Oh boy, another Cozy Crumb Mystery by my friend Lisa Harris.
Honestly, I have my own writing goals, but I’m trying to simply give it all to Him. Something that’s not always easy to do for me. But He’s opened doors in the past couple years that I never would have even knocked on if it were up to me. Right now, I’m enjoying writing mystery and suspense for Barbour and Love Inspired Suspense, and am also working on a suspense series set in Africa.
Goody, I can hardly wait for the series set in Africa to come out. Tell us a little about your family.
I have a wonderful husband, Scott. He took me to Rio earlier this year while we were living in Brazil to celebrate our 18th anniversary which was a lot of fun. We have three great kids, two boys and a girl, ages 7, 9, and 11, as well as two new additions to our family, a Golden Retriever and a Jack Russell. Life is definitely full.
Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?
I’d say that biggest challenge I have now is finding enough time to read. I’ve always been an avid reader, but writing and critique take a lot of time. I suppose I’m also a lot pickier about what I read. If something doesn’t grab me right off, then I won’t take the time to read it. There’s enough good stuff out there that I don’t have to read them all.
What are you working on right now?
I’ve just started a historical for Summerside Press which I’m looking forward to writing. It will be released next summer and has a strong mystery thread in it as well as a bit of comedy thrown in to lighten things up.
What outside interests do you have?
I love to read, of course, travel, cook exotic foods from around the world, and hang out with my family.
How do you choose your settings for each book?
I prefer using a fictional setting, though I won’t be doing that in my current historical. I’ve chosen settings in places I’ve never been to, like in my Heartsong Presents series set in Massachusetts, but it’s always easier for me to use a setting I’m familiar with. I love foreign settings, but have found them a bit of a harder sell with publishers. Hopefully that will change soon.
If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Right now I’m reading One Night with the King, (again) so I think I have to choose Esther. Her story has always fascinated me. It says in Acts that God has determined the exact times and places for each one of us to live. He did this so we would seek and find him. Like Esther, we also have a choice. We can remain silent, or do what He’s called us to do.
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
Tough question. I’ve had many people come to me ready to write a novel, certain that it will be a piece of cake. Right. My first words of wisdom are for them to realize that this isn’t an easy journey. Not to be discouraging, but you have to pour everything you have into the process and more. There are rejections, dry periods, loneliness, and times you will question what you are doing. But there are also new friends, a place to express your creativity, and that moment when you’ve reached your goal and finished a manuscript, and maybe even received that contract. But publishing shouldn’t always the end goal. Let God teach you along the journey.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
He’s teaching me how to be content no matter what the circumstances around me. Believe it or not, I’m the kind of person who would love to settle down, grow some roots, and stay put, but that’s not the life God has called me to. In the past five years, we’ve lived in four countries, and five houses. This was never a part of my plan, but I know without a doubt that it’s His plan. And if it is His plan, then I have to let Him worry about all the details.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
1. Write, write, and write some more. Everyday if you can.
2. Join a critique group that both challenges and encourages you.
3. Go to conferences to learn the business and make connections with other writers, editors, and agents.
Tell us about the featured book. By the way, I love the cover.
I just finished writing the third book in my Pricilla Crumb series, and it’s been so much fun. Book one, Recipe for Murder, introduced Pricilla Crumb as she jumped headfirst into the roll of an amateur detective. In Baker’s Fatal Dozen, book two, get ready for a second helping of Pricilla Crumb and her hilarious schemes to serve up justice. When Reggie Pierce, who runs Pricilla Crumb’s favorite bakery, is found dead, Pricilla finds herself hot on the trail of another sticky scandal that begins with murder. If you love reading cozy mysteries, you’ll be sure to love Pricilla!
How can readers find you on the Internet?
I have a website at www.lisaharriswrites.com and a blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com I love to hear from my readers. Drop me a line.
Thank you, Lisa, for spending this time with us.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Baker's Fatal Dozen.
And check out Lisa's web site and blog. I just love her blog. It's one of the ones I signed up on FeedBlitz to have it come to my Inbox.
