ON THE MONEY

"Patricia Smiley is a wonderful, charming and funny lady and it comes through on every page of COOL CACHE...Smiley's style is easygoing and draws the reader in effortlessly and then proceeds to entertain and engage for a totally satisfying read."

—Crimespree Magazine

We have to put this in--when there's a guest blogger, showing their formal bio is de rigueur.

So, fine, here's what Patty Smiley's bio says:

Patricia Smiley earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle. She also holds an MBA with honors from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Her debut novel FALSE PROFITS about Los Angeles management consultant Tucker Sinclair received a starred review from Booklist and was a Book Sense recommendation. Her follow-up novel COVER YOUR ASSETS was a RomanticTimes Top Pick. Both novels were Los Angeles Times Bestsellers. SHORT CHANGE is the third in the series. Patty is Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and a member of Sisters in Crime. She is also a Specialist Reserve Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. She lives in Los Angeles. The fourth next book in the Tucker Sinclair series, COOL CACHE is now on the shelves.

And that's very lovely, and she's quite successful and even studied with Elizabeth George, which is off the charts cool.

But Hank says: I met Patty at the Romantic Times convention is Pittsburgh. We were on-line pals first, because we're both in the Mystery Chix and Private Dix (don't ask) a coalition of mystery authors who banded together at RT and a great time was had by all. Here are some of us:

Lori Andrews, PATTY SMILEY, Lori Avocato, Hank, Shane Gericke, Lois Greiman, CJ Lyons

Anyway, Patty and Hank sat together on the bus to Mystery Lovers Bookstore Festival of Mystery and Romance in Oakmont, a real treat and a true adventure, and Hank can tell you--she's amazing. They went out for wine, had dinner, shared panels. Patty's funny, wise, thoughtful and authentic. (Hank's note: I'm trying not to gush here, but I'm failing.) Patty also revealed that sometimes people congratulate her on her wonderful novel, A Thousand Acres. Which, of course, is by JANE Smiley. No relation. Hank told her they probably congratulate Jane on the Tucker mysteries. Anyway, we're very proud that she agreed to hang out at Jungle Red today. And even answer our questions.

JRW: Tucker Sinclair, your main character, is a management consultant. You have an MBA. With honors. Can you do math? How does the arithmetic part of your brain—where there’s only one way for everything to work perfectly—balance with the mystery writing part, where there are endless answers?

PATTY: I have a Masters degree in Business, so I can do math. In fact, I find great many similarities between math and mystery. In both cases, there is only one solution. In math, it’s a number. In mystery, it’s the identity of the killer. In both cases, you look at all the possibilities, organize and analyze the data, and, hopefully, come up with the correct solution.

JRW: You’re funny. And Tucker is funny, wry and charming. Oh yeah, and tough. But do you think about “making it funny”? Or does funny-ness just emerge?

PATTY: My mother got to you. Right? Trying to be funny doesn’t work. Humor is subjective. It has to be organic and it has to come from the characters or the situation. I don’t worry about humor, especially in my first draft. If it happens, it happens. In the first draft, I work out the plot. Later, I sharpen the dialogue and Tucker’s attitude. If I can make myself smile, I know I’m on the right track.

JRW: What’s your outlook now on your “writing life” compared to what it was say, when you started?

PATTY: When I first started writing, I was a member of a 10-member critique group. I met with them once a week for nine years, and over time, we became close friends. Back then, the writing life was full of wonder and expectation. I had no agent, no editor, no book contract, and no deadline. Everything seemed possible. Once I sold my first novel, life changed. There was still wonder and expectation, but I also understood I had a new career that needed tending and that responsibility was mine.

JRW: Anything you wish you had known, or wish someone had told you, or wish you had believed when they did?

PATTY: A very successful author once told me this about writing books, “It’s your job; stop waiting for it to be fun.” I hate to admit it, but I think that’s good advice.

JRW: When people ask what you do for a living, do you say “author” “mystery author” “writer”—or what? Do you remember the first time you said “writer”?

PATTY: We’re supposed to be making a living at this? Jeez! The pressure. I never tell people what I do unless they ask. If they ask, I usually say, “I write mystery novels.” I use writer and author sparingly because, I’m not sure a mere four books qualifies me as a real writer. Short fiction seems much more difficult. When I had my first short story published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, I began to understand what it felt like to be a real writer.

JRW: Can you image not writing the Tucker books? Or let’s put it this way—is there anything else you’d like to try?

PATTY: When you write a series, you become invested in the lives of your characters and you want to see what will happen to them. In fact, I think it would be impossible to write a series if you didn’t love your characters. On the other hand, my short stories don’t feature Tucker, and I’ve enjoyed writing those. I’ve also explored the possibility of writing a true crime book. Luckily, one asset of fiction writers is a vivid imagination. Everything seems possible.

Here's a picture of Patty's Westie, PJ. Because we can't resist a cute dog. If you've read the Tucker books, you'll know her dog Muldoon bears a certain resemblance:

And, of course, now Patty will make the Jungle Red choices:

Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot?

Hercule, because I love eccentric people and he’s the prototype.

Sex or violence?

SEX!!!!!!

Pizza or chocolate?

I’ve never been addicted to chocolate, but my fourth book is set in a high-end chocolate shop in Beverly Hills so, of course, I had to do a little research…okay, so I had to do a lot of research. (Tough job, this writing game.) I’ve gained a greater appreciation for chocolate, but still, I’d choose pizza (bell pepper and black olive—yum).

Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan? (We won’t even include Sean Connery because we know the answer, don’t we?)

I haven’t seen Daniel Craig as the new 007, but he’s a good actor and a tougher version Bond, which I find appealing.

Katherine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn?

Kate. She reminds me of Tucker: smart, funny, and a bit of a challenge.

First person or Third Person?

Either or. I enjoy reading and writing both. My novels are in first person, which seems like an intimate way of telling a story. However, my short stories have all been in third person.

Prologue or no prologue?

I am not a fan of prologues but they seem to be a common convention in many thrillers. Most seem unnecessary.

Making dinner or making reservations?

I used to enjoy cooking before I started writing. Now I just “forage for food.” What do I call a can of peaches with an expiration date within the last decade? Dinner.

And finally: STUMP THE READERS in The Jungle Red Quiz:Tell us four things about you that no one knows. Only three can be true. We’ll guess.

Patty says she:

1. Worked as an Easter bunny at a children’s party

2. Was a group supervisor in juvenile detention

3. Went with a date to the city dump to shoot rats

4. Responsible for sending several people to state prison

JRW: From yesterday, we're still waiting to see Neil Plakcy as Mr. Flag. Now, we have another must-see: Patty as the Easter Bunny. We hope that's one of the true ones. What do you all think? (And hey--have you ever dressed up as a character?)