Wednesday, October 23, 2019

FIVE QUESTIONS I WISH SOMEONE WOULD ASK ME @ ConnieCBerry

LUCY BURDETTE: We really love it when students we've witnessed studying the craft of writing in our classes end up publishing a book and appearing here. Today, I'm delighted to introduce Connie Berry, author of the Kate Hamilton Mystery Series!

CONNIE BERRY: I've been a fan of crime writers much longer than I've been one myself. With the second book in my Kate Hamilton series now out (I'm still a rookie), I look back with gratitude on all the author panels I've attended over the years. I learned so much, grew as a writer, set my standards higher, and felt part of a warm, inclusive community. Thank you to the Jungle Reds and other authors who teach with passion, welcome newcomers, and respond patiently to the same questions over and over again. 

How long did it take to write your first book?

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

How did you get your agent? your publisher?

Where do you get your inspiration?

Are your characters based on real people?

Great questions. I've asked them myself because we all want to know how authors do what they do. But now, looking forward to my own panel at Bouchercon, I've begun to wonder about the questions authors wish someone would ask them. In every book there are hidden gems we hope someone will discover. There are stories about the writing process we'd love to tell. Here are the top five questions I wish someone would ask me—with answers!

1. What period of your life most inspires your writing?
Anyone who's read my books knows that like my protagonist, Kate, I grew up with antiques. My parents were collectors first, eventually opening a shop, not because they wanted to sell antiques but because they needed a plausible excuse to keep buying them. The house I grew up in looked a bit like a disorganized museum. As a child, I learned to read the marks on antique silver, to distinguish authentic GallĂ© glass from reproductions, and to identify Chinese and Japanese porcelain. Much of what I write comes from my background, raised in the antiques trade by a pair of endearing eccentrics who were always ready to take life's intriguing detours. 

2. Which character was the most challenging for you to write?
One of the major characters in A Dream of Death is Bo Duff, a gentle, intellectually challenged man who is suspected of murder. Bo is loosely based on a young man I knew growing up, a mechanical genius. In the first few drafts of the book, Bo had his own point of view, and I struggled to get his thinking and speaking right. Eventually, I kept only Kate's point of view, but writing in Bo's character proved to be invaluable in understanding him as a person. He's still very dear to my heart.

3. Were there any scenes or characters that didn't make it into the final version? Are you kidding? There are way more words in my outtakes file than ever made it into my books. Two characters in particular were hard to delete—a young couple raising sheep. I hope they'll resurface one day, perhaps in a short story.

4. What's the weirdest or scariest research you've done while writing your books? Readers may not realize that most crime writers have online browsing histories that could be used against them in court. I've Googled the symptoms of Paraquat poisoning, how long it takes a body to decompose in fresh water, and where to fatally shoot someone with a bow and arrow. The scariest research I've done was scrambling around on the slick, lead roof of a stately home in the Scottish Highlands—with acrophobia.

5. What little-known writer most influences your writing—and why? Have you read Miss Read (Dora Jessie Saint), writer of novels set in the English countryside? You should. She's gone now but has left a legacy of more than forty-five novels and three collections of short stories. You couldn't honestly call the Miss Read books page-turners, but she introduced her readers to such unforgettable characters as Mrs. Pringle, the temperamental cleaner of the village school; the Lovelock sisters, three elderly spinsters who maintain a dignified penury with a spot of shoplifting; old Ma Curdle, the gypsy matriarch who visits the village of Thrush Green every spring; and Dottie Harmer, whose herbal tonics give everyone the collywobbles. She taught me that every character must shine.

Thank you so much, Lucy, for welcoming me to The Jungle Reds!

Reds, what are your favorite questions to ask writers?

Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers in a home filled with objects of the past. Connie loves history, mysteries, cute animals, travel with a hint of adventure, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable dog, Millie.

About A Legacy of Murder (Crooked Lane, Oct 2019):
Kate Hamilton arrives in the Suffolk village of Long Barston, dreaming of log fires, steaming wassail, and Tom Mallory, the detective inspector she met during a recent murder investigation in Scotland. Kate also looks forward to spending time with her daughter, Christine, an intern at Finchley Hall, famous for the unearthing in 1818 of a treasure trove known as the Finchley Hoard. But when the body of another intern is found floating in Blackwater Lake, romance takes a back seat. Long Barston is on Tom Mallory’s patch, and the clues to the killer’s identity point backward more than four hundred years to a legacy of murder and a blood-red ruby ring.

Stay in touch with Connie:

FB: Connie Berry, Author
Twitter: @conniecberry
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/32hcLLE

52 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your new book, Connie. I’m looking forward to reading Kate’s new story. I’m curious to know what you found to be most difficult when you were writing your first book.

    I don’t know that I have a favorite question to ask writers, but I often wonder, out of all the books they’ve written, if writers have one particular favorite book, and why that one is special to them . . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The most difficult part of writing my first book was overcoming my stubbornness. I didn't want to "wastetime" learning about story structure.

      Delete
  2. These are great questions. Thanks for asking (and answering) them.

    And congrats on book two. If you haven't started this series yet, you really should. Especially if you love the British Isles.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay, Connie! I have this book ready to go on my coffee table.

    What is your writing schedule? (I get asked that one a lot.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Edith! My writing schedule? I think I need to take lessons from you.

      Delete
    2. Love this!

      Edith, what is your writing schedule?

      Diana

      Delete
  4. Connie, congrats on Book 2's publication. I just picked up the first book (FINALLY) and I'm looking forward to reading it and then moving on to this new novel.

    I don't know that I have a favorite question to ask a writer when I attend a signing. Sometimes I have an idea of a question or two that I might want to ask someone, but then again I might have a question come to me as a result of something the author says during the speaking portion of the event.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you like it, Jay. The questions sparked by conversation are usually the best.

      Delete
  5. Congrats on the new book, Connie! And thank you, Reds, for having Connie with us today. I had somehow missed the first book, and this sounds like a series that is right up my alley.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope so, Susan! And thank you for the good wishes.

      Delete
  6. Those are great questions, Connie - and such interesting answers! I know authors hate this question, but I love it: where do you get your ideas. Robert B. Parker used to say he hated that question, and would answer: at the supermarket. But he was a pretty snarky guy who probably rarely did his own food shopping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, where do you get your ideas? I want to know! I usually get mine from history, which I love. I recently read a newspaper account of the murder of a new bride in pre-Civil War Vermont. Hmm.

      Delete
    2. Hallie, that is hilarious! Did Robert B. Parker look like the actor who played Spenser ?

      Diana

      Delete
  7. Connie, A Legacy of Murder is next up on my reading pile--decided I couldn't wait to read number 1, but I'll pick it up later. Good questions! Here's another for you: as you are writing a series, do you have a story arc planned--the plots of the next two or three or four books planned out? And, waving from Ohio! I'm near the north shore. ;-)


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, fellow Buckeye! You can read Book 2 without spoiling Book 1. Hope you like it.

      Delete
    2. Oh, and to answer your question, I have a series arc through Book 5 ( if Kate gets that far!).

      Delete
    3. Connie, that's wonderful. I better catch up with book 1 then book 2.

      Diana

      Delete
  8. Those are awesome questions (and answers) Connie. Congrats on the second book and I'll see you next week at B'con!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Liz! Thank you. And I can't wait to see you at B'con.

      Delete
    2. Look forward to seeing photos and reading Jungle Reds about B'con in Dallas.

      Safe travels, everyone!

      Diana

      Delete
  9. Connie, welcome to Jungle Reds! And congratulations on publishing your novels. I am adding your books to my reading list.

    These are great questions. When you mentioned antiques, I thought of that movie with Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman. I think the movie was titled Magic Emporium? You mentioned Miss Read. A bookstagram friend, living in London, England, introduced me to Miss Read and I am looking for the books. I may need to order the book from England.

    What are my favorite questions to ask authors?

    What was your inspiration for your novel?

    Did you eavesdrop on a conversation in a public place and get an idea for a novel?

    What character was the most challenging for you to write?

    How do you write dialogue? (Note: as an aspiring author, I struggle with dialogue.)

    How do you find a title for your novel?

    When you research for your novel, do you go to the library to research the books or use the Internet? Or do you travel to the place where your story is set?

    Often, I ask questions After I read the novel and I would ask about a specific character or a scene. For example, I loved the Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins and I would love to see two characters end up together. I sent the question to the author on Goodreads.

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love those questions, Diana! The crime-writing community is so welcoming--and generous with their help. The Jungle Reds are terrific mentors. Good luck with your writing!

      Delete
    2. And let me know how you like Miss Read!

      Delete
    3. Connie, thanks! I am going to order a copy of Miss Read from England since they do not seem to have it in the USA.

      Diana

      Delete
  10. Congratulations on the books, Connie! Loved the answers to your questions. What I always want to know is what do you read? I once asked that question of an author at a book signing. He told me he didn't read but that his wife did!!! I'm not terribly surprised there was no line waiting to talk to him or get a book signed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoa. That is bizarre! And hilariously, that is a very tough question, I have to say. I can never decide what to say, because there are too many answers…

      Delete
    2. Yes, bizarre! But a good question. Judi. You learn so much about people by discovering their favorite authors. My taste is high!

      Delete
    3. Judi, I am laughing because this reminds me of a French film where the character said she wanted to become a novelist then someone asked what she read and she said that she is NOT a reader. LOL. I am surprised that a writer would not be a reader. How else would an author get exposure to language? Real life dialogue is different from language in novels.

      Diana

      Delete
  11. Connie, first of all, hooray! You know how much I love your books! Second, I just burst out laughing! Those are exactly the questions people ask, aren’t they? But I guess that’s what they want to know… And I love answering them. I love your alternatives, too! Xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And you know how much you've helped me! "Take out everything that isn't the book." Game changer.

      Delete
  12. Connie, congratulations on your book. My TBR list is so long now, I may have to give up going to the gym! LOL.
    My questions are usually more specific, such as, "Why did you kill off..., she/he was such a great character?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Judy, that is positively the very best excuse for skipping the gym I've heard in this century!

      Delete
    2. I'm using your reason for not exercising more on my doctor, Judy. Think he'll accept it?

      Delete
  13. Judy, I love that kind of question in a book club setting. Writers like nothing better than talking about their characters!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations and your book, Connie, and welcome.

    I really try, often unsuccessfully, to ask good questions, ones that haven't been asked over and over. What intrigues me most is themes that show up again and again, from book to book, that are mostly tangential to the story, like religion, illness, abandonment, loss, little references that are almost lost in the reading. Then I wonder if the writer has experienced these things personally, silly question, because they are universal themes. But I don't want to ask if they have have lost a child, fallen afoul of the law, have substance abuse issues, mental illness, etc.

    Both Louise Penny and Ann Cleeves publickly share some very personal issues, and I commend them. But I don't think anyone should be forced to do this. It's a personal choice.

    What a ramble! Ann, go read a book or something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right, Ann. And, strangely, some themes weave themselves into books without the writer even knowing it. We often reveal more about ourselves than we consciously put on the page. Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. Hi Connie,

    Mom loved Miss Read, I think she found her first while visiting her brother when he was stationed in England. My sister has her collection, most of which were found on line, in Australia and New Zealand by my sister.

    Congratulations on your new book. Maybe I'll see you in Dallas next week. Don't worry about any tough questions from me, this is my first time attending and my biggest goals are to not stare, try not to trip or spill and soak it all in. I've added you to my never ending list of authors that I've been introduced to through Reds.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi, Deana! Please say hi at B'con. I know exactly how you feel! I usually manage to spill coffee on myself. Or forget someone's name. Thank you for stopping in today and making me feel at home.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I loved the Miss Read books! Gosh, that was a long time ago. Thank you for the memory, Connie. I think you had a charmed childhood growing up surrounded by antiques and learning about then. Such a great foundation for this book series!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Ramona! I've learned so much from you. I don't know about a charmed childhood, but I was never bored. So nice to know you're a fellow Miss Read lover!

      Delete
  18. No questions, but some recent insight into our common terms - I just found out that Zadie Smith delivered a lecture in 2008 where she divided writers into two "psychological profiles": Macro Planner and Micro Manager, i.e., outliners and organic writers. Evidently "plotters and pantsers" are too lowbrow for lit'rary folks.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ha! Never heard those terms, and it's hard to think of myself as a macro planner. Way too organized. I'm more of a road-mapper. Thanks for stopping by, Julia!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Congratulations on your second book, Connie! How fabulous! Your Suffolk setting sounds divine. Can't wait to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. All those questions sound interesting. I would like to know their favorite character and why. For some authors, I would like to know how they handle the sleuth's love life and why they do triangles and have their sleuth flip flopping from one person to another. Depending on how they do it, sometimes that works and sometimes it's annoying.

    ReplyDelete
  22. For authors who have more than one series- how do you keep them organized? Is there ever any crossover? Do you ever find an idea that doesn't work for one series but would in the other, or recycle an idea from one series that you wish to improve/elaborate on in another?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Alicia! Good questions. I'd like to know the same thing: how it works, writing multiple series.

      Delete
  23. Hi. Sally! Thanks for weighing in. And I agree about the flip-flopping. The mystery is the main thing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Congratulations and lots of luck on book 2, Connie. I loved your first one. See you next week!

    ReplyDelete