Arlene Culiner is Visiting and Talking about Panster or Plotter #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Storyteller #Non-fiction #Hungarian village #Women's fiction

 

 1.Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both? Which comes first - characters or plot for you?

 

I can’t really answer this, probably because I don’t analyze my way of functioning as a writer or as a visual artist. I’m a natural storyteller, so I suppose I do both at the same time.

 

2.What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?

 

I’m finishing a non-fiction manuscript about life in a small Hungarian village. Those Absent on the Great Hungarian Plain will be published by Claret Press, London, in February. I’m also finishing a standalone women’s fiction, Words for Patty Jo. The style is something quite new for me, also the story is a departure from my romance books. Yes, there is a romance, but it is subtle and off-stage for much of the story.

 

3.Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.

 

Good food, especially spicy, herby vegetarian meals. Also good wines. The settings for my stories are always out of the way places — small communities, semi-ghost towns, places no one goes to. And they’re filled with cranky characters.

 

4.Do you write everyday or just when the spirit hits?

 

When the spirit hits. Why force myself to do something I don’t want to do? Life is too short for nonsense like that.

 

5.Where can we find you?

 

In my house in a small French village: https://www.jill-culiner.com/

On my romance website: https://www.j-arleneculiner.com/

On my history book site: https://www.jillculiner-writer.com/

On SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner

And here: https://linktr.ee/j.arleneculiner

 

7.Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?

 

I don’t have a favorite. I have many authors I love, and there are many books that I’ve read recently that are excellent: the brilliant Istanbul history Midnight at the Pera Palace by Charles King, Kapka Kassabova’s Street Without a Name, that describes life in communist Bulgaria. I also very much enjoyed Stephen Henighan’s Lost Province about his year spent in Moldava.

 

I could continue listing wonderful books for a long time, but, as you can tell, I love those that take me elsewhere, that are rich with information, and that are beautifully written.

 

Friday Yvonne Rediger is visiting and talking about Panster or Plotter #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Panster #Plotter

 

1.      Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?

 

A bit of both. I do outline my stories. I plot and have a plan to a certain level, but don’t preclude new good ideas from being added to the story. I will also go in a whole new different direction if the original plan isn’t working for me, or come up with a better path to run down.

 

2.      Which comes first - characters or plot for you?

 

The plot comes first. I play the ‘what if’ game a lot. Whenever I see something or go somewhere that sparks my imagination. 

 

On an overcast evening I walked down a wooden foot bridge along the coast. The incoming tide made a shushing noise against the concrete pylons as it pushed past them. It occurred to me, looking down at the grey silt, a body would sink right in down there. Maybe with only the toes of the left foot poking through…

 

3.      What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?

 

Currently, I’m doing final edits for MURDER ON THE MALAHAT, an Adam Norcross Mystery. It’s the first in a new series.

 

I’m also writing CONDO CRAZY, book 3 Musgrave Landing Mystery series. The fourth book in the VIC Shapeshifter’s series tentatively entitled MAGIC’S PRICE is resting at the moment. I’ll get back to it when Condo Crazy is complete.

 

I also have a new romantic suspense, THE COMMON TOUCH. The publisher has it scheduled for November, but with all the crazy things happening in 2020, it might be delayed.

 

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.

 

I like to have animals in my books, the mysteries always feature a cat or dog. Not always a pet. The Shapeshifter series, well, they bring their own animals.

 

5.      Do you write every day or just when the spirit hits?

 

I find I need to write something every day. Sometimes it’s for work, a report or an analysis. Mostly, it’s a bit of fiction though, a scene for my work in progress usually. Or maybe a writing challenge. I like those too.

 

 

6.      Where can we find you?

 

This is my website:  https://blackyvy50.wixsite.com/yvonnerediger 

 

Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/ vicshapeshifters/ updates for all my upcoming releases, news and features can be found here.

 

This is my YouTube channel, I have book trailers, videos I’ve made, a few for helping new authors.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRg1KoOYF0e1nQuhy5rV-wA?

 

7. Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?

 

I read widely, Ann Cleese, Jim Butcher, Jordan Peterson, Dave Duncan, Tanya Huff, Harlan Coben, and of course Linwood Barclay and Elevator Pitch. Mr. Barclay is a great writer of the thriller and he will answer questions on GoodReads, and so will I!