1. What am I working on now? I am in the revising stage of the next 'Jo Anderson' book entitled 'Sweet Death' which hopefully will be out in the early fall. I love writing - and reading - 'cozy mysteries' and this series is definitely cozy...if you like your books with a serving of death on the side.
2. How does my work differ from other books in its genre? My protagonists (I am currently writing two series as well as the suspense trilogy) are drawn from life (chiefly me - LOL) so they tend to exhibit some of my characteristics: dry humor, curiosity, foot-in-mouth issues, and a habit of jumping headlong into situations without considering the outcomes. (Reader, pause and chuckle at this point - you're not sure you should believe me or not...) In the 'Jo Anderson' series, she doesn't have a career established, unless you count running from the confines of her nutty family, so she tends to meander form one job to another. Of course, each new workplace involves a murder of one sort or another, and voila! Miss Jo in once more in the thick of things, much to the chagrin of her proper Southern Belle mama.
3. Why do I write what I do? The answer to this is easy: I am a life-long Dame Agatha Christie fan and I always wanted to write as she did. Of course, I will never be in her league, but I keep trying to edge as close as I can!
There is certainly something to be said for the amateur sleuth - particularly Jo Anderson and her counterpart in my other series, AJ Burnette. In 'Murder at the Miramar', AJ's first appearance, she is confronted with a string of murders that tie back to a current 'hot button' issue...and I'll leave it at that. (Read the book to find out!) I like to include contemporary issues when I can, and these are things that have caught my attention as well.
4. How does my writing process work? Hmmm. I'm not an author who creates in one particular method. I tend to bring a character to life in my mind and then imagine what she - or he - would do with a certain scenario. It grows form there, and I'll be honest: I never know the end of the story when I begin writing! I might have an idea, but the characters drive the plot. I usually end up as amazed as my readers are!
NEXT UP:
Kris Tualla, a dynamic award-winning and internationally published author of historical romance and suspense started in 2006 with nothing but a nugget of a character in mind, and has created a dynasty with The Hansen Series and its spin-off, The Discreet Gentleman Series. Norway is the new Scotland!
Kris is an active PAN member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime, and was invited to be a guest instructor at the Piper Writing Center at Arizona State University. An enthusiastic speaker and teacher, she created Arizona Dreamin' - Arizona's only romance-reader event: ArizonaDreaminEvent.com.
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