Monday, October 01, 2012

Scene of the Crime with Author Laura Childs!



Laura Childs is the pseudonym of prolific best-selling author Gerry Schmitt who writes three cozy mystery series: the Tea Shop mysteries, the Scrapbooking mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club mysteries. Since I've read books in the first two series, I was thrilled when she said yes to my interview request. Her very next book, Postcards from the Dead, the tenth in the Scrapbooking mystery series, will be available tomorrow, October 2, and if you stop by Kittling: Books, you'll be able to read my review!

Laura Childs

Here are a few links that I've gathered just in case you'd like to learn more about this talented writer:





Without further ado, let's get on to the fun part-- the interview!





What was the very first book you remember reading and loving?  What makes that book so special?

Aside from children’s books, I think it was a Nancy Drew Mystery – The Sign of the Twisted Candles.  I was fascinated by Nancy’s curiosity and how she sleuthed around and dug up clues to solve the mystery.  Also, the copy I read was published in the thirties and had belonged to my Aunt Isabelle, so I wasn’t quite sure what a “roadster” was!

[Ah yes, I remember Nancy donning a fresh frock and jumping into her roadster quite well!]


Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?

Travel to Asia and Carmel, CA with my husband, play with my two Chinese    Shar-Pei dogs, raise money for a couple of non-profits, read mysteries and    thrillers.


If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go?

Minnehaha Falls
Since I live in the Twin Cities [Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota], I would probably recommend a day in one of our amazing parks or at one of our many lakes.

[In searching for this photo, it didn't take long for me to learn that the Twin Cities does have several wonderful parks!]





You have total control over casting a movie based on your life.  Which actor would you cast as you?

Rachel Zoe
She’s not an actor per se, but I really love designer and reality star Rachel Zoe.  She’s a sassy blond who adores fashion.


Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?

It would have to be Lucas Davenport in John Sandford’s Prey series.  Lucas is tough, sexy, fairly complex, and isn’t afraid to stray outside the law when it comes to catching a killer.







Name one book that you’ve read that you wish you had written.  What is it about that book that made it come to mind?

I’ve always been in awe of 'Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.  He took a wacky idea – vampires invading a small New England town – and made it totally believable!

[I read that book when it first came out. I was in college, living in a basement apartment, and the circumstances surrounding my reading it late one night is one of my favorite reading memories!]


How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published?  What did you do the first time you saw one of your book on a shelf in a bookstore?

No celebration, just a big sigh of relief.  But the first time I saw my very first  book (Death by Darjeeling) in a bookstore, I went weak in the knees.


I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but I love Parnell Hall’s video about book signings.  What is the most unusual experience you’ve had at a book signing or author event?

I’d have to say casually walking in for a book signing and finding 120 people waiting in line.  I guess that’s the power of making the New York Times bestseller list!


What’s the best thing about eBooks?  What’s the worst?

I think eBooks are terrific in that they seem to have brought a whole lot of people back to reading books.  They scare me because I fear more bookstores will close.


ON SALE OCTOBER 2!



Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Gerry. We really appreciate the opportunity to get to know you a little better!

May your book sales do nothing but increase!



Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for my review of Postcards from the Dead (and grab a copy for yourselves).









2 comments:

  1. So fun! I LOVE Laura Childs and for that matter, Nancy Drew books (I have a collection of the original printing!)

    Laura, you need to come to Brainerd Minnesota soon! :)

    ReplyDelete

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