How difficult is it being a writer firstly, a crime writer secondly, a humorous crime writer thirdly?

(a) Writing is what keeps me sane. It does not - yet - however, pay any bills. The most difficult part for me is balancing all the different parts of life! Being a writer gives me a wonderful outlet for every little thing that's on my mind. A psychologist friend has mentioned that actual therapy might be both cheaper and more effective. While this is no doubt true, it certainly couldn't be nearly as much fun! Besides, who besides writers can simply kill off - or severely torture - those who annoy or offend them? Sounds perfectly healthy to me, and I, for one, enjoy the process immensely.

(b) Actually, I've never thought of myself as a crime writer. Official crime scene investigation and actual police procedures are not what drive my stories. For me, the crime (murderous or otherwise) is simply the situation that gets the characters off center and makes them show their true colors. Once they are forced to take off their superficial masks - in order to survive - the fun begins. Jolene can be one person when she is in her own home, living her own life as she pleases. But, put her back in small town America - and all that involves - add in her eccentric mother, an old high school flame, her childhood/teenage baggage, not to mention a murder or three, and any homesumed control she had over anything is completely gone. So, the only way she can set things right - get control back - is to stop the killer and leave town, in that order. There are law enforcement types handling the official investigation, of course, but like it or not - and she doesn't - Jolene winds up in the middle of things and has to deal with it.

(c) The humor was actually a surprise to me. I'm not funny in person. But, from the second I created Jolene, she was just full of these little smart remarks. In reality, she has an honest way of looking at things, saying what the rest of us are afraid to. Now, the hardest thing for me to do at the moment is write the straight lines. When I write, I am compelled to put the "Jolene slant" on everything. I've had a few problems lately coming out of character and have just "Jolened" a few folks. After you've sprung one of her lines on a total stranger, like say, the nurse at the doctor's office or the checker at the grocery store, there is no way out, trust me.

There are many non English speaking crime writers that are extremely successful in their country of origin and have had books translated into French, Italian, German (meeting equal success) but not English. Do you think it is because publishers believe that the mystery genre market is so saturated that there is no need for any more writers or is there a type of isolationist attitude from both readers as well as publishers?

Uh oh, a hard one! First of all, if anyone can explain - or maybe even find - the logic in the American publishing industry, I'll buy the book about it. A dozen of them even. This is one of those areas where the more I learn the less I understand. And here, I only thought that scenario applied to raising children!

Having just returned from Left Coast Crime in Tucson, I can tell you that there are many wonderful authors out there that I hadn't heard of before. It seems like we only hear of a few "big" names and automatically assume there are only a relatively small number of books being published. Not so! I found many new authors I'm anxious to read.

Which leads nicely into the saturation issue. Too many books? I don't believe that, not when I have heard reader after reader (including myself) exhomess an eagerness to find new authors. That, I think is more the problem than anything - finding the authors. And a problem it is. How do you reach readers?

It is difficult for a new author - particularly one from a small homess - to get reviewed in the mainstream periodicals. I am extremely grateful for ones I've received, and, the combination of reviews and chapter homeviews on my website seems to have gained me some measure of visibility. As a reader, I like the idea of sampling a chapter or two of a new author before I buy the book, so I wanted to offer readers the same opportunity to view my work to see if they like it. The website has been great for that. And, there are quite a few Internet book reviewers who work very hard to write about books that might not be reviewed elsewhere. Bastulli Library site fits that description exactly, and as a reader, I find it extremely helpful.

Which is the first mystery book do you think someone should read?

I stumbled into mysteries by accident many years ago. I'd tried to read a few here and there, but nothing ever really grabbed me. The one that did was Rick Hanson's first book, Spare Parts. It's very much over-the-top and off-the-wall, and I was laughing on page one. And, I was hooked on humor and homicide. Naturally, I also became an immediate fan of Carl Hiaasen and have read every book he's written as well.

What made me a mystery fan won't be the ticket for everyone. I think you just pick up every book on the shelf until you find one you can't put down. That's the one to read first!

Which book has surprised you more either positively or negatively?

I tend to be a "mood" reader, meaning I only read certain kinds of books at certain times. So, one that I didn't necessarily care for on one particular day, I might absolutely be enthralled with on another.

I was a little disappointed with Carl Hiaasen's latest, Sick Puppy. I enjoyed it, of course, but it didn't seem to be quite bizarre enough, if you can imagine! I worried that he didn't have enough fun writing it. I was driving down my little mountain road the other day and someone in the car in front of me threw trash out the window. And, like Tilly, I was furious. Maybe that's the problem. It hurts to see the land we love destroyed, and it really isn't funny.

What five books would you take with you to a desert island?

• A Travis McGee book by John D. MacDonald because if anybody could save me from a desert island it would be McGee!
• Story Weather by Carl Hiaasen because it sort of makes you glad you're not surrounded by idiots in Florida - and he makes me laugh.
• Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove because you could spend years re-reading and enjoying it, always feeling like your were surrounded by old friends.
• Janet Evanovich's latest. Her third book is next on my list to read and I have absolutely loved the first two.
• "How to Survive on a Desert Island" by whoever has written such a thing as I would definitely need all the help I could get to survive.

What countries/cultures fascinate you more?

Texas - it is a country, you know! (and I borrow from the culture shamelessly).

Actually, I'm not very worldly and would love to visit almost everywhere!

I've always been drawn to Scotland. I passed up a wonderful opportunity to go there with my grandmother when I was a teenager, but being newly in love, I chose to stay with my boyfriend. I did marry him, and 22 years later we're still in love, so I guess the decision wasn't all bad! Also India because I am fascinated by the spiritual teachings and histories.

What do you think of the Bastulli Mystery Library?

I love the reviews. Making them easy to access - even the old ones - by title and author is very nice. As with any website these days, the faster it loads, the better. I also find it helpful (sometimes) to have a tag line for type such as "Police Procedural" "Amateur Sleuth" "Mainstream Historical" or whatever seems to work. This helps readers who are looking for a particular type of book.

Thank you very much

© Copyright Bastulli Mystery Library 2000