New Interview Randee Green - Author

New Interview Randee Green - Author

Q1. Tell us about yourself. What are your favorite books to read?

A. I'd have to say that I’m a bit of an eccentric. I love professional wrestling, I act at a local haunted attraction, and I’m a crazy cat lady. I’d rather write than doing anything else – luckily my boyfriend is a gamer so he can play video games while I write, and we are both happy. 

My favorite books to read (and write) are mysteries. I will read everything from cozy mysteries to crime thrillers. I like trying to figure out the killer and the motive before the reveal. 

Q2. Where did the inspiration to write come from?

A. I first realized that I wanted to be a writer when I was in second grade. Every day, my teacher, Mrs. Ziegler would read to us for about half an hour while we calmed down after we came in from recess. As an avid lover of books since before I could read, this was my favorite part of the school day.

I will never forget the day that Mrs. Ziegler began reading LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was hooked from the first page. Mrs. Ziegler was partway through reading the first chapter of Little House in the Big Woods when the rest of the classroom just faded away, leaving me with the book. Just me and Laura. That’s when I sat up a little straighter and thought, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a writer.” It was more than a childish wish. It was a revelation and a declaration. A promise to myself that I spent years striving to fulfill.

Q3. How did you come up with the titles of your books?

A. My agent, Jennifer Alvarez of BookEnds LLC, is the one who came up with the title. I had originally been calling my novel FAMILY TRADITION in honor of the Hank Williams Jr. song. Trust me, once you meet Carrie Shatner’s family, you’ll understand how it was a fitting title. But Jessica didn’t think that FAMILY TRADITION sounded like the title of a mystery novel. So Jessica pitched some new titles at me, and we agreed that CRIMINAL MISDEEDS was a more genre appropriate title. I continued the theme with the next two Carrie Shatner novels. They will be titled CRIMINAL CHOKEHOLD and CRIMINAL HISTORY.

Q4. Anything you're currently working in 2019?

A. The second Carrie Shatner novel, CRIMINAL MISDEEDS, will be published in a couple months. I have been doing final edits on that. I am also working on a cozy mystery novel.

Q5. How long have you been writing?

A. I have been writing off-and-on since I was a teenager. School, work, and life, in general, got in the way, but I’ve never given up on writing.

Q6.  What advice would you like to give to other authors?

A. The best advice I received was “just write the damn thing”, and I say the same thing to anyone who asks me for advice or suggestions. I am also a strong supporter of writing out detailed fact sheets or biographies for characters. The better you know your characters, the easier it is to bring them to life and keep them consistent throughout the novel.

Q7. Where can we connect with you online?

A. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Criminal-Misdeeds-Carrie-Shatner-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07DVPK81D/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=randee+green&qid=1555449046&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Website: https://www.randeegreen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RandeeGreenAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RandeeGReen_12

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randee_green_author/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/…/show/40583335-criminal-misdeeds…

Q8. Do you plan on writing any more

 books in the future?

A. I’m currently working on a new mystery series idea starring a spunky, strong, amateur female sleuth. I also have an idea for a historical novel that I’ve been doing some research on.

Q9. How many books have you written?

A. Over the years, I’ve written seven novels from start to finish – unless you count the serious rewrites that I did to two of those novels. The first four novels were mainly just for fun while I was developing my writing/storytelling. The final three are the three novels that make up the Carrie Shatner Mystery series. I am currently working on another novel, and am about a third of the way done. So far, my favorite novel has to be CRIMINAL MISDEEDS because I worked so hard on it and I stuck with it until it was finally published.

Q10. Did you go to college to be a writer?

A. I have a Master’s and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. I’m not sure it made me a better writer, but it did cost me a lot of money.