Join Suspense Sisters in welcoming Sandra Orchard!
Sandra Orchard writes romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense and mysteries for Revell. The winner of several Canadian national writing awards in mystery and romance and an RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, Sandra has also received a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, a National Readers’ Choice Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. When not plotting crimes, Sandra enjoys hiking with her hubby, renovating their Niagara home, or playing make-believe with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.SandraOrchard.com
SS: What are some of the challenges you face as a writer? Are there aspects of your life that are hard for family and friends to understand? What are they?
My biggest challenge is that it takes me way longer to complete my writing tasks for the day than it should. Thankfully, I am blessed with a very supportive and understanding family. My dog Bella is always eager to drag me out for a walk to clear my brain and let the fresh air inspire fresh words. My dear hubby often cooks me breakfast and/or lunch when he’s home. And my daughter, an aspiring novelist herself, commiserates with me when I’m stuck and celebrates with me when it all comes together.
SS: Tell us about your current release.
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.
SS: Where did you get the idea for this book?
A previous Love Inspired Suspense I wrote, Perilous Waters, involved the FBI and art crime and through my research for it, I had compiled a file full of ideas. So when my editor asked me to pitch another mystery series after I finished Port Aster Secrets, I decided a light-hearted series featuring a female FBI agent on the Art Crime Team would be fun. And because I wanted to go to St. Louis for a conference and a friend who’d just moved there offered to show me the sights, I opted to make that my heroine’s hometown and arranged to visit my heroine’s workplace—St. Louis FBI headquarters—interview her fellow agents, and tour the town. Between those experiences and my ever-growing file folder full of research, I have ideas for quite a few Serena Jones novels.
SS: What are you working on now?
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.
SS: Anything special you eat or drink while you’re writing?
No, but when I’m staring at the computer screen and no words are coming out of my fingertips, chocolate helps. <grin>
SS: How do you celebrate after completing a book?
Hmm, nothing terribly special. More interesting is what I do when I’m stuck while in the middle of writing a book. With the last three novels, I hopped on a plane and visited a friend for a few days, thanks to crazy cheap flights. This last trip at the end of January was supposed to be to celebrate finishing a first draft, but I didn’t end up getting it done before the trip. <wink>
SS: Where can readers find you on the Internet?
www.SandraOrchard.com
www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard
https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorSOrchard/
http://bit.ly/Goodreads_SandraO
SS: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
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 cast your vote for your favorite man in Serena Jones’ life: http://sandraorchard.com/vote-for-your-favorite/
Welcome Sandra, nice to meet you....another new-to-me author.
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