Farmer's Daughter Series
I am going to be hosting a number of cozy mystery authors on my blog for the next two months. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a cozy mystery I encourage you to do so. The cozy mystery industry as a whole is in danger of being lost as the publishers are ending a number of series. Please note that not all series I will be sharing are in danger. There are many that will be continuting on as normal. I just wanted to do my part to make everyone aware of this genre as a whole.
Today I will be showcasing Peg Cochran
Lucille Series
About this author:
Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). As a kid, she read the entire set of children’s encyclopedias her parents gave her and has been known to read the dictionary. She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books' stats on Amazon.
A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan with her husband and Westhighland white terrier, Reg. She is the author of the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London), the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series and now the Cranberry Cove series. Her newest series, the Farmer’s Daughter, debuts with No Farm, No Foul..
Gourmet De-Lite Series
Where to follow this author:
Cranberry Cove Series
Interview:
Reading inspired me to write—particularly Nancy Drew. I decided around the age of seven that I wanted to write mysteries!
2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
If I’m blocked it usually means there’s something wrong with the story direction or I’m bored with a scene—which means the reader will be, too! I first try to identify the problem. Then I “free write” every possibility I can think of. Usually somewhere in that jumble is the idea I need to get moving forward again.
3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
When I’m on a deadline, I do figure out how many words I need to write per day to get the book done on time. I usually use my lunch hour (I have a day job) to write and after work I will write more before dinner. I may or may not write after dinner. On weekends I usually spend more time and get more done.
4. How did you choose this genre to write?
I’ve always wanted to write mysteries—it’s my favorite genre to read.
5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
I’m not sure! For my Cranberry Cove series I had a vision of a body floating up in a cranberry bog and went from there. My agent had the idea of a farmer who blogs for the Farmer’s Daughter series, and I took it from there. I usually decide on the victim first and then imagine all the people who would have reason to kill that person.
6. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
I enjoy cooking and contribute to a cooking blog (mysteryloverskitchen.com.) Like most writers, I enjoy reading. And I love spending time with my granddaughter!
7. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up! Finish the book no matter what—it’s part of the learning process. And if it doesn’t get you an agent or doesn’t sell, be sure you’re already working on the next book! I circulated three projects to agents for two years and accumulated 400 rejections before getting to yes!
8. Who is your favorite author or book that you would like to recommend to your readers?
This is too hard! I enjoy lots of different authors—both mystery writers and writers in other genres.
9. If you could meet any famous person dead or alive who would it be and why?
Having grown up in the era of the Kennedy mystique, I would love to meet President John Kennedy.
10. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
I’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling already, but I still haven’t been to Italy and that trip is on my bucket list!
11. Five interesting facts about yourself
I’m not sure there *are* five interesting things about me but here goes.
- I’m a twin although my twin died at birth.
- I spent many years working for the son of the artist Henri Matisse
- I played the patient in a hospice television commercial although all you saw of me was my hand!
- I helped curate an art exhibition at the Morgan Library in New York City to honor Pierre Matisse and his artists.
- I spent my whole life in the New York metro area before moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2002. (And I had to ask what state Grand Rapids was in!)
Sweet Nothings Series (as Meg London)
What I learned about this author:
I learned that Peg got 400 rejections before her first book was published. She is a Nancy Drew fan. I agree with Peg that John Kennedy would be interesting to meet. Italy is also on my bucket list. Another thing I learned was that she was in a tv commercial. What did you learn about her or find interesting?
Stay tuned for the next author.
Hi Angela! First off, thank you for the enlightening interview with Peg. I'm a big fan of hers & really like her Cranberry Cove series. One thing that I found interesting is that she has a job outside of writing cozy mysteries & she has a limited amount of time to write due to that. I admire her for her energy!
ReplyDelete