Interviewing Author Sandra Gardner…
Steve: Today we have with us Sandra Gardner, mystery writer and author of the Mother-and-Me Mystery Series. Without further ado, let’s begin. Why don’t you introduce yourself, Sandra.
Sandra: Many readers are interested in mysteries, so I’ll start my writing life. My Mother-and-Me Mystery Series has the following books: Dead Shrinks Don’t Talk (published by Black Opal Books, 5/18) with Grave Expectations and Death of a Nuisance, to follow. These are paranormal cozies. I’m currently revising my new mystery/suspense tale, The Murder Blog, and working on the sequel. Dead Shrinks Don’t Talk was originally published in 2012 as Mother, Murder and Me, a contest winner, by Swyers Publishing. Halley and Me, a coming-of-age novel, won the Grassic Short Novel Prize and was published by Evening Street Press in 2013. A poetry chapbook, Mythmaking, was a contest winner and published by Word Journal in 2004. I’ve received awards for articles in The New York Times and other publications. More information is available on my website: https://sjgardner.wixsite.com/mysite.
Sandra on Reading and Writing:
Steve: Let’s do a wee bit of time travel. Why, how, and when did you start writing?
Sandra: Seems like forever. Starting with poetry in junior high, I think. Our senior high school English teacher had us write a lot and told me I could write – short fiction pieces. Also wrote for the school magazine. Ditto in college and more poetry.
Steve: Did you publish the first book you wrote?
Sandra: Yes. One of four YA non-fiction books, Six Who Dared (Simon & Schuster), about daredevils; Street Gangs (Franklin Watts) about youth gangs in the New York area; Teenage Suicide (S&S); and Street Gangs in America (Watts), updated and expanded view, gangs in L.A. area.
Steve: What is your biggest problem with the writing process? How do you tackle it?
Sandra: Biggest problem—doing it! My fiction is character-driven, so it starts with a character(!) and then, what’s going to happen, etc. Setting is a problem for me – I’m an auditory-type person (poetry and play the piano) who could (and has) walk(ed) into walls… not noticing very obvious things in front of me. So I end up with the coffee cup (or the person) hanging in mid-air until I fix it. Voice is my strongest point.
Steve: Do you feel writing is something you need to do or want to do?
Sandra: Need to. Are you kidding? What sane person would want to throw themselves in this agonizing process?
Steve: Have your personal experiences or situations influenced you creatively? If so, how?
Sandra: Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. So much has proved to be grist for the mill. But isn’t that the case with most writers? Besides “write what you know,” I don’t think you can help incorporating bits and pieces of people, experiences, in your work.
Steve: How much of your creative ability do you think is innate and how much is learned? Sandra: Innate? Well, it’s one of two things I’ve been good at, so it must be innate somehow (the other is music). I don’t do sports, am pretty lousy at any kind of craft, don’t much like cooking, etc.
Steve: What is the last book you read? What are you reading now?
Sandra: Just finished Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. Very scary. Reading Agatha – the ones I read years ago and don’t remember. The Curiosity Cabinet by Preston & Childs. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. [I read the last. It was a lot of fun. And, of course, most of Dame Agatha’s books.]
Steve: Who are your favorite authors? Whose writing inspires you the most and why?
Sandra: Megan Abbott, because she really gets teenage angst; Laura Kasichke, especially her newest one about the Russian adopted child; Hank Phillippi Ryan, for great characterization and plot; Kate Flora—I love her Joe Burgess series because she gets inside the cop mind beautifully. Jenny Milchman has great characterization and exciting plots; Susan Strecker, ditto. Lots more but that’s all I can think of now.
Steve: What’s the last book to make you laugh? Cry?
Sandra: Interesting question. I don’t usually read funny (have read a couple of Evanovich books—they are hysterical). I don’t usually read tearjerkers either. But some of Megan Abbott’s and Laura Kasichke’s have done that.
Steve: Should writers read in their genre? Should they be avid readers?
Sandra: Yes, yes. Especially in their genre, for goodness sakes. Otherwise, how can you really know how it’s done?
Steve: How do you find (discover) your plots?
Sandra: They swim around in my head. After the characters do, of course.
Steve: Are your characters based on real people?
Sandra: Yes and no. Like many writers, characters end up as composites.
Steve: How do you name your characters?
Sandra: They usually name themselves. That is, what name comes to mind when I think of the character. They tell me. Exception is: not to name characters (even minor ones) with the same name – or preferably, not even the same initial—as another character. Hank Phillippi Ryan has sometimes posted asking people for good names beginning with certain letters and not others for one of her characters. I’m assuming the “no” list is because of being too similar to other characters.
Steve: Which comes first for you, plot or characters?
Sandra: Oh, character. Always.
Steve: Any comments about writing dialog?
Sandra: Listen to your characters. They’ll tell you.
Steve: How do you handle POV?
Sandra: I’m a much better first-person writer; the voice comes through better, I’ve been told. But in my newest novel (and possible sequel to it), I’ve got multiple POVs. Believe me, it’s a big challenge. And I’m still not quite sure if it works the way it should. The MC, however, is in first person. Everyone else, in third.
Steve: Do you do fact-finding (AKA research) for your books? If so, how? What sources do you use?
Sandra: Yes, lots, for my first series, the Mother-and-Me Mystery Series (Dead Shrinks Don’t Talk, first book just published by Black Opal Books this May), I went to Rikers Island for the jail scenes. Went online to D.P. Lyle, a forensic pathologist (and writer) for medical questions—about murder, of course! And most of all, consulted with my mystery-writer friend, a retired family court judge, for extensive legal questions. And also online for other questions involving police procedure, etc.
Steve: What reference works do you use most?
Sandra: I don’t generally use reference works except thesaurus and dictionary.
Sandra on the Writing Business:
Steve: Do you use a formatter? Editor? Agent?
Sandra: My Mother-and-Me Mystery Series books are gone over by a very good, I guess I’d call her, copyeditor. Excellent work. Caught things I hadn’t. Also, my husband, a writer and former editor, is the world’s best editor. I beg him to read my MS’s before I submit them.
Steve: Do you self-publish or traditionally publish?
Sandra: Traditionally.
Steve: What are your most effective marketing techniques? Where would you like to improve? Do you go it alone or seek professional help (outside what your publisher provides, if appropriate).
Sandra: I enjoy doing readings/signings. Critiquing at the New England Crime Bake (mystery writers’ conference). Other than that, FaceBook, emails, and word of mouth.
Steve: Do you release trade paperbacks or ebooks or both?
Sandra: Trade and ebooks.
Steve: What do you think of publishing services like Amazon, Smashwords, etc? What about small presses v. large, traditional publishers?
Sandra: So far, my fiction has been published by small presses. My non-fiction books needed more attention from the very large publishers—they didn’t even let me know they had an ISBN for the trade paperback version of one of the books. I don’t know anything about Amazon, Smashwords, in terms of publishers. [Note to readers: A small press takes care of the latter for authors, usually with Ingram handling everything. But it can be done directly.]
Personal questions for Sandra:
Steve: What is your favorite place to eat out? Favorite food? Drink?
Sandra: I don’t eat out too much—perpetual dieter. When we do, I like fusion Asian food a lot. Yogurt parfait. Yum. Soy cappuccino, large (venti).
Steve: What are your favorite other places, either here or abroad? What places would you like to visit?
Sandra: Love where we live—rural section of Woodstock, NY. Beautiful place, interesting people. Laid-back lifestyle. [I know it well, but not for the reason you think. Upstate NY is like NE.] Would love to be able to afford a second home in London. All that history, tradition, etc.
Steve: What other interests and activities do you have besides writing?
Sandra: Piano. Classical. Beethoven, etc. Reading, of course. Watching noir movies on TV. Watching and listening to political shows (if they are intelligent and not just talking points). Seeing friends. Exercise, because one must.
Steve: What was the last movie you went to see? If your book(s) were to be made into a movie, who would you want to play your main characters?
Sandra: Isle of Dogs. Loved it! Can’t even think about my books as movies. Just want them to be well-done and do well.
Steve: What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
Sandra: Yogurt (Greek, nonfat, plain). Soymilk. Cheese. Wholewheat bread. Sugar-free jam. Arugala (I could live on this). Mozzarella salad. Berries. Vegetables. Diet, remember? In the freezer, beef and chicken and tofu, I think. This is what I mostly eat. As for my husband, he can eat anything and everything and does (sigh).
Steve: If you could trade places with someone for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
Sandra: Beethoven. Dickens.
Steve: What is your favorite song and why? Piece of music? Theater work? Movie? Piece of art?
Sandra: “Turn Back Time” (Cher). Inherit the Wind (theater). Shadow of a Doubt and The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (movies). Piece of art? I don’t know.
Steve: I want to thank Sandra for the opportunity of interviewing her today and her candid answers. Please check out her writing—it all sounds very interesting. And please visit her website for more information: https://sjgardner.wixsite.com/mysite.
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Soldiers of God. In the future, an FBI agent and a priest must battle religious fanatics…and a criminal mastermind. This stand-alone novel is a bridge between the “Clones and Mutants Trilogy” and the “Chaos Chronicles Trilogy.” Great late summer and fall reading. On sale now at 50% off on Smashwords.
In libris libertas!
