In this interview with author Matty Dalrymple, she describes a scene that caught my imagination and reminded me why writers write. I loved hearing more about Matty's amateur sleuth, Ann Kinnear, who, Matty explains, isn't really even a sleuth in the first two books of this mystery series. Ann is someone with psychic gifts who, by accidents of timing and location, lands in situations that require her to use her gifts to help solve two crimes.

And isn't that the way most of us would or could get embroiled in a murder investigation? I love that Matty has created a character who is growing into her role as a sleuth, rather than arriving on the scene fully formed. It seems so true-to-life.

When you hear her describe the scene on the battlefield you'll know what I mean about why writers write. So beautiful! And it all came from her imagination. ;-)

You can find out more about Matty and her Ann Kinnear series on her website MattyDalrymple.com. She's also on Twitter and Facebook. And, for those of you who are interested in writing, Matty shares information and resources about her journey as an independent author at TheIndyAuthor.com.

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

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

Transcript of Interview with Matty Dalrymple

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers, I'm Alexandra Amor. This is It's A Mystery Podcast and I'm here today with Matty Dalrymple. Hi, Matty.

Matty: All right. How are you doing?

Alexandra: Very well. How are you?

Matty: Good, thanks.

Alexandra: Good. So, let me introduce you to our listeners.

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Ann Kinnear suspense novels, "The Sense of Death" and "The Sense of Reckoning." Matty lives with her husband and her two Labrador retrievers in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is the setting for much of the action in "The Sense of Death."

In the summers, they enjoy vacationing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, where "The Sense of Reckoning" takes place. Matty is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Brandy Wine Valley Writers Group. So, welcome, Matty. It's great to have you here today.

Matty: Thank you. This is very exciting.

Alexandra: Oh, well.

Let's talk about your main character, Ann Kinnear, and she's a little bit special. So tell us about her.

Matty: Okay. Well, Ann has the ability to sense spirits. And at the beginning of the first book, it's a very basic skill. She can just sense a spirit through lights or maybe a scent. And she has a consulting business that her brother runs for her, where she would go to people's homes or different places and tell them whether they had a spirit or not, and could tell them, in general, whether it was a friendly spirit or an unfriendly spirit. And then, in the process of the novel, she becomes unintentionally involved in a crime and her ability to sense spirits is instrumental in t...