Author Interview:
Linda Crowder
Book Titles:
Jake and Emma Mystery series includes:
Too Cute to Kill - 2013
Main Street Murder - 2014
Justice for Katie - March 20, 2015
What inspired you to write your first book?
All my life I've been reading mysteries so when I retired, I decided to try my hand at writing one just for fun. I located Jake and Emma Rand in my adopted hometown of Casper, Wyoming because I wanted people to see the beauty of this state as I have come to see it.
Of course, I have to have rescue animals in my books! I've been loving cats all my life and now that I live in the country, I have a barn full of them. All of my cats are rescue and come in and out of the house whenever they feel the need for love. I also have a beautiful dog, Reese. She's a Chocolate Retriever, who is also a rescue.
Is there a message in your book and/or books?
I don't have any overt message in my Jake and Emma books except that in the battle between good and evil, good will always ultimately triumph. I have just started a new series, "It's a Gift" that has a strong message - live every day of your life as if it were the only day you will ever have because no one but God knows how many days lay before you.
Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?
Jake is an attorney in the juvenile justice system and I worked as a consultant in juvenile justice for three years so much of the work he does is based on that experience. His cases are all figments of my over active imagination, but the system as it works in Wyoming is very much the way I experienced it.
I have also worked in domestic violence so you will see Emma working pro-bono with victims of violence and in Main Street Murder, there is an important storyline that involves domestic violence. Again, the specifics I use in my books are my own inventions, but the background of how domestic violence looks and feels are taken from my work experience with it.
What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?
I love, love, love Agatha Christie. She is my favorite and I've read virtually everything she ever wrote. I love her focus on complicated puzzles and the fact that the clues are always there, but stated in such an off-handed way that you often don't see them until you go back and read the book the second time.
What has been your greatest challenge when writing?
Finding the time to write my books, since I am still working my "day job" as a career coach. I often set a timer and write between client appointments.
What are you working on right now?
I've started a new adult series, "It's a Gift" that will follow the life of a very special young woman from her high school graduation to her thirtieth birthday. I've also begun plotting the storyline for the fourth Jake and Emma Mystery, though I don't anticipate beginning the draft until sometime this summer.
What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?
Don't read your reviews! You get very excited when the words are kind and if you're like me, you take the unkind words too much to heart. I write what I enjoy reading and I hope that other people will enjoy it too, but I know not everyone will. That's okay, but don't let it stop you from writing what you love.
Linda Crowder writes from her home office, when she isn't watching antelope, eagles and bunnies playing outside her window. She lives in the shadow of Casper Mountain with her husband, ten cats and one incredibly patient dog.
Justice for Katie on Amazon:
Too Cute to Kill - 2013
Main Street Murder - 2014
Justice for Katie - March 20, 2015
Genre: Cozy Mystery
What inspired you to write your first book?
Of course, I have to have rescue animals in my books! I've been loving cats all my life and now that I live in the country, I have a barn full of them. All of my cats are rescue and come in and out of the house whenever they feel the need for love. I also have a beautiful dog, Reese. She's a Chocolate Retriever, who is also a rescue.
Is there a message in your book and/or books?
I don't have any overt message in my Jake and Emma books except that in the battle between good and evil, good will always ultimately triumph. I have just started a new series, "It's a Gift" that has a strong message - live every day of your life as if it were the only day you will ever have because no one but God knows how many days lay before you.
Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?
Jake is an attorney in the juvenile justice system and I worked as a consultant in juvenile justice for three years so much of the work he does is based on that experience. His cases are all figments of my over active imagination, but the system as it works in Wyoming is very much the way I experienced it.
I have also worked in domestic violence so you will see Emma working pro-bono with victims of violence and in Main Street Murder, there is an important storyline that involves domestic violence. Again, the specifics I use in my books are my own inventions, but the background of how domestic violence looks and feels are taken from my work experience with it.
What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?
I love, love, love Agatha Christie. She is my favorite and I've read virtually everything she ever wrote. I love her focus on complicated puzzles and the fact that the clues are always there, but stated in such an off-handed way that you often don't see them until you go back and read the book the second time.
What has been your greatest challenge when writing?
Finding the time to write my books, since I am still working my "day job" as a career coach. I often set a timer and write between client appointments.
What are you working on right now?
I've started a new adult series, "It's a Gift" that will follow the life of a very special young woman from her high school graduation to her thirtieth birthday. I've also begun plotting the storyline for the fourth Jake and Emma Mystery, though I don't anticipate beginning the draft until sometime this summer.
What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?
Don't read your reviews! You get very excited when the words are kind and if you're like me, you take the unkind words too much to heart. I write what I enjoy reading and I hope that other people will enjoy it too, but I know not everyone will. That's okay, but don't let it stop you from writing what you love.
About the Author
Justice for Katie on Amazon:
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