Welcome back,
Julianna. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
Sometimes I write at the request of the publisher. They give
me a story or series premise, and I write from there. Other times, I just write
what I want to write, and usually that’s because that’s what I want to read. My
Drew Farthering Mysteries fall in that second category. I love the classic cozy
mysteries. I love the movies of the 1930s, especially the romantic comedies. I
tossed them together in my own way, and out popped Drew and Madeline.
Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
Wow, that’s a hard one. I don’t know if I have a particular
day that’s been happiest. God has blessed me tremendously, so I’m pretty happy
most of the time. Maybe my happiest day was when I quit my corporate job and
took a less stressful one so I could follow my passion to write. I haven’t made
as much money, but I’ve enjoyed my life so much more.
I remember that
feeling when I was able to quit my job and just be a professional
writer/author. How has being published changed your life?
I don’t know if it has very much. I don’t jet around the
world to have gala luncheons in exotic locations or anything like that. I
mostly get to stay home and play with my imaginary friends. Same as usual.
What are you reading
right now?
This interview.
Okay, seriously, I’m reading Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. She wrote a ton of Regency and
historical novels during the first half of the twentieth century. Not all of
them work for me, but for the most part they are a delight. She was a
meticulous researcher, and I always feel immersed in the time and place
whenever I read one of her books. I’m toying with writing a Regency romance of
my own, and this is just feeding my desire to get on with it. As soon as I have
fulfilled all my other obligations!
What is your current
work in progress?
I’m working on a book called Water Flows Uphill for a Guideposts series, The Mysteries of
Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a contemporary cozy mystery.
What would be your
dream vacation?
I basically have three.
(1) I’d love to go back to England and spend some time in
Hampshire again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, and now that Drew
“lives” there, it would be nice to see it again with him in mind.
(2) I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyland .
I’ve been to Disneyworld twice (very briefly), but not Disneyland .
And when I go, I’d love to have plenty of time to just wander around and enjoy
it. If possible, I’d love to see how it works behind the scenes.
(3) I’m a big fan of hockey, especially my Dallas Stars, and
I’d love to visit western Canada
when they go up there to play Vancouver , Calgary , and Edmonton .
What a road trip that would be!
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
It depends on what kind of book it is. If the publisher has
set the premise for the series, naturally I have to work within that. If I choose
everything, as in my Drew books, then I have to decide what fits the particular
story. If there is a historical event connected to the plot, like the 1935
British Open, then naturally that’s where the story will be set. With a long
series, I like to have a mix between home and away for the hero and his
friends, but the plot drives everything. Drew’s been away from Farthering Place
during the last three books, and I’d like to get him back home for the next
one.
If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I’m not much of a celebrity chaser
and spending time with strangers is pretty stressful for me. I think in lieu of
a one-on-one meeting with someone, I’d rather spend an afternoon on a movie set
just seeing how everything works. I became a writer because I really wanted to
direct movies, but I couldn’t afford the actors, scenery, costumes, scripts,
etc. Pencil and paper are much cheaper.
What are your
hobbies, besides writing and reading?
My biggest one is quilting. I love to do needleturn
applique, the more intricate the better. And, no, I don’t mind if it takes a
long time. The point is enjoying the journey, not completing it as quickly as
possible. I also enjoy embroidery and cross-stitching. And, as I mentioned
above, I love watching hockey. I never was much of a sports fan until a friend
got me to watch hockey with him. It didn’t take long before I was hooked. I
also love to color, though I rarely have time. I have some beautiful books and
the most gorgeous boxes of Japanese coloring pencils just waiting for me.
I love to color, too.
And I have several coloring books and very good pencils, markers, and even
crayons. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome
it?
Time management. There are so many things I’d love to do.
And even if I devote myself to doing nothing but be an author, there are a lot
of things within that that take time. A writer can’t just sit and write and
hope everything else takes care of itself. There are always interviews and
publicity matters to take care of (“Give us a list of your top ten favorite
villains” or “Please write yourself ten questions about your new release and
then answer them for our website,” etc.), reader requests to answer, a website
and a blog to keep current, and on and on and on. Besides writing I do document
preparation for an attorney, and since my dad no longer drives, I take him
wherever he needs to go. I never seem to have a minute to spare, but the upside
is that I never have time to get bored. I don’t know if I ever overcome it. I
do make myself a writing schedule and make myself stick to it. Right now, I’m
two days behind, but I’m working on catching up.
What advice would you
give to a beginning author?
Read, read, read. Read the books you want to write. Read
classics and read new books. It’s the best way to soak up good writing and make
it part of your DNA.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Death at Thorburn Hall is the sixth book in my Drew Farthering
Mysteries. Drew and his wife, Madeline, travel to Scotland to see the 1935 British
Open. Of course, what they find there is less about golf and more about murder.
Their host at Thorburn Hall, Lord Rainsby, dies in a suspicious riding
accident. Is there something going on between Lady Rainsby and her dead
husband’s business partner? Or do the clues point to something more serious and
far reaching than a little domestic murder? Something tied to the growing
threats coming from Hitler’s Germany ?
Drew has a lot of confusing clues to sort through, some that impact his country
and some that impact him personally.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Madeline Farthering gripped her husband’s arm a little more
tightly as they made their way through the mass of people crowding Waverley
Station, certain that if they were separated in this chaos she’d never be able
to find him again. Drew said something to her, but she could only shake her
head and shrug.
He repeated whatever it was he had said, but the crackling
announcement of a delayed train arrival blaring through the station made it
impossible to make out.
She pressed a little closer to his side. “What did you say?”
By then the announcement had ended, and her shouted question
drew the attention of several passersby. A blush heated her cheeks.
Drew’s gray eyes were warm and laughing. “Having fun,
darling?”
She pursed her lips. “Not yet. Is Edinburgh always like this?”
“It’s a fairly busy place most of the time, I expect, but
people come from all over for the tournament.”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
On the web:
On Facebook:
On Twitter:
@DeAnnaJulDodson
On Goodreads:
Thank you for letting me visit your blog!
It’s my pleasure to
help introduce your new book to readers.
Readers,
here are links to the book.
Death at Thorburn Hall - Christianbook.comDeath at Thorburn Hall (A Drew Farthering Mystery) - Amazon paperback
Death at Thorburn Hall (A Drew Farthering Mystery Book 6) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.
You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us
where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America . (Comments containing links may be subject
to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the
number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of
eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any
pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on
this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You
will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz,
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave
your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
22 comments:
Thank you for a great interview. Sounds like a good book!
Hi, Melanie! I hope you have a chance to read it and the series. I'd love to know what you think. :)
Thank you, Lena, for letting me visit! @--}---
I love Drew and Madeline! I have read all but this one. I would love to win it! Paula from Missouri. paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
Hello, Paula! I'm so glad to hear you are friends with the Fartherings. I have so much fun with them, and I hope everyone else does too. :D
I've read the first two in the Drew Farthering series and enjoyed them both. (I'm a big fan of the Golden Age of Mystery - roughly 1920s-1940s).
I'd love to win this to send to my grandmother. She loves to read Christian fiction, and I think she'd really enjoy the time period of this book setting.
Dianna (TN)
Hi, Glynn! Isn't classic cozy mystery great? I hope you get a chance to read the whole series. :D
Hey, Dianna! I hope your grandmother gets a chance to read the series. The 1930s were such interesting years. :)
I love the Drew Farthering series. This latest book is on my Christmas wish list but I'll enter here anyway. My family could fail me! Thanks for the interview and giveaway.
pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
Kansas
Totally different story line and sounds very interesting. Vivian Furbay of Colorado
Thanks for a chance to win
Thanks for this interview and thank you for sharing this giveaway.
Blessings!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Hello from NJ! Have wanted to read this series but haven’t had the opportunity yet. Thanks for the giveaway!
mindyhoungATmsnDOT
Death at Thorburn Hall sounds like a fabulous book and one I'd very much enjoy reading. After reading the first page, I'm hooked and want to keep reading.
Loved the interview and learning more about the author other than her writings. To me that makes the book all the more interesting once you get and idea of where and whom it came from.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book!
Kay from Mountain View, AR
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I looove mysteries! Can't wait to read your books!
Abigail in VA
PamK -- I hope your family gives you the whole series. :D
Vivian Furbay -- I really enjoy trying to find different settings and storylines for the series. It makes the writing so much more interesting!
Anonymous -- Thanks for entering, but how will we find you if you win? ;)
Connie -- You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it and good luck!
MH -- I hope you get a chance to read all the books. :D
Kay Garrett -- I'm glad you liked the snippet. There's not much there, but if you go to my web page, juliannadeering.com, and go to the book's page, you can read a longer excerpt. Enjoy!
Abigail Mitchell -- I hope you enjoy the stories. Obviously, I enjoy mysteries, too.
Merry Christmas, everybody!
What a fun interview! I'm always up for reading a book set in Scotland! It's one of my favorite places ever! I'd love to win a copy.
Winnie T from Utah
Hi, Winnie!
Isn't Scotland great? I've been there only once, but I loved it, even though it was easily the coldest I have ever been in my life. :D
Good luck in the drawing!
thanks for a great interview! Book sounds great! Shelia from MS sheliarha64@yahoo.com
Thanks, Sheila!
Good luck in the drawing. :)
Enter me!!
Conway SC.
I neglected to mention where I live. It's Missouri.
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