1. Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?
I started out as a panster. Then I got better at structure and
became more of a plotter. Now it depends. For mysteries, I like to have more of
a plot ahead of time, to make sure the pieces fit together and there’s enough
action.
However, romance is more character driven, so I only need enough
internal and external conflict to keep the characters apart. As long as I know
what they want and need, and why they can’t easily get it, I can start writing
and see what happens.
2. Which comes first - characters or plot for you?
For
the Accidental Detective mystery series, I started with a character who is
trying to reinvent her life as she turns 50. She spent 30 years as a war
correspondent, so she’s pretty fearless, but that doesn’t always help her with
the challenges of aging. She’s dealing with elderly parents who have health
problems, a resentful sister, her own lack of retirement planning, and a body
that doesn’t recover as quickly as it used to. These challenges provide humor
as she narrates her attempts to solve local mysteries and build a new life.
For
my cat café sweet romance novels, the idea of a cat café – where people could
hang out with adoptable cats in a café setting – inspired the series. The
characters are the people who work at the café or visit it regularly (plus
plenty of cats).
For
some of my other novels, plot came first. My romantic mystery, What We Found, was inspired by finding
the body of a murder victim while hiking in the woods. True story! (Learn more here.)
3. What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series
or something totally new?
The
Accidental Detective series launches this month with Something Shady at Sunshine: War
correspondent Kate Tessler has followed the most dangerous news stories around
the world. But can she survive going home?
The first four books are complete. I hope to return to the series, but
at the moment I’m writing about cowboy billionaires – specifically, a ranch
family that finds out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves.
The first book in that series will be out in the fall.
4. Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most
of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.
Many of my novels include real places in the Southwestern
United States, although I might fictionalize the names. For example, The
Accidental Detective series is set in a fictional town with the greater Phoenix
metropolitan area.
Whispers
in the Dark follows a young archaeologist who stumbles into danger as
mysteries unfold among ancient Southwest ruins. That was inspired by a trip to
Hovenweep National Monument some years ago. I loved that setting and had to use
it in a book!
In my treasure hunting adventure, Desert
Gold, the heroine and her best friend hunt for
the lost Victorio Peak treasure, a real Southwest legend. I drew on
personal experiences hiking in the desert for Erin and Camie’s adventures –
though fortunately I’ve never stumbled on a rattlesnake nest or gotten caught
in a flash flood!
I
blogged about my Southwest inspiration more here.
5. Do you write every day or just when the spirit hits?
I
am a full-time writer, working from home. I usually spend an hour or two
catching up on e-mail and other tasks. Then, ideally, I work on one of my own
projects for a couple of hours, unless I have too many other deadlines. In the
afternoon, I may tackle research, nonfiction books or articles, critiques, or
marketing and publicity. A lot of my income comes from educational publishing
for young people, which I do under the names Chris
Eboch
and MM Eboch. I generally don’t work on novels on the weekends, though I may do
other business-related activities.
6. Where can we find you?
I live in New Mexico with my husband
and our ferrets. My home office window looks out on nature, complete with
distracting wildlife such as roadrunners, quail, hummingbirds, and foxes.
Sign
up for the Kris Bock newsletter
Kris Bock Blog: The Southwest Armchair Traveler
Get a free Accidental
Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for my newsletter. This
collection includes a ten-page mystery short story set in the world of “The
Accidental Detective” series, information about the series, and the first
chapter of book 1. After that are three fun, short stories originally written
for children.
7. Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve
enjoyed?
I like romance,
romantic suspense, and mystery, but nothing too gruesome. I don’t need dead
bodies strewn on every page. Sometimes historical romance is a comfort read.
Maybe because I don’t write it, I can turn off the editorial brain and just be
a reader. KJ Charles is a favorite author!
No comments:
Post a Comment