Mystery author Sybil Johnson loves to read and write “cozies” – the lighter side of the mystery genre. Firstly, for their sheer escapism. And secondly because – unlike in real life - justice always prevails.

Hi there: I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Sybil is talking about why she dropped out of computer programming to become a successful mystery author.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How Sybil woke up one day and had a story in her mind she just had to write

Why she chose cozy mysteries as her genre

What her readers like best about her Aurora Anderson murder series

How her love of decorative art influences her work

Why she prefers online writing courses

And the two key attributes for writing success

Where to find Sybil Johnson:

Website: www.authorsybiljohnson.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sybiljohnsonauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sybiljohnson19

Blog:

And now to Sybil:

Jenny: Hello there Sybil, and welcome to the show. It’s great to have you with us.

Sybil: Thanks for having me.

Jenny: Sybil was there a "Once Upon  A Time" moment when you realised you had to write fiction or your life would be incomplete?  If so what was the catalyst?

Cosy author Sybil Johnson

Sybil: Well I never actually thought I would write fiction. I have always loved reading mysteries and other types of fiction as well, but one day, towards the end of a computer contract I had - and I didn't had nothing else planned -  I woke up and had this vision in my mind about a woman  - who was maybe 28 or 29 - finding her painting teacher dead in her garden. And I thought "That would be an interesting story - maybe I should write it."

Jenny:  The thought just popped into your head.

Sybil: Yes it just popped into my head.

Jenny: A lot of people don't act on those "popped into their head ideas"  because they realise that actually writing a mystery, there's a lot of work!

Sybil: Yes and that's why I never thought I would write one because I thought it would be too hard to plot. But you know what, I ended up doing it. . . It took me ten years -  that was my first book, Fatal Brushstroke - but I ended up doing it, eventually.

Fatal Brushstroke - Book One

Jenny: Great!  Now Aurora - Rory Anderson in the series -  has a close resemblance to you in several aspects -  she is a former computer programmer - and you said you did that for 20 years - and like you she is also a tole painting enthusiast. Could you tell us about the similarities and differences?

Sybil: Yes she is a computer programmer and that's what I was for 20 years. She's a lot younger than I am now, she is six feet tall - I always wanted to be six feet tall so I figured I make her that - and let's say she's a better painter than I am - I figure if you are going to have a painter as your heroine you may as well make her a good one. She is adopted and I am not, and I think she's a lot braver than I am.

Jenny: So tell us a little about tole painting - it plays  quite a large part in the story - her mother has an art shop - what is it's attraction for you?

Sybil:  Tole painting - known as decorative painting as it's called now, has a folk art tradition from around the world, and it emerged in a modern form in the late 60's and really its hey day was in the 90's, although it is still going on now. I tend to use the two terms (tole and decorative) interchangeably.

Really it is just decorating objects using paint - typically acrylics though some people use oils - and you learn different strokes - classic strokes -  and you have patterns.  What's really nice about it is you don't have to come up with your own designs, there's a great industry of people out there who create patterns and designs and you can use those. You can use techniques you've learned to create something really great.

Jenny:  It sounds like a bit of a parallel to quilting - a kind of folk art with man...