It's Mystery Thriller Week Sun., Feb. 12 - Weds. Feb. 22!
Today for MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK - Sign up for prizes, etc! * Join the Facebook page. * Check out the events and author blog posts at the event website.
Today, I welcome Jacqueline Seewald, author of The Inheritance
(Also see my post at her blog! - and sign up for my giveaway here.)
(Also see my post at her blog! - and sign up for my giveaway here.)
* Be sure to read my post at Jacqueline's blog. - I also have a post on Lizzie Borden today at The Truth About Books
10 Questions with Jacqueline Seewald
What is the title and
genre of your latest novel? Why did you
select them?
My
new novel is entitled THE INHERITANCE. It’s a contemporary romantic mystery set
in the Midwest . Choosing a title is never easy
and there are a number of books with the same title, but the mystery does
center around an inheritance and so it seemed appropriate.
Can you tell us about
some of your other published novels or work?
My published books are varied: children’s
picture books, YA novels, adult mysteries and romances. Hundreds of my short
stories, nonfiction articles and poems have also been published. My novels are
varied in style and subject matter but almost all have a romantic element. For
example, my novel DARK MOON RISING is an adult Gothic romance with lots of
paranormal elements. My YA novels THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER and STACY’S SONG
are both “clean reads” suitable for teens while my historical Western romantic
suspense novel THE KILLING LAND is an adult novel.
What
are you working on now…what’s it about?
At the moment I’m working
on a romantic suspense thriller entitled DEATH PROMISE. It’s a sequel to DEATH
LEGACY which received excellent reviews. Many readers asked for a sequel and I
finally decided to write one.
What’s
your favorite genre to write in and why?
I really don’t have a
favorite. I write in many styles and types. My short stories vary considerably
from literary to just about every genre.
What
is the hardest/easiest part in your book to write and why?
The hardest part of
writing a book for me is the beginning. Readers these days have short attention
spans. In most instances, if the writer doesn’t seize the reader’s interest
from the first, then all is lost. The book won’t be read no matter how good it
might be. So I write and rewrite the beginning many times.
What
is your favorite setting description?
I loved writing the Kim
Reynolds mystery series set in Central New Jersey
in a fictional town similar to the one I lived in for forty years. THE BAD WIFE
is the fourth novel in the series. I haven’t decided whether to
continue the series or not. But I do think the area provides a great setting
for a mystery series.
Describe
a typical writing day.
I get up ridiculously
early and start writing before breakfast. I like working when it’s quiet and
there are no interruptions. I usually work again for an hour or so after dinner
in the evening depending on how tired I am.
How
do you approach plotting a novel? Chapter outline? Rough idea? Fly by the seat
of your pants?
Characters and plot tend
to live in my mind for a long time before I try writing a rough, flexible
outline.
What
is your favorite mystery character from books or movies…and why?
I’m a big fan of Sherlock
Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an amazing writing and the original creator
of forensic science investigations.
Where
and when will readers be able to obtain THE INHERITANCE?
* See Amazon
Author website:
http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com
Twitter:
JacquelineSeewald@JacquelineSeewa
Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.seewald
About THE INHERITANCE:
Jennifer Stoddard, a
thirty-five-year-old widow with an eight-year-old son, receives a surprising
letter which will change her life. Jennifer’s grandmother has passed away and
named Jen as sole heir to her estate. To claim her inheritance she must return
to Bloomingvale, the town in the Midwest where
she grew up. Jen is informed by her grandmother’s attorney that to inherit she
must meet the condition of living in her grandmother’s house for two years.
Since the estate is substantial, she agrees. However, there are those who will
stop at nothing to make certain that Jennifer does not inherit. Jennifer is forced to call on old flame Police Chief Grant
Coleman for help and protection.
Excerpt:
Late
that afternoon as Jen left the house and started to drive away, a strange sound
whizzed across the open front car windows from the driver’s side through the
passenger side. She was startled by the sound. Her heart began to pound. Jen
glanced over at the thicket of overgrown shrubs and trees to the side of the
grounds that led back into woodlands. Had the sound been a bullet? If so, it
had nearly hit her. Her hands shook on the driver’s wheel as she took off at
high speed.
One block away she heard the police
siren and saw the flashing lights. She groaned. Not again! He signaled with his
hand, pointing his index finger for her to pull over. It was all she could do
not to burst into tears.
Grant Coleman approached the car
like a gunfighter in a spaghetti western. “I thought you learned something the
first time,” he said. “Guess I was wrong. License and registration.” He held
out his hand with a bored, impatient gesture.
“I have a very good reason for
speeding.”
The smile was more of a smirk. The
man was infuriating! “I’ve heard them all, but you can try.”
“As I left my grandmother’s house, a
bullet passed through my car. I had the windows rolled down. So they weren’t
broken, but it just missed hitting me.”
He stared at her. “Maybe it was a
kid with a Beebe gun. Are you certain it was a bullet breezing by you? How
familiar are you with weapons?”
“Not familiar at all, but I know
what I heard.” Jen swallowed hard. “I think someone might have intended to
shoot me.”
He let out a loud laugh. “In
Bloomingvale? I doubt that very much.”
“So you’re not taking this seriously?”
She folded her arms over her chest.
“Admit it. You’re just looking for
an excuse to keep me from writing you another ticket.” His intense gray eyes
bore into her like the steel blade of a dagger.
Jen raised her chin and stiffened
her spine. “You are so wrong. Why don’t you check the area near the house, just
to see if you can find anything.”
“Waste of time.” He leaned toward
her and she felt his breath on her cheek which caused her to shiver. “Tell you
what I will do though. I won’t write you a ticket this time because that’s the
most creative excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“So glad I managed to amuse you,”
she said.
Jen watched him drive off. He was
probably still laughing, the sexy jerk. Several people had come out of their
houses and were staring at her. Jen managed to restart her car and drove off
before others gathered. She certainly didn’t want to make a spectacle of
herself. Letting out a shaky breath, Jen wasn’t certain now if she’d really
heard what she thought she had. A professional law enforcement officer didn’t
think anything of it. She supposed it might have been nothing at all. Maybe it
was a child with a Beebe gun as he suggested. But try as hard as she might, Jen
couldn’t convince herself.
Great interview Jacquie, always wonderful to get to know more about you!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and God's blessings
PamT
Pam,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the support! It is appreciated.
Great interview.
ReplyDeleteThank you, A. L. I appreciate you dropping by and commenting.
DeleteNice interview! Very interesting learning how you approach writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catherine. I'll be visiting with you tomorrow.
DeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me. I enjoyed interviewing with you.