January is crime month here on my blog. I’m interviewing two authors of novels with crime themes each week. Today I’ve got Nikki Andrews, author of Framed, a cozy mystery set in a New Hampshire art gallery, to stop by. Thanks for being my guest today, Nikki!
~Thanks for hosting me, Audra. It’s a pleasure to be here.
How do you get in the mood to write a cozy mystery? Any special music, snacks or other rituals?
~Ooh, I like that idea. A bag of dark chocolate M&Ms, please, and a pot of that yummy chocolate black tea from The Cozy Tea Cart. No, I don’t put on any music, as I prefer to write in silence. For my cozy mysteries, I need to find that special blend of anger at injustice and a hint of lightheartedness. Murder is the ultimate injustice, of course, and silliness is everywhere. Come on--a man terrified of frogs? A clue hidden under a pile of bear poop? To help with technique, I usually read a little Evanovich and/or Agatha Christie before I get started.
What’s the most challenging part about writing a mystery?
~Knowing the outcome yet not letting my characters--or the reader--know it until the end. I usually start out with a good idea of what will happen and I write toward that conclusion. Then I have to rewrite backwards, hiding the clues and adding red herrings.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
~Sitting down and doing it. No, wait, that’s my least favorite part, judging by how hard it is to get me in the chair and writing. Once I do apply the bum gum, however, I really love watching the ideas and scenes in my head become words on paper that I can share with others.
What’s your latest novel about, in 25 words or less?
~When the staff at Brush & Bevel follow clues in a long lost painting, they learn art is not the only thing that can be Framed.
THIS or THAT:
Agatha Christie or James Patterson?
~Christie, of course
New Year’s Resolutions or Bucket List?
~Bucket List. Dreams are way more fun than objectives.
Perry Mason or Matlock?
~Jim Chee (Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police novels)
Dexter or Hannibal Lector?
~For pure evil, The Master in Doctor Who. Okay, that’s TV. I cheated.
Where can we learn more about your books?
~My website: www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com
~My blog: www.scrivenersriver.blogspot.com.
Framed is available on Amazon in ebook and print, and you can also buy it through The Wild Rose Press.
A Thousand Words, a sequel to Framed, is in the works.
~Thanks for hosting me, Audra. It’s a pleasure to be here.
How do you get in the mood to write a cozy mystery? Any special music, snacks or other rituals?
~Ooh, I like that idea. A bag of dark chocolate M&Ms, please, and a pot of that yummy chocolate black tea from The Cozy Tea Cart. No, I don’t put on any music, as I prefer to write in silence. For my cozy mysteries, I need to find that special blend of anger at injustice and a hint of lightheartedness. Murder is the ultimate injustice, of course, and silliness is everywhere. Come on--a man terrified of frogs? A clue hidden under a pile of bear poop? To help with technique, I usually read a little Evanovich and/or Agatha Christie before I get started.
What’s the most challenging part about writing a mystery?
~Knowing the outcome yet not letting my characters--or the reader--know it until the end. I usually start out with a good idea of what will happen and I write toward that conclusion. Then I have to rewrite backwards, hiding the clues and adding red herrings.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
~Sitting down and doing it. No, wait, that’s my least favorite part, judging by how hard it is to get me in the chair and writing. Once I do apply the bum gum, however, I really love watching the ideas and scenes in my head become words on paper that I can share with others.
What’s your latest novel about, in 25 words or less?
~When the staff at Brush & Bevel follow clues in a long lost painting, they learn art is not the only thing that can be Framed.
THIS or THAT:
Agatha Christie or James Patterson?
~Christie, of course
New Year’s Resolutions or Bucket List?
~Bucket List. Dreams are way more fun than objectives.
Perry Mason or Matlock?
~Jim Chee (Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police novels)
Dexter or Hannibal Lector?
~For pure evil, The Master in Doctor Who. Okay, that’s TV. I cheated.
Where can we learn more about your books?
~My website: www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com
~My blog: www.scrivenersriver.blogspot.com.
Framed is available on Amazon in ebook and print, and you can also buy it through The Wild Rose Press.
A Thousand Words, a sequel to Framed, is in the works.
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