Summer Bash

The summer bash is entering the final stretch. This week my wonderful guest is J.Q. Rose. Hi and welcome to the party.:-)

2014 Summer Bash Questions

Thanks for hosting me today, Kat. What a fun summertime event!

1: How did you start writing?

I attended a small elementary school, and my mother was my teacher in second grade. In order to stay out of trouble, I wrote stories. Yes, I admit I was one of those little girls who talked to her desk neighbors all the time. (Teachers didn’t like students talking and making noise when I was in school. Very different today!) The stories kept me busy because I really got into writing them and loved it when I made readers happy when they read my lovely epistles.

2: What is the one thing you most enjoy about writing? Least enjoy?

I enjoy building the characters and setting them in settings and circumstances I create. When revising, I least enjoy reading my sentences that sound like a second grader wrote them.

3: If you could go back in time and talk to anyone, who would you speak to? Why?

I was reared near Springfield, Illinois in Central Illinois, Land of Lincoln. (Yeah, really, that tag is even on the Illinois license plates.) I have always admired Lincoln and take every opportunity to learn more about him. I’m always excited to visit his home in Springfield and New Salem where he began studying as a young man to be a lawyer. We would like to take out grandkids to visit his tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. It happens to be the same cemetery where my grandparents are buried. My grandson told his teacher, “My great grandparents are buried right next to Abe Lincoln.” Not quite correct. LOL.

4: When you write do you plot out the story or do you let your muse run wild?

The plotter side of me makes an outline of the scenes I can see happening in the story. I use it as a guide to keep me on track, but the pantser side of me still goes off track once in awhile and I discover a lot more of the story.

5: Tell us a bit about your book.

Coda to Murder is a cozy mystery/sweet romance with a female pastor as the main character.

Blurb:

Pastor Christine Hobbs has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer. 

Detective Cole Stephens doesn't want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.

Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?

6: What inspired the story?

When I interviewed a female pastor for my non-fiction book for girls, Girls Succeed!, I was impressed by this strong, brilliant woman. She was one of the trailblazers for women in ministry. I thought her personality and strength would make a great character, and a pastor as a main character is a bit unique.

7: Is this a series or a stand alone novel?

Coda to Murder is a stand-alone novel, but I believe there are still stories to tell in the small town where the murder occurs. Maybe I will re-visit someday to check out what’s happened there.

8: What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Writing the story and signing the contract is not the end of the work, but only the beginning. So much time is spent on promotion. I was overwhelmed with my first book, Sunshine Boulevard. I spent all my time promoting instead of writing and that is a big mistake! Writers need to keep writing so readers will have a list of their books to read.

9: How do you balance writing with the demands of everyday life?

My life is never in balance. The only thing I do for sure every morning is eat Cheerios and drink a cup of coffee. Then I try to set aside writing time for a couple of hours after lunch during the weekdays. This does not mean I don’t write at other times like early morning or late at night. I just find I’m ready to write after lunch. I think that harkens back to when I was a kid and loved to have the teacher read a book to our class after lunch break. When I taught third grade, I always read to the kids after lunch too.

10: How much research do you do for your writing?

I have to research police procedure for every book I write. Because my character in my current WIP has Alzheimer’s, I am learning about this devastating disease and talking with those who take care of Alzheimer patients. So many heart-breaking stories affect many families, but the public is not aware of how sweeping this will be in the future if the medical research and health teams cannot medications and procedures to stop it.

11: If you met a genie, what 3 things would you wish for? Why?

World peace, no hungry children, and access to education for third world countries.

12: What is the one thing about the writing world that most surprised you?

I was surprised by how kind and generous people in the writing world are. Instead of authors/publishers acting like competitors, they are supportive of each other.

13: What are you currently working on?

I am writing a mystery/romance that takes place in a funeral home. I have had to update my information on funeral directing. (My dad and brothers were in the funeral business, so I have first hand experience with that and my brothers are excellent resources.) This is the first time I have tried to write in the paranormal genre. There’s a shadow man that keeps visiting Lauren, the daughter of the funeral director. The premise sounds a bit dark, but actually there’s humor in the story too. It’s been a lot of fun to write.

14: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I really like to read and write, but we also camp and travel. We (my DH and I) enjoy playing a board game, Pegs and Jokers, with friends. And of course, it’s fun when the grandkids come over too.

15: What is the one thing you’d like people to know about you?

I think I am a Pollyana always looking to be positive about life. To be cliché, I always see the glass half full, not half empty.

5 Bonus Questions

16: What’s your favorite color?

For home-decorating—green To wear—shades of blue from navy through turquoise.

17: What’s your favorite food?

Roast beef and potatoes and carrots in the crockpot

18: Favorite TV show?

Dancing with the Stars on network

House of Cards on Netflix Original

19: Favorite Movie?

It’s Complicated

20: Favorite Song?

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond—especially fun when he sings it at baseball stadiums and concerts

 URL for YouTube of song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vhFnTjia_I

# # # #

Buy Links for Coda to Murder

Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/ap376tb

MuseItUp Publishing http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/coda-to-murder-detail

bn.com and major online booksellers.

BIO- After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, released by MuseItUp Publishing in 2011. Her latest mystery, Coda to Murder, was released last year. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Girls Succeed blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/

Author website http://jqrose.webs.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

J. Q.  Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/

You Tube Book Trailer—Coda to Murder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9FONg4mJ9g&feature=youtube_gdata