Make Note of Sue Minix
Greetings, Noters!
June has been quite the “bookish” month. With a record number of shows on The Bookish Hour and A Bookish Moment, it’s been so cathartic chatting with writers while I am editing Trending Topic Mystery 3. Editing is my favorite part of the writing process, but it’s been quite tough this time. Lots of moving parts in Coco’s next mystery adventure, and it’s been a challenge getting them all to stay where I want them. However, I’m still having fun, laughing at Jasper’s snarkiness and Coco’s antics while I do it, so I can’t complain too much.
This week's featured author understands how tricky crafting a good mystery can be.
Without further ado…
A Bit About the Author: Sue Minix is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writer's Association. When she isn't writing, you can find her reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert with her furry best friend.
Website: www.sueminixauthor.com
Facebook: Sue Minix Author | Facebook
Instagram: Sue Minix (@sueminixauthor)
Sue, thank you so much for being here and celebrating your Bookstore Mystery Series with us. What book made you first fall in love with reading?
I fell in love with reading sometime between The Cat in the Hat and Dick and Jane. I have always been an avid reader for as long as I can remember.
How did your love of reading evolve into a love of writing? How did you begin your writing journey?
Writing seemed to be a natural offshoot of my love of reading. I wrote the first chapter of my first novel in the third grade. Of course, being a normal eight year old, I never did write chapter two. However, I never did stop writing.
The Murderous Type is the second book in your Bookstore Mystery series. How did it feel, returning to Riddleton and all your characters? What challenges did you face writing “Book Two?”
I loved returning to Riddleton and my characters. It felt like coming home again. My biggest challenge in writing book two was recreating what I’d achieved in Murder at the Bookstore. It took me twenty years to write that one, and I had to do it again in a much shorter period of time.
Tell us about Jen Dawson. What makes her the perfect amateur sleuth for the job?
Jen Dawson is a smart, savvy, out-of-the-box thinker. Combine that with her experience as a mystery writer and she’s a perfect amateur sleuth.
Jen seems to be living my dream life: writing mysteries and solving them! What is a random fact about Jen that readers might not know?
I’ll tell you something even Jen doesn’t know. When her mother married her stepfather, Gary, she adored him. They were as close as Jen and her father were. Unfortunately, ensuing events forced Jen to push those memories deep into her subconscious. Secrets like this tend to not stay hidden forever, though. Stay tuned!
Ooo, what an exclusive! Can you tease more what’s in store for Jen in A Chapter on Murder, Book Three in the series?
In book three, Jen faces her biggest challenge yet. A dead body is found at the back door of her bookstore with nothing but a bottle of holy water and a scrap of paper with her name on it in his pockets during peak Christmas shopping season. She has to find the real killer, and fast, before Ravenous Readers loses all its holiday sales and she ends up in prison.
Oh, wow! Sounds like Jen is up for the challenge, though.
Let’s chat about your writing process. What does your workspace look like? Is there anything you need for a successful day of writing?
My workspace is actually my living room couch. I find I write better when I’m comfortable, something I’ve never been sitting at a desk all day. All I need is my laptop, a cup of coffee or tea (depending on the time of day,) and my furry best friend by my side. With that, anything is possible.
Furry best friends are the best writing buddies. So patient and understanding while you work through a problem. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool?
I use several writing tools, but I can’t pick a favorite because they all do different things. If I had to narrow it down, though, I’d say The Emotion Thesaurus and WordRake.
I have five or six books in the Thesaurus series. Absolutely love them. Sue, for your last question: You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?
I would call Jen Dawson. In addition to her mystery-solving smarts, she’s fearless and never quits. And, since she’s a part of me, we’d work very well together.
I love this reasoning—working well together is a must for solving a mystery, and Jen definitely seems like she would have your back. Sue, it’s been wonderful getting to know you, Jen, and your writing a bit more. Thank you for joining us here on Noteworthy. And Noters, The Murderous Type is available now. Learn more & links below!
The Murderous Type: I wrote murder mysteries. I didn’t investigate them. Until now…
Crime writer turned amateur sleuth, Jen, has taken over the running of the local bookstore in her hometown of Riddleton.
But balancing the books at Ravenous Readers is nothing compared to meeting the deadline for her new novel.
Dodging phone calls from her editor takes a back seat, however, when the local police chief is poisoned. To solve the murder, Jen must dust off her detective hat once more.
With everyone in town seemingly a suspect, and evidence planted to incriminate local police officer and close friend Eric, Jen is working against the clock. Can she find the killer and beat her own writer’s block before it’s too late?
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