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What or who inspired you to become an author?

I have always loved storytelling. Beginning around a campfire as a kid to long winded tales told in bar rooms and at parties I always found a good tale fascinating. Hearing stories, then becoming a reader of many different kinds of styles of literature made me wonder if I could write. I had several teachers along the way who encouraged me to expand upon the stories I would write in classes. So, I decided to start with a story I knew well. My first book, Heartland Heroes is loosely based on events from my childhood. After taking some writing classes I decided to tell that story. It holds up well and is an homage, in a way, to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Quite by accident I had a great encounter with Tony Hillerman a few years after that. He spoke about writing, what it meant to him and how he viewed the craft of writing. I eventually became pen pals with him and he did a bit of tutoring along the way. His encouragement helped me see both the good and the bad in my writing and taught me to be disciplined if I wanted to be good.

What can you tell us about your new release, Native Trouble?

In books 1-8 of the ZEB HANKS series we have watched Zeb grow as a sheriff, a man and a human being. In book 9 all that he has worked for and grown into is about to blow up in his face as he is knocked off his game. The people of Graham County begin to lose faith in their sheriff as a crime wave sweeps the county. As the tension of small town politics and crime intersect Zeb encounters even more trouble. Is it just criminals at work or is someone out to get Zeb personally? While suspects are many, leads are few. With the election at hand, Zeb must quickly find his nearly invisible enemies.

Simultaneously Zeb is deepening his relationship with Echo Skysong. She brings a healthy dose of native mysticism as her relationship with Zeb grows ever closer and her power grows as the Knowledge Keeper of all the People. Ultimately, she too becomes a target. Native mysticism as well as military and political intrigue all play a role in the unfolding of this intricately woven tale.

With tensions rising and situations altering rapidly, change must come to Graham County. The circumstances, sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight, lead to a showdown that could change Zeb and his life forever. The impending election will possibly determine the fate of Sheriff Zeb Hanks.

NATIVE TROUBLE is the 9th book in the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series. Read it as a standalone or as part of the series. Other books in the series include NATIVE BLOOD, HOLES IN THE SKY, ADIOS ANGEL, NATIVE JUSTICE, NATIVE BONES, NATIVE WARRIOR, NATIVE EARTH and NATIVE DESTINY.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, The Discovery of Heaven by Harry Mulisch and The Brothers K by David Duncan.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I would bring Mark Twain back from the dead as my first guest. I would dig and dig and find out what made his imagination flourish. On the show would also be Edgar Allan Poe, inventor of the mystery novel.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love the process and the research. The process is a beautiful discipline and the research is always highly educational. I always learn that I don't know a lot and by digging deep I can at least learn some things. The imagination is always sparked by new knowledge.

What is a typical day like for you?

I try to write, rewrite, edit, research, etc four hours a day. When I find a book that moves me I devour it. I do crossword puzzles for fun. I am currently learning a new branch of acupuncture known as esoteric acupuncture. I greatly enjoy keeping in touch with friends old and new.

What scene in Native Trouble was your favorite to write?

I always enjoy writing the opening sequence. It opens my heart and head to the story and it draws the reader in and tells them, and me as the writer, where the story may possibly be going. I love to get my protagonist, Sheriff Zeb Hanks, set into action and get him thinking/working/creating and of course, into some trouble.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I have a boat load of philosophy that moves me forward but it all boils down to keep on keepin' on.

Mark Reps is the author of the new book Native Trouble.

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What can you tell us about your new release, Murder?

It is a plot about a man, Patrik, who vanishes mysteriously. His wife Christina tries everything to find him and after 6 weeks engages the private eyes Lars and Elin for help. The reader gets advance knowledge on what happened and will see the sledges struggling with their task. However, finding Patrik does not conclude this case. There is another woman involved and this will have dramatic consequences for all of them.
‘MURDER?’ is the third book in my Swedish Crime series around the private detectives Lars and Elin.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I have been reading – and still are – many crime novels and have been fascinated by many Swedish series, e.g. the Kurt Wallander books written by Henning Mankell. This inspired me to write my first book ‘Vanished?’

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

There is so many good books, I do not have a list with my favourites. But I regularly read many crime series – e.g. of Elizabeth George, Ian Rankin, C.J. Sansom, Peter James, Camilla Grebe, and Anders Roslund.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I am an author and a talk show is not part of my expertise. But I would not mind being invited to one….

What's your favorite thing about writing?

When a story has reached the level where it almost flows by its own and I almost cannot type fast enough to get the scenes written down.

What is a typical day like for you?

There is no typical day, but there are elements which form most of my days – reading the newspaper, reading in a thrilling book and walking my dog.

What scene in Murder was your favorite to write?

I think I mostly enjoyed some of the dialogues and then of course the action scenes at the end.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“Strength lies in calmness”

Christer Tholin is the author of the new book Murder?

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What can you tell us about your new release, Scone Cold Death?

I had a great time getting back to Maine in this installment of the Gray Whale Inn mysteries. In Scone Cold Dead, inkeeper Natalie Barnes is living her dream life, creating scrumptious scone recipes and relishing cool summer days on quaint Cranberry Island, Maine… until she stumbles across a dead body tucked under the blueberry bushes.

Could the killer be one of her artsy out-of-town guests?

Or will the murderer turn out to be uncomfortably close to home?

There’s also a cancer scare involving a beloved character along with a few love triangles in this book… it was a lot of fun to write! The book comes with some recipes at the end… including three for scones. Of course.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I always wanted to be a writer, and have always been a compulsive reader, but it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to write. I cut my teeth (and spent all my allowance) on Nancy Drew books, followed by Agatha Christie books, so I’ve always loved mysteries. The tipping point for writing traditional mysteries is when I was halfway through one and realized, “I could do that.” I launched out on writing my first book, Murder on the Rocks (the first book in the Gray Whale Inn series), started a critique group, and my career began. Murder on the Rocks ended up being a finalist for the Agatha award for Best First Novel, one of the books hit #1 on the Kindle Bestsellers list, and the series has gone on to gain fans worldwide; it’s even been translated into Japanese and French. It’s been quite a ride!

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

That is hard to say. I love all kinds of books, from cozy mysteries to weird nonfiction reads, so it’s hard to narrow it down! Some of the cozy writers I am currently enjoying reading include Ellery Adams, Molly Fitz, CeeCee James, and Susan Wittig Albert.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I’ve been lucky and have been able to quiz many of my favorite authors in person (they were all very kind). But my questions are ALWAYS about the writing process. Do you outline? Do you think of storylines over multiple books? Where do you write? For how long? And my favorite… what’s your daily word count? 😀 Right now, I’m working on a paranormal mystery, so I’d probably ask questions about world building and magic, which are a fun new challenge for me.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love it when I get into that “flow” mode, where the real world disappears around me and I am totally engaged with my characters and the world they live in. It’s one my favorite things in life, honestly.

What is a typical day like for you?

I get up, take Child #2 to school, come home, feed and walk the dogs, and then grab a second cup of coffee and start getting into some of the administrative part of writing (I kind of creep up on the writing, almost like I’m afraid I’m going to scare it away). Sometimes I stay at home, but more often I go to my local coffee house, Trianon, where I’ve formed a community of folks I enjoy catching up with (and some of them are writers who join me for sprints). When I’m ready, I set the timer for 15 or 20 or 25 minutes and start writing, then do as many of them as I need to to get where I need to be. I try to get at least a thousand words done before I quit; if my daily quota is higher, then I’ll tuck in a second session later on that day, sometimes as late as eleven at night. The rest of the day I’m taking care of the other parts of my life; housekeeping, feeding myself, exercising, spending time with friends, handling non-writing writerly tasks, and occasionally napping. And making recipes for very caloric things. *sigh*

What scene in Scone Cold Death was your favorite to write?

I loved writing the scene where Natalie figures out who the murderer is. I really enjoy fast-paced, high-tension, high-stakes scenes, and this one was a LOT of fun to write. (I won’t spoil it, though!)

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Two things: One, it’s not how often you fall of the horse, but how often you climb back on… and two, which I’ve come to believe more and more with time, is that it’s more important to focus on the small, habitual actions you do every day than obsessing over the goals you want to achieve. If you are moving in the right direction every (or almost every) day, even if it’s only tiny steps, things will fall into place. You just have to be patient and tweak your approach if you need to.

Karen MacInerney is the author of the new book Scone Cold Death.

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