Sandra Orchard Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A:  I am a proud daughter of the King of Kings, happily married to my very own prince for close to thirty years. I am also a mother of three wonderful children and three adorable grandchildren. I taught high school math before starting our family, then stayed home and homeschooled our children, doing some bookkeeping and renovating on the side. I started writing fiction as my children reached their teens, which I think taught them some of their most valuable lessons—the importance of perseverance and how to handle rejection. I received my first publishing contract on my youngest daughter’s first day of college and so began my new career as published author. A Fool and His Monet is my eleventh published novel, and I am so grateful to the many readers who have become fans of my books and who encourage me in so many ways.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A:  Since I was six and my first story appeared in the school yearbook.

Q: What do you write and why this genre?

A: I write both romantic suspense and fast-paced mysteries. I love devising twists and turns that will keep readers guessing. I’ve particularly enjoyed adding more light-hearted touches to this new series.

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?

A: They are totally made up, although I may borrow a quirk, habit or mannerism from people I know or have observed.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release A Fool and His Monet?

A: A Fool and His Monet is the first book in my new Serena Jones Mystery series. Serena is an FBI art crime detective working out of the St. Louis headquarters. She’s hot on the trail of a suspect in the theft of a Monet from the art museum, and maybe a little too hot for one politician’s comfort. Amidst her cases, she’s also on a personal secret mission to find the art thief who murdered her grandfather. She has a fun sense of humor, and a zany aunt who likes to stick her nose into her cases, and an overprotective mother desperate for grandchildren who’d prefer to see her quit and settle down, and a handsome apartment superintendent who shares her love of art and old movies and who willingly takes care of her cat while she’s out of town, and an equally handsome, overprotective FBI partner. Both are a little in love with her.

Q: Where did the idea for this story come from?

A:  It came from a combination of wanting to write a more light-hearted series with a couple of potential love interests (think Stephanie Plum but with a competent heroine) and reading a newspaper article about Alain Lacoursière, a Montreal police detective who founded one of the top art-theft units in the world. The FBI estimates that the international black market in art is worth about $6-billion a year. The mafia uses it to launder money. It’s the second biggest source of income for at least one terrorist group. Not to mention the myriad of regular old thieves who want a piece of that pie. Sounds like great fodder for a series, don’t you think?

Q: Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her.

A: I wanted Serena to be very personable—the kind of woman who remembers your name and uses it. So I gave her the habit of connecting people in her mind, especially men, with famous actors. Of course guys tend to mistake her magnetic personality for romantic interest, and she’s a little oblivious to their pursuit. She’s driven to succeed at work and finding balance in her life is a continual challenge for her. Her friends and family are fairly understanding, the cat she inherited with her apartment…not so much. She loves art, a passion fostered by her grandfather, so she paints to relax.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A:  I’m currently writing the third book in the Serena Jones Mysteries series—working title: Over Mayan Dead Body. As you can probably guess from the title, Serena is tracking down stolen antiquities. This has been great fun to research, because the story takes place on Martha’s Vineyard, so of course, I had to go there. And…I had to devise a way to get the important people in Serena’s life there, too. With antiquities trafficking purported to be the second largest source of income for at least one major terrorist group, the stakes are high for Serena in this one.

Q: What are some ways that readers of your books can help you as an author?

A:  Tell their friends about my books. Ask their local bookstore, their local library and their church library to stock my books. Write reviews of my books at their favorite online retailers and Goodreads. Sign up for my newsletter at http://bit.ly/OrchardNews to learn about new releases and special offers they can take advantage of or share on social media.

Q: What one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would understand?

A:  Hmm, nothing comes to mind.

Q: Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

A:  1) The thing that most surprises people who meet me in person is that I have three grandchildren. We’ll chock that up to good genes.

2) That I can do, and have done, just about every handy “man” job around the house.

3) Math was my favorite subject in school.

Q: Milk or dark chocolate? Coffee or tea?

A:  Dark chocolate. Tea.

Q: Favorite TV show or shows?

A:  Pushing Daisies. It’s a light-hearted cozy mystery series that didn’t even last 3 seasons, but it’s a lot of fun and has so many good lines in it.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?

A:  www.SandraOrchard.com

www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

http://bit.ly/Goodreads_SandraO

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A:  Readers can check out fun bonus features, such as deleted scenes and location pics, for all books at: http://sandraorchard.com/extras/bonus-book-features/

And after reading A Fool in His Monet, please stop by here to case your vote for your favorite man in Serena Jones’ life: http://sandraorchard.com/vote-for-your-favorite/