Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Interview with Jacqueline Seewald


Harlequin
Jacqueline is the author of a romantic mystery series featuring psychic librarian Kim Reynolds, a paranormal historical romance (Tea Leaves and Tarot Cards) as well as a number of short stories.

How did you decide to become a writer? Is it what you expected?
 I began writing as a small child. I always seemed to be making up stories. When I was able, I started writing them down. My mother bought me my first typewriter when I was eleven and taught me how to touch type.
Writing wasn’t what I expected. It’s a lot of hard work and not much glory. The writing itself is the easy, joyful, creative part. It’s the constant rewriting that’s hard. It requires lots of self-discipline.
What did you read as a child?
I read the usual children’s books early on. But when I turned ten I decided to read the classics, the great literature of the world.  I read books like The Three Musketeers for example. Later on, I enjoyed Jane Austen, Charles Dickens.

 Which comes first, plot or characters?
For novels, it’s the characters. They live in my head for a long time before I write a word.

 Plotter or pantser?
I guess a little of each, although I do try to outline a novel before I write it.
I like to know where it’s going so that there’s cohesion in the plot.

Who would you like to play your main characters in a movie?
A hard question to answer! I love George Clooney but think he’s now a bit too old for the lead male character Police Lieutenant Mike Gardner in the Kim Reynolds mystery series. As for Kim, there are a lot of actresses that could play her part well.

 Which of your characters would you least like to meet in a dark alley?
Probably Detective Bert St. Croix, Mike’s badass homicide partner—she doesn’t suffer fools. So if you’re a bad guy, watch out!

What’s coming out next?
The next new Five Star/Gale mystery novel comes out in hardcover August 2013. It’s completely different from any of my other novels. It’s written with my older son Andrew. Entitled The Third Eye, the novel is set in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, an area I love and think is quite unique.

Anything else you want to say?
In the Kim Reynolds series, there are connected murders that need to be solved. The main characters become personally involved as in THE TRUTH SLEUTH when Kim initially finds the body of a murdered boy and later discovers another on the high school grounds.

At Amazon
Each novel in the series is an independent mystery. However, each develops Kim as a person and her life continues to change much as that of a real person.
I am pleased that THEINFERNO COLLECTION and THE DROWNING POOL are now available at low cost in all e-book formats. You can check them out at:

Harlequin Worldwide Mystery reprinted THE TRUTH SLEUTH, the third novel in the Kim Reynolds mystery series, in January 2013 so the novel is now available inexpensively as a paperback.

Could you give us a short excerpt from one of your books?

This is from the beginning of THE TRUTH SLEUTH:

Kim was developing an uncomfortable feeling of wrongness; a kind of prickling sensation slithered down her spine. She recognized the feeling for what it was but shook her head, trying to dispel the spasm of dread that suddenly gripped her. God, not this again! Would she ever be free of it?

Then Kim gasped, seized by a stab of pain. In her mind, she heard a silent scream, an astonished cry for help. She felt another’s panic and terror. She began to shiver and tremble.

“What’s the matter?” Bert asked, her dark brows rising then knitting together in concern.

“Someone’s been hurt.” Those were the only words she managed to choke out.

“Who? Where?” April asked, glancing around in confusion.

“Maybe we better have a look,” Bert said. Her height of six feet gave her an advantage over both Kim, who was five foot six inches, and April, who was barely five foot two inches tall.

The crowd was starting to thin out, many bikers revving up their engines in anticipation of leaving now that today’s entertainment was over. Kim led, Bert and April following behind her. Although she was not really certain where she was going, Kim plowed blindly through the garbage-strewn grounds. And then she saw him: a very young man sitting in an aluminum beach chair, head slumped forward as if he were in a deep sleep.

“He’s dead,” Kim heard herself say with certainty. Her voice sounded hollow, expressionless and faraway, as if it belonged to someone else.

“Oh, God, are you sure?” April asked, tossing her gold-tinted curls as if to deny Kim’s statement.

“Kim’s got this gift of knowing stuff like that,” Bert said.

More like a curse, in Kim’s opinion.

Bert knelt down, at first not touching the body. “I don’t think he’s breathing.” Bert’s voice had taken on a note of professional authority. She looked and sounded like the seasoned policewoman she was. Bert felt for a pulse, then shook her head. “Don’t touch anything. I’m calling this in.” There was a grim expression on Bert’s cafĂ© au lait features. She pulled a small cell phone out from the pocket of her black leather jacket.

Before Bert could make the call, Kim turned and faced her.

“There’s something I think you should know.”

“I’m listening.” Bert stood very still like a figure in a portrait.

Kim let out a ragged breath. “I think that boy was murdered.”


22 comments:

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Ellis,

Thanks for having me as a guest today. I do appreciate it!

Betty Gordon said...

I enjoyed your interview, Jacquie. As usual, you always open the door to something new about your writing. Thanks for the excerpt.

susan furlong bolliger said...

Good interview, Jacqueline. I enjoyed the excerpt. Kim Reynolds sounds like a character that I'd like to get to know.

Leigh Neely said...

Great interview. Love your covers!

Nancy Means Wright said...

Very nice interview, Jacquie. I love your excerpt, and I'm looking forward to the publication of The Third Eye. Your son must be excited to have his name "in the bright lights"! You're doing fabulously well!

Marilyn Levinson said...

Great interview, Jacqueline and Ellis. Your Kim Reynolds series sounds intriguing.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Betty,

So glad you could drop by!

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Susan,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt from the novel.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Leigh,

I'm glad you like the cover art.
I think Linda Houle does wonderful covers for L&L Dreamspell which is impressive for a small publisher.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Nancy,

Believe it or not, my son isn't really impressed with his name on the next book. He works seven days a week as an attorney because he works on his own. So that's his real focus.

Unknown said...

Another great interview, Jacquie. Exciting news about the book you and your son wrote together. I co-wrote a book with my sister and it was a fun experience - so much so that we're writing the sequel.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Marilyn,

Thanks so much for dropping by!

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Christy,

I think it's great that you and your sister can work together. I've collaborated with both my sons and it was also a great experience.

Gail Farrelly said...

Excellent interview. Jacqueline, wonderful that you wrote a book with your son. Very exciting.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Gail,

Thanks for your comments. As for collaboration with my son, I'll keep my fingers crossed for good reviews, but probably won't know that until August.

Anita Page said...

Jacquie, a very interesting interview. The Pine Barrens is a great setting. I look forward to the new book.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Anita,

Thanks for dropping by and commenting.

Kathy McIntosh said...

Wow. I'm impressed that you can collaborate with your children. Not sure my daughter and I could do that, but she introduced me to a major character in my first novel, who inspired the book.
I don't recall if this is the book I won on your blog, but it definitely sounds like a good read.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hi, Kathy,

Yes, it is the same novel. It's the third Kim Reynolds mystery. I hope that if you like this book you will read the others as well.

Ellis Vidler said...

Jacqueline, I enjoyed learning more about you. The bit about George Clooney made laugh--don't we all do that? Imagine someone as a character and then watch them age till they no longer fit?
And how wonderful that you're able to write with your son. That's wonderful.

I'm looking forward to The Truth Sleuth!

Polly Iyer said...

Great interview, Jacqueline. Looks like I'm not the only one fascinated by the collaboration with your son. I'd love to work with one of mine, but I doubt that will ever happen. Your books sound intriguing. Best of luck with the new one.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Ellis,

It's been a pleasure!