Make Note of Cathi Stoler

Happy May, dear noters!

Fingers crossed, I think the warm weather is here to stay in my neck of the woods. I have been enjoying writing, editing, and reading outside as much as I can. I attended Malice Domestic back in April and was absolutely inspired by all the amazing talent by which I was surrounded. The mystery community really is special. I had the honor of speaking at a panel, “How to Google a Killer” — very on-brand for me, don’t you think? I got to share a bit about Coco’s online escapades and how I try to make Googling a suspect fun and entertaining in #FollowMe for Murder. It was such a fun experience; I can’t wait to go back next year.

Since my return, I’ve spent a good deal of time working on “my next big thing,” which is fifty pages and a synopsis for my agent. I’m beginning to look ahead in my writing schedule (I’m talking years ahead) and have started to explore a new series idea. I also dove back into revisions for Too Much to Candle, and I am absolutely loving being back in Crucible with Hazel and Poppy. I am aiming for a Fall 2022 release, so stay tuned for more!

This week’s feature author has become a very dear friend of mine. We connected through Sisters in Crime (are you seeing a trend? SinC is a wonderful organization, bringing writers together) and have gotten to know each other even more through social media collaborations. I am very happy to have her here today.

Without further ado…

A Bit About the Author: Cathi Stoler is an Amazon Best Selling author and Derringer winner. The three novels in her Murder On the Rocks Series, published by Level Best Books, feature The Corner Lounge Bar Owner, Jude Dillane. She is also the author of the Nick Donahue Adventures and the Laurel and Helen New York Mystery Series. Very involved in the crime writing world, Cathi is a member of Sisters in Crime New York/Tri-State, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. Find out more about Cathi and her work at: www.cathistoler.com, or email her at: cathi@cathistoler.com

Cathi, it’s a delight to have you here on Noteworthy and to learn more about your experiences as a mystery writer. What book made you first fall in love with reading?

This is a tough question for me because once I learned to read, I read all the time. I went from my first children’s Golden Books to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, which started my love of mysteries. After a while, I began to sneak into the adult section of the library and I thought I’d gone to reading heaven. One of the first adult books I remember reading was SLAUGHTER HOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut and I was blown away. Then I gravitated to spy novels and was hooked on Ian Fleming’s James Bond as well as stories from authors like John le Carré, Fredrick Forsyth, and Helen MacInnis. Their characters were amazing—deep, dark, clever—and their novels and others like them made me realize that someday I’d like to be a writer.

What amazing sources for inspiration! How did you begin your writing journey? When did you first feel like an “author?”

I was an advertising creative director/copywriter for many years before I worked up the courage to try writing a novel. In fact, I took a course entitled, “How To Overcome Your Fear Of Writing a Novel,” which I enjoyed tremendously. It gave me the courage to try. I’d read so many mysteries, spy stories, and crime fiction books that I thought I’d be able to write one of my own. When my first novel was finished, it took a while but I finally landed an agent who sold it to a publisher. It was a great feeling and I was determined to continue writing.

I’m so glad you took that class, as it sounds like it really helped you set out on the path you’re walking now. What does a typical “writing session” look like for you? Do you have a process or set schedule?

I don’t know if my writing sessions are typical of other writers or not. I try and write a little every day, but that doesn’t always work out. Instead, sometimes I take long walks and think about the story I’m working on. This also happens when I’m trying to fall asleep. I’ll lay awake figuring out different plot changes or story twists, which I hope to remember the next morning. It doesn’t always work out that way.

A long walk can certainly do wonders for working out kinks in a storyline. What was the biggest challenge or struggle that you encountered while working on Straight Up, book 3 in your Murder on the Rocks Mysteries? How did you overcome it?

When I was writing STRAIGHT UP A Murder On The Rocks Mystery, my editor thought it needed a bigger twist for the ending, which I’d struggled with. I turned to one of the supporting characters who was out of the picture at that point and had that person return and help Jude, my protagonist. It wound up being a very dramatic scene and a great ending.

How do you work through the dreaded “writer’s block?” What’s your process when a scene just won’t write itself?

Fortunately, I haven’t had writer’s block. Sometimes it takes a while to get a scene just the way I want it so I visualize the characters in the scene, where they are, what they’re saying, and what they’re doing. That usually pulls it together.

It sounds like you’ve found a writing process that really works well for you. That’s amazing! Now, let’s have some fun. What words can you never spell correctly the first time around?

I’m not a great tuypist (as you can see!). I often spell words like anything as anythibg and have to go back and fix them.

Tell us about your writing desk. What are three things that are always within reach?

My little gold buddha, my phone, and a pile of notebooks.

I applaud you for having your phone nearby. I have to “lose” mine daily to keep distractions at bay. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool/application/software/aid?

I’d have to say Google is the best tool ever. Whenever I’m doing research, I find it invaluable. It’s free and available all the time.

Google has definitely been a gamechanger. I use it for everything. Any question I have, there are likely 500 YouTube videos explaining the answer. All right, for our last question: You stumble across a dead body. What book character are you alerting first? Why?

I’d alert my protagonist, Jude Dillane. She has such great determination and drive that she won’t give up until she finds the killer and closes the case.

I’m a big fan of Jude’s so I think you’ve made the right call. Cathi, thank you so much for joining me on Noteworthy. Readers, you don’t want to miss STRAIGHT UP, a Murder on the Rocks Mystery - available now!

STRAIGHT UP: Jude Dillane, owner of The Corner Lounge in Manhattan’s East Village, knows she will never be safe until The New Year’s Eve Serial Killer, Art Bevins, is behind bars. Still on the loose, he continues to taunt her. Blaming Jude for all his troubles, Bevins is determined to make her pay. With the FBI investigation at a stand-still Jude knows it’s up to her to bring him to justice. With all this swirling around her, Thomas “Sully” Sullivan, her friend and landlord, becomes enamored of his new tenant, Dolores Castel. Jude instantly distrusts Sully’s new love and believes Dolores is weaving a dangerous web. As she continues her pursuit of Bevins, Jude looks into Dolores’s past, uncovering a series of shocking coincidences. Can Jude stop Bevins from his deadly pursuit and protect her friend from ruin?

Readers, what would be your go-to beverage at The Corner Lounge?

Let us know in the comments!

Authors, are you interested in appearing on Noteworthy? Send me an email at connect@saraheburr.com. Now booking July 2023 and beyond!