Creative Alchemy

Writing a book is hard enough. Writing one with someone you've never met? I would have said that was impossible, until I met Lawrence Kelter and Frank Zafiro.

Two very experienced and prolific writers have come together to write a gritty, New York City police procedural that one fan says, "...has it all: a solid mystery, action, suspense, humor, sex appeal, gripping drama."

You'll hear me ask Frank and Larry how they managed to make this collaboration work, because collaborative creative projects are something that fascinate me. They mention that one key to their success for The Last Collar was worshiping at the alter of the creative project rather than bringing a lot of ego to the project. In other words, they always did what was right for the project itself.

I think you'll enjoy hearing from these two lovely gentlemen about the book they've brought to life together. Luckily for their readers, they enjoyed working together so much that they're doing it again! Stay tuned for the next Kelter / Zafiro collaboration in 2019.

Today we talk almost entirely about Larry and Frank's co-written book, but both authors have other mysteries available. Below are the links to their websites where you'll find more information about those books.

You can find out more about today's guests, Frank Zafiro and Lawrence Kelter, and all their books on their websites FrankZafiro.com for Frank, and My-Cousin-Vinny.com for Lawrence. On Twitter, Frank is @Frank_Zafiro and Larry is @LarryKelter

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Frank Zafiro and Lawrence Kelter

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers. I'm Alexandra Amor. This is "It's a Mystery" podcast. I'm here today with Frank Zafiro and Lawrence Kelter. Hi, guys.

Larry: Hi. How are you doing?

Frank: How is it going?

Alexandra: Very well. How are you two today?

Frank: Pretty good.

Alexandra: Good. This is my first dual interview. So, I'm looking forward to it very much. Let me introduce you guys to our audience.

Frank Zafiro is the author of over twenty novels including, the "River City" series of procedurals and "Stefan Kopriva" mysteries. He spent 20 years in law enforcement, an experience that brings grit and veracity to his crime fiction. In addition to his solo work and his collaboration with Larry Kelter, he has written novels with writers such as Eric Beetner, Colin Conway, Bonnie Paulson, and Jim Wiksky. His "Ania" trilogy with Jim Wilsky will be reissued by Down and Out Books very soon and will include a fourth novel, a prequel entitled "Harbinger." Frank lives in central Oregon with his wife, Kristy. In addition to writing, he's a hockey fan and a tortured guitarist. Oh, my.

Jessica Lourey is my first guest who is a writer and a full-time writing teacher.

In this episode of the podcast we talk about her Murder by Month mysteries, and also about her non-fiction book, Rewrite Your Life, an amazing book, which I am currently pouring through.

I use writing every day to keep myself sane. I journal each morning, which helps me to work though some of my garbage, and it also sometimes helps me to know what I'm thinking. I wrote a memoir about ten years I spent in a cult in the 1990s, and writing that book was incredibly healing. And, of course, I also write fiction, which makes me happy, keeps me sane, and hopefully brings a little more light into the world.

If you have any interest in writing at all, I encourage you to listen to my chat with Jessica. We have a lovely time discussing writing, reading, healing and more.

You can find out more about today's guest, Jessica Lourey, and all her books on her website JessicaLourey.com. You can also find her on Twitter @JessLourey.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Jessica's books on Amazon

* Jessica's TEDx talk about using fiction to rewrite your life [12.54 minutes]

* The writing Workshops and Online Courses that Jessica offers

* Bouchercon, the World Mystery Conference. This year it's in Toronto, Canada on October 12 to 15, and Jessica will be there!

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Jessica Lourey

Alexandra: Hi, everyone. I'm Alexandra Amor. This is It's a Mystery Podcast. And I'm here today with Jessica Lourey. Hi, Jessica.

Jessica: Hi, Alexandra. Thanks for having me.

Alexandra: Oh, you're so welcome. It's great to have you here. I'm excited to talk about your books. So let me introduce you to our listeners.

Jessica Lourey is best known for her critically-acclaimed "Murder-by-Month Mysteries", which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist. The latter writing her books are a splendid mix of humor and suspense. Jessica also writes Sword and Sorcery fantasy as Albert Lea...is that how I pronounce Lea, L-E-A?

Jessica: That's right. Yup.

Alexandra: And edge-of-your-seat YA adventure as J.H. Lourey. And she's also branching out into literary fiction under her given name. So welcome, Jessica. It's great to have you here today.

This was the first cozy mystery series I'd ever heard of that's set in Japan.

I had to talk to Stephanie (SJ) Pajonas about her Daydreamer Detective, Mei Yamagawa. Mei has moved back home to the rural community where her mother lives, after failing at life in the big city. But, as so often with life, that's probably for the best because Mei's daydreaming ways make her an instinctive and insightful amateur sleuth.

Stephanie and I chat about what led to her fascination with Japan, learning Japanese, and practicing her language skills on her visits to that island nation.

You can find out more about today's guest, S.J. Pajonas, and all her books on her website SPajonas.com. You can also find her on Twitter @SPajonas.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Stephanie's books on Amazon

* Stephanie also writes Science Fiction with a Japanese twist. You can learn more here.

* More about Kotatsu, the Japanese heated floor table Stephanie mentions.

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with S.J. Pajonas

Alexandra: Hi Mystery readers, I'm Alexandra Amor. It's a mystery podcast, and I'm here today with S.J. Pajonas. Hi, Stephanie!

Stephanie: Hi. How are you today?

Alexandra: Very well. How are you?

Stephanie: Doing great.

Alexandra: That's good. All right, well let me give our listeners an introduction to you.

Stephanie (S. J) Pajonas is the author of several books series including the, Miso Cozy Mystery series, which we're going to talk about later today.

Stephanie is a writer, a knitter, armature astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. We're gonna talk about that as well. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea.

When she's not writing, she's thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it's winter. She hates winter. Someday she'll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She's a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside New York City.

Well, it's such a treat to talk to you today. And the reason I was really intrigued about your books is because they are set in Japan. And you, we mentioned in the bio there that you're a Japanophile.

How about we start with you telling us where your fascination with Japan came from.

Stephanie: My fascination with Japan has been long lived. I think that I became a big fan late in college. So that's been like 1998. I graduated in 1998.

It was around that time that the Miyazaki Anime were really popular h...

This is what happens when the podcast host becomes a podcast guest. ;-)

Today I'm delighted to share an interview from Alan Petersen's Meet the Thriller Author podcast. The subject of the interview is me! Your host, Alexandra Amor, becomes the guest for this week.

Alan and I talk about my cozy mystery novels set in frontier British Columbia. And we also touch on my children's novels, as well as the first book I wrote a memoir about 10 years I spent in a meditation cult in Vancouver in the 1990s.

This interview was originally posted on Alan Petersen's podcast, Meet the Thriller author. Many thanks to Alan for letting me share it here as well.

You can find out more about today's guest, Alexandra Amor, and all her books on her website AlexandraAmor.com. You can also find her on Twitter @artconnectsus.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Alexandra's books

* More about the meditation cult Alexandra was involved in for 10 years in the 1990s

* The Vernon, BC Museum and Archives where Alexandra does some of her research for the Town Called Horse mystery series

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Alexandra Amor

Alan: Hi everybody. This is Alan with Meet the Thriller Author, and for this episode I'm interviewing Alexandra Amor, and I have her on Skype. How are you doing Alexandra?

Alexandra: Very well, thanks, Alan. How are you?

Alan: I am doing good. Kind of the shoe on the other foot now, because you interviewed me a couple of weeks ago for your podcast.

Alexandra: That's right, yes, exactly. So we've switched roles today.

Alan: Switched roles. Yes, yes. We're funky like that.

Alexandra: Yeah.

Alan: Could you tell the listeners a little bit about yourself, please.

Alexandra: Certainly, yeah.

I'm an independently published author, and my first book was actually way out of the thriller and mystery genre. It was a memoir about 10 years I spent in a cult in the 1990s. And right now, I'm working on a mystery series.

Not every author can combine history, mystery and legal issues in one book.

Michael H. Rubin, and his co-author Ayan Rubin, accomplish just that with their Bayou Thrillers set in the historical melting pot of South Louisiana.

Michael and I discuss how he and his wife manage to share the task of writing compelling, page-turning legal thrillers, which seems to include no small number of very early morning walks.

You can find out more about today's guest, Michael H. Rubin, and all his books on his website MRubinBooks.com. You can also find him on Twitter @MichaelHRubin.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Michael's books on Amazon

* James Lee Burke's Louisiana-based Dave Robicheaux novels

* Excerpts and synopses of Michael's books, including the not-yet-released, Sanction.

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Micheal H. Rubin

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers. This is It's a Mystery Podcast. I'm your host Alexandra Amor and I'm here today with Michael H. Rubin. Hi, Michael.

Michael: Hi. How are you doing?

Alexandra: Very well, thank you. How are you?

Michael: Excellent.

Alexandra: Good. Good. Well, let me give our listeners a little bit of an introduction to you.

Michael H. Rubin is a former professional Jazz pianist, and I have to say, you're the first Jazz pianist I've had on the show, who has performed in several states as well as in clubs in the New Orleans French quarter. He's also a former radio and television announcer, a nationally known speaker and a humorist who has given over 400 presentations throughout the country. He's also a full-time practising attorney as if he didn't have enough on his plate who helps manage a law firm with offices from the West coast to the Gulf coast to the East coast.

His debut novel, The Cottoncrest Curse, won the INDIEFAB Book of The Year Gold award as the best thriller and suspense novel published by a university or independent press.

Cashed Out is his latest novel and it will be available August 18th, 2017 and we're gonna talk about both your novels today.

Michael, why don't we start by talking about this collaboration with your wife?

On your website, you mentioned that the books have your name on them but the work is actually a collaboration, so tell us a bit about that.

Michael: Absolutely. Well, we walk early in the morning. When I say early, I mean early, 4;30 a.m. And we talk through the plots and the characters and we write ou...

Cozy mystery author Cindy Brown is slightly silly, but also very serious about writing stories that matter to her.

In this wide-ranging interview, Cindy mentions some great writing advice she got from a Star Wars screenwriter and how that has informed her Ivy Meadows mysteries.

She also shares some fascinating facts about Annie Oakley. When Cindy was researching her latest book, Ivy Get Your Gun, she discovered that Annie was not only a cracker-jack shot, she was a determined and brave business-woman who was reportedly kind and generous despite her fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This reminded me of how much fun it is for writers like Cindy (and me) to weave real life events, people and places into our fictional stories. And of course, we sincerely hope it is as much fun for our readers when they get our books in their hands!

You can find out more about today's guest, Cindy Brown, and all her books on her website CindyBrownWriter.com. You can also find her on Twitter @friendlybrown.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Cindy's books on Amazon

* Cindy's article at the Jungle Red Writers website

* Article about the accidental shooting at the OK Corral in Tombstone, AZ

* Annie Oakley's Wikipedia page

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Cindy Brown

Alexandra: Hi mystery readers. I'm Alexandra Amor, this is It's a Mystery Podcast. And I'm here today with Cindy Brown. Hi Cindy.

Cindy: Hello. How are you doing?

Alexandra: Very well. How are you?

Cindy: I'm good. I'm good. It's a beautiful day, the birds are singing and the terrier is quiet for now, which is kind of a warning he you just like buff me a little bit.

Alexandra Okay. So if we hear that in the background we know who that is?

Cindy: Yes. I'll introduce you at that point because he'll probably come running over to me too.

Alexandra Okay. Cool. All right. Well, let me give our listeners a bit of an introduction to you.

Cindy Brown has been a theater geek, musician, actor, director, producer and playwright since her first professional gig at age 14.

Now a full-time writer, she's the author of the Agatha-nominated Ivy Meadow series, madcap mysteries set in the off, off, OFF Broadway world of theater. Cindy and her husband live in Portland Oregon,

Former newspaper editor and multi-genre author Patricia McLinn lets the muses guide her when she writes her books.

I confess that as a writer I don't have nearly as much confidence as today's podcast guest, Patricia McLinn. This interview was fascinating for me because Patricia shares a bit about her writing process, which does not involve outlines and planning - even when she's writing mysteries!

Patricia also writes romance, but today we're focused on her Caught Dead In Wyoming series. Book 6 in the series, Back Story, will be published in October 2017, and in the meantime you can start at the beginning of journalist, and amateur sleuth, Elizabeth Danniher's story with Sign Off, which is free in ebook form right now.

You can find out more about today's guest, Patricia McLinn, and all her books on her website PatriciaMcLinn.com. You can also find her on Twitter @PatriciaMcLinn.

Click on any of the book covers to go to Patricia's books on Amazon.

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Patricia McLinn

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers, I'm Alexandra Amor. This is "It's A Mystery" podcast and I'm here today with Patricia McLinn. Hi, Patricia.

Patricia: Hello, how are you today?

Alexandra: Very well. How are you?

Patricia: I'm doing great.

Alexandra: Good.

Patricia: And it's a good day.

Alexandra: Excellent. Well, let me introduce you to all of our listeners.

Patricia McLinn is a "USA TODAY" bestselling author of more than 40 novels, mostly romance and mystery. The readers and reviewers cite for their warmth, wit, and strong characters. She has spoken on writing for Melbourne, Australia to Washington DC, including being a guest speaker at The Smithsonian.

She always wanted to write novels but took a detour into practicality with a journalism career that included more than 20 years as an editor in the Washington Post. It was great training, not to mention giving her lots of material for her characters in the "Caught Dead in Wyoming" mystery series which we're going to talk about today, which features her fish out of water sleuth TV journalist Elizabeth Margaret Danniher.

The sixth book in this series, Back Story is available for preorder now and will be out late October 2017 as long as Patricia keeps her nose to the grindstone.

Today we are gonna talk mostly about the "Caught Dead in Wyoming" series but you have a fantastic story on your website about the first book you ever wrote.

It's the wallpaper paste story and I wondered if you could tell our listeners about that, please.

Patricia: I would be happy to. I tried previously and always I would start at the beginning and I'd get a couple of chapters in and then I didn't know what was going on. But this one story really...

Have you ever wondered if your favorite characters from books were based on real people?

Today author Vicki Vass answers that question for us. Her Antique Hunters cozy mystery protagonists are based on two of her close friends. Now these are ladies I'd love to meet.

Vicki and I also spend time talking about her latest mystery, Bloodline, a book that cozy mystery reviewer Karen Owen named the best mystery she's read so far in 2017.

You can find out more about today's guest, Vicki Vass, and all her books on her website VickiVass.com. You can also find her on Facebook at VickiVassAuthor.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Vicki's books on Amazon

* Biltmore Estate Wikipedia page

* A Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery book review site

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Vicki Vass

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers, this is It's a Mystery podcast. I'm your host, Alexandra Amor, and I'm here today with Vicki Vass. Hi, Vicki.

Vicki: Hi, Alexandra.

Alexandra: How are you doing?

Vicki: Good. How are you today?

Alexandra: I'm very well, thank you. So let me just introduce you to our our listeners.

After visiting Asheville, North Carolina, Vicki Vass found herself transfixed by the magic that surrounded this beautiful mountain town. She knew she wanted to capture that magic in her new "Witch Cat Mystery" series and live there so she bought a lot. "Bloodline" is the first novel in that series.

An avid reader, Vicki researched Appalachian folklore, Celtic legends, and the Biltmore Estate. All of these things play a role in "Bloodline." Vicki has written over 1,400 stories for "The Chicago Tribune." I want to ask you about that as well.

Let's start out today talking about your "Antique Hunters Mysteries" because you've got four books in that series.

Vicki: Yes, and I'm working on book five. I used to spend my weekends antiquing with my two best friends, and that series grew out of those experiences. The characters are loosely based on my two friends.

Alexandra: Oh nice.

We've got Anne Hillstrom and CC Muller. Tell us about those ladies.

Vicki: Anne is very much in real life as she appears in the book. She is an avid collector and sometimes does not know when to get rid of things, and she's never had a antique or a sale that she does not want to visit.

Whereas CC is very much like the practical German journalist and always keeping Anne on track. So it was just very fun to write about them and to share their story,

While author Wendy H. Jones' Dundee, Scotland based police procedurals are grounded in the present, she's not afraid to mix in a little fantasy and magic in her Young Adult mysteries.

Wendy has a lot on her plate; she's written six books in the DI Shona McKenzie series (five published so far with the sixth coming out in August 2017). Now she's added a young adult series to her repertoire. AND she's organizing a writing and reading festival at Glamis Castle in Scotland.

We talk about all of this today, and below you'll find links to everything, including the book festival.

Keep your eyes on Wendy H Jones! She's clearly a lass to be reckoned with. ;-)

You can find out more about today's guest, Wendy H Jones, and all her books on her website WendyHJones.com. You can also find her on Twitter @WendyHJones.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Click on any of the book covers to go to Wendy's books on Amazon

* Wendy's home and the location for her books, Dundee, Scotland

* The Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee

* Flora MacDonald's Wikipedia page

* McManus Galleries, Dundee

* Wendy's blog post about the launch party for The Dagger's Curse

* Details about Wendy's Crime at the Castle writers' and readers' festival on the Glamis Castle website

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Wendy H. Jones

Alexandra: Hi, Mystery Readers, I'm Alexandra Amor. This is It's a Mystery Podcast and I'm here today with Wendy H. Jones. Hi, Wendy.

Wendy: Hi.

Alexandra: How are you doing today?

Wendy: I'm absolutely fabulous. We've got sun in Scotland, so that's always a bonus.

Alexandra: Yeah, that is a bonus. Well, you know what, I was reading up about you before the show. And there was a, I went to a site about Dundee, which we'll talk about where you live. And it said that it gets the most hours of sunlight of any city in Scotland.

Wendy: It does, yes.

Alexandra: So, that benefits...

Wendy: It can't help the rest of Scotland is all I can say.

Alexandra: Oh, yeah, that's right. Exactly. Goodness me. Okay, well let me give our listeners a bit of an introduction to you.

Author and former jockey Sasscer Hill has been inspired by both her literary heroes and her real life when it comes to writing her horse racing thrillers.

Anyone who knows me well knows what a loon I am about the late author Dick Francis. He was a champion jockey in the UK, who rode for the Queen Mother among others, before he became a bestselling author.

My guest today, Sasscer Hill, shies away from comparisons to Francis, but I suspect her horse racing novels might appeal to Dick Francis fans among my listeners. Sasscer endeared herself to me by not only citing Francis during our interview, but also two of my other favorite authors; Robert B. Parker and Walter Farley. Our conversation felt like a match made in heaven. ;-)

In other mystery novel news, It's a Mystery Podcast guest Peter Bartram (episode #27) has a new trilogy of books out this month in his Colin Crampton 1960s journalism series. You can learn more about the Morning, Noon, and Night trilogy at ColinCrampton.com.

You can find out more about today's guest, Sasscer Hill, and all her books on her website SasscerHill.com. You can also find her on Twitter @SasscerHill.

Click on any of the book covers to go to Sasscer's books on Amazon.

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Sasscer Hill

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers, this is It's a Mystery Podcast. I'm your host Alexandra Amor, and I'm here today with Sasscer Hill. Hi, Sasscer.

Sasscer: Hi, how are you?

Alexandra: I'm good. How are you?

Sasscer: I'm feeling very well, thank you.

Alexandra: Oh, good. Well, let me give our listeners an introduction to you.

Author Sasscer Hill was involved in horse racing as an amateur jockey and has been a racehorse breeder for most of her life. She sets her novels against a background of big money, gambling, and horse racing.

Her mystery and suspense thrillers have received multiple award nominations. Her first book in the Nikki Latrelle series, "Full Mortality" was nominated for both an Agatha and a Macavity Best First Book Award. Sasscer has written a new series for St. Martin's Minotaur. One of the new books in this Fia McKee series won the Carrie McCray 2015 Competition for First Chapter of a Novel, as well as the 2015 Claymore Award Nomination. The first book in the series, "Flamingo Road," was published April 18th, 2017, and we'll talk about that a little later in the interview.

I want to start out first to talk about the Nikki Latrelle book. Tell us a little bit about Nikki and her background.

Sasscer: Nikki is younger than my new heroine, Fia McKee. Nikki is only 23 years old,