Make Note of Rose Kerr

Greetings, Noters!

The countdown is really on! Just FOUR more days until Over My Dead Blog can move from your TBR pile and into your hands.

I’ve been having a lot of fun on Facebook and Instagram this week sharing “Meet the Character” profiles, where I introduce readers to book blogger Winnie Lark and her companions. Have you seen them? Who are you most excited to meet?

There are also just a few days left to get that awesome $2.99 USD preorder pricing deal. So don’t wait to reserve your copy today. Murder is just a click away!

My guest today is a good friend of mine. She and I share the same literary agent, and she has also visited us on The Bookish Hour.

Without further ado…

A Bit About the Author: Rose Kerr lived most of her adult life in small towns. She and her husband raised their family in a small town in Northern Ontario. The town was on the shores of Lake Superior. Rose is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Online Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

For more info or to sign up for her newsletter, visit: www.rosekerr.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/

Rose, it’s great to have you here on Noteworthy today. I was lucky enough to chat with you on The Bookish Hour when you were celebrating the release of Death on the Set, so it’s wonderful to be able to check in with you and see what you’ve been up to. Before we dive into your life as a writer, let’s discuss your life as a reader. What book made you first fall in love with reading?

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, I was 12 years old and had stayed home for the afternoon while my mom and brothers visited my grandmother. I was almost at the end of the book, you know, where all is revealed, when my brothers came tearing into the house screaming. They scared me! I thought the killer was after them. I realized I’d spent three hours reading and had been completely immersed in the writer’s world. I was hooked!

I remember you sharing this during your Agatha Christie panel at Malice Domestic (one of my favorite panels that I’ve seen to date). And Then There Were None is one of the standout Christies in my mind. How did your love of reading evolve into a love of writing? How did you begin your writing journey?

I read widely in the mystery and thriller genres and found my niche in cozy mysteries. A few years ago, I was downsized from my job. This gave me the opportunity to write. I started fleshing out a story and attended a conference. An author at the conference read the first 40 pages and provided excellent feedback. I kept writing and learning the craft of writing mysteries.

This really shows how beneficial conferences can be to all types of writers, not just published ones. You say you found your niche in cozy mysteries. What drew you to the genre?

I love reading mysteries and figuring out who did it. I realized the books I was kept coming back to were cozies. No violence on the page, relatively clean read, and an amateur sleuth. Add a great cast of characters with interesting settings and it’s a winning combination. The cast of characters in a series become a group of people that readers enjoy spending time with. It’s always fun to see what they’re up to!

I love the warmth that cozies embody. It’s so reassuring to know the good guys will always win. What cozy elements really shine in your first novel, Death on the Set?

My characters, the setting, and Brenna’s job. My main character is Brenna Flynn, a 30-something woman who returns to her hometown after her husband’s tragic death. The supporting characters include Brenna’s best friend Emily, who’s a lawyer; Brenna’s cousin Bob, who’s a detective with Bayview City; and Connor, who’s a security specialist. I set the series in a small town on the shores of Lake Superior and Death on the Set story takes place on a cooking reality show. Brenna’s a high school guidance counselor who can’t find work, so she signs up with a temp agency. In Death on the Set, she’s a production assistant on a cooking reality show.

I remember how vivid your descriptions of life on a set were. It must have been fun learning about the reality TV process. What’s one thing about cozy mysteries that you learned after writing your first book?

I always thought plot was key in mysteries. It’s important, but characters keep readers coming back to the series. During my revision process I made certain to add more detail to my characters to help readers connect with them.

That’s a great lesson. Yes, the mystery is driving the central story, but the characters are really driving the series. What other advice do you have for new or aspiring authors?

Don’t give up! I wanted to be a published author for a long time and there were times I felt like giving up. But I persisted and finally got there!

Let’s explore more of your writing world. What does your workspace look like? Is there anything you need for a successful day of writing?

I’m lucky to have an office in my home. My bookcases have reference materials I use when I’m plotting and writing. My iMac sits on a large desk that’s usually covered with notebooks and reference material. No photos available, it’s pretty messy!

Music helps me focus on the task at hand. I’m partial to instrumental soundtracks playing in the background as I write. I’m listening to a Hans Zimmer soundtrack for my new book. 

I love Hans Zimmer. He’s composed some of my favoite movie soundtracks. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool?

Scrivener. I use it to outline my novels, create my character sketches and setting, and build a series bible. It keeps my writing organized!

A lot of writers swear by Scrivener. I need to look into it! All right, for our final question: You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?

My amateur sleuth, Brenna Flynn. Brenna’s calm, organized, and takes control of a situation. With her list of contacts, she knows who to call for whatever problem comes up. Having worked as a high school guidance counselor, there isn’t much that surprises Brenna. I’m glad to have her in my corner!

You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?

My amateur sleuth, Brenna Flynn. Brenna’s calm, organized, and takes control of a situation. With her list of contacts, she knows who to call for whatever problem comes up. Having worked as a high school guidance counselor, there isn’t much that surprises Brenna. I’m glad to have her in my corner!

Calm and collected—those are definitely must-have traits for a sleuth. Rose, thanks for stopping by and catching up with me here at Noteworthy. Noters, you can learn more about Death on the Set below!

Death of the Set: Former high school guidance counselor, Brenna Flynn, returns home to Bayview City after the sudden death of her husband. Unable to find work in her field, she signs up with a temp agency to find employment. Sent on an interview for a cooking reality show, she aces it and gets the job of a production assistant.

On her second day at work, Brenna discovers a body in the studio. She soon learns she’s the police’s primary suspect. Determined to clear her name, she uses some skills she’s honed as a guidance counselor to learn more about the victim. Drawing people out comes naturally to Brenna, and she becomes a confidante to the cast and crew on the show.

The stakes are raised with threatening notes, poisonings, and blackmail. Can Brenna uncover who the killer is before someone else dies?