Interview with mystery author Joyce T. Strand

Today I have an interview with novelist Joyce T. Strand. We’re chatting about her new mystery, The Reporter’s Story.

During her virtual book tour, Joyce will be having 3 giveaways:

1^st Prize: Kindle Fire 7” WiFi 8GB Black plus e-book or paperback copy of The Reporters Story

2^nd Prize: $25 Amazon gift card and e-book or paperback copy of The Reporters Story

3^rd Prize: e-book or paperback copy of The Reporters Story

To be entered for a chance to win one of the prizes, use the form below.

Bio:

Joyce T. Strand is the author of who-done-it contemporary and historical mysteries set in California. All of her published six novels are inspired by actual events and/or real people, although they are definitely fictionalized.

Her first three contemporary mysteries feature protagonist Jillian Hillcrest, a public relations executive who encounters murder and mayhem at her Silicon Valley company. Jillian’s boss, Brynn Bancroft, solves the next two mysteries when she leaves her position as Chief Financial Officer to run a winery in Sonoma. 

In Strand’s first historical mystery, a Superior Court Judge strives to discover the truth behind the mystery of a robbery-murder in a small California town in 1939. In her newest mystery, The Reporter’s Story, a house burglary in 1912 San Francisco piques a young reporter’s instincts that leads to intrigue and murder.

Strand headed corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in California's Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike Jillian, however, she did not encounter murder in her career. Strand lives with her two cats and collection of cow statuary in Southern California, and enjoys exploring and writing about the growing wine region in the Ramona Valley near San Diego.

Welcome, Joyce. Please tell us about your current release.

The Reporter’s Story is my second mystery set in the past to feature a character who might be considered a minor hero. Emma Matheson is a reporter at a San Francisco newspaper in 1912, whose life is based on a real-life reporter of the times. She gets drawn into solving a mystery of a house burglary that the owner denies happened. Her intense desire to become a world-class, front-page reporter drives her to pursue the solution—leading to murder, intrigue, and smuggling.

What inspired you to write this book?

First, I am a mystery writer and love to create and solve a puzzle with interesting, amateur sleuths. I have written five contemporary mysteries with two protagonists who get pulled into the need to solve crimes in Silicon Valley and/or the Sonoma wine region of California.

But, as a history buff, I am also intrigued with how our predecessors might have lived. At the same time, I’m enthralled with some of the minor “heroes” who don’t necessarily receive broad recognition but who made a difference.

I decided that I wanted to search for these “heroes” and write mysteries around their lives. My first one, The Judge’s Story, featured a California Superior Court Judge set in a small California town in 1939

In The Reporter’s Story, the protagonist, Emma Matheson, is based on a real-life reporter of the time, Marjorie C. Driscoll, who originally worked for William Randolph Hearst and then in 1921 joined the San Francisco Chronicle, a competitive newspaper to Mr. Hearst, and eventually at the Los Angeles Times where she became a respected front-page contributor. A graduate of Stanford, Ms Driscoll wrote an article in The Stanford Illustrated Review in 1920, titled “In the Newspaper Field” that describes the features of a successful reporter, including the mantra “know a little of everything.” Emma’s reporting values are drawn from this article.

Excerpt from The Reporter’s Story:

Chapter 1

Emma Matheson entered the police station. As a recently hired reporter for the Gazette daily newspaper in 1912 San Francisco, she had convinced her editor to allow her to cover the frequent house burglaries as part of her daily assignments. Emma was determined to make her mark and prove that females were capable of reporting front-page news.

The desk sergeant had come to look forward to Emma’s visits and considered it his responsibility to train the young reporter in the ways of police work. The new mayor’s directive to co-operate with the news media reinforced his inclination. He would often give her tips on which burglaries to pursue.

“Ya might wanta see about that one there on Clay Street. Bunch of jewelry and stuff stolen. Probably worth—maybe $8,000. It would take me sixteen years to earn that much. Maid reported it. Officer said she seemed jittery. She wasn’t sure of the amount but said the missus would return today so there might be more to it. Burglar musta know’d master and mistress of the house were gone.”

Emma studied the report. “But the maid was there and she didn’t hear anything?”

“That’s what she said.”

“What makes you suspicious? Why do you think it’s worth a follow-up visit?”

He said, “Look at the report. The maid called police. Then she gives a report to the officer who responded. But when the butler comes into the room, he said that he wasn’t so sure there’s a theft. He said to wait until the master or mistress return home to know for sure.”

Emma continued reading the report. “It says the maid claimed the house was ransacked. But the butler wouldn’t let the officer check it out. That is kind of strange.” She looked up from the report. “If I wanted to go there to talk to them, what’s the best way?”

The sergeant studied the address. “Ya probably want to grab the cable car up the hill. Then it’s mebbe a two-block walk—where them new houses are—painted different colors.”

Break-ins happened frequently in the city, but Emma had learned to listen to the veteran sergeant and if his instincts suggested she should follow up, then she would.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am working on the third novel of my contemporary mystery featuring Brynn Bancroft, which I plan to release in November 2016. Brynn is a spinoff character from my first three novels. She leaves her position as the Chief Financial Officer of a Silicon Valley biotech company to manage the winery that she and her ex-husband have purchased in Sonoma. HILLTOP SUNSET was the first of the trio; and LANDSCAPE FOR MURDER, the second. Both are standalone although the main characters are the same.

Brynn just can’t seem to avoid getting drawn into murder and crime, despite her best intentions of marketing her killer cabernet and forgetting her abusive childhood.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As a public relations professional in the high-tech and biotech arenas for more than 25 years, I had to write numerous white papers, publish by-lined articles, and draft press releases. Writing took up at least 50% of my time.

However, I decided to write fiction in 2009 when, for the first time in my career, I was unable to find a new position and my late husband suggested I should write a book—since that’s what I’d done for most of my life. I discovered quickly that fiction is different than non-fiction. Nonetheless I knew the discipline of writing and learned to turn a background paragraph into dialogue very quickly.

Including The Reporter’s Story, I have now written and published seven mysteries. I would say that I became an author with the publication of my first novel, On Message: A Jillian Hillcrest Mystery.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do write full-time, but I also self-publish. When I’m writing my first draft, my day is dedicated to drafting at least 3,000 words per day once I’ve plotted my story and done the necessary research. Time dedicated to editing and re-writing the remaining 5 to 10 drafts is determined by my editors and proof-readers.

Once I’ve produced a final draft, gotten it formatted and printed, I focus on the marketing process. And I also start to plot my next book.

I confess that in the evenings I enjoy watching TV. I also help out friends who might need some writing to promote their business. And I do enjoy playing with my three grandchildren. My most favorite past time, however, is going to live theater, particularly Broadway musicals. 

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I am a “just-do-it” kind of writer. When writing my first drafts, I don’t worry about grammar, plot, and consistency. I just write those 3,000 words or more a day. To me, writing is all about re-writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

In my teen years, I decided that I would become an attorney. I loved Perry Mason. However, when I looked at a law book, I quickly changed my mind.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I would encourage readers to write reviews of the books you enjoy. It is so very helpful to both authors and other readers.

Links:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Kindle | Paperback

Thanks for being here today, Joyce!

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Interview with novelist Rusty Smith, aka J. Russell Smith

Today's special guest is Rusty Smith. He's here chatting with me about his novel Longworth.

While he does a virtual book tour, Rusty will be awarding 3 gifts to three lucky winners. You can enter for a chance to win, use the form below.

1^st Prize: Kindle Fire 7” WiFi 8GB Black plus e-book or paperback copy of Longworth

2^nd Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card and e-book or paperback copy of Longworth

3^rd Prize: e-book or paperback copy of Longworth

Bio:

J. Russell Smith has spent a lifetime fighting for a sense of moral justice, on both a personal level and on a broader stage. His experiences in the Vietnam War and his graduate studies in intellectual history and political theory allow him to bring both an intimate perspective and a scholar’s analysis to the writing of Longworth. Smith is currently at work on his next two novels.

Welcome, Rusty. Please tell us about your current release.

It is a coming of age story about a young man who is caught up in circumstances beyond his control. The 60s, and the Vietnam War that defined it, was an unsettling time. Most of the young men and women who lived through that life-altering period had little idea what was going on, beyond what was reported in the newspapers. Even then, most did not even bother to read the newspaper. Yes, there were some who recognized the situation for what it was and responded accordingly, but most were just ambling along trying to figure it all out. Carson Longworth was not atypical of those individuals who had, heretofore, not been involved in politics to any great degree. He had emerged, like his contemporaries, from the stifling conformity that was the 1950s.

The music, as an example, that emerged from that era was as creative, mainly as a response to the political atmosphere and the War, as at any time in US history. It was a reflection of who we were and what we were doing. As events unfolded during that period, folks began to gradually understand and respond accordingly, particularly to the political folly that was unfolding. This, of course, would lead to the very real, but unnecessary, deaths and injuries in a conflict in which we had no business being involved. And, it will turn out; many of our future political leaders would learn little from that disastrous encounter. The ill-conceived wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, two egregious examples, are a direct result of our hubris.

What inspired you to write this book?

While it is a little more complicated than this, it essentially boils down to two things: It was a cathartic experience for me in the sense that I needed to put down on paper the pent up feelings I had from that experience. I needed to fully understand what had happened to me and others in that exercise in futility; second, because I had/have strong feelings about the conduct of the Vietnam War and just how powerful the 60s were, I felt the need to educate the public. Some who lived through that time will hopefully conjure up some memories. Others, who did not, will, hopefully, receive both a message and an education.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am in the midst of writing a science fiction novel set in the Pacific Northwest. The notion came to me in a dream/nightmare.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not certain there was an epiphany of any sort where I woke up and decided I was a writer. It was more of a metamorphosis. Clearly, though, I decided in the last decade or so that I would like to write. When I finished Longworth I decided that I would not be bored in my dotage; that I wanted to write more.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Unfortunately, I do not write full-time. I own my company, thus my time is not my own. About the only time I can write at present is when I steal moments here and there. It is not to my liking. I intend to change that in the near future. In the interim, I play golf or ride motorcycles to change the scenery somewhat.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I honestly do not know how to answer this, except to say that the entirety of Longworth was written between the hours of midnight and 6:00am. Late night seems to be when I do my best work.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, I had no particular ambition to be anything in particular. It was not until I was in the Marine Corps that I decided that I would like to be a college history professor. That, of course, did not happen.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Because the 60s was such an exciting and volatile period, most do not realize how much that period changed our country and, by extension, the world. With this novel, my hope was to enlighten the reader. If he/she lived during that era, then perhaps this would conjure up some memories. Many who have read the book have told me it brought back memories both good and bad. For those who did not live through the 60s, and the Vietnam War that defined it, I would hope they would receive an education and realize the import of the message.

Social links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Thanks for being here today, Rusty!

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