Interview with Mystery Author Jinx Schwartz

My guest this week is the funny, often outrageous Jinx Schwartz. Jinx is the author of the Hetta Coffey mysteries.

What’s the best thing about living on a boat?

Being on the water. I love, love it, even at a marina, but prefer to be at anchor. We are surrounded by sea birds diving for fish, rays doing an aerial ballet, turtles blowing in the night, and dolphins cavorting. Once in awhile, a whale blows. Now THAT will get your attention, especially if it is close!

What’s the worst thing?

See photo. Need I say more? Getting caught in a storm you can't hide from. We now have another boat.

What, if anything, do you miss about living on land?

We live on land several months of the year, and it's fine. I like my dishwasher. Given a choice, I'll take the boat, but both work for us. My husband is a golfer; he gets summers on the green, and I get winters on the water. I do not play golf, for I have way too much self-respect.

Have you actually met some of the characters you write about?

Oh, yes. First off, people who venture offshore in a boat less than several hundred feet long are a different breed. They are risk takers, rebels, dream seekers, and some are just plain nuts. Great material for books.

Do you suspect some of the people you meet are running or hiding from another life? 

Absolutely. We were approached on the beach once by a guy who stood out like, well, a landlubber. Turned out he was an insurance investigator and wanted to know if we knew a guy named X, who was reportedly living on a sailboat down here in Mexico. When I asked the name of the boat, the man said, "Elusive." He stomped off while I was still rolling on the ground laughing.

Who, living or dead, would you most like to spend an evening with? Why?

My parents and grandmother, of course.

However, for a stranger I'd pick Hunter S. Thompson, in a bar. Who wouldn't want to spend time with a guy who said: "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity, but they've always worked for me."

Which, if any, other authors have influenced you?

Larry McMurtry. Seriously, who wins a Pulitzer Prize for a Western?  I love his sense of history and, because I am a Texan, his Texas-ness. We have our own brand of humor, sense of place in History, and even self-deprecation.  I am a ninth-generation Texan, which makes me even more unbearable than most. 

Who would you like to play your main characters in a movie?

Hmmmm. Hetta Coffey? A younger Bette Midler. Even if she is a Yankee. Hetta Coffey is a sassy Texan with a yacht, and she'd not afraid to use it!

Which of your characters would you most like to meet in person?

Oh, I've met them all, trust me.

Anything else you want to say?

I always have a lot to say, just ask my friends. Some of it is even true, although the odds aren't that good.

BIO AND LINKS:

I was raised all over the world, in Texas. My dad built dams and we dragged relatives, and chile con queso, with us to Haiti, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the like. I followed his steel-toed footsteps into the building bidness and continued wandering around the globe. I started writing to set the record straight after reading a Texas history book referring to my ancestors as "a congenial society for evil." That just wouldn't do, so I wrote The Texicans.

Website: http://jinxschwartz.com

Twitter: @jinxschwartz I manically retweet interesting stuff posted by others. If boring, I Unfollow.

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/OegHma

JUST ADD WATER (Book 1) Award-winning Hetta Coffey series http://amzn.to/oA9wuF

Amazon author page:  http://amzn.to/QpYtAR

Humorous Romance with Jan Romes

At Amazon

Today I’m interviewing Jan Romes, author of delightful humorous romances. Her stories will make you smile!

Who inspires you and why?

As soon as I read this question I grinned. The answer is easy: people with a great sense of humor inspire me the most. And I’d have to say that the ability to make people laugh or to be able to laugh at yourself is one of the most endearing qualities in a person and I tend to navigate to those kinds of folks. My writing is always laced with humor.

When and how often do you write?

I write every day. Sometimes it may only be a paragraph or two. It may be on a scrap piece of paper on my way somewhere, but thoughts fire through my mind all the time and I have to write them down right away.

When I’m home I try to write in the morning. First, I get a pot of coffee brewing and then I dive into writing.

You write humorous romance. Is that a reflection of your life?

Humor is definitely a reflection of my life. I grew up with eight siblings and I have to say, we’re a weird and funny bunch. Also, my husband makes me laugh a lot. He speaks in metaphors (i.e. We were watching a high school basketball game and he says from out of the blue, ‘that kid runs like he’s pushing a lawn mower’. Someone else might not find that funny, but I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Guess you had to be there.)

In Three Days with Molly, Finn lives on a bus. How did you research that? Have you ever been in a celebrity’s bus?

I searched the Internet for custom made buses and also found a few blogs written by ‘road widows’ (wives or significant others of musicians). My husband and I stopped at an RV dealership and I snagged a brochure that showed a plush layout. I’ve not had the pleasure of stepping into a celebrity bus. It would be awesome to be able to though. 

In The Gift of Gray, Alexis takes a job as a masseuse. Wow! How did you research that one? (Inquiring minds would really like to know. J

I’ve had massages (not recently, darn!) so I was aware of the some of the techniques, plus I work as a fitness trainer so I am familiar with the muscle groups.

Do you have favorite book (of your own) or character?

Hmm. I love them all because of the special relationship I had with the characters. I felt what they felt. When they’re happy, I’m right there with them. When their hearts get broken I cry. Each book and each character’s situation is different, so it’s hard to choose. I’m going to pick One Small Fib since it was my first book published.

Which of your characters would you most like to spend an evening with? Why?

Wild Rose Press

Again, I’m going to pick Allie Blue and Kiptyn Thomas from One Small Fib. Allie because she’s sassy but sensitive. And Kiptyn because he’s ruthless with his business skills but underneath that staunch billionaire exterior lurks a guy whose looking for happiness and love, it just takes him awhile to realize it.

How do you determine your character’s flaws?

I try to pair flaws with upbringing and occupation. In Three Days With Molly, Finn is a self-proclaimed bastard. His early life was meager so he learned early on to be self-reliant and guarded. He became a successful country-rock singer and those traits carried over into his professional life.

Molly is a hard worker with trust issues too. She works for a divorce attorney and has seen her share of dysfunctional relationships. It didn’t harden her but it made her overly cautious.

Do you have photos of faces for your main characters? Or do they live in your imagination?

I often find photos to accompany my main characters. And I refer to them often. For Three Days With Molly, Finn Riley bears a striking resemblance to country star, Jerrod Niemann and Molly could easily be Anne Hathaway’s stunt double.

Thank you so much, Ellis, and best wishes for much success with your own writing career. Your books rock!

Here’s an excerpt from

At Amazon

Stay Close, Novac!

Jessi pulled her arm loose. The second she was inside, she realized the error of coming there. If Ian was the crazed person she’d been trying to shake, she just made things easy for him. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. In her romance novels she was careful not to write ditzy heroines. Obviously, in real life she was one. Her gaze zinged around the small living room. Wicker furniture with navy and white striped cushions filled most of the space.  A large conch shell decorated the middle of the glass-top coffee table, while a small TV and an array of silk plants took up the rest of the room. Nothing screamed stalker. Then again, it wasn’t his place.

Ian was dilly-dallying, and Jessi was getting irritable. “Is that French vanilla I smell?” It was a ridiculous question since there wasn’t a trace of French vanilla anywhere.

“No. Just plain old coffee.” Finally, he led the way to the kitchen.

Jessi’s mouth instantly filled with saliva. If she didn’t get a sip of coffee soon, she would need a bib. 

Ian pulled two coffee cups from a mug-tree on the counter. He filled one and grinned.

Slow torture. She wouldn’t have to fall asleep for him to kill her. All he had to do was withhold coffee. Before he filled the second cup, his cell phone rang. Ian wrinkled his nose and walked into a room off the kitchen. Jessi assumed it was the bedroom because their places appeared to have the same layout. Ian’s conversation was somewhat muffled, but she could still hear most of the words.

“Yeah, I know. I have it under control.” Ian dropped a handful of cuss words including the f-bomb. 

What did he have under control? Jessi tossed the question around while diving at the cup of coffee still setting on the counter. She took a test sip. Mmm. Some of the tightness in her shoulders let loose. She slurped another sip. Coffee was heaven. The ultimate. Way better than everything, including sex. Jessi snickered. According to the love scenes she wrote sex was a girl’s best friend. Another sip of coffee said that was rubbish.

Some garbled rambling met her ears, but suddenly Ian’s words burst loud and succinct in her brain. “I’m going to take her by the throat and choke the life out of her.”

The sip of hot coffee in Jessi’s mouth sprayed across the plastic table cloth decorated with starfish.

You can find Jan at:

Website:    www.janromes.com

Twitter:      https://twitter.com/JanRomes

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/jan.romes.5

Blog:            www.jantheromancewriter.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5240156.Jan_Romes

Nancy Lauzon interviews Darcy MacDonald

Author Nancy Lauzon is my guest this week.
Nancy Lauzon's Blog Tour Stop #7: Character Interview - Darcy MacDonald

My latest mystery novel, A Few Dead Men, was inspired by my youngest daughter's disastrous dating history. The 'dead men' in the novel are composites of every boyfriend and/or bad date my daughter ever had. Believe me, I had lots of material to choose from. In fact, I didn't have room for all the 'dead men', since I didn't want to go over my word count.

This book raises several questions: Who exactly are dead men, metaphorically speaking? How did they become dead? Are there more dead men than live men? If not, where do you find live men?

But the book is also about a young woman compelled to solve the mysteries around her, like her favourite amateur sleuth, Nancy Drew. She doesn't go about it in exactly the same way.

Previous stops on the Blog Tour: Where Do You Find Live Men? at http://lenahillbrand.blogspot.com/  and Nancy Drew with a Twist of Lemon at http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com

N: A Few Dead Men is filled with some pretty cool characters, so today I'd like to welcome the heroine of A Few Dead Men, Darcy MacDonald, to the guest blog. Thanks for being here, Darcy.

D: No problem. It's not like I had a choice. I do whatever you tell me to do, right? You're the writer, I'm just one of your characters. Hey, I'm totally kidding. It's nice to be here.

N: Let me start by saying I'm sorry I put you through all that ... stuff ... that happened in the book. But that's the way it is in mystery fiction. Readers love to read about people with problems.

D: Then your readers will LOVE me.

N: Yes, they will. Why don't you start by telling them a little bit about yourself?

D: I'm 29 years old, and I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on the east coast. I'm an administrative assistant at Bloodhound Investigations, a private investigation firm. I'm also a part-time mystery writer, and I recently earned a certificate from The Canadian Spy Institute, as part of my research.

N: Which of your character traits is most important to you, and why?

D: I guess my tenacity. I don't give up easily. And my sense of humour. That helped keep me sane when everything around me fell apart.

N: What's your biggest fault?

D: Where do I start? I think too much, and worry too much. I wish you'd made me a little less anxious. What was with those panic attacks?

N: They're part of who you are. They allowed me to show the reader that you're vulnerable, and human.

D: Uh huh. But I wish I didn't come off as so naive.

N: Not naive. Trusting. You have a big heart, and it gets you into trouble sometimes.

D: Sometimes? I was up to my eyebrows in trouble.

N: Moving on ... describe your perfect day.

D: Let's see - spending the whole day working on my novel. Then dinner and drinks with Giovanna, my best friend. Then I'd wrap it up by watching a late movie starring Colin Firth.

N: Last question, Darce. What was your favourite part in the book?

D: Walking the beach with--

N: Stop right there. We don't want to give too much away. Thanks, Darcy!

A Few Dead Men - A Chick Dick Mystery

Life has dealt part-time mystery novelist Darcy MacDonald a lousy hand. The men she knows are either missing, dead, drunk or demented.

Lying next to the corpse of her boyfriend, the head of Bloodhound Investigations, definitely qualifies as lousy since he’s the man who also issues her paychecks.

The doctor says her boss had a massive heart attack during an orgasm, and it wasn’t Darcy’s fault. But she can’t help feeling guilty, since his orgasms were her responsibility. Or so she believed, until his grieving widow shows up, along with a mysterious, punk rocker chick who weeps inconsolably at the funeral and claims he was murdered.

Next stops on my Blog Tour:

Thursday, March 15th - The Stiletto Gang
I'm visiting a fun group of women writers on a mission to bring mystery, humor, romance, and high heels to the world. I'll be conducting my 2nd Character Interview, featuring Giovanna Pescateli, the heroine's best friend.
Wednesday, March 21 - Whimsy and Writing
I'll be guest blogging on Angela Scott's site. Angela writes contemporary YA fiction. She has a brand new Zombie Western coming out this month called Wanted: Dead or Undead. (I'll be hosting her Book Shower next week.) I'll be conducting my 3rd Character Interview, featuring Eunice MacDonald, the heroine's mother. 

A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery is available at the following online retailers:

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

Chapters/Indigo/Kobo

Amazon

Author Bio

Nancy Lauzon worked nine years on a hospital ward as a cardiac nurse before the night shifts turned her into a zombie. She got a day job in health promotion and began to write health-related articles for magazines and newsletters.

Life threw out a few curve balls, and to relieve the stress, she began to write fiction part-time. Five years later she sold two different manuscripts to two separate small-press publishers, using a pseudonym. She left nursing in 2003 and began to write full-time.

Nancy lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Visit her website http://chickdickmysteries.com

Join the Chick Dick Mystery Group on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter

Friend her on Goodreads

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone!

Wild Rose PressRead an Excerpt

Author Jan Romes is my guest this week. One Small Fib and Lucky Ducks are her humorous romances.

Hello, my name is Jan Romes, and I’m an introvert! (Oops! I thought this was Shy Persons Anonymous) Since I’m already here, I might as well stay and discuss something I’m commonly afflicted with – a bad case of RUT! Being a rather shy person, I take comfort in safe and familiar territory. As all of you know, however, safe and familiar equates to dull and unpromising, AKA Rut!

Inside every shy person lurks an extrovert dying to step out of their comfort zone, to rattle the bushes, to enjoy all that life has to offer. For years I was that person. I seldom strayed from what I knew. Boring! Then something spectacular happened – I had my fiftieth birthday! Reality hit me right between the eyes. My dream of becoming a published author was still out of reach, I was afraid of my own shadow, and had done nothing on my own. Some may define my awakening as a midlife crisis. I prefer to call it magic in the number 50! From that birthday forward, things have been different.

Always a lover of exercise, I took a part-time job as a fitness instructor at a local gym. This forced me to come out of my shell and I found that I enjoyed mingling. Strange but true.

With new found confidence, I started to submit the stories I had been writing for years. Of course, some rejections happened. The magic of 50 wouldn’t let me stay discouraged for long. I went back to writing and re-writing with a vengeance. Back to submitting. Finally, the heavens opened and voila! A book contract!

The publishing business has undergone a metamorphosis in the last few years, and authors are now expected to promote their books. Ack! No safe harbor for shyness. I wasn’t comfortable talking about my books until I embraced social media. I tiptoed out of the safety zone by making a Facebook page. A month later, a few more toes went across the line and I signed up for Twitter and Goodreads.

It took me little bit, but the extrovert that had been dying to get out has finally seen the light of day! I’ve stepped fully out of the comfort zone and would prefer not to go back in. In all that I do, I try to let people see the real me; the sometimes funny, self-deprecating person who does enjoy mingling, who isn’t afraid to put herself out there anymore, who loves all that life has to offer.

I have two humorous contemporary romance books that have been published and two more that will be released before summer. For my current work-in-progress, I’ve decided to mix things up by writing a romantic suspense. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve accepted the challenge.

I’ve revved up my life with joy and adventure by pushing the boundaries. Thanks to a good friend, I can now add ziplining to an ever-growing list of things I’m glad I’ve done. I go to writing conferences and get caught up in the fun and networking.

My life has changed tremendously; all because I decided to break out of the rut that had been my existence. Occasionally, I backslide. Sometimes, all it takes is an inspirational quote to get me back on track. ‘Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined’ ~ T. Harv Eker

About Jan

Jan Romes grew up in northwest Ohio with eight zany siblings. She likes to read all genres, writes witty contemporary romance, is a part-time fitness trainer, and enjoys growing pumpkins and sunflowers. You can find her at http://janromes.com/ and on Twitter and Facebook.