My guest this weekend….Edith Maxwell!
As a former organic farmer Edith knows
the language and tensions of someone like Cam Flaherty, the farmer in the Local
Foods mysteries. Edith lived in southern Indiana for five years and loved
the slow pace and language of its natives, so it made sense to set the Country
Store Mysteries there. She taught independent childbirth classes and worked as
a doula for some years, giving her insight into the life of an historical
midwife as portrayed in the Quaker Midwife Mysteries.
Currently
residing in Amesbury, Massachusetts, she is originally a fourth-generation
Californian. She has two grown sons, and lives in an antique house with
her beau, their three cats, and several fine specimens of garden statuary
R: Welcome, Edith! Tell us a bit about yourself
and how you became interested in writing.
First, thanks so much for having me over, and for these
great interview questions. I’m a fourth-generation Californian transplanted to
Massachusetts. I’m the mom of two fabulous adult sons, the partner of a very
nice man who doesn’t read fiction, and the human to three great felines. I had
quite a few careers behind me (and another couple in front of me) when I
decided that I loved to read cozy mysteries so much, I might as well write one.
It took 17 more years to have my first book published, but I kept writing and
learning in the meantime.
R: Tell us about your Local Foods mystery series
and how that came about. Are you a fan
of organic foods?
I used to be an organic farmer (see one of the
questions below) and I wrote an unfinished draft of the first book in the
series, A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE, long ago. So it was a natural to come
back to it and make it into a series. I think growing organically is the only
way to go for the health of both the earth and the creatures who live on it –
including us.
R: Tell us about your latest release, FARMED AND
DANGEROUS.
Snow is piling up in Westbury,
Massachusetts. Unfortunately murder seems to be the crop in season. Supplying
fresh ingredients for a dinner at an assisted living facility seems like the
least of farmer Cam Flaherty’s worries—until one of the elderly residents dies
after eating some of her produce. As the suspects gather, a blizzard buries the
scene of the crime under a blanket of snow, leaving Cam stranded in the dark
with a killer who gives new meaning to the phrase “dead of winter.”
R: Do you have an
“how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?
How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?
My agent came to our local Sisters in Crime chapter
looking for authors to work on cozy mystery proposals with. I wrote him a query
letter, he called me, we developed the Local Foods proposal, and it sold to
Kensington within a week. I was ecstatic!
R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What
aids the creative process?
If I’m at all stuck, I go for a long “plotting” walk
with my phone in my back pocket. I start asking myself questions, and the way
forward always becomes more clear. I pull up a notes app and dictate my ideas
in to my phone, and by the time I get home I’ve not only had my exercise, I
know the next few scenes in the book.
R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical
moment would you travel to and why?
Since the Quaker Midwife Mysteries are set in 1888 in my
town, I would love to go back there and really absorb how people talked and
acted. The Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier lived a few
blocks away from my house (where my midwife protagonist and her family live)
and he’s a secondary character in the series. I’d love to have met him in
person, too.
R: What is one thing your readers would be most
surprised to know about you?
I hold a long-dusty black belt in karate!
R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
Oh, dear, do we really want to go there? When I was a
child walking home from school, one day I lay down in the road, figuring that a
car’s wheels would just pass on either side of me. Luckily it was a quiet
street and I got bored waiting!
R: What do you hope readers will
most take away from your writing?
I hope readers will find themselves
taken out of their world and be plopped in that of my characters. The story
will be compelling enough they won’t want to put the book down. And when they
finish the book they will feel justice has been served and all is right with
the fictional world again.
R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I very much write
into the headlights. I usually know my end destination, but do not have a map
for how to get there.
R: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?
:)
No party tricks! I
mostly garden, drink wine, and read cozy mysteries. I sew on occasion.
R: Where can we find out more about you and your work?
My web site, www.edithmaxwell.com, has information
about all my series and my short fiction, too. In addition to the Local Foods
Mysteries and the Quaker Midwife mysteries, I write the Country Store Mysteries
as Maddie Day, and the Lauren Rousseau
mysteries as Lauren Rousseau, as well as short crime fiction. One of my
stories, “Just
Desserts for Johnny,” was nominated for an Agatha Award this year!
R:
Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
Butt
in the chair, fingers on the keyboard. You can’t polish what you haven’t
written. Just keep writing – the story will emerge.
R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be
doing?
Before I became a full-time fiction writer two
years ago, I had careers as:
ñ
Technical writer
ñ
Organic farmer
ñ
Childbirth educator
ñ
Free-lance editor
ñ
Speech recognition researcher
ñ
College teacher
ñ
English teacher in Japan
ñ
Auto mechanic
Pick one!
Below: Ediths muses, her cats, Birdy and Preston!
Just for Fun:
Night or Day?
Day, specifially morning
Dog or Cat? (answer carefully) Cat times three!
Beach or Pool?
Beach whenever possible
Steak or salad?
Salad, local homegrown organic by preference
Favorite Drink?
Red wine
Favorite Book?
Oh, no...
Favorite TV Series? Call the Midwife
Favorite Movie?
Dr. Zhivago
Favorite Actor: Paul Newman (yeah, I know I’m
dating myself...)
Favorite Actress: Meryl Streep
Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Martini with
olives. I don’t know what dirty means, but you can pretty much just pass the
Vermouth cap over the glass.
Hawaii or Alaska? Wow. I’ve never been to Alaska,
but would love to bask in Hawaii for a while.
Finish this sentence: If I could meet anyone in the world, past or
present, it would be Michelle Obama. I admire that woman very much for so
many reasons. I sent her one of my Local Foods mysteries, but I doubt she read
it.
If I had just one wish, it would befor my sons
to stay healthy, have long lives, and get cracking giving me some
grandkids.
If I could trade places with anyone in the world,
it would be ...me! I’m so blessed and lucky, I really don’t want to be anybody
else.
Thank you for a
great interview, Edith! Follks, you can find her at:
@edithmaxwell
http://www.killercharacters.com/ on the
third of each month
Pinterest and
occasionally Instagram, too.
Edith will give away a copy of
Farmed and Dangerous to one lucky commenter!
To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address
(entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any
or all of the below:
* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/
* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)
Winner will be chosen at random using random.org. Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in
your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, July 12!
Well, I did NOT know about y our black belt, Edith! Leave it to Rocco to pull that out!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your new book and sign me up!
Tonette
Tonettemjs@gmail.com
I follow of Twitter and tweeted.
I am a Friend on FB and shared
I follow the blog
Thanks, Tonette!
DeleteI'm reading the second foods mystery and you'll need that black belt to get out alive!
ReplyDeletewhat I've done/ hum...
middle school math teacher, middle school art teacher, weaver, author of books on designing in weaving, middle school math, college math, author math supplementary texts, founder and run (still do) a math charity, genealogist, workshop leader (weaving, then math, then genealogy). Life if never dull! And most important -- raised 3 kids and enjoying grands and greats.
Wow - a middle school teacher. I'm in awe, Erica!
DeleteLove the concept of this series! Need to bump it up my tbr list. We're fb friends, twitter & blog follower. Sharing on my fb page.
ReplyDeleteScouts579. (At) aol (dot ) com
Thanks, Stacie!
DeleteWhat a marvelously diverse life you have led. It has added depth to your books.
ReplyDeleteRocco, I visit here regularly
We are FB friends and I've linked this to my page
No twitter, no blog
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Diverse, indeed. ;^)
DeleteCan't live without farmers!!
ReplyDeletejawdance@yahoo.com
So true, Judy!
DeleteWhere would our world be without farms and the people who work them. I love when the season for fresh vegetables and fruit come about. I've not read any of Edith Maxwell's books but am assured by your interview that it will not be long before I pick one up. robeader53@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI love Dr Zhivago and Paul Newman, too---I guess we must be of the same age.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read this book.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
oops---I almost forgot my extra entries. I follow the blog via email and also follow on twitter and facebook.
Deletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com