that I’m on the backside of hot flashes, I tried to make theses sometimes embarrassing situations humorous.

Did you plan to write a series before or after you wrote the first book?

I never thought about writing a series, but when I got stuck in the middle of Genesis Beach, I simply started writing another book with the same protagonist, Logan Hunter, a gutsy quirky strong woman.

Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery genre.

James Patterson, Lisa Scottoline, and Tess Gerritsen.

What are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?

Those are definitely the top two. Let’s see, I enjoy cooking and entertaining and attending baseball games for my three grandsons.

Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go?

My husband and I took off in his truck five years ago and headed to Yellowstone and then over to Mount Rushmore. It was a fabulous trip and we said we’d go back. We’re planning to go to Jackson Hole in September to celebrate our 45 years of marriage. So far nowhere I’ve been has topped the majesty of Yellowstone.

How would you describe yourself personality wise?

I’m a complex individual but most people think I’m a crack-up. Not sure if that’s good or bad. LOL.

How would you finish this sentence? If I won a million dollars, I would . . . share it with my two sons and their families, perhaps buy a vacation home, and put the rest in savings.

Pat, thanks for the interview. It’s been a treat.

Yes it has, Susan. Thank you!

To read more about Susan’s books, here’s the link to her Amazon Author Page. 

http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Whitfield/e/B002G57DBG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1341406784&sr=1-4

Getting to know J.R. Lindermuth

Today, my guest is mystery author, J.R. (John) Lindermuth. So far, I’ve read two of his novels and I can’t say enough good things about them. Let’s learn more about the author of Fallen From Grace and The Limping Dog.

J

John, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?

I grew up in a small Pennsylvania town where I’ve come back to live again. Like many writers, I was an early reader. Our town didn’t even have a library until I was in high school. Fortunately, my dad had a good library, ranging from the classics to mysteries and westerns. My grandfather was more of an influence than I realized. Health problems forced him to an early retirement. As the only grandson, I spent much time with him, listening to his wealth of stories about the past, people he’d known and even some I’m sure he made up. I’m sure some of that rubbed off on me and contributed to my future efforts to pass on stories of my own.

Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?

I’m back in the same house my parents bought just before I entered the second grade. As you might suspect, there’s a good deal of nostalgia associated with being here again. There’s also a certain romance to it, since legend asserts it was built by a man who rode with Buffalo Bill. I fancy he pops into my imagination and inspires some of my western tales.

What inspired you to write your most recent novel?

The seed for The Limping Dog was a remark by my son about the ever-changing world of computer technology. Photos and memories from an earlier visit to Cape Ann in Massachusetts provided the setting. The rest can be blamed on my imagination. 

Did you plan to write a series before or after you wrote the first book?

I had no such plans with Sticks Hetrick or Sheriff Sylvester Tilghman. Apparently the characters did. Whiskey Creek Press will publish Practice To Deceive, fifth in the Hetrick series in August, and I’ve signed a contract with Oak Tree Press for Sooner Than Gold, second of the Tilghman books.

Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery genre.

Only three? Three long time favorites who don’t lack for publicity would be James Lee Burke, Ruth Rendell and Charles Willeford. There are so many new voices, though, and the list keeps growing. Some I particularly enjoy would include Wayne D. Dundee, Douglas Quinn, Margaret Blake and, oh, yeah, this new voice from Cincinnati—Patricia Gligor.

What are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?

Spending time with my kids and grandkids, walking, drawing (haven’t done much lately; just bought some new pens & ink), genealogy, watching movies, browsing at flea markets, visiting historic sites. I work three days a week as librarian of my county historical society, where I assist patrons with genealogy and research. I’m also secretary of the society’s board of directors and serve on the board of a local historical cemetery.

Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go?

I’d love to do more if I had the money. As a kid stuck in one small rural corner of the world I dreamt of going around the world. I’ve managed a few on my own, but there’s so many other places I’d love to go (though my choices probably wouldn’t be on the agenda for the average tourist). I’d like to spend more time in Mexico and the Caribbean, go back and see the changes in Korea and Japan and I’ve always wanted to go to Africa (where we all started from).

How would you describe yourself personality wise?

The work I’ve done over the years has forced me to go against my nature, which is more shy and retiring. So I guess you might class me as a reluctant extrovert. Don’t get me wrong. I genuinely like people and enjoy being around them (most of the time). But I also need my solitude. Writing, drawing, walking—those are all solitary pursuits necessary to my well-being.

What’s your favorite color? Why?

Hmph, another hard choice. Because of my interest in art, I like many colors for different reasons. But, if I have to narrow it down, I’d say teal green because it reminds me of the woods in spring and summer and of the ocean.

How would you finish this sentence? If I won a million dollars, I would ------

See travel, above. Of course I’d also feel obligated to help my children.

Thanks so much for being with us today, John. Oh, and thanks for the compliment. 

To read about and/or order J.R. Lindermuth’s novels go to:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=J.R.+Lindermuth

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 

www.LorraineBartlett.com