interview

Traci Andrighetti is the USA Today bestselling author of the Franki Amato Mysteries and the Danger Cove Hair Salon Mysteries. She’s been an award-winning literary translator and a Lecturer of Italian at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics. As she puts it, she then “got wise and ditched that academic stuff” for a life of crime writing. Her latest Franki Amato Mystery is titled, Galliano Gold.

The beginnings of Galliano Gold

In each Franki Amato mystery, Traci likes to showcase a different aspect of New Orleans. Having taken three trips on the Steamboat Natchez, she decided it was time to do a Mississippi River haunted steamboat book. “Most people don’t realize that there are a number of steamboats still operating on the Mississippi, and they’re such an interesting part of our history that I thought they would make a unique setting for a cozy mystery, hence Galliano Gold.”

Traci also said the Franki Amato and Danger Cove Hair Salon books are primarily escapist fun, but she does  write with a purpose. “The message isn’t intentional, though—it’s just who I am. You know the old cliché don’t judge a book by its cover? Well, that’s how I feel about people and even cities like New Orleans, where the Franki Amato mysteries take place. To give you an example, Franki’s landlady. Glenda, is a sixty-something ex-stripper who dresses like she’s still onstage. While ‘society’ would generally tend to look down on Glenda, she’s so worth getting to know because she’s smart, confident, and full of surprises. And if I had to pinpoint the one thing that I’m proudest of about the series, it’s that Glenda is usually my readers’ favorite character (the other is Franki’s meddlesome Sicilian nonna).”

From crime writer to fighter?

“I’m an extrovert,” Traci said. “I love to laugh and joke around, and I absolutely adore my three rescue dogs, Gigetta (Italian for “Gidget”), Vincenzo (aka Vinny), and Ciccio (the nickname for Francesco, which also means “chubby”). As for my books, my friends tell me that they read exactly like I speak, maybe because the Franki Amato mysteries are based on my own life and adventures in New Orleans. No, I was never a PI like Franki, but I was recently recruited by a tech company to handle requests from Italian police for information on criminal cases. So, I’m now a crime writer and a crime fighter. So funny how life works out!”

Personal loss becomes an opportunity

“I have dealt with personal challenges during the writing of most of my books. I mean, who’s not dealing with some sort of crisis or other? For Galliano Gold, the hardest thing was that I lost my sweet dog, Fabiana (Fabi), to congestive heart failure right before I started writing. I missed (and still miss) her terribly, so I went to my local animal shelter intending to get an older dog and came away with a puppy (Ciccio), who had been brought in that day as a stray. He had Fabi’s same wheaten terrier fur, so I signed the paperwork to adopt him on the spot. Anyway, the difficulty became dealing with a really rambunctious and non-housebroken puppy while I was trying to write. Ciccio is not a terrier mutt, he’s a ‘terror’ mutt, LOL”

On research 

“When I was writing Campari Crimson, the fourth book in the Franki Amato mysteries, I wanted a Halloween/vampire theme. So, I went to New Orleans and took Haunted History’s vampire tour to learn about the local vampire legends, and there was a woman on the tour from New York who had prosthetic fangs. That’s when I learned that there are people who actually live as vampires, and the plot for my book was born. The discovery led me to the Boutique du Vampyre in the French Quarter and the owner’s secret vampire speakeasy. But I won’t say any more about that. I want readers to discover those places for themselves—if they dare…”

Learn more about Traci Andrighetti at traciandrighetti.com.

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Debra H. Goldstein has been an attorney, a judge, and is now an award-winning author. In addition to her Anthony and Agatha award nominations for her short stories, Debra now writes the Sarah Blair Mysteries. This is the story behind her latest in that series, Two Bites Too Many.

The beginnings of Two Bites Too Many

When her first two books were orphaned, Debra said she knew she wanted to write a cozy mystery. Unfortunately, she two of the main themes in cozies aren’t in her wheelhouse. She doesn’t like cooking and says she’s terrible at crafts. Fortunately for Debra, Birmingham, Alabama, where she lives, has become a foodie go-to place sparked by the creations of several master chefs. “I decided there had to be other readers out there like me – which hatched the idea of a protagonist who finds cooking from scratch scarier than murder. So, mixing my clueless fearful chef with some of our local chefs, who studied under Birmingham’s James Beard winner or worked in various Michelin star establishments, gave me the catalyst for my story. When I added the challenges many of them face starting restaurants from scratch, I had the seed for Two Bites Too Many.”

Weighing decisions—and money

Debra said that although the goal for Two Bites Too Many is for the reader to have a fun experience, she wove several issues into the book: economic development, the importance of animal adoption, and how love and protection of family outweighs other concerns.

“For example, the protagonist, Sarah Blair’s, twin is trying to get a restaurant off the ground, but she is running into numerous roadblocks with a zoning change, permits, supplies, and financing. To ‘get it right,’ I spent hours with local restaurateurs and economic development people to learn what rules apply to restaurants, what problems often occur, and how loan applications are evaluated. I was particularly struck by how pragmatic one must be in opening a restaurant.

“One young chef, who recently struck out on his own was limited in the amount of money he had to invest. Consequently, he carefully weighed every decision he made. He used the natural brick of the walls, a few blown up family pictures, including one of four boys obviously coming from the local fishing hole, and simple wood tables and chairs to give a relaxed Southern flavor to the restaurant. He sunk his money into top notch kitchen appliances. Because I knew he had limited funds, I asked him how he decided to allocate his money for appliances, fixtures, and other things he needed to create the atmosphere and food he has achieved. He pointed to a chandelier that fit perfectly over the bar. ‘That’s an example of making a choice between a $150 investment and a $1000 one. When the lights are low and the drinks are flowing, no one looks up and notices the difference. If I didn’t put my money and effort into the quality of the food I serve, they would.’ I thought his observation was so smart, I worked it into Two Bites Too Many.”

Bringing reality to fiction

“I want prospective readers to know I only write the kind of books I enjoy reading – and hope they do, too. My books are laced with reality in that after spending years on the bench as a judge, I really do believe cooking from scratch is less frightening than murder. That said, the recipes in my books, including Jell-O in a Can and Sarah’s Sweet Potato Puffs, can be made by a cook with even my limited talents. I also understand twins because even though Sarah and Emily are twin sisters and I am the mother of boy-girl twins, I’ve had a home laboratory to study their similarities, differences, and interaction.”

A culinary newbie writes foodie fiction

“I don’t, or should I say didn’t, know anything about cooking when I began this series. Growing up, my sister, who is now a gourmet cook, shadowed my mother when she made dinner every night. I plopped myself in front of the TV at five p.m. to watch Perry Mason re-runs. At 5:15, I emptied the dishwasher; 5:30 was set the table time; my dad came home at 5:45, so I said ‘Hi,’ and we ate right after the show’s last scene. Consequently, to write this series, I had to rely on the kindness of my culinary friends to teach me about their professional kitchens. One particularly enjoyed walking me through a very cold narrow room. We entered on one side and came out a door on the other. As she explained, this was a walk-through freezer. If it hadn’t had doors on two ends, it would have simply been a freezer. Duh.”

The research game

“Beginning with my days as a lawyer, I always believed in hands on research. Although all my escapades haven’t ended up in my books, yet, I’ve gone underground in coal mines, shadowed veterinarians, played doctor for a day in my own white coat (no patients were touched), interviewed motorcycle enthusiasts and held on for dear life when they took me for rides, explored a number of professional kitchens, climbed on top of coke ovens at a steel plant, played in a weekly Mah jongg game, and almost went head over heels off a second floor balcony when a screen door came off in my hand and started falling forward (it took everything I had to hold it in place until a friend could react and help me wrestle the door back toward our balcony’s wall). So, there isn’t one crazy, funny, enjoyable thing I’ve done because my life research has the same adventures and humor that show up in my books.”

Learn more about Debra H. Goldstein at debrahgoldstein.com.

Ang Pompano has taught, and is now writing, detective fiction. His mystery novel is titled, When It’s Time For Leaving. Here is the story behind the story.

The genesis of When It’s Time for Leaving

:I wanted to explore what happens when a person’s plans are changed by some outside force, a.k.a Life,” said And. “I thought it would be interesting if Big Al turned his detective agency over to his son just when the younger Al was down and out. Is the old man being supportive or controlling? And how would being forced into becoming his sick father’s advocate effect the younger Al’s traditional male values?”

When It’s Time For Leaving is first and foremost a mystery novel. But, as a teacher for thirty-five years, Ang had seen many kids who had issues stemming from “scofflaw fathers.” He said, “I wanted my protagonist to be a decent guy who was carrying a resentment because his father disappeared when he was 8 years old. I wanted to show that while it’s natural to harbor resentment, it doesn’t mean that you have to let it consume your life.”

Ang’s own father had dementia. “I felt it was an important issue and wanted to let people know that the old saying is true. If you’ve seen one case of Alzheimer’s you’ve seen one case of Alzheimer’s, so in this case Big Al can function as a detective even if he can’t remember that the younger Al is his son, not his business partner.”

To write, or not to write—so many options

“I love writing,” And said. “I love how the words come together as I put them on paper. But, writing is not easy for me. I’m not disciplined enough to sit down and write a predetermined number of words every day on a set schedule. I’m easily distracted. I’m like the dog who is having a good time chasing a ball and then all of a sudden it’s ‘Oh, look! A squirrel!’ And I’m off. That may be why I write late at night. So many less distractions.”

And added that he threw his watch away when he retired from teaching. “Sometimes, I have an idea in my head all day before I write it down. I might spend hours walking with my wife, playing with my grandkids, doing yardwork, or hanging out with friends. Then late at night the words will start flowing.”

Finding the right details

What writer doesn’t love research? Ang is not one of those. “I spent hours learning all about the Okefenokee swamp for example, even though only a little of it ended up in the book. And that’s because I’m not writing a travelogue. The reader is there for the mystery, if I really know what I’m talking about, I want to give you the flavor of the setting with a sentence or two without overshadowing the mystery.”

What the heck is Gephyrophobia?

When It’s Time for Leaving is set in Savannah. And had been there many times in his youth, but it had been a while since his last visit. During one recent trip to Savannah, he remembered an old bridge over the Savannah River.

“It was big and scary,” Ang said. “The new bridge is even bigger and scarier. I knew that bridge had to be in the book, so I gave Al Gephyrophobia, a fear of bridges, due to a shoot-out he once had on an overpass. One day I drove over the bridge five times just to get a feel for it as I tried to imagine how someone with a fear of bridges might feel going over. By the time we had to make the sixth trip to get back to the hotel, I think I’d convinced myself that I had Gephyrophobia. I had my wife drive back. I hear they are going to make an even bigger bridge soon. I hope Al gets over his fear by then.”

Learn more about Ang Pompano at angpompano.com

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Lida Sideris is an author, lawyer, and all-around book enthusiast. In addition to soft-boiled mysteries, Lida also has written a picture book for ages 4-8 titled The Cookie Eating Fire Dog. Here is the story behind Murder: Double or Nothing, the third book in her Southern California Mystery series.

Murder: Double or Nothing – the backstory

Lida said the story is loosely based on her former life working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio. “But that’s where it stops. My
life was dull in comparison. I start to doze off whenever I insert my real life scenes. I never contended with petnappings, alien encounters, mysterious assailants or homicides, thankfully. I write what I don’t know using a backdrop that I do know.”

While she’s writing, Lida said she’s not consciously addressing any issues. “My focus is on telling a story that’s fun and action-packed, as well as solving a mystery. But it seems when the story’s complete, I discover themes or issues that were woven in, perhaps sub-consciously.”

One common theme in Lida’s mysteries is pushing the boundaries between right and wrong. “How far should one go?” she asked. “My heroine, Corrie Locke, is perpetually pushing the boundary between legal and illegal activity, and she’s fully aware that if she’s caught, she can kiss her legal career goodbye and…face jail-time. Does that stop her? No, because it’s more important to take the bad guys down. If that means committing a crime herself, so be it. Corrie is acting for the greater good, which makes her unstoppable, but she’s taking a big risk herself. The only time she reels it in, is if there’s a risk to another person.”

Shy by nature

Lida was at a book event where her former legal assistant came to hear her speak. They’d worked together during her Hollywood movie studio days and hadn’t seen each other in twenty-plus years. Before Lida’s panel started, her former assistant asked how she could possibly speak in public since she’d always been shy.

“I told her twenty years had diminished my shyness a little, but publishing a book and having the opportunity to talk about writing wiped my shyness out completely. Of course, the shyness kicks in when I’m talking lawyerly stuff, but I love meeting other writers and readers so much that I completely forget to be shy at book events!”

The R word – research can be dangerous

Lida does a lot of research while she’s writing and said it helps her develop ideas, story lines and plot twists. “I scan news headlines, but not from big news sources. I look for lesser-known news stories with quirky or off-the-wall happenings. One such story led to my inserting a possible con job that may be going on in my newest book. That idea came from a news photo I found in an Indian publication about two con artists who claimed to have invented an anti-radiation suit. The photo showed a picture of a man wearing the suit. He looked like he was covered in tin foil and outfitted in a homespun astronaut costume. The con artists actually secured investors who were suing to get their money back! I learn so much from research. Did you know that giraffes can’t swim? Neither can my heroine.”

In Murder: Double or Nothing, Lida’s heroine climbs a thirty-foot magnolia tree to access the top floor of a building. In order to make sure she could properly describe the technique, Lida decided to do a little real-world research.

“I’m not a tree climber. No way, no how. I’m a big fan of trees for shade and for fruit. They’re beautiful and smell nice, too. I’ve even hugged a few. Well, guess what? I happen to have a thirty-foot tall, lemon-scented magnolia in my yard. I started the upward climb and made it to the six-foot mark before falling, I mean, climbing down. It was enough for me to get a feel for it. The rest of my research on tree climbing was done online.”

Learn more about Lida Sideris at www.LidaSideris.com.

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