1. Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre?
My latest book is called Sleuthing the Klondike. It is book two in my publisher, BWL, Inc.’s
, Canadian Historical Mystery Collection. It is also the third book of my
Historical Yukon Novels. The first two are Romancing
the Klondike (book three of my publisher’s Canadian Historical Brides
Collection) and Rushing the Klondike,
which is a continuation of the Romancing
the Klondike story.
2. Where did the idea arise? My publisher had previously published the twelve books of the Canadian Historical Brides Collection in which a story was set in each of the ten provinces and two territories (Northwest Territories and Nunavut were combined). Because I had travelled to the Yukon twice and had hiked the Chilkoot Trail 1997 which was the hundredth anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush, I chose the Yukon of 1896/97 to write about. Then, this year BWL, Inc has begun releasing the Canadian Historical Mysteries Collection with twelve mystery novels set in each of the Canadian provinces and territories. My novel, Sleuthing the Klondike, was published in April, 2023 and takes place in the summer of 1898.
3. How much research was involved? Did you
stay on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing? I surfed the Internet and read many
non-fiction books about the establishment of the town of Dawson City during the
Klondike, and also checked to see what kind of clothes and hair styles were
worn at the time and what food was brought in by boat for the stores to sell
and the restaurants to serve. There was much more that I could have added and
maybe I will have to write a fourth.
4. How long did you take to write the book? I took part in the NaNoWriMo (National Novel
Writing Month) in November, 2022, and wrote the first 50,000 words during that
month. Then it took another three months to complete the novel and do the
editing.
5. Now a
bit about you. How long have you been writing? What is your Sun Sign? I began my writing career with a short story,
progressed to travel and historical articles, and then on to travel books.
Between 1990 and 2000 I traveled through and researched the provinces of
Alberta and British Columbia, the territory of the Yukon, and the state of
Alaska and wrote seven books them.
I
called these books my Backroads series and in them I described what there is to
see and do along their back roads. Once I was finished travelling I switched to fiction writing and have had five
other mystery novels published besides Sleuthing
the Klondike: ‘A Killer Match’ is
the first in my Dating Coach Mystery Series with the second book, A Lethal Proposal being published in
2024; ‘Gold Fever’ is a stand-alone
mystery/romance; and ‘Illegally Dead’, ‘The Only Shadow In The
House’, and ‘Whistler's Murder’ are three novels in my Travelling Detective Series.
I have also had two Canadian Historical
novels for two young adults: West To The
Bay and West to Grande Portage.and
one holiday romance, The Twelve Dates of Christmas,
(which was written with her sister Gwen Donaldson) published. Gwen and I we
have a second holiday romance coming out in November, 2023, titled Single Bells.
I was born in New Westminster, British
Columbia, Canada, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Since I love change, I have
moved over thirty times in my life, living on acreages and farms and in small
towns and cities throughout Alberta and B.C. After seventeen years on Vancouver
Island I am now back in Edmonton.
I belong to Crime Writers of Canada and
Writer’s Guild of Alberta.
I was born on April 21 so I am on the cusp of
Aries and Taurus but I identify as a Taurus with some Aires traits.
6. Do you write in a number of genres of
stick to one? Oh, I write in many different genres. I come up with an idea and
write the story and then decided what genre it belongs in. But, since I love
reading mystery novels, my favourite genre to write is mystery.
7. Where on the internet can you be found?
https://www.facebook.com/writingsbyJoan
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